Dealer shenanigans or it's how things are done?

[ClassicVW_imp]

I wish everyone would stop defending the dealer. Yes, he's entitled to make a profit. Yes, he can charge $5000 over MSRP if he feels like it. (See- VW New Beetle and many years of Harley wait lists) What he can't do is post one sale price and then spring another on you at the last minute. If there are extra fees they have to be mentioned in the fine print of whatever ad the buyer saw the price in. Anything else is not legal.

The ad gets you in, and then they can work you over saying- "This is the price. Do you really want to schlep to other dealers and waste your time only to find the bike has been sold, or they also have these fees? You're already here, we may as well do the deal now, no?"

[pechorin75_imp]

I tend to agree about the dealer fee stuff. I don't know if it's false advertising per se (there's undoubtedly some tiny print somewhere in the ad), but it's certainly misleading, and wouldn't give me a good feeling about a dealership. That said, the others are correct that in the end, it's the bottom line that counts, however they arrive there. In this day and age I'd call or email about the OTD price, no wishy-washy, before I ever set foot in the place...no reason to walk into the showroom if you don't need to.

[metallyguitarded_imp]

I guess I'm kind of with Flynrider on this, at least to the extent that it comes down to the OTD price. What difference does it make in the long run if you were lured in by one price, but get the bike at a price you are willing to pay?

I don't know of any vehicle type, other than possibly a riding mower, that advertises the out the door price. You go in, negotiate a price, and either walk out or ride out. In fact, having the ADM listed gives you power because you know that they can knock some or all of that off and still make money on the bike.

Still, though, I'm a big proponent of going with your gut and if you were getting a bad feeling about how the dealer was handling the transaction, then walking away is probably the right thing.

You're absolutely right. Bottom line is OTD price. And, in the end, it was still at a price I could afford and was willing to pay. I walked because it didn't sit well with me that they were deceptive in their pricing. I'll pay more if it's to someone I can trust. That goes for mechanics, electricians, hitmen, and certainly car and motorcycle dealers. I don't want to give my money to someone who is trying to get over on me. Even if, after all is said and done, they come out the same or even less than the competition. I know it's nothing personal and it's a sales tactic. Still ...

[DGShannon_imp]

I tend to agree about the dealer fee stuff. I don't know if it's false advertising per se (there's undoubtedly some tiny print somewhere in the ad), but it's certainly misleading, and wouldn't give me a good feeling about a dealership. That said, the others are correct that in the end, it's the bottom line that counts, however they arrive there. In this day and age I'd call or email about the OTD price, no wishy-washy, before I ever set foot in the place...no reason to walk into the showroom if you don't need to.

Fully agree. Fortunately, I live in Houston where there are several dealers. It took me almost two months of communicating back and forth, relating my best price from dealer X to dealer Y to see if they would beat that. Once I had a new low price, I would start the round robin again. All said and done with, I ended up with a 2013 fresh from the crate, for $8,678 out the door. Didn't matter to me what fees were in that total number. In fact, there was all sorts of stuff in there, but the magic was that there were $1,100 worth of dealer incentive credits added in to offset the cost.

[kDiqq_imp]

I tend to agree about the dealer fee stuff. I don't know if it's false advertising per se (there's undoubtedly some tiny print somewhere in the ad), but it's certainly misleading, and wouldn't give me a good feeling about a dealership. That said, the others are correct that in the end, it's the bottom line that counts, however they arrive there. In this day and age I'd call or email about the OTD price, no wishy-washy, before I ever set foot in the place...no reason to walk into the showroom if you don't need to.

Fully agree. Fortunately, I live in Houston where there are several dealers. It took me almost two months of communicating back and forth, relating my best price from dealer X to dealer Y to see if they would beat that. Once I had a new low price, I would start the round robin again. All said and done with, I ended up with a 2013 fresh from the crate, for $8,678 out the door. Didn't matter to me what fees were in that total number. In fact, there was all sorts of stuff in there, but the magic was that there were $1,100 worth of dealer incentive credits added in to offset the cost.

Fully agree. Fortunately, I live in Houston where there are several dealers. It took me almost two months of communicating back and forth, relating my best price from dealer X to dealer Y to see if they would beat that. Once I had a new low price, I would start the round robin again. All said and done with, I ended up with a 2013 fresh from the crate, for $8,678 out the door. Didn't matter to me what fees were in that total number. In fact, there was all sorts of stuff in there, but the magic was that there were $1,100 worth of dealer incentive credits added in to offset the cost. I'm just curious, since I'm in Houston as well, which dealer did you go to?

[DGShannon_imp]

I tend to agree about the dealer fee stuff. I don't know if it's false advertising per se (there's undoubtedly some tiny print somewhere in the ad), but it's certainly misleading, and wouldn't give me a good feeling about a dealership. That said, the others are correct that in the end, it's the bottom line that counts, however they arrive there. In this day and age I'd call or email about the OTD price, no wishy-washy, before I ever set foot in the place...no reason to walk into the showroom if you don't need to.

Fully agree. Fortunately, I live in Houston where there are several dealers. It took me almost two months of communicating back and forth, relating my best price from dealer X to dealer Y to see if they would beat that. Once I had a new low price, I would start the round robin again. All said and done with, I ended up with a 2013 fresh from the crate, for $8,678 out the door. Didn't matter to me what fees were in that total number. In fact, there was all sorts of stuff in there, but the magic was that there were $1,100 worth of dealer incentive credits added in to offset the cost.

