Added costs on advertised purchase price.?

[Rugged Lilac]

So this morning I went to the dealer to begin the process to start working the numbers on a GD Imagine 2660BS and let the games begin. So for my trade he wants to give me low retail which happens to be payoff verses high retail which is 3k more. so I have to start that negotiation game but I will sell myself first before I use it at payoff only. Its a Coachman APEX Nano 220EXT toyhauler which has never been cooked in nor had a motorcycle in it (I Got hurt). It is in mint condition.

Their website lists the 2024 GD2660BS for $36,968 then I get to the dealership it has a new sign that says $44,968. He said the 8k difference is due to freight and prep. Then he stated the freight is $2.25 per miles. So I mapped between factory and it was 768 miles and at identified cost would be $1683. I understand prep fees but an 8k difference seems unreasonable, so for the time being I walked away until I can do more research.

What are your experiences? I did see the same RV 60 miles away and I have a call into that dealership. I am not against them making money but $8000 seems a bit high. Thanks in advance

 

[sande005]

If their website was for one on the lot, ask to see that one. Otherwise it is bait and switch. Find another dealer. You might want to see what the laws in your state are about such tactics.

 

[Rugged Lilac]

They only have one on lot and I confirmed that inventory number was the same

 

[Jomani]

I would take the trade-in out of the equation and ask them for their absolute best price out the door. It definitely sounds like they are playing games. The transportation fee should be included in the advertised price. I did recently hear from a service technician at a GD dealership that GD changed their policy on PDIs (pre delivery inspections), and this particular dealership is now passing the cost onto buyers. That alone could account for a significant portion of the $8k.

If you do decide to purchase out of the area, just be ware that you may be forced to use that dealership for any warranty work. My personal experience has been that many dealerships are turning away warranty work unless you purchased directly from them. I ended up paying out of pocket for the difference between what GD was willing to pay and what the dealership normally charged for labor.

 

[huntr70]

So this morning I went to the dealer to begin the process to start working the numbers on a GD Imagine 2660BS and let the games begin. So for my trade he wants to give me low retail which happens to be payoff verses high retail which is 3k more. so I have to start that negotiation game but I will sell myself first before I use it at payoff only. Its a Coachman APEX Nano 220EXT toyhauler which has never been cooked in nor had a motorcycle in it (I Got hurt). It is in mint condition.

Their website lists the 2024 GD2660BS for $36,968 then I get to the dealership it has a new sign that says $44,968. He said the 8k difference is due to freight and prep. Then he stated the freight is $2.25 per miles. So I mapped between factory and it was 768 miles and at identified cost would be $1683. I understand prep fees but an 8k difference seems unreasonable, so for the time being I walked away until I can do more research.

What are your experiences? I did see the same RV 60 miles away and I have a call into that dealership. I am not against them making money but $8000 seems a bit high. Thanks in advance

Couple things...if they are giving you low retail, you are already ahead of the game. JD Power has retail (which is what you or a dealer can sell it for) and wholesale/trade in. (which is really where the dealer should be at).

There are quite a few dealers that do the marked up pricing. (General RV is one of the biggest to do it) There is no law stating that you can't add freight and prep charges to an advertised price. As long as it is disclosed at time of sale....that said, we do not do that. Advertised price is selling price. Only thing added is state sales tax and licensing/reg fees and doc fees.

 

[sande005]

You also may want to call Grand Design - typically in the past they would let almost any certified tech do warranty work. Whether the tech will work with getting reimbursed from GD, or you have to pay and then GD reimburse you, is something that may vary. And GD may only pay a stated amount, which may not be what the tech charges. But many have gone to Mobile Tech services, and except for non-covered trip fees, have been happy.
But yes, many dealerships may not service if you didn't buy, or put you at the end of a long list.
A dealership that charges you in excess of what GD reimburses them though...that is one to stay far away from, and complain about to GD.

 

[huntr70]

A dealership that charges you in excess of what GD reimburses them though...that is one to stay far away from, and complain about to GD.

