Dealer says- "yamaha is only shipping pre-sold boats" True or False

[Cyclonegrey]

Yes that is the line the one dealer WAS working with said to me this afternoon.

So what is the truth.

Is Yamaha only shipping presold boats or does the Yamaha dealer system use the "allotment" system and they are just shipping what ever boats they can and they just happen to all be sold already.

I just want to make sure this dealer knows that I'm not going to take his explanations without verifying this stuff.

 

[Rammrodd]

River valley here in Minnesota just announced that their 3 stores are promised 75 2021 boats each. Doesn't sound like a reservation situation.

 

[throttlebc]

My boat was not sold when it was shipped from the factory. Rather, I'd arranged a place in the queue at the dealership for one of the boats they were allocated to get. I did not and could not complete any selling activities like financing or sales negotiations until the dealership had a physical boat with an HIN onsite. Since the HIN and dealer stock number are tied to the transaction, that is the only way I can see they are able to sell. Now, that may change from state to state, but since none of the dealers are owned by Yamaha (from what I can tell), then that is the process. How would you buy a boat that the dealer hasn't taken deliver of? What is something happens in transit?

 

[Enduro900]

River valley here in Minnesota just announced that their 3 stores are promised 75 2021 boats each. Doesn't sound like a reservation situation.

It would be great to know what they got last year as a comparison...and also if they wanted more than the 75 or if that is what they wanted.

Also it does show they need to make some money on each to stay in business......75 units for a year to run a business doesn’t leave much revenue unless they can make a decent amount on each one......

 

[AncientCanoe]

Maybe all the production is going to bigger dealers for inventory and reservations only to the smaller dealers?

 

[Julian]

It would be great to know what they got last year as a comparison...and also if they wanted more than the 75 or if that is what they wanted.

Also it does show they need to make some money on each to stay in business......75 units for a year to run a business doesn’t leave much revenue unless they can make a decent amount on each one......

Very few places only sell one brand of boats. Many sell multiple. Up north many switch to snow mobiles etc. Also, they make tons off service and accessories.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Seen dealers with new inventory show up that wasn't sold as of a week ago. It is all just marketing and scare tactics. And it all snowballs..... Get a few Fish(people) on the hook and create the demand and then roll with it.

I walked through a new boat that was offered to me for sale, the 212s in another thread I posted a picture on.

Also I asked to close on my boat before it was at the dealership and they couldn't because the bank required the HIN and an inspection of suitability before they would let me finalize the deal. Also the insurance company AAA wouldn't issue me insurance till the day that the boat was onsite and the credit union wouldn't close also till I gave them the insurance.

I am sure there are ways around this, but that is what I went through.

 

[mike220022]

It would be great to know what they got last year as a comparison...and also if they wanted more than the 75 or if that is what they wanted.

Also it does show they need to make some money on each to stay in business......75 units for a year to run a business doesn’t leave much revenue unless they can make a decent amount on each one......

Im sure its just like the car business....yes we make money on cars but a successful dealership can operate almost completely based on fixed operations alone. Parts/Service should be able to absorb 75 - 85% of operation costs....sales pushes you into the profit. You sale cars to gain customers for your fixed Ops side.

 

[tkeru408]

*cough*cough*Bullshit*cough*cough

There are unsold boats (at least 4 of them) sitting at dealers around me right now.

 

[mike220022]

*cough*cough*Bullshit*cough*cough

There are unsold boats (at least 4 of them) sitting at dealers around me right now.

4 in my town now

 

[HangOutdoors]

Post that dealer so some members could possibly get a boat.

 

[tkeru408]

Post that dealer so some members could possibly get a boat.

Chatlee Marine near Raleigh had an AR195 when I was there on Saturday (though it's not on their website) and Hughes Marine in Danville, VA has an AR190, an AR195, and a 212S listed (someone else alluded to this in another thread). All with the caveat that things move fast so any or all could already be sold, but they were shipped to the dealer without a new owner lined up.

 

[Enduro900]

Im sure its just like the car business....yes we make money on cars but a successful dealership can operate almost completely based on fixed operations alone. Parts/Service should be able to absorb 75 - 85% of operation costs....sales pushes you into the profit. You sale cars to gain customers for your fixed Ops side.

I would agree in year’s past.......that is why I cannot wrap my head around this summer......and now the MSRP++++ going on at dealers right now.

This is a form of Russian roulette.....With these dealers turning away what would be considered a fair offer in the past for instead over MSRP + doc+freight+++. If something happens to Effect the economy (say an election in November) these dealers are going to be in a world of hurt sitting on inventory.

I was shocked about 1 month ago I went into my local dealer. They had a 2020 242SE & AR240 and since I knew it was close to the 2021 model announcement I stopped in to see what they would take. Yep Full MSRP + about $1400 in add-ons for a boat that was 4 weeks from being a year old. No thanks......

