PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant VBA_SCRIPT - assumed 'VBA_SCRIPT' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in ..../includes/functions_navigation.php(802) : eval()'d code on line 1 When is the best time to buy a boat?
Over the past few weeks, we have seen a number of posts by either proud owners of new boats ,or guys frustrated by how long their boat is taking to be delivered after ordering. Likewise, one of my mates is also in the latter category.
My assumption is that most of these boats were probably ordered at the Brisbane Boat Show in September and that the factories are only just catching up with a surge of orders received at that time so that seems like a bad time to order a boat.
Likewise, whilst boat dealers often throw in a few extras at boat shows, I have never seen that as a reason to buy at those events as there is no such thing as a fixed price on any commodity and a lower price can be negotiated at any time of year.
However, I know from my own experience as a sales manager in a competitive industry years ago that at certain times, dealers or sales people are more keen to negotiate to get a sale than at other times.
For instance, if a sales person is on shaky ground with their job because they have not been getting the numbers they need by month's end, they will do just about anything to get a sale at the end of the month. When a real estate sales person was pressuring me to discount the price on a house that I was selling a few years ago, I told him that if he wants to take that discount off his commission, he is quite free to do so.....and he did.
Likewise, if a dealer is close to winning a national award for sales, they might try just that little harder at year's end.
So my question is, are there better times of the year than others to buy a boat to get the best deal? My assumption that at, or immediately after, any boat show is the wrong time as the sales guys will be feeling pretty chuffed at what their order books show but maybe there are slow periods for boat sales through the year?
I once tried to get the monthly new boat registration figures from the state government to see when the peaks and troughs were in boat registrations to ascertain if there was any regular seasonality in boat sales but I had no success.
Any thoughts or knowledge, please?
BTW, on my experience, it is easy enough to negotiate $1000 on a $20,000 car or $5,000 on a $40,000 car and I imagine that boat pricing is similarly pliable. I vaguely recall that I paid $1400 below list price on my Quintrex runabout six years ago simply by visiting every Quintrex dealer from Noosa to Miami on one Saturday and telling them that I was doing that and ready to sign on that day to the lowest price on the package that I had specified.
Last edited by charleville; 12-12-2007 at 02:25 PM.
The best time to buy a boat is immediately after the missus says you can, and before she changes her mind......... ( approx. 3 min. window ). So make sure you know what you want and where to get it before you ask her.
Seriously though, I would suggest the slump after xmas when no-one is spending cash, or the middle of winter. Sales would be slow at both these times and dealers would be keener to make sales.
The best time is when your pocket is full of Johnny Cash.
Every sales person I've seen starts to talk turkey with a nice big fat wod of green coloured fun vouchers (hundred dollar bills) under their noses
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