How much should I press a dealer for on a deal?

[fourteenfour]

In regards to buying a new RT? I am looking at a RT with the standard package, 17,500 give or take a few dollars. I know they have a new promotion with better rates than my credit union.

 

How much have other members managed to get one of these down to?

[Zern]

I just purchased a new 09 RT. Although the dealer was willing to wiggle a bit to move their in-stock bikes, I had a bike ordered. As my credit union was just a bit over the low finance option, I chose to take a reduction of $1250 off the cost of the bike itself.

[Lmar]

I just picked up my new RT. Its hard to get one and the best we can do is 15% off accessories and no labor charge for installations. List price is the purchase price.

[DaveinNCMn]

In regards to buying a new RT? I am looking at a RT with the standard package, 17,500 give or take a few dollars. I know they have a new promotion with better rates than my credit union.

 

How much have other members managed to get one of these down to?

 

If you want to do a fly & ride, the best price I have found is Woodson's in Indianapolis.

 

Another closer dealer quoted me a price of only a couple of hundred more than Woodson's when I considered the cost of the airline ticket. I didn't deduct any fuel or motel as I figure that's just another bike trip that I would be more than willing to ante-up for.

 

I did a fly'n ride last year and it was a lot of fun. Took me almost 3 weeks and over 4,500 miles to drive the 1,500 miles home.

[lvnvbiker]

There is an old saying, " A closed mouth does not get fed. " I say push until the sales manager turns red and is ready to throw you out, then take a break, let him cool down and push a bit more. Also don't be afraid to walk out and come back later if you are not getting anywhere. It does seem to me that the dealer in Daytona gives some good prices as does the one that Marty Hill shops at. Heck, you may want to PM Marty and see if he can give you any suggestions if you are willing to travel to get your bike, he seems to get a fair deal most times.

[fourteenfour]

Well I am going to give it a whirl... I may just hit up a used bike instead, lots of them are showing up. I wouldn't mind a new RT but I never pay list for any vehicle. I am not a charity.

 

They will probably soak me on a trade anyway, but I have to base the value of the trade versus the tax savings (7% where I am) to determine how much I lose that way.

[Kathy R]

Re: How much should I press a dealer for on a deal?

 

Not too far off topic: When I bought my 02 RT I politely worked the conversation to the lowest figure the salesman could agree too. I didn't stop until he would not move any further. It was a very nice back and forth. Actually, I was amazed at the ease with which he used price as the only consideration.

 

Months later when the dealership was having a sale, because they were going out of business, that salesman made a disparaging remark about the customers who put them out of business.

 

I believe that he, or the owner, should have realized he didn't know how to sell.

 

A good deal is one that benefits both parties, but you are only responsible for negotiating what you are willing to pay for the bike. Good luck to you.

[Motodan]

Woodson's is in Fort Wayne, Indiana...northeast corner and yes, I lower price you will not find.

[Vic Purvis]

Try Bogart's BMW in Alabama(only one in Al)near Birmingham.They usually have a very competative price on their bikes.Besides it's a good place to visit.

[T__]

Chris, you can usually wiggle a deal out of your local dealer but it usually takes some fancy footwork & lots of research..

 

Never deal with your local dealer first.. Once they sense you are serious about a bike they go on the offensive & start the lying process.. The LAST place you go is to your local dealer(s)..

 

Start with what you are doing here,, & that is getting ideas & places that will deal with you.. I’m sure there are more than a few but my usual starting places are Chicago BMW (great deals there) & Woodson's is in Fort Wayne.. Both of those places will deal plenty under the right circumstances..

 

Once you get a bottom line from the known dealers that are willing to deal you have your base line.. Then move on to the local dealer you are least willing to deal with.. Don’t be afraid to put them on the spot & say I can get this bike for this much at this dealer.. That will give you a local starting point.. Then as a last place sit down with your favorite local dealer at a slow time (too difficult to talk real deals when they are very busy & interrupted many times)..

 

My guess is your local dealer can’t beat the low price from either Chicago BMW or Woodson’s but how close can they get? Once you have the local dealers best & lowest price you can decide if saving a few hundred dollars is worth traveling for..

