Dealers be crazy!

[lokart]

Been shopping for 2019-2020 Yamaha FX. Dealers are wanting to add $500 dealer fee, $995 "assembly" fee (not sure what they have to put together) and they want $1,800 shipping fee (ski already on the lot). Dealer telling me the assembly fee and shipping fee are controlled by Yamaha. I think they are full of it. Dealer is in St, Augustine, Yamaha's are being shipped out of Georgia. I can ship a car from Florida to California for that price. I find it interesting as well, my $15k commercial mower weights twice as much and no "shipping" or "assembly" fees. My Harley didn't have any of these fees either. Looks like I'll be shoping FSBO to avoid these crazy fees.

 

[212s]

Been shopping for 2019-2020 Yamaha FX. Dealers are wanting to add $500 dealer fee, $995 "assembly" fee (not sure what they have to put together) and they want $1,800 shipping fee (ski already on the lot). Dealer telling me the assembly fee and shipping fee are controlled by Yamaha. I think they are full of it. Dealer is in St, Augustine, Yamaha's are being shipped out of Georgia. I can ship a car from Florida to California for that price. I find it interesting as well, my $15k commercial mower weights twice as much and no "shipping" or "assembly" fees. My Harley didn't have any of these fees either. Looks like I'll be shoping FSBO to avoid these crazy fees.

The freight fee is cost to transport the boat to the dealer - cars, motorcycles, etc. usually include that cost in the list price. The dealer and prep fees are money grabs at the dealers discretion and you can usually negotiate those without too much trouble. The problem is supply and demand - due to covid supply is short so the dealers can push up their fees and if you don't like it, they can find another buyer. It's a seller's market right now.

 

[lokart]

Yeah, none of them seem to want to move at all on their rates. They want me to prove to them I can get it cheaper somewhere else and then they'll negotiate. Bad business practice. I won't work with people like that. I found a 2020 FX with only 16 hours, $3,400 cheaper than what the dealer wants for a 2020. I'm going to get it tomorrow.

 

[anmut]

I would agree - many of these dealers that are taking the short term opportunity to turn the screw on good customers now will feel the long-term impact of missed business later.

 

[Ronnie]

All the places with pwcs around me in nor cal charge $425 for the shipping fee and about $2,350 for dealer prep. Regardless if you buy an entry level ski or the top of the line. The correct term is profit margin as far as I’m concerned. Here is what they do:

1. Install the steering column.
2. Add fluids except fuel.
3. Put a fire extinguisher in it.
4. Sometimes put the registration number on it.

I’ve only gone back and forth between two of them and they have not reduced their prep fee one cent.

The place I eventually bought from / put a deposit down at told me, they guy doing the prep for them is a ISJBA champion and really knows what he is doing. Before he said we won’t negotiate the dealer prep fee or the price because we don’t have to. We sold all of our inventory in May last year months before usual, this year Yamaha just informed us that we will only receive about half of what we ordered.

This is how a Waverunner with an MSRP of $12,549 ends up costing a few dollars less than $17,000. To illustrate the point here is a pic of the quote I got.

should I be taxed on the freight and dealer prep fees?

 

[Troy JK]

Yes, dealers are lucky to get half of what they order, most won’t get that much. With the short supply, they know someone will give them what they want.

 

[captainhook]

It does suck for them that they aren't getting as much inventory as they can sell/desire/ordered, but these things have an MSRP. In my opinion making up new prices that are higher than the manufacturer's list is bullshit. This is why I bought a used WaveRunner last year and didn't wait for this year's continuing shitshow. I would never, ever buy anything for 20% over MSRP and I would never forgive any dealer demanding I do so with an elitist attitude. These idiots don't realize that customers don't forget these things.

 

[lokart]

All the places with pwcs around me in nor cal charge $425 for the shipping fee and about $2,350 for dealer prep. Regardless if you buy an entry level ski or the top of the line. The correct term is profit margin as far as I’m concerned. Here is what they do:

1. Install the steering column.
2. Add fluids except fuel.
3. Put a fire extinguisher in it.
4. Sometimes put the registration number on it.

I’ve only gone back and forth between two of them and they have not reduced their prep fee one cent.

The place I eventually bought from / put a deposit down at told me, they guy doing the prep for them is a ISJBA champion and really knows what he is doing. Before he said we won’t negotiate the dealer prep fee or the price because we don’t have to. We sold all of our inventory in May last year months before usual, this year Yamaha just informed us that we will only receive about half of what we ordered.

This is how a Waverunner with an MSRP of $12,549 ends up costing a few dollars less than $17,000. To illustrate the point here is a pic of the quote I got.

should I be taxed on the freight and dealer prep fees?
View attachment 143354

Yep, that's about what I've seen. Sad part is, they don't put these things together very well. I've found so many items not correctly installed or torqued. Oh well, guess you have to give everything a once over after making such a large purchase.

 

[suke]

Apparently there's a dealer in Myrtle Beach.....I'm assuming SC. Heard it on a youtube channel based out of Miami, but pretty sure he said he drove up there and picked it up. He also has an AR240. Heard him mention it a time or 2.