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That is a perfect explanation. I always get full price on a single tub special order. When I buy tubs I get them by the truckload which saves me money which I will pass along to the consumers.
Quote from: Hottubguy on December 02, 2015, 02:02:16 pmQuote from: d00nut on December 02, 2015, 11:16:28 amQuote from: av8r on December 02, 2015, 07:11:19 amIf the dealer truly understands his costs of doing business an ordered tub has a lower cost to the dealer than one that has sat on the floor for months. That is a perfect explanation. I always get full price on a single tub special order. When I buy tubs I get them by the truckload which saves me money which I will pass along to the consumers. It's interesting that our dealer was able to discount, on single, special orders, 3 different tub models at 3 different times in the last 3 months. The next closest dealer offered the very same prices without haggling.38% discount or better on all 3 tubs.There's a *ton* of markup on these. You just have to find a dealer who isn't trying to hit a home run on every sale.What do you mean by 38% discount? Off MSRP or off some inflated starting number they give you? I price my tubs aggressively but yeah I'm in this to make money so I'm not giving these things away. There isn't as much money in hot tub sales as you would think. If all I sold was hot tubs I'd have to raise my prices to account for my expenses. That's why so many dealers have to diversify into other things like pools, patio furniture or what not
Quote from: d00nut on December 02, 2015, 11:16:28 amQuote from: av8r on December 02, 2015, 07:11:19 amIf the dealer truly understands his costs of doing business an ordered tub has a lower cost to the dealer than one that has sat on the floor for months. That is a perfect explanation. I always get full price on a single tub special order. When I buy tubs I get them by the truckload which saves me money which I will pass along to the consumers. It's interesting that our dealer was able to discount, on single, special orders, 3 different tub models at 3 different times in the last 3 months. The next closest dealer offered the very same prices without haggling.38% discount or better on all 3 tubs.There's a *ton* of markup on these. You just have to find a dealer who isn't trying to hit a home run on every sale.
Quote from: av8r on December 02, 2015, 07:11:19 amIf the dealer truly understands his costs of doing business an ordered tub has a lower cost to the dealer than one that has sat on the floor for months. That is a perfect explanation. I always get full price on a single tub special order. When I buy tubs I get them by the truckload which saves me money which I will pass along to the consumers.
If the dealer truly understands his costs of doing business an ordered tub has a lower cost to the dealer than one that has sat on the floor for months.
What do you mean by 38% discount? Off MSRP or off some inflated starting number they give you? I price my tubs aggressively but yeah I'm in this to make money so I'm not giving these things away. There isn't as much money in hot tub sales as you would think. If all I sold was hot tubs I'd have to raise my prices to account for my expenses. That's why so many dealers have to diversify into other things like pools, patio furniture or what not
Quote from: Hottubguy on December 02, 2015, 05:15:03 pmWhat do you mean by 38% discount? Off MSRP or off some inflated starting number they give you? I price my tubs aggressively but yeah I'm in this to make money so I'm not giving these things away. There isn't as much money in hot tub sales as you would think. If all I sold was hot tubs I'd have to raise my prices to account for my expenses. That's why so many dealers have to diversify into other things like pools, patio furniture or what notMSRP which as Amy pointed out differs from one dealer to another and Bullfrog corporate was not willing to quote an actual hard number either. Of the 4 dealers I spoke with, the MSRP on our tub only differed by a few hundred dollars.
Quote from: av8r on December 02, 2015, 05:40:58 pmQuote from: Hottubguy on December 02, 2015, 05:15:03 pmWhat do you mean by 38% discount? Off MSRP or off some inflated starting number they give you? I price my tubs aggressively but yeah I'm in this to make money so I'm not giving these things away. There isn't as much money in hot tub sales as you would think. If all I sold was hot tubs I'd have to raise my prices to account for my expenses. That's why so many dealers have to diversify into other things like pools, patio furniture or what notMSRP which as Amy pointed out differs from one dealer to another and Bullfrog corporate was not willing to quote an actual hard number either. Of the 4 dealers I spoke with, the MSRP on our tub only differed by a few hundred dollars.MSRP doesn't really mean much. For some manufacturers it's legitimate but most are asinine prices.
I think the business model will change soon enough. It just takes one manufacturer to get brave enough to start doing it, then the others will follow suit. To your earlier comment av8r, this is not a high volume business. And in low volume businesses, you have to make margin to provide service, or even stay in business. Please do not assume that a dealer is ripping you off if you aren't buying it for cost. For goodness sake, if I could provide service, pay the staff, and put food on my family's table while giving Bullfrog A8's away at 9k, 10k, or whatever you consumers think is "fair," I totally would! I just simply can't. I don't try to hit a home run with every sale... which I think in your terms means... "screwing over the customer." What I do try to do is make sure I make the margin I need to to keep the doors open, while making sure I remain competitive with the market.I think your comments breed more contempt towards dealers than the manufacturers long-standing, and admittedly out-dated business model.