 

Once you have the best & lowest price on your choice of machine from your local dealer then work on the extras.. Like 15-20% off on accessories for 6 months or your first 600 mile service for free (that is a big savings & something some dealers will work out with you)..

 

When you are all settled on what deal you can get from where & what extras are thrown in you can decide if you want to deal locally or travel & buy..

 

Personally I like to deal locally if possible but it usually takes a LOT of haggling to get the local dealer to come anywhere near a travel-to price.. My local dealer can usually get within a few hundred dollars though..

 

You have to be FIRM & TRUTHFULL in your dealing & be SERIOUS with all involved.. If they sense you will buy a bike if the deal is right they will usually sharpen the pencil a little more..

 

Twisty

 

 

 

 

 

[fourteenfour]

Well tomorrow I will take delivery of a new RT from the guys at BMW Motorcycles of Atlanta, I swear Bobby could sell me swamp land.

 

They gave me a great deal... again.

[betty]

I just picked up my new RT. Its hard to get one and the best we can do is 15% off accessories and no labor charge for installations. List price is the purchase price.

 

That is the reason I will never buy another vehicle in Canada. In the US-with the internet a little bit of time-you can get much better deals. When I shopped for my RT and my wife's car I got the "discount? we don't give discounts..." crap from the dealers. Newsflash....big discounts in FL and GA respectively.

[gasser]

For a few hundred bucks, maybe more, I believe in supporting the local dealer. It's not like BMW has this vast dealer network that I can travel fifty miles in any direction and get service as needed. Before we had the current dealer in ST. Louis, Cape Giradeau, was the closest and Herb is a very decent and honest guy. It's just that riding 130 miles for service was not always convenient. I'm for supporting the local guy.

[Lmar]

That is the reason I will never buy another vehicle in Canada. In the US-with the internet a little bit of time-you can get much better deals. When I shopped for my RT and my wife's car I got the "discount? we don't give discounts..." crap from the dealers. Newsflash....big discounts in FL and GA respectively.

 

It always been tough to get a discounts here in Canada. How big of a discount are you speaking about? Are the discounts on new or last year models?

 

[betty]

That is the reason I will never buy another vehicle in Canada. In the US-with the internet a little bit of time-you can get much better deals. When I shopped for my RT and my wife's car I got the "discount? we don't give discounts..." crap from the dealers. Newsflash....big discounts in FL and GA respectively.

 

It always been tough to get a discounts here in Canada. How big of a discount are you speaking about? Are the discounts on new or last year models?

 

When I purchased my wife's BMW I contacted most dealers around the GTA. $500 is the most they would discount from list price. I bought it through a dealer in Atlanta over the internet for 900.00 over dealer cost. We were able to do Euro delivery so all said and done the car-imported to Canada was 13k less than purchasing in Canada.

My RT I purchased in Feb used 24 months old with 26k on the clock. It is fully optioned other than the radio and clear turn signal lenses. I paid $12100 Canadian from a dealer in Florida. Never crashed, full maintenance was done at the dealer, new Metzler tires. It cost me 700 to import it-500 for BMW's letter and 200 RIV fee. It came with the 28L top case and a couple other farkles so I figure the case and the other items are a wash for the 700 import fee. I have put 4k on the bike and it has been flawless-other than a nail in the rear tire that I picked up and the ungodly uncomfortable seats which were redone by Rocky. Canada Customs has a problem with a Canadian citizen riding a US tagged vehicle in Canada even tho the bike will in Florida 6 months of the year-thus the importing.

My trailer that tows the bike and car back and forth was also purchased in the US. It was 3k cheaper after importing.

 

 

[Lmar]

When I purchased my wife's BMW I contacted most dealers around the GTA. $500 is the most they would discount from list price. I bought it through a dealer in Atlanta over the internet for 900.00 over dealer cost. We were able to do Euro delivery so all said and done the car-imported to Canada was 13k less than purchasing in Canada.