Where did you see that in anything the OP posted?

GD doesn't reimburse any dealer for anything other than warranty repairs, and no where did the OP ask about that.

 

[sande005]

Where did you see that in anything the OP posted?

Not in the OP, but in the reply by @Jomani: " I ended up paying out of pocket for the difference between what GD was willing to pay and what the dealership normally charged for labor."

 

[trailrydr]

Been buying new popular vehicles for over 30yrs... and doesnt matter if its a boat, car, or trailer. There are always dealers who work off the only sale and those who work off the potential future sale(s).

Find dealers who arent in your backyard and check on their prices especially if you live in or near large populated cities. There are always hungrier dealers out there... just got to look for them and be willing to travel. We traveled upto 300 mi to buy our vehicles including the RV. Pay to have your prospective vehicle looked over (walked-thru) by a independent tech if you dont feel comfortable doing it yourself. If a dealer doesnt want to allow you to do that, move on.

As for wanting nearby service, mobile techs are the way to go if dealer service depts in your area are cash blind and wanting the sale too. Or, be willing to travel for that too. IMO, no sense getting robbed twice. Besides, just because they are nearby, doesnt mean they'll do a better job... Again, we took our RV to our buying dealer 200 mi away cause they had a good rep by customers and didnt rob us on purchase price.

Good luck!

 

[huntr70]

Not in the OP, but in the reply by @Jomani: " I ended up paying out of pocket for the difference between what GD was willing to pay and what the dealership normally charged for labor."

I see....I guess that was a choice that person made to get service.

 

[dryfly]

My personal experience has been that many dealerships are turning away warranty work unless you purchased directly from them. I ended up paying out of pocket for the difference between what GD was willing to pay and what the dealership normally charged for labor.

I can understand a non-selling dealer turning away warranty work as I'm sure it pays less than regular service work. Are you saying you paid this out of pocket difference at a dealer you did not purchase from? Was GD aware of this additional expense?

 

[FjClay]

I recently purchased from Trailer Hitch RV in Nipomo Ca. They advertised most RVs at 20-30% off msrp. No added mark up except tax and license. Of course they tried to low ball me on my trade but I ended up selling it privately. Overall a very good dealer to work with even though they were 200 miles away and I had another GD dealer about 4 miles away which I would never buy from again.

 

[Jomani]

I can understand a non-selling dealer turning away warranty work as I'm sure it pays less than regular service work. Are you saying you paid this out of pocket difference at a dealer you did not purchase from? Was GD aware of this additional expense?

Yes, my story is a little bit complicated and I was just trying to point out that the only dealership that is truly on the hook for warranty work is the selling dealer.

I had two larger issues with my 303RLS - the roof membrane was ballooning at the front and the kitchen slide floor had dropped out under the refrigerator. GD approved both repairs at the selling dealership. When they attempted to repair (not replace) the roof membrane, they actually tore it (causing a leak) and incorrectly reinstalled the bedroom air conditioner leaving it non-functional. They also reported that there was no issue with the slide, even though there clearly was. Bottom line, the service was horrendous and my trailer will never grace their presence again. Yes, this was my choice and I was willing to suffer the consequences - in this case $1,295.

In the end, GD required that the repairs had to be completed by an authorized GD service center - they did pay for a mobile tech to come out and evaluate both the roof and the slide, but refused to authorize them to make the repairs. After contacting four different dealerships (the first three absolutely refused to touch it), I finally ended up making a four hour trip to the only place that would. The service manager was very clear that I would be expected to cover any and all labor costs (normal service rate) that GD didn’t cover.

So yes, GD was fully aware of my dilemma classifying the second roof repair (replacement) “good faith” and not a warranty repair since by then it was nearly six months out of warranty and they had already paid to fix it once. The slide repair was fully covered.

