the VERY BEST price ....????
Whether buying cars, motorcycles, boats or almost anything 'big ticket', I, like most others, do try to haggle and negotiate. I'm looking for a "good deal", for sure. Whether that turns out to be the absolute best, bottom dollar price is often never really known or likely to be disclosed. Does it even really matter all that much? Here are a few things I have come to conclude after 70+ years of buying:
1 - if the deal that's offered is reasonable and within your budget, then you're often better off to take it than to try to squeeze the very last buck out of it and beat the dealer down a bit more. That dealer needs to make enough profit in order to stay in business; if he can't do that and gets discouraged, then you lose him/her as a shopping place. You can also waste a lot of time and money searching for the 'perfect deal'.
2 - as Bob D says, service for your vehicle is all important. If you want to be able to have a dealer close by, and you want good reliable service, it often begins by having a decent relationship established when you buy. A happy salesman can often be helpful when you need quality service advice; a smart salesman is already thinking ahead to 'trade-in' time, and wants you well looked after by the shop techs. If you can create a great, local business relationship, so much the better. 'Community friendship' has many advantages.
3 - many dealerships don't often make much margin on sales; it's really the 'back shop' service department that carries the operation, and is really the profitable end. There's a limit to what a dealer can reduce from MSRP and still survive; this usually depends on the volume of sales.
4 - is there negotiating room on sales? most always. That's what makes it a challenge for both buyer and seller. I don't mind the dealer making a well-earned profit on a sale to me; I just don't want him to make ALL his yearly margin out of my wallet. But I do want him around; I need him to stay in business. If I pay $20 or $200 more than someone else did for the same vehicle, well so what? Maybe I could have been tougher, bargained a bit harder. But even if my deal is only 90% or 95% as good as the next guy, I should be very, very happy. Hell, if I went home from school and showed my parents a report card with a 90% or 95% success mark, I got thoroughly rewarded. So, if you're talking a deal that's close to perfect, even if it's not quite as good as someone else in absolute terms, maybe you should take it and be as proud as if you went home with a great report card. Even 75% or 80% of perfection is pretty damn good. You and your dealer have both done well. It's a win-win. If you grind too much, and it becomes win-lose, your dealer disappears and you start looking all over again.
5 - do your homework and go comparison shopping at several dealers. Make it known that you're serious; get a written (if possible) quote on the best price for the product you want. At the next dealership, go through the same process. Compare quotes. If the dealer you prefer is slightly higher, simply say "can you match this price?; I'd like to buy here." I went to three shops before buying; fellow riders warned me off one. The other two were equally good dealers; one was slightly closer and had an excellent reputation. Their quote was slightly higher. When I showed them the other guy's figures, they told me I had been offered an excellent deal, one they found very difficult to match. But match it, they did; they wanted my business. That sale to me increased their sales volume with BRP just enough to push them into the next lower dealer-input cost range. The lower profit on my deal would soon be made up on any future sales of increased through-put. A win-win. A happy customer, happy dealer, and a great on-going relationship when I have returned for service. The salesman smiles when I walk through the door, and sees that I'm well cared for. AND I'll go back to buy again, when it comes time.
Good luck in your search. Find the Spyder you like, and start having fun. You'll be glad you did, and whatever you pay will be worth it!!!
pps
