Considering buying 423. Have never bought a sailboat new. I was wondering if anyone could shed insight on how much bargaining/dickering can be done with the dealer on price, equipment? thanks
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bargain for the add-ons
We bought our boat (473) last year at this time. We got a small discount (I can't remember the exact numbers) but later learned that Beneteau now really wants dealers to stick to the list price for the base boat. Dealers are free to offer other incentives on upgrades and service. For example, a new boat still requires bottom paint, a canvas package, boat name, all the safety gear, dock lines, and any other hardware/rigging/electronics upgrades that you desire. In my experience, these are all provided by the dealer (or you can do them yourself). The best time to negotiate these items is when you "add" them to the purchase price of the boat. Even some "factory options" are really installed by the dealer and therefore the dealer has some leverage. This is also the time of year to make sure you get all the boat show specials - which in my case included a substantial amount of extra electronics, custom bedding for all 3 cabins, etc. In my case, I analyzed every itemized number. I wanted to understand what I was paying for each item - not just the total package. In the end, I had a "package price" that included certain dealer add-ons (I also had a separate list of all the items that I chose to select and purchase and install on my own, e.g., all the safety gear, ground tackle, etc.). Good luck. Mike Beller Belvedere B473 #272 Huntington, NY
We bought our boat (473) last year at this time. We got a small discount (I can't remember the exact numbers) but later learned that Beneteau now really wants dealers to stick to the list price for the base boat. Dealers are free to offer other incentives on upgrades and service. For example, a new boat still requires bottom paint, a canvas package, boat name, all the safety gear, dock lines, and any other hardware/rigging/electronics upgrades that you desire. In my experience, these are all provided by the dealer (or you can do them yourself). The best time to negotiate these items is when you "add" them to the purchase price of the boat. Even some "factory options" are really installed by the dealer and therefore the dealer has some leverage. This is also the time of year to make sure you get all the boat show specials - which in my case included a substantial amount of extra electronics, custom bedding for all 3 cabins, etc. In my case, I analyzed every itemized number. I wanted to understand what I was paying for each item - not just the total package. In the end, I had a "package price" that included certain dealer add-ons (I also had a separate list of all the items that I chose to select and purchase and install on my own, e.g., all the safety gear, ground tackle, etc.). Good luck. Mike Beller Belvedere B473 #272 Huntington, NY
Good advice
Thanks good advice I would be curious what kind of add-ons you had thrown in. cheers -John the Sailor
Thanks good advice I would be curious what kind of add-ons you had thrown in. cheers -John the Sailor
Add-ons
Last year on my 323 I got the standard boat show specials, which,if I recall, were the autopilot, Raymarine tridata and wind instruments. When I asked I also got a very nice set of sheets and pillowcases fitted for the boat from Waygo, which would have cost well over $1000. Apparently these were also a boat show special, but I never saw it advertised at the show or elsewhere.
Last year on my 323 I got the standard boat show specials, which,if I recall, were the autopilot, Raymarine tridata and wind instruments. When I asked I also got a very nice set of sheets and pillowcases fitted for the boat from Waygo, which would have cost well over $1000. Apparently these were also a boat show special, but I never saw it advertised at the show or elsewhere.
Have Other Options
Although the discounts did seem to come off the options, I think the only reason I received any discounts at all, is that I had a lot of options plus the leverage of having a 2nd boat that I also very much liked and the two dealers competed for my business over a period of 4 weeks.
Although the discounts did seem to come off the options, I think the only reason I received any discounts at all, is that I had a lot of options plus the leverage of having a 2nd boat that I also very much liked and the two dealers competed for my business over a period of 4 weeks.
Have other options ...
... of course it would have been nice to be able to understand what other people pay for the boat, what the margins are, etc. like your buying a car, and get at least that good a deal, but I found it very very difficult to understand what list price was, and the experiece was more like buying a house. My salesperson at Willis Marine was straight up and honest, gave me the actual list price, and it was a pleasure purchasing from him (Dave Willis) but that was not the norm. In almost every other case, the boats list price was given differntly by dealers of the same brand, sometimes terribly inflated. For example I ran into other (brand) dealer who gave me a list price that was inflated by 20% or more, than offered a discount of 10% or more off list, then have a "special if I decided by friday" of taking another 5% off. After weeks of being ready to buy another boat, the offer did actually get really sweet ... but that was only because he sensed I wasn't married to purchasing his brand of boat and he really had to compete to get my business. I also meet dealers who had a boat stuck in inventory, who gave honest to good deals, but in each case the reason the boat was stuck in inventory so long was also a detraction to my purchasing it as well.
... of course it would have been nice to be able to understand what other people pay for the boat, what the margins are, etc. like your buying a car, and get at least that good a deal, but I found it very very difficult to understand what list price was, and the experiece was more like buying a house. My salesperson at Willis Marine was straight up and honest, gave me the actual list price, and it was a pleasure purchasing from him (Dave Willis) but that was not the norm. In almost every other case, the boats list price was given differntly by dealers of the same brand, sometimes terribly inflated. For example I ran into other (brand) dealer who gave me a list price that was inflated by 20% or more, than offered a discount of 10% or more off list, then have a "special if I decided by friday" of taking another 5% off. After weeks of being ready to buy another boat, the offer did actually get really sweet ... but that was only because he sensed I wasn't married to purchasing his brand of boat and he really had to compete to get my business. I also meet dealers who had a boat stuck in inventory, who gave honest to good deals, but in each case the reason the boat was stuck in inventory so long was also a detraction to my purchasing it as well.
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