My RT I purchased in Feb used 24 months old with 26k on the clock. It is fully optioned other than the radio and clear turn signal lenses. I paid $12100 Canadian from a dealer in Florida. Never crashed, full maintenance was done at the dealer, new Metzler tires. It cost me 700 to import it-500 for BMW's letter and 200 RIV fee. It came with the 28L top case and a couple other farkles so I figure the case and the other items are a wash for the 700 import fee. I have put 4k on the bike and it has been flawless-other than a nail in the rear tire that I picked up and the ungodly uncomfortable seats which were redone by Rocky. Canada Customs has a problem with a Canadian citizen riding a US tagged vehicle in Canada even tho the bike will in Florida 6 months of the year-thus the importing.

My trailer that tows the bike and car back and forth was also purchased in the US. It was 3k cheaper after importing

 

It seems like there are some good deals out there. I priced out a BMW 335i a year ago in Phoenix. The price was $11,000 less for the same vehicle than the price here in Alberta. I could get myself into a nice 5 series for the same price as a 3 in Canada.

 

We have a home in Arizona and when we retire (1 or 2 yrs), we plan to live there for 6 months less one day. I was thinking that in order to solve this issue of high prices in Canada and importing, I would purchase the vehicle there and license it with an Arizona plate. I haven't done any research into it, I am assuming that it wouldn't be a problem.

 

[Effjay]

Here's a low mileage RTP in NM for $4k asking, although it does need some parts...

 

Jeff

 

 

[Lmar]

Is it white or silver? Can't tell from the picture.

[betty]

When I purchased my wife's BMW I contacted most dealers around the GTA. $500 is the most they would discount from list price. I bought it through a dealer in Atlanta over the internet for 900.00 over dealer cost. We were able to do Euro delivery so all said and done the car-imported to Canada was 13k less than purchasing in Canada.

My RT I purchased in Feb used 24 months old with 26k on the clock. It is fully optioned other than the radio and clear turn signal lenses. I paid $12100 Canadian from a dealer in Florida. Never crashed, full maintenance was done at the dealer, new Metzler tires. It cost me 700 to import it-500 for BMW's letter and 200 RIV fee. It came with the 28L top case and a couple other farkles so I figure the case and the other items are a wash for the 700 import fee. I have put 4k on the bike and it has been flawless-other than a nail in the rear tire that I picked up and the ungodly uncomfortable seats which were redone by Rocky. Canada Customs has a problem with a Canadian citizen riding a US tagged vehicle in Canada even tho the bike will in Florida 6 months of the year-thus the importing.

My trailer that tows the bike and car back and forth was also purchased in the US. It was 3k cheaper after importing

 

It seems like there are some good deals out there. I priced out a BMW 335i a year ago in Phoenix. The price was $11,000 less for the same vehicle than the price here in Alberta. I could get myself into a nice 5 series for the same price as a 3 in Canada.

 

We have a home in Arizona and when we retire (1 or 2 yrs), we plan to live there for 6 months less one day. I was thinking that in order to solve this issue of high prices in Canada and importing, I would purchase the vehicle there and license it with an Arizona plate. I haven't done any research into it, I am assuming that it wouldn't be a problem.

 

You can purchase in AZ and tag in AZ but you can't drive it in Canada unless you are a US citizen. You can lie and get the car into Canada with US tags but when you go back over the border the US border guards will give you grief.

We tagged her car in FL for 6 months while we were there and then imported it. Did the RIV stuff and drove in Canada with FL tags until we were ready to head back down in Nov. Since I paid FL state tax (6%) I didn't have to pay PST here in Ont.

If you purchase a car built in the US or Canada you will not pay duty-only GST. USed motorcycles do not have duty-only the GST

I've imported alot of vehicles for ourselves and family with little or no grief.

[betty]

Here's a low mileage RTP in NM for $4k asking, although it does need some parts...

 

Jeff

 

 

That'll buff right out.....

[jasonTDI]

 

Mischlers here in WI usually gives $1000 off everything in the R or K line.

[wbrissette]

I think part of it is WHEN you buy your bike too... right now our local shop has almost nothing on the floor. One of the owners mentioned to me that they have sold things that they have had for "way too long". If they have 6 bikes (BMW) left, I'd be surprised. Now is not a great time to look for deals. On the other hand, I bought my '09 RT on December 31st 2008 and got a smoking deal from the same dealer. Mostly because he didn't have to pay the floor tax that was due on the 1st of January.

