Hot tub purchasers: how much did you get off

[solo]

Every single spa dealership I have walked into does the following:

1.  MSRP is $10,000 but
2.  Our sale price is $8000

Now, I'm smart enough to know that NOBODY pasy MSRP for ANYTHING.  For example, has anyone on this board ever paid full sticker price fpor a car?  

So when the dealer does the above, my assumption is that his normal price is $8000.  So if the first real price that he quotes you is $8000, how much can you expect to get off without it being a special case (like end of the year, closeout model, etc).  

I want my dealer to make money, but I don't want to get raped.  If my dealer makes $1000 on something he paid $5000 for, I think that this is more than fair for him.  

So how much did you guys talk your sales rep down off the price?  Not the MSRP, but the first price he quoted you?  Again, I want to have reasonable proce expectations, but don't wish to be taken.  

EDIT:  It kind of bothers me that every time I talk to my Hot Springs Dealer (the last 2 phone calls), he asks me what price he quoted me.  This makes me feel like he has lots of room to drop the price.  

[Brewman]

If you're smart enough to know that NOBODY ever pays MSRP for anything,(which isn't exactly true, btw), and you're smart enough to know exactly what a merchant can make a living on, ($1000 on a $5000 item),  then you should be smart enough to figure out EXACTLY how much additional money they can drop the price.  
 

[Steve]

"Hot tub purchasers:  how much did you get off"

Well...I was excited about it but.....  

OK, seriously... perceived value is the easiest and laziest way to show value. If they can't show you an invoice where someone recently paid that 10K, then that's not a discount. Ask them to show you an invoice of a recent sale.

Tell them you are not negotiating and you want their best price and if you are serious about the purchase, be prepared to buy or walk. Most dealers will throw in goodies as opposed to discounting as well.

"It kind of bothers me that every time I talk to my Hot Springs Dealer (the last 2 phone calls), he asks me what price he quoted me.  This makes me feel like he has lots of room to drop the price."

Tell him it was $7000 and wait for his reaction...   Sounds a wee bit shady to me.

Steve

[solo]

If you're smart enough to know that NOBODY ever pays MSRP for anything,(which isn't exactly true, btw), and you're smart enough to know exactly what a merchant can make a living on, ($1000 on a $5000 item),  then you should be smart enough to figure out EXACTLY how much additional money they can drop the price.  
 

WOW...Sounds like I struck a nerve with you.  The post wasn't intended to be offensive.  I am simply trying to get a good deal on a hot tub.  

[bohms]

The original price we were quoted for our Piper Glen was 10K and that's what we paid, but we were able to get the steps, chems, cover lifter thrown in as well as a bar table with 4 stools that was in the showroom that we liked and was retailing for $400.  We were happy with the deal.

[The_Pa._Lady]

We paid what the dealer quoted us, we did not haggle because we knew it was a good price, and that was the hot tub we wanted.  I am of the old school that you only get what you pay for.  

[Spatech_tuo]

So how much did you guys talk your sales rep down off the price?  Not the MSRP, but the first price he quoted you?  
  

Any specific responses to this question will be completely irrelevant unless they went to that same dealer you're talking to.

I've worked for dealers who don't play the MSRP game. For them the answer may be that the dealer went down only a few hundred dollars AFTER being seriously pushed to do so or maybe not down at all because they give everyone a fair sale price and leave little room to negotiate. Another dealer may drop his pants after 20 seconds of conversation because he built in room to do so.

I'm certainly a fan of not leaving any money on the table. The key is to try to get him to lower and get to a point where you're satisfied you got his best deal. The problem is each dealer may be different so to hear that someone else got their dealer to lower his price on the same spa as you a certain amount means ZILCH unless it was the same dealer you're talking to.

[Richs100]

Any specific responses to this question will be completely irrelevant unless they went to that same dealer you're talking to.

I agree with Spatech.  Each dealer has their own way of making the deal.  I liked how my dealer handled it on the second tub purchase.  List price of $12,890.00 for an 06 Envoy with SpAudio II.  Then a "Repeat Customer Discount" of $2000.00 for a sale price of $10,890.00.  It was his first offer and I didn't haggle with him because I was satisfied with the discount and the price, I like the guy, and I wanted him to be my dealer again on the new tub.  

BTW, the price included steps, covercradle II lift, chems and two Silver Ion cartridges)

(I'm bracing for everybody to tell me I got a bad deal!   )

[solo]

Update time.

I have my Hotsprings dealer down to $6995 on the Soveereign.  Initial price quote was $7595.  

Gonna take this back to the Sundance Dealer and see how far they will drop.  

I'm still torn on which hot tub to get.  Pretty sure I will be happy with either.  So price might factor in.  

[Jacuzzi Jim]

Update time.

I have my Hotsprings dealer down to $6995 on the Soveereign.  Initial price quote was $7595.  

Gonna take this back to the Sundance Dealer and see how far they will drop.  

