Negotiating a Price

[Bill Hibbs]

We are finally ready to get serious about purchasing a larger boat. We are looking for either a Hunter 340 or 356. I have never dealt with a boat broker or dealer before,and though my question may sound naive, it is something I, and I am sure others, need to know. Our sailboats to this point have all been smaller and bought in private sales. Is buying a boat from a dealer or broker like buying a car? Is there room in the asking price for negotiation? What has been your experience in terms of the percentage off the asking price should I expect to get from a dealer/broker for a new or a used boat? Are there web sites or other sources for boat pricing like there are for car pricing that tell me how much the dealer was invoiced for a particular unit and/or accessories? Thanks for your response.

 

[Barnaby]

Do some negotiating

I have a 2002 356, that I bought in March of last year.I negotiated with the dealer and started with a show special price, which included a number of great upgrades (heat, full dodger/bimini). From there I negotiated down a couple thousand and got a combination of additional features (Primarily leather & vacuflush-both great to have). All told, I think it amounted to about 5% less than where we started. To buy the stock boat and add all the options would have been at least 10% more than what I paid total, since they get parts/service wholesale.Apparantly, this boat was ordered by someone else who then cancelled. I bought it site unseen while it was on the truck to Seattle from Florida, so that may have had something to do with the pricing. Anyway you look at it, the 356 is a lot of boat for the money. My only regret is that I didn't push harder and earlier for warranty issues, which were (are) numerous.Good luck and good sailing! -Barnaby S/V Miss Eulie

 

[Carl Nencetti]

Determine what they are going for

Between the Boats for Sale on this site and YachtWorld I found that the year and size I was looking at in March ranged from 35k to 44.5k. A local owner had his for sale in this range and I offered about 7% less than the asking price. We negotiated and I was happy with a 5% reduction. After the survey a few items came up that allowed me to reduce the price to what I had originally offered and the deal was done. I had tried to buy a boat using the local broker as "my" broker. He set up all the sea trial/surveys and made the offer I wanted for me to the selling broker. I like using a buyer's broker 'cuase he represents me and the selling broker is more inclined to negotiate since his commission is already smaller and will be reduced less by the negotiations. This deal fell though and I'm happier having gone the non-broker route. Either way, learn what asking prices are for the boat you have an interest in and start somewhere below the lowest number (manybe 6-10%). This is not the time to make a friend of the seller or broker.

 

[Anon]

Price price price

It amazes me what folks will do to get the rock bottom price on the boat they want. I would not go to a dealer I didn't like or trust to do my warantee work to save a few thousand. The best you could do in your negotiations is to save %5 percent over what someone else spent. Service is the real issue. See what the dealer will install for you. Will he give you lessons. Will he visit your boat and retune the rig after a year...or two?