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

[Cyclonegrey]

I asked the dealer if he could provide any documentation on Yamaha's requirement for a NON Refundable deposit.

Crickets so far...

Like I have said before if they allowed a refundable deposit I probably would be on a waiting list already but I just won't risk a $2K deposit sitting in their bank over a boat I've never even seen in person, they can't tell me when it will arrive and they can't lock in any terms. With the way things are going by the time the boats show up demand will drop and your stuck with a sales contact at MSRP +++ and the guy next to you is getting under MSRP because demand dried up.

 

[Enduro900]

I asked the dealer if he could provide any documentation on Yamaha's requirement for a NON Refundable deposit.

Crickets so far...

Like I have said before if they allowed a refundable deposit I probably would be on a waiting list already but I just won't risk a $2K deposit sitting in their bank over a boat I've never even seen in person, they can't tell me when it will arrive and they can't lock in any terms. With the way things are going by the time the boats show up demand will drop and your stuck with a sales contact at MSRP +++ and the guy next to you is getting under MSRP because demand dried up.

These are NOT custom order boats, so I highly doubt he could keep your deposit (although state laws vary and I won’t pretend to know yours).

The dealer would have to justify loss, and unless he couldn’t sell that boat to someone else in a reasonable timeframe he wouldn’t have any cause to keep your money.

You may in fact want to call your states AG’s office and inquire with them on the practice in your state......My first thought is that dealer is getting a little in front of his ski’s........

 

[KCAR250]

Unless you signed some contract explaining it’s non refundable by law it would be hard for them to keep it. If all the Lee fails dispute the charge through your credit card company if you paid with a card.

 

[Cyclonegrey]

I didn’t sign anything. I asked for the forms so I can review them. From my research the non refundable deposit would be basically unenforceable under the current circumstances. Let’s see what they say about sending me the form.

 

[HangOutdoors]

All I see dealers doing is saying "Whatever, too much hassle" I will get the next guy who is ok when I say it is non-refundable.... There will me more.

 

[ourlee]

I’m in chill mode but badly wanting a blue ar250 by April.

 

[KCAR250]

I’m in chill mode but badly wanting a blue ar250 by April.

I do like the blue AR250 but I’m also looking at the 252 but I hate the poo brown color of the interior.

 

[Zizzou 192]

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.

This is a pretty hilarious sales line. I assume there is a list of these zingers circulated in sales departments.

Yes. It is absolutely true that Yamaha only ships presold boats.

But as with all slimy sales speak, it means something different than what the buyer infers.

The dealer buys the boat, then Yamaha ships it to the dealer.

 

[ripler]

Remember this, any dealership including boats, cars, RVs, etc aren't your friend, they are in the business to get the most amount of money from you as they can using any means possible. When you go into buying something you have to have the mentality that the dealer wants to screw you. Yamaha is making as many boats as they can and there is no way they are all customer orders. They will make as many boats as possible to make up for the time their factories were shut down. All boat manufacturers are trying to take advantage of the hot boat market right now and the season is getting near the end in some areas and the boat market will cool off with cold weather. If things calm down with the Corona virus next year there's going to be a lot of 1 year old boats on the market and boat dealerships will have a glut of new boats on their lots. They know this and are trying to get as many presold boats as they can and trying to get non-refundable deposits from customers.

 

[Cyclonegrey]

If things calm down with the Corona virus next year there's going to be a lot of 1 year old boats on the market and boat dealerships will have a glut of new boats on their lots. They know this and are trying to get as many presold boats as they can and trying to get non-refundable deposits from customers.

I agree and feel that is why the dealers are trying to "lock" you in.

 

[ourlee]

See your PM

 

[Cyclonegrey]

I'm just so done with EGO of the dealers.

 

[Cyclonegrey]

See your PM

Got it!! Nice!

 

[Farny]

I asked the dealer if he could provide any documentation on Yamaha's requirement for a NON Refundable deposit.

Crickets so far...

Like I have said before if they allowed a refundable deposit I probably would be on a waiting list already but I just won't risk a $2K deposit sitting in their bank over a boat I've never even seen in person, they can't tell me when it will arrive and they can't lock in any terms. With the way things are going by the time the boats show up demand will drop and your stuck with a sales contact at MSRP +++ and the guy next to you is getting under MSRP because demand dried up.

We put down $4K deposit in March for June delivery in TX. That deposit was fully refundable for any reason, they said they wouldn’t be on the hook for anything if we pulled out as it would go to the next buyer on the list. Non-Refundable is a crock. No way I would do that.

 

[ShesCrafty]

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..........

I couldn’t agree more. It’s hard (risky) to try to detect tone in written word, but the boat owner/prospective boat owner market has been whipped into quite a frenzy. Yamaha - and their dealer network - have just chummed the waters again.

Seems to me that buying a hurried, ‘preseason’ release of next year’s model - with only a few weeks left in the boating season (for most) is a VERY high-risk move. Again, speaking for myself. If more prospective boat buyers would wait for ‘boat show season’, we might experience a return to normalcy in this market... maybe.

But, how do you stop a feeding frenzy? Yamaha and their dealers are taking full advantage of this. Just be aware of total cost.

 

[HangOutdoors]

I dunno, the new boats haven't even been tested enough out in the wild. The 19' and 21' should be fine and the norm as usual. The 25' footers, who knows. Hopefully they are not going to just slap the shit together and cause a lot of people headaches. I mean it will probably be alright but until I see some good public reviews and testing as well as getting into one and touching it and checking it out and a first year model, which Yamaha can't even get the pictures on the website right for each model, I am going to go into a holding pattern and let the frenzy die down and see what shakes out after the first of the year. Eyeballing the AR250, possibly.

Also, unless my source is wrong - and they haven't been yet, 25' at least here in Michigan won't show up for a couple months at least. Not sure what the story is elsewhere. They are not even cranking them out yet. I am hoping to see something delivered to someone as soon as possible on the 25' footers that can actually put it in the water and see what it is all about.