I was taught something is only worth what someone is willing to pay and right now people are willing to pay it, and that is ok.....But there are also people like me that know MSRP’s are set high for a reason, and I will not pay MSRP on a $60-$90k boat even if that means I have to wait months or even a couple of seasons.....so they could also be missing out by playing these games and in the long run it could hurt them with lost sales They would have otherwise made if they hadn’t played these games........and possibly sitting on inventory paying floorplan........not to mention burning a pontential long-term customer relationship......

Let’s face it, those of you paying MSRP + add-ons right now are not feeling great about the dealer experience..........

 

[AncientCanoe]

I'm guessing presold actually means a deposit on an order and not actually sold. If it's just a marketing ploy by the dealer, that seems very risky as it would turn more people away than it hooks, imo. I assume most people like to actually crawl around on the inventory before they make their decision, so a dealer carrying no inventory would be useless to them.

 

[mike220022]

I would agree in year’s past.......that is why I cannot wrap my head around this summer......and now the MSRP++++ going on at dealers right now.

This is a form of Russian roulette.....With these dealers turning away what would be considered a fair offer in the past for instead over MSRP + doc+freight+++. If something happens to Effect the economy (say an election in November) these dealers are going to be in a world of hurt sitting on inventory.

I was shocked about 1 month ago I went into my local dealer. They had a 2020 242SE & AR240 and since I knew it was close to the 2021 model announcement I stopped in to see what they would take. Yep Full MSRP + about $1400 in add-ons for a boat that was 4 weeks from being a year old. No thanks......

I was taught something is only worth what someone is willing to pay and right now people are willing to pay it, and that is ok.....But there are also people like me that know MSRP’s are set high for a reason, and I will not pay MSRP on a $60-$90k boat even if that means I have to wait months or even a couple of seasons.....so they could also be missing out by playing these games and in the long run it could hurt them with lost sales They would have otherwise made if they hadn’t played these games........and possibly sitting on inventory paying floorplan........not to mention burning a pontential long-term customer relationship......

Let’s face it, those of you paying MSRP + add-ons right now are not feeling great about the dealer experience..........

Absolutely! No way in hell would I pay MSRP plus thousands just to be able to ride it the last month...maybe 2 of the season only to be thinking "damn I overpaid" all fall/winter. Rent a boat now, buy in the fall. You'll get a deal and be all set up for next season on a nice new boat that you arent $10K tanked in because you paid over retail

 

[throttlebc]

Let’s face it, those of you paying MSRP + add-ons right now are not feeling great about the dealer experience..........

It's always a personal decision. My family and I could have bought in January or waited however long to get a cheaper price, but then we wouldn't have enjoyed the past 2 weekends on the lake. I also could have found another brand of boat for cheaper, but we love this one. If the dealership made $2000 more off the transaction and can keep people employed a bit longer, it's a luxury tax I can manage.

Of course, I say this from Austin, TX where the only cold days are between January 15 and February 6, during which you may need to wear a sweater.

I do feel for those with more varied seasons.

 

[ctyke]

It would be great to know what they got last year as a comparison...and also if they wanted more than the 75 or if that is what they wanted.

Also it does show they need to make some money on each to stay in business......75 units for a year to run a business doesn’t leave much revenue unless they can make a decent amount on each one......

River Valley has 3 locations and advertises as selling more Yamaha boats than any other dealer in the US. So 225 Yamaha's for their largest dealer. I don't know how that compares to 2020 boats sold.

 

[WV Hillbilly]

It was explained to me that in “normal” years, Yamaha would ship a boat to a dealer who sold only one boat very two years before they would ship a inventory/stick boat to their biggest dealer IF the little guy had a customer name on the boat with a deposit.

This year not being anything close to normal, I think a lot of dealers, like mine, pre-ordered a few boats, most of which but not all, now have customers names and deposits on them.

So, I think there is a better chance of getting a boat sooner if you put a deposit down on one.

 

[HangOutdoors]

@WV Hillbilly Well of course it is a better chance. The issue that some are having is that the prices and adds are getting a bit absurd.

 

[Enduro900]

It's always a personal decision. My family and I could have bought in January or waited however long to get a cheaper price, but then we wouldn't have enjoyed the past 2 weekends on the lake. I also could have found another brand of boat for cheaper, but we love this one. If the dealership made $2000 more off the transaction and can keep people employed a bit longer, it's a luxury tax I can manage.

Of course, I say this from Austin, TX where the only cold days are between January 15 and February 6, during which you may need to wear a sweater.

I do feel for those with more varied seasons.

Haha yeah I’m in michigan where good boating is 3 months long if you are lucky (and about 3-5 weeks for decent water sports/water temp)....so the cost-to-value/justification is a little different. Plus I have about the cost of a new AR250 worth of winter fun wrapped up in snowmobiles and trailers right now (also about the same length of a riding season).

You are exactly right, it all comes down to personal value. If you never sell it, the price you paid won’t come into play anyway, and if you do sell it in the future and take great care of it, you could make it back selling above the average market.

All of this stuff isnt about the boats (or other stuff), it’s just about the memories created while using them....and to me those are priceless.

Enjoy your new boat!