Fair Price for a PDI?

**WhittleBurner** · 05-13-2021, 05:50 AM

Some people would prefer to pay someone other than the dealer to do their pdi than do it themselves. They may not have much if any experience with trailers and believe they would not be thorough enough, These people that do that do the pdi's (not to be confused with dealer PDIs) have been trained and can find things that most people would never think to check. Could save someone a lot of money and grief. Could be worth the money to hiire an outside person to do the pdi on a new or used trailer.

**huntr70** · 05-13-2021, 06:23 AM

I will give the dealer's perspective on this.....

Every unit sold has a pdi charge. Whether it shown or not, you are paying to have it gone through (unless the dealer doesn't do one).

You really wouldn't want to buy a unit that hasn't had a pdi done after it was delivered. For us, the units first trip is over 600 miles. Yes, GD does a "pdi" at their facility, but then the unit travels. Things happen, shake loose, fall apart.

So, everyone likes to get paid at their job's right? Who is paying the dealership to perform the pdi? The manufacturer doesn't "allow" an amount to do it....the customer expects a unit that works.

We here build it in to the selling price. Some dealers will advertise a nice low price, then add on for freight and prep so the advertised price looks lower than dealers that include it.

**bdelcurto** · 05-13-2021, 07:16 AM

Originally Posted by huntr70

I will give the dealer's perspective on this.....

Every unit sold has a pdi charge. Whether it shown or not, you are paying to have it gone through (unless the dealer doesn't do one).

You really wouldn't want to buy a unit that hasn't had a pdi done after it was delivered. For us, the units first trip is over 600 miles. Yes, GD does a "pdi" at their facility, but then the unit travels. Things happen, shake loose, fall apart.

So, everyone likes to get paid at their job's right? Who is paying the dealership to perform the pdi? The manufacturer doesn't "allow" an amount to do it....the customer expects a unit that works.

We here build it in to the selling price. Some dealers will advertise a nice low price, then add on for freight and prep so the advertised price looks lower than dealers that include it.

I always appreciate your perspective, huntr70. So, thank you for that.

The cost of doing business is built into the price of just about everything we buy. We pay for both value and non-value added steps and processes that go into each and every thing we buy and the wages of everyone who touches the product along its journey to the consumer.

Case in point, the bathrooms at the dealership have to be cleaned on some regular basis. Who pays for that? The customers of the dealership, of course. That said, I haven’t (yet) seen a dealer fee for “janitorial services” (although some dealers do probably charge a fee to clean your new RV). Clearly there are many, many costs that dealers (or any business for that matter) incur in the course of just doing business.

When I see the price of a Big Mac on the menu, I know that included in that price are the “cost of doing business” and profit for the restaurant owner. I don’t want to see any “added fees” above and beyond the advertised or agreed upon price of the burger when I get to the register. If they try to charge me more that what they’ve advertised or what I’ve agreed to pay, they get to keep their burger.

Automobile dealers have what is called “holdback” built into the price of every new vehicle they sell. It’s off the table during negotiations; everyone who buys a new vehicle pays holdback to the dealer; most people have never even heard of it. Now, if they added a line item to the purchase agreement called “holdback” (or PDI...insert whatever term you’d like here) many would balk at the “added fee.” No one complains about holdback, because it’s build into the price of the vehicle.

That said, in most every retail setting, charging someone a fee on top of an agreed upon price leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths (it does mine, anyway). It comes across as sneaky in many cases, as I’ve experienced, because these fees are often not disclosed until the end of the process, in the finance office hot seat. It’s a sales tactic, I understand. Many people won’t bow out of a several thousand dollar deal over a “small fee.” However, I would venture to say most people don’t like these kinds of tactics. For me, it’s enough of a bad taste that I’ll walk away when a dealer tries to do this to me.

I don’t think anyone is disagreeing that dealers are in business to make a profit and everyone has to get paid. It’s the approach (or model) most don’t like.

Business have the right to do business as they see fit. I think added fees (especially when they are not disclosed up front) is a bad way to do business. My only say in the matter is where I choose to spend my hard-earned money.

Thanks again, huntr.

