Negotiating new aluminum bass boat price......is this dumb?

[carrollton-fisher]

So I have a Ranger, Tracker, Lowe, Crestliner, and I think Xpress dealer all within an hour.  I know which boat I prefer, but would be happy with the others for the right price.  Would it be dumb to walk in with $5K in cash, say I’m buying a boat that day but it depends on who’s giving me the beat deal and see what happens?  Would you start with my preferred boat?  Or is this just a dumb tactic?

[Shimano_1]

I wouldn't approach it quite that way.  I'd probably start with the one I wanted and get all the information.  Then I'd gather the same information on the rest. Maybe one is significantly better deal than the rest. Once you get your information you'll have a good bargaining tool. I'm sure some dealers will stand out good and bad. A good dealer will be worth a little extra cash imo. I'm sure if they know you're buying and you're negotiating with other dealers, they'll be a little more motivated to offer the best deal. I got a good price on my aluminum rig last year but the experience with the dealer wasn't grand. I wish I'd done more homework and next time I will definitely do more of what you're doing and shop around!  Good luck! Maybe with all this covid crap they're needing to sell some rigs!

[Tim Kelly]

If you can buy a new boat for $5K pick me one up too! ?

 

[Kyle S]

I just bought a brand new tracker 1648 side console earlier this week, from Cabelas. Bass pro and Cabelas both have their, 'No Hassle, No Haggle' guarantee. Which means, cash in hand is useless and the price they have listed is the price you pay. The only sort of 'discount' you are going to get from either of these two dealers is if you buy a previous years model. I would be willing to bet other local dealers in your area would be willing to negotiate on pricing however. Also...are you planning on only spending 5k for a new boat? What kind of features are you looking for in a new boat!? Perhaps you could share some models that you've been looking at. Good luck in your search and please report back with whatever you pull the trigger on!

[slonezp]

It's easier to pit different dealers that sell the same brand against each other.

 

Tracker does not negotiate. Other brands use nationally advertised pricing to prevent people from driving to other states to make purchases. That doesn't mean they won't negotiate. Your best bet at negotiation is to find a high volume dealer with the boat you want in stock. High volume dealers can generally purchase the boats at a lower cost than low volume dealers, and/or get other spiffs from the manufacturer. 

[Tennessee Boy]

I've been told that Ranger dealers cannot sell below list price.  They can reduce their fees.  I negotiated the dealer prep fee down to $100.  Some dealers were wanting as much as $600.  It's probably possible for them to throw in a few free things if they are motivated to sell.  

 

Also,  cash does not appeal to them.  They make more money when they finance a boat.  

[Crappiebasser]

36 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

 

Also,  cash does not appeal to them.  They make more money when they finance a boat.  

This. Cash is only relevant in person to person sales.

[slonezp]

1 hour ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I've been told that Ranger dealers cannot sell below list price.  They can reduce their fees.  I negotiated the dealer prep fee down to $100.  Some dealers were wanting as much as $600.  It's probably possible for them to throw in a few free things if they are motivated to sell.  

 

Also,  cash does not appeal to them.  They make more money when they finance a boat.  

I've been talking on and off to a Ranger dealer about a walleye boat. The story I heard was when Johnny took over he removed the incentive process that Ranger had in place which was giving high volume dealers dealers free boats. Let's say a dealer sells 20 boats a year and only pays for 19. He is in a better place to negotiate over a dealer that sells 15 boats a year but pays for all 15. That being said. I built my Ranger with the dealer on Rangers boat builder. Printed out the pricing. He said when I was ready, we would talk real pricing. I bought my Lund new and paid 17% below boat builder. This was back in 2013.

 

In the current state of affairs, selling inventory is going to trump the financing. Our state has been shut down for most of the boat buying season. Dealers will want to move inventory.

 

OP are you buying a $5k jon/utility boat/motor/trailer or putting down $5k on a nice boat? If you are financing, do your due diligence and research both the boats and the dealers that will be servicing the boat.

[carrollton-fisher]

So my plan was to take $5K cash to show I was serious about buying a boat that day. I would finance the rest as I know this helps their bottom line.  Just wondering best way to negotiate buying a new boat.  I figure with everything going on now, they may be even more willing to make boats move. 

[RHuff]

If it were me I would probably cut the games of "show me the best you can do". With the current situation they are going to want to sell boats and move inventory. I would take the $5K down that you have and figure out a price I want to pay and go in and straight up tell the dealer - I have this much down and this is what I want to finance for this boat... Get out a little black book for a prop. Get it out and take notes in it while discussing it. If they don't take the offer then flip that book closed and put it away then thank them for their time and tell them you'll buy from the next dealer.... They will more than likely call you back in within 48 hours to offer you the price you requested.... That little effect does wonders.....  

[VolFan]

I'd leave the money at home and go talk to a few reputable dealerships in your area. If you know what you want and have a little flexibility, they may have a late model on the lot that fits you. If not, you'll get an initial idea of pricing and an idea of how each dealership treats you. And how they talk to you and what they tell you on the call back is where you'll figure out what and who to go with. $5K down right now is a pretty good chip with the way the economy is right now.

[Allen Der]

you should put down as little money as possible.  Interest rates are at an all time low and there is no penalty to paying a loan off early.  Keep your cash, cash in case you need it in an emergency.  Hopefully you have at least 12 months of expenses saved in an emergency fund before buying a boat. 

[carrollton-fisher]

So I was thinking if I went into a dealership, they would try and keep me from going to another to get the best price. Take $5k cash and tell them I’d finance the test with them, then see what I can get 

[slonezp]

If you don't already have financing set up, chances are, to get the lowest rate, you will need 20% down.

[Teal]

Personally I wouldn't tell them that you have 5 k for a down payment until you find the price that you want, then you and your bank if you choose to use the bank go about it the best way.  The way they move money around I don't trust it.   Get the price you want then figure a way to finance it, 

[slonezp]

11 minutes ago, Teal said:

Personally I wouldn't tell them that you have 5 k for a down payment until you find the price that you want, then you and your bank if you choose to use the bank go about it the best way.  The way they move money around I don't trust it.   Get the price you want then figure a way to finance it, 

Yeah, I don't know. Cash is cash. People get raped on trade in's. Negotiating vehicle prices involves research. I took 3 weeks negotiating my boat and 2 weeks negotiating my truck. The boat, being relevant in this conversation, started with 3 dealers pitted against each other.  The first dealer backed out quickly and the other two worked with me to get numbers down on each other. Final decision was made because one dealer had the boat in stock and the other had to order it.