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I went to 4 dealers before buying my bike. All were the same price and weren't budging.
The place I finally bought it at offered a 500 dollar gift card to the shop.
I'm horrible at the game...
LOL - don't feel bad. Depends on timing, bike you want and financing.
I spent 4 months shopping hard for my Breakout and learned there was VERY little difference in prices in my region - they were simply selling too fast. So I bought form the best dealer with the best attitude. Happy with the value.
I have bought my last three scooter from the same sales guy. I tell him I do not want to haggle. I have done my homework and know what to expect, I am interested in price only, no "free" service, gift cards, etc. I tell him to give me his best deal up front and I will either take it or thank him for his time and leave. Works for me and saves us both a lot of time.
Knowledge is gold and the more knowledge you have the better deal you can get. Stupid people pay too much for bikes everyday. Learn, Learn and then learn some more. Most of those added on parts can be bought for much less online or at a dealer having a parts discount day. Salesman love customers that are not knowledgable, it makes the sale so much easier.
I shopped dealers from south of Wilmington NC to south central Tn. Made contact through the websites and followed up on the phone. After about three weeks I went with the same salesman that I bought from the last time.
Only one matched his price and one beat it but didn't have it in stock. I told him if he would match the lower price I'd take it. He asked, "what time you gonna be here",
There is some really good here. Do your research on the price. Know the msrp, the invoice price, and all the fees. Then shop around different dealers. The best way to do that is email or over the phone. The goal is to start a price war among the dealers. If you are trading a bike in, do not tell them until the price of the new bike is agreed upon. If you are financing with the dealer, leave that out as well. Treat each part as a seperate transaction. Most states allow dealers to hold % points during financing. Here in nc, they can hold up 2 points. Ie they show you a interest rate of 8% but you qualified for a 6% rate.
Dealers make money by: 1) selling a bike more than they paid for it. 2) holding back on your trade. (Your trade is worth $10k and they give you $8k) 3) hold the interest rate and selling extended warranties. 4) bonuses for selling x number of units.
If you know what you want, your goal is to have all of this worked out before you get there. Don't be afraid to walk out. There are other dealers out there. Also, sometimes it's worth traveling farther.
Also, don't focus on monthly payments. Dealers love it when you do. They can move numbers around a "show" what you want to see. Focus on the price of the new bike and what they are giving you for your trade. The monthly payment will reflect the price.
I hope this helps.
Last edited by medic0446; Jun 2, 2013 at 11:04 PM.
Making the sales people squirm is half the fun of buying any vehicle.Keep in mind there are a lot of choices for rides out there we should have the upper hand.
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Lots of good advise here. Gotta know what it's worth, what your willing to pay, and be willing to walk away if they can't match it (for real, not just for show).
Also, watch out for the payment. If they say they can get you on the bike for $350/month, you say you can't afford that, then they come back at $275 (yes, I'm just thowing numbers out there as an example). All they have done is lengthen the term of the note. The real important number is the out-the-door price (plus any accessories, warrenties etc.), not the monthly payment.
I had the trade in up front when I did mine. I figured it didn't make much diference either way. They either come off the price or give more for the trade. It comes out the same either way. It's just how you run the numbers.
They only come off MSRP so far, after that it came down to how much they would give for my trade in. The lowest out the door price got the sale.
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