Fully agree. Fortunately, I live in Houston where there are several dealers. It took me almost two months of communicating back and forth, relating my best price from dealer X to dealer Y to see if they would beat that. Once I had a new low price, I would start the round robin again. All said and done with, I ended up with a 2013 fresh from the crate, for $8,678 out the door. Didn't matter to me what fees were in that total number. In fact, there was all sorts of stuff in there, but the magic was that there were $1,100 worth of dealer incentive credits added in to offset the cost. I'm just curious, since I'm in Houston as well, which dealer did you go to?

Wild West Motorsports. Came down to them and Lunsford. The others (Pasadena Honda, Stubbs) just didn't want to sell theirs bad enough yet.

[kDiqq_imp]

Did you check out Mancuso? They have had one for centuries.. Collecting dust lol I went there to have my bike looked at. I also considered Lunsford, but I was picky and demanded a 6 speed

Congrats on the CB! Hopefully we cross paths sometime.

[pechorin75_imp]

There must be a hundred different factors to consider from the dealer's perspective...but in the end I guess it's sort of a gamble when it comes to pricing on a bike that isn't in strong demand. I was looking at lightly used '13s back in February. One in particular (which I ended up buying) was $7,750. At the time, a local dealer had a leftover new '13 listed at $9,000 (not including tax, tag, etc.). I'd have paid extra to have a brand-new bike, but wasn't prepared to pay $1250 extra, so I checked to see if they'd come down. Told them the situation, said I'd seriously consider their bike at $8,500. Nope...absolutely weren't gonna budge on that price.

So I thanked them for their time, said to let me know if they changed their mind, etc. Never heard back. The same bike is still sitting there, now listed at $7,500 going into the winter.

[metallyguitarded_imp]

There must be a hundred different factors to consider from the dealer's perspective...but in the end I guess it's sort of a gamble when it comes to pricing on a bike that isn't in strong demand. I was looking at lightly used '13s back in February. One in particular (which I ended up buying) was $7,750. At the time, a local dealer had a leftover new '13 listed at $9,000 (not including tax, tag, etc.). I'd have paid extra to have a brand-new bike, but wasn't prepared to pay $1250 extra, so I checked to see if they'd come down. Told them the situation, said I'd seriously consider their bike at $8,500. Nope...absolutely weren't gonna budge on that price.

So I thanked them for their time, said to let me know if they changed their mind, etc. Never heard back. The same bike is still sitting there, now listed at $7,500 going into the winter.

You're probably right. I'm sure there are considerations I'm just not aware of. It seems to me that the main consideration is and should be, make a profit while treating the customer right. Build a relationship with the customer so that he/she comes back. And, as we all know, motorcyclist tend to come back for new bikes over and over, long before our current bikes need to be replaced.

I'm going to decide upon an OTD price I'm willing to pay. I have time on my side. The '15's are right around the corner. This same dealership has '13's still on the showroom floor. I imagine the '14 I'm eyeing has been there for a while. They don't seem to be flying out the door around here. If they were, I'd understand the "additional dealer markup." Wouldn't like it, but I'd understand it. You want a hot commodity, you're going to have to pay more for it. Even more than mfg. suggested in some cases.
My thread is really negative, huh? Sorry about that. Didn't mean to inject that into the forum. Enough of me whining! I'm in love with the CB1100. it will be mine. Not sure when, but in the near future. Lesson learned on my part. Thanks for all the input.

[pechorin75_imp]

There must be a hundred different factors to consider from the dealer's perspective...but in the end I guess it's sort of a gamble when it comes to pricing on a bike that isn't in strong demand. I was looking at lightly used '13s back in February. One in particular (which I ended up buying) was $7,750. At the time, a local dealer had a leftover new '13 listed at $9,000 (not including tax, tag, etc.). I'd have paid extra to have a brand-new bike, but wasn't prepared to pay $1250 extra, so I checked to see if they'd come down. Told them the situation, said I'd seriously consider their bike at $8,500. Nope...absolutely weren't gonna budge on that price.

So I thanked them for their time, said to let me know if they changed their mind, etc. Never heard back. The same bike is still sitting there, now listed at $7,500 going into the winter.

You're probably right. I'm sure there are considerations I'm just not aware of. It seems to me that the main consideration is and should be, make a profit while treating the customer right. Build a relationship with the customer so that he/she comes back. And, as we all know, motorcyclist tend to come back for new bikes over and over, long before our current bikes need to be replaced.

I'm going to decide upon an OTD price I'm willing to pay. I have time on my side. The '15's are right around the corner. This same dealership has '13's still on the showroom floor. I imagine the '14 I'm eyeing has been there for a while. They don't seem to be flying out the door around here. If they were, I'd understand the "additional dealer markup." Wouldn't like it, but I'd understand it. You want a hot commodity, you're going to have to pay more for it. Even more than mfg. suggested in some cases.
My thread is really negative, huh? Sorry about that. Didn't mean to inject that into the forum. Enough of me whining! I'm in love with the CB1100. it will be mine. Not sure when, but in the near future. Lesson learned on my part. Thanks for all the input.

I didn't think it was particularly negative. I'd have had the same reaction to being blindsided by a nearly $600 fee at the last minute.

Unrelated note, does anybody else find it odd that a dealer would install an aftermarket pipe on a brand-new bike?