 

[RV2600RB]

I would like to see in GDs agreement with dealers that they don’t have to do warranty work on a trailer that wasn’t purchased from them.
Automotive dealers have to do warranty repairs, no matter where the vehicle was purchased. That’s part of being a dealer. SMH
As for add on costs, those prices are very negotiable.
Rich

 

[huntr70]

I would like to see in GDs agreement with dealers that they don’t have to do warranty work on a trailer that wasn’t purchased from them.
Automotive dealers have to do warranty repairs, no matter where the vehicle was purchased. That’s part of being a dealer. SMH
As for add on costs, those prices are very negotiable.
Rich

Automotive dealers are different, with the manufacturers footing some of the costs of the dealerships, and doing financing. Also, most automotive dealers have floor planning through the manufacturer, where they don't pay the unit until it sells. An RV dealer owns all their stock, which is why there is no "dealer trading".

RV dealers are all independently owned, with no association to any one specific manufacturer. If you really look at most RV manufacturer websites, most even put a blurb on there somewhere about working with a local dealer for best service.

Here is the statement on GD's website..."Grand Design recommends working with your local dealer to ensure the best overall ownership experience. "

There is nothing in our dealer agreement stating that we have to perform warranty work on units we didn't sell. It's not a great practice, and we do more for other dealers than they do.

 

[Wileykid]

I recently purchased from Trailer Hitch RV in Nipomo Ca. They advertised most RVs at 20-30% off msrp. No added mark up except tax and license. Of course they tried to low ball me on my trade but I ended up selling it privately. Overall a very good dealer to work with even though they were 200 miles away and I had another GD dealer about 4 miles away which I would never buy from again.

I bought a trailer from them back in 2015, and agree, they sold it to me for a good price. I was living in L.A. at the time, and it was worth the trip (about 200 miles). I found an independent trailer service place near me that did warranty repair, and usually got your trailer back within a week, to two weeks.

My current trailer I bought from the dealer that is only 3 miles from me as they had the best deal. There service center leaves a little bit to be desired though and I do my own repair, or there is an independent trailer repair place that does good work about 20 miles from me.

 

[RV2600RB]

Automotive dealers are different, with the manufacturers footing some of the costs of the dealerships, and doing financing. Also, most automotive dealers have floor planning through the manufacturer, where they don't pay the unit until it sells. An RV dealer owns all their stock, which is why there is no "dealer trading".

RV dealers are all independently owned, with no association to any one specific manufacturer. If you really look at most RV manufacturer websites, most even put a blurb on there somewhere about working with a local dealer for best service.

Here is the statement on GD's website..."Grand Design recommends working with your local dealer to ensure the best overall ownership experience. "

There is nothing in our dealer agreement stating that we have to perform warranty work on units we didn't sell. It's not a great practice, and we do more for other dealers than they do.

I had no idea. Good to know. And a bit disheartening.
Rich

 

[kb0zke]

I wasn't impressed with the Grand Design dealer we bought from, either. They were >200 miles away, but were the closest to us and had our trailer in stock. They talked a good talk when we were buying, but when came time for warranty work things changed. Long story short, they won't get my business again. When we're at The Original Ranch for the winter there is a mobile tech that is in the park at least once a week and usually more often. He can do anything that I can't do, and is a LOT cheaper than driving 200 miles one way and staying in the local RV park. When we're on the road we'll find someone wherever we are.

 

[redfernclan]

When we bought ours, we had already decided on the make and model. Didn't need to look or have someone "sell" us one. Called about 5 dealerships in a 100 mile radius, explained my position and asked for there best price on that model. No BS, negotiations or pressure. They usually had to get back to me after checking with the big man on what they could go down too. When we get a price, get the stock number for that trailer and then go look at it. If you show up and stories change or prices go up, we walk away. Not going to do business with someone I cant trust. We go over the trailer, point out any warranty issues and have them written into the contract to be fixed.
Easy pesy. I don't like playing games and just want the info up front. Of course this is after spending two years looking at everything out there and making our decision on what we want. When you have looked at everything out there and made a decision, you take the salesman out of the picture and now it's just about the finances. We pay cash so that leaves the price to talk about. That is it.