I'm still torn on which hot tub to get.  Pretty sure I will be happy with either.  So price might factor in.  

I am going out on a limb here!!

 Not to sound bad, but the game you are playing is not one I like from consumers,when I get a person like yourself that I have worked with for awhile and trying to sell them a spa, and get what your are doing, I look them straight in the eye and say,this is the best price I can do for you, and I am 100% sure you will be happy with the product!!  Silence!  Its either a yes or no response from you. In other words take it or not cause its not going any lower, weather you walk or not.

 So if the Sundance dealer comes down are you going to get in your car and drive back to the H.S dealer with the same and see what he will do?

 To be honest if you walked on me I would probably be glad I am not saying you are this person! But a lot of times you are a  customer a dealer does not want to sell a spa to.

[East_TX_Spa]

When folks come to our stores, we give them our best and only offer.  If they want to haggle, we tell them they have our best offer.

If they want a step or coverlifter "thrown" in, we offer to split the cost with them providing they pay in full and can take immediate delivery on the spa.  It is called reciprocity:  If I do this for you, are you willing to do this for me?

If a shopper just wants a handout, go to the welfare office.

Terminator

[Jacuzzi Jim]

When folks come to our stores, we give them our best and only offer.  If they want to haggle, we tell them they have our best offer.

If they want a step or coverlifter "thrown" in, we offer to split the cost with them providing they pay in full and can take immediate delivery on the spa.  It is called reciprocity:  If I do this for you, are you willing to do this for me?

If a shopper just wants a handout, go to the welfare office.

Terminator

 We would work well together!!!

[Mendocino101]

Update time.

I have my Hotsprings dealer down to $6995 on the Soveereign.  Initial price quote was $7595.  

Gonna take this back to the Sundance Dealer and see how far they will drop.  

I'm still torn on which hot tub to get.  Pretty sure I will be happy with either.  So price might factor in.  

Now help me out.  Why would a Sundance dealer care what a Hot Springs dealer can sell a Hot Springs spa for, I appreciate you are looking at both spas but they are different deals why not choose the spa you want and make your deal on that one.

[solo]

I am going out on a limb here!!

 Not to sound bad, but the game you are playing is not one I like from consumers,when I get a person like yourself that I have worked with for awhile and trying to sell them a spa, and get what your are doing, I look them straight in the eye and say,this is the best price I can do for you, and I am 100% sure you will be happy with the product!!  Silence!  Its either a yes or no response from you. In other words take it or not cause its not going any lower, weather you walk or not.

 So if the Sundance dealer comes down are you going to get in your car and drive back to the H.S dealer with the same and see what he will do?

 To be honest if you walked on me I would probably be glad I am not saying you are this person! But a lot of times you are a  customer a dealer does not want to sell a spa to.

Sounds like you want the easy sale.  I can't blame you.  You want to sell to the guy that is gonna take your first quote and make you the most amount of money.  I am just not that guy.  I know that you as a dealer aren't going to give me a deal that is bad for your business.  You might not make as much money on my sale as the next guys, but you are gonna make money.  I leave it up to you to know what is good for your business.  

But just as you would call my bluff, I doubt that this dealer is gonna be ready when I call his bluff.  When I say to him "Show me the invoice for the last Sovereign you sold".  Is he gonna whip out an invoice or is he gonna hem and haw about why he can't do that?  I just want to know that I am getting a good deal.  Not what I think is a good deal, but truly a good deal.

And here's the thing.  The dealers are the ones that have made a game out of buying a spa.  Most first quote MSRP and  immediately knock off 20% from MSRP before the customer opens his mouth.   Then, they end up selling the same spa at all different prices.  If you don't like playing the negotiation game, just have set pricing.  Quote every customer the same price on the same spa and stick to your pricing.  I don't negotiate at Walmart.  I don't negotiate at the grocery store.  I know that these places have set pricing.  But I feel as though the spa dealerships have made a game out of pricing and hence feel obligated to play the game.  

Honestly, I don't like haggling either.  I don't enjoy pitting one dealer against the other.  But it's pretty much the only way to ensure that I am getting the best deal I can.  I don't think anybody enjoys paying more for something than they have to.  

[solo]

Now help me out.  Why would a Sundance dealer care what a Hot Springs dealer can sell a Hot Springs spa for, I appreciate you are looking at both spas but they are different deals why not choose the spa you want and make your deal on that one.

Guess what...the Hot Spings guy dropped his price as soon as he learned that I wet tested and was seriously considering a Sundance.  On labor day, his best deal was $7200.  Today, it was $6995.

Why does he care what Sundance can do?  Because he wants to get the sale.  He wants me to own a hotsprings not a sundance.  It's called competition and competion generally drives prices down.  It;s the basis of our free market economy.

I seriously and truly like both spas about equally.  So I am going to make the best deal I can on both, then make my decision from there.