 

Winter seems to be a much better time to pick up deals. And well, I suppose it should be since most areas of the country aren't riding. With the exception of the West coast and south/southwest, most bikes are tucked away for the winter. Dealers in cold climates (Michigan/Minnesota/NY, etc.) will probably give you a great deal during the winter without trying too hard.

 

So, in the spring/summer should you ask for a better deal? Sure, but based on what is current available in my area, I don't think people are waiting the dealer out on bikes.

 

Wayne

[rglassma]

While you are beating the daylights out of your local dealer, just think ahead to what dealer you will be performing your service at (unless you do it yourself of course and never, ever need help in the case of a problem).

 

Keep in mind, if your "local" dealer can't turn a profit selling his motorcycles, he may not be there for you to use as a "local" destination point for you to visit and enjoy looking at his wares, talking to his employees and test riding his motorcycles. Also, when you need service, you may just have to ship your bike to get it serviced..

 

If you are going to have a relationship with that "local dealer", do you want to be known as the "BALL BUSTER" or the guy everyone likes to deal with and wants coming back!!!

 

 

 

 

[betty]

While you are beating the daylights out of your local dealer, just think ahead to what dealer you will be performing your service at (unless you do it yourself of course and never, ever need help in the case of a problem).

 

Keep in mind, if your "local" dealer can't turn a profit selling his motorcycles, he may not be there for you to use as a "local" destination point for you to visit and enjoy looking at his wares, talking to his employees and test riding his motorcycles. Also, when you need service, you may just have to ship your bike to get it serviced..

 

If you are going to have a relationship with that "local dealer", do you want to be known as the "BALL BUSTER" or the guy everyone likes to deal with and wants coming back!!!

 

 

 

 

I've never asked anyone to work for free. But if a "local" dealer is going to charge what the market will support in my area and I can get a better deal outside my area then I will travel. If they don't want my service business because they think I am a ball buster then I will go to the next closest dealer or switch brands.

 

[Marty Hill]

Does anyone think they will not welcome the service business? That's a joke. I've never had a bike serviced where I bought it/and I've bought a few. Everyone always say thank you when I bring it in for the first service. They seem quite happy to make the money.

[rglassma]

While you are beating the daylights out of your local dealer, just think ahead to what dealer you will be performing your service at (unless you do it yourself of course and never, ever need help in the case of a problem).

 

Keep in mind, if your "local" dealer can't turn a profit selling his motorcycles, he may not be there for you to use as a "local" destination point for you to visit and enjoy looking at his wares, talking to his employees and test riding his motorcycles. Also, when you need service, you may just have to ship your bike to get it serviced..

 

If you are going to have a relationship with that "local dealer", do you want to be known as the "BALL BUSTER" or the guy everyone likes to deal with and wants coming back!!!

 

 

 

 

I've never asked anyone to work for free. But if a "local" dealer is going to charge what the market will support in my area and I can get a better deal outside my area then I will travel. If they don't want my service business because they think I am a ball buster then I will go to the next closest dealer or switch brands.

 

Supporting your local dealer (unless you don't like them and won't go there anyway) is really the only way they will continue to stay afloat. If you don't need a local dealer, or would rather have some other kind of motorcycle, then of course you are not their target market anyway and it really doesn't much matter.

 

There are dealers that are local and I will not buy from them because I don't like the way they do business. But, the dealer I do like, I will support as I am financially able to because I appreciate the fact that they are there and I benefit from their presence (where else would I get to ride the new K13 series if I wanted to)?

 

Our next closest dealer is part of the dealer that I won't purchase from. If the dealer I like didn't exist, I would be in a situation where I would really have to travel almost 200 miles round trip to even visit an exceptable dealer and that is in a large metropolitan area. So, I do what I can to support the local dealer.

 

I am not saying don't get the best deal, just keep that in mind..

[UberXY]

An acquaintance of mine decided that since the economy is rough, he would be able to get a fantastic deal on a new motorcycle. So for two months he went to six dealers, various brands, and made them offers generally below dealer cost.

 

Yes, you guessed it - he did not get a new bike, and he's missing some great spring riding. In the end I think he was more interested in getting a deal than getting a motorcycle. I suppose he is comforted in the fact that he did not overpay.