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rvbsmart · 08-12-2016, 11:37 AM

From a dealer's standpoint, the hardest customers to deal with are the ones who have no idea of the value of the product they are trying to buy. Quite often, this customer's only basis for negotiation is how much they can get you to come off of the first price you gave them. So the dealer is always gambling on what price to throw out first. These buyers always assume that there are thousands of dollars that can be negotiated off of whatever number the seller gives them first, so if the dealer gives them what they ask for, "the bottom dollar!" they are left with no room to negotiate, and the customer leaves mad because "the crooked dealer wouldn't deal with me!"

Rgentum · 08-12-2016, 02:26 PM

Numerous AS dealers have told me:

1. They have to pay market interest on all the new Airsteams on their lot.

2. They don't want to keep any Airstream on their lot for more than a few months (it "gets stale") --- they make their money by turning inventory, not by storing inventory.

3. The Airstream buying season is from the Spring through the Fall.

Therefore, the best deal on a new Airstream should be for one that has sat on the lot for more than a few months & is sold during the Winter (heavy supply + light demand). Those facts allowed me to buy a new Airstream at the best discount from MSRP as I thought reasonably possible.

Lastly, I begin (over the phone) not by asking a dealer for their offer price but by telling them my cash bid price & negotiating up from there. It's important, I believe, to do my homework & get a pretty good idea of what a great but not unreasonable price would be for any item (and where else it might be available) before beginning any negotiation for its purchase, and also to know exactly how much and no more I am willing to pay for it (my "drop-dead price"). And as others have mentioned, if you "fall in love" with the item and "have to have it," you are going to pay for it dearly.

m.hony · 08-12-2016, 03:48 PM

That same formula applies to motorcycles. I bought Road King in February during a blizzard...
Probably applies to boats as well.

Hittenstiehl · 08-13-2016, 07:25 PM

In the midst of a negotiation (vintage) not liking the process very much.

The duality of the seller wanting high and you wanting low is not an easy bridge gap.

mbubbaca · 08-13-2016, 07:56 PM

I too sit in the middle of negotiations. I have his offer price and it is high, as best I can tell from research. In doing my due diligence, I have asked for the AS to be hooked up to shore power to check out all the systems that he says are perfect. The AS currently sites on a lot with no power available. But before he will move it to a hookup, he wants an offer in writing. I'm a bit gun shy of putting in an offer with no knowledge of anything that is hooked to the electrical system working. Not sure of the sniff test here. Any of you expert negotiators have any advice? Better than offering $15,000 less than his price just to get it moved?

Hittenstiehl · 08-13-2016, 08:13 PM

We also did not test systems, no electric where it's at. But that was presented to us honestly as "fair to assume no systems are functioning".

We did have a very nice inspector that vetted it for us.

We'll see.

**wulfraat** · 08-13-2016, 08:45 PM

If it's not win-win or doesn't feel right walk away and find another one. It takes work on both sides to bring a negotiation to a close, sounds like you are working but the seller is not.

There are plenty of different airstreams on the market

Hittenstiehl · 08-14-2016, 05:10 PM

So, we finally have a successful conclusion to our negotiations. Glad I don't price negotiating for a living.

ChrisPBacon · 08-15-2016, 05:26 AM

Thank you to all the replies I needed this information too!

mbubbaca · 08-16-2016, 07:27 AM

Just in case anyone is waiting for follow up. I combined a couple of suggestions and offered a price based on the inspection. The price was 10,000 under his start. He thinks we can come to an agreement. However, now the problem is getting into the dealer for the inspection. 2 to 3 times a day calls to the service department with no call back. This is to the oldest AS dealer in the state. Not the first bump in the road with this dealer. We walked around the lot for 30 minutes in and out of every thing that was open and no sales person. Then we asked to have a salesman come to talk to us, another 30 minutes and we left. It's not feeling good to be depending on this dealer for the inspection and the potential service down the road. As I was typing this, the service dept called and they are down to 1 tech. 2 weeks before they can get to the inspection. Feeling a little better, the seller is working with me and I got a call back. It's a good day.

Hittenstiehl · 08-16-2016, 01:33 PM

Hang in there Mbub.

We actually said our deal was a no go and cancelled it. Then we got a call from a very nice pvt inspector who helped us out. So deal is back on.

Joellen · 10-05-2016, 08:56 PM

In an earlier post you noted that you got 45% off MSRP. In this post you mention that 20% is average....how dod you manage a 45% discount?

**wulfraat** · 10-06-2016, 08:55 PM

I received a 45% discount because of several circumstances that when combined, created the perfect opportunity... timing is everything sometimes:

1. The trailer had been on the lot for 12+ months at a small dealer in Iowa.

2. Slight hail damage so the dealer likely took down an insurance claim that reduced their cost of goods sold (We agreed that the trailer was being sold "as-is" regarding exterior "damage" - I never repaired the light peppering, it was barely noticable)

3. It was a cold, miserable march in 2009 in Nebraska. The economy was in the pits. Nobody was spending disposable income on luxury items like travel trailers and so nothing was moving in the local marketplace.

4. The dealer was, I believe, struggling to a certain extent given the economy and needed cash flow

5. I had cash in hand and was a serious buyer, ready to make a purchase

Add those circumstances up and the result was a 45% discount out the door. We were extremely firm with our offer. "It was what it was" and we offered to bring a certified check over within 24 hours if they could make the financials work. If not, that was ok, we'd keep looking.

In the end we came up just $1,000 from our opening offer and I think they came down over $10k on theirs, and they started with a steep discount out of the gate.

It was a win-win. The dealer was able shed some long standing inventory with cash flow to help float the business through some tough times and I had a solid new trailer with minor hail damage on the top of 2 end caps to hit the road with.