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**dryfly** · 05-13-2021, 09:35 AM

bdelcurto,

Very wells said! When looking for a deal on my GD trailer, the closest dealer tacked a $500 make ready fee on the bid. When questioned, he stated "someone has to clean and PDI the trailer, and they must be paid". Do most customers just smile and say "that's a good point"? I purchased from another dealer for same price who did not charge $500 extra.

However, sometimes it's impossible to avoid seeing an extra fee. Gulf States Toyota dealerships have on the car's sticker a Toyota Dealers Advertising Fee, as well as a delivery fee. It's part of sticker price, and comes that way from the Toyota distributor. Doesn't mean you can't haggle a good price, just means it's always going to be in the equation. Or, you can buy another brand. Maybe some day we will see this type of added fee on trailers.

**Redapple63** · 05-13-2021, 08:12 PM

I agree the cost of the PDI will be incorporated into the price one way or the other. I think there are a few variations on a theme here.

Many dealers my not itemize a price, but it is worked in while others my include it as a separate line item, either works for me as long as it is substantial and binding. My dealer couldn’t be done fast enough, and guess what, the second I said ok, let’s do paperwork, the other guys disappeared instantly. Left my power cord attached water hose connected.

No one was around to show how or help connect the truck, and once connected took me 10 minutes to find someone to open the gate.

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**Canyonlight** · 05-14-2021, 06:44 AM

Originally Posted by huntr70

I will give the dealer's perspective on this.....

Every unit sold has a pdi charge. Whether it shown or not, you are paying to have it gone through (unless the dealer doesn't do one).

You really wouldn't want to buy a unit that hasn't had a pdi done after it was delivered. For us, the units first trip is over 600 miles. Yes, GD does a "pdi" at their facility, but then the unit travels. Things happen, shake loose, fall apart.

So, everyone likes to get paid at their job's right? Who is paying the dealership to perform the pdi? The manufacturer doesn't "allow" an amount to do it....the customer expects a unit that works.

We here build it in to the selling price. Some dealers will advertise a nice low price, then add on for freight and prep so the advertised price looks lower than dealers that include it.

Steve - is the PDI charge you all "build in" to the pricing the same for all units/manufacturers or does it vary ? If it varies, is the charge on GDRVs less and if so why ? And if you wouldn't mind sharing, what is the average built in charge for PDI ?

Thanks, as always, Steve !

Dan

**huntr70** · 05-14-2021, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by Canyonlight

Steve - is the PDI charge you all "build in" to the pricing the same for all units/manufacturers or does it vary ? If it varies, is the charge on GDRVs less and if so why ? And if you wouldn't mind sharing, what is the average built in charge for PDI ?

Thanks, as always, Steve !

Dan

It varies by the size of the unit. Smaller bumper pulls are about $650, larger trailers into 5th wheels is $850 and large units like Momentums are around $950.

The more "stuff" that's on them, the longer it takes to PDI.

Nothing to do with the manufacturer.

**Canyonlight** · 05-14-2021, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by huntr70

It varies by the size of the unit. Smaller bumper pulls are about $650, larger trailers into 5th wheels is $850 and large units like Momentums are around $950.

The more "stuff" that's on them, the longer it takes to PDI.

Nothing to do with the manufacturer.

Appreciate the information, Steve. A little more than I had anticipated but even this has to be a profit center.......doing so at your cost not part of an ongoing for profit business model. Knowing you from the forum, I suspect that your dealership does a quality job at this as well to ensure customer satisfaction.

Thanks, again, Steve !

Dan

**Motoman160** · 05-19-2021, 05:41 PM

First time posting... I work for a dealer not a rv dealer but an equipment dealer. So for us the PDI is part of the cost of doing business and if we find problems then we start a warranty claim and get paid for our time and parts from the manufacturer. That is where we make additional money. Does grand designs not pay for the problems you find?

**Rwriley** · 05-19-2021, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by katpaige

What would you say is a far price for the PDI for an Imagine XLS trailer? How much did you pay? Do state laws come into play with the price of the PDI?

Never pay for a PDI from the dealer you are buying from. A no charge PDI is one of the conditions if you want to do business with me.