How much price negotiation is there?

[catfan9t]

We are looking to get our first "real" hot tub.
We are looking at a floor model (1 yr old) Jacuzzi 300 series that they has has been marked down from 13k to 7k.  It has the radio, dual waterfalls, cover w/easylift and led lights.  The other is an Island Spas (Artesian) Antigua.  They are asking 7k for this one as well.  My question is how much room is there for negotiation on hot tub prices?  On our visit of Hot Springs and Jacuzzi brands they told us a price and then said they would throw in cover lift.  On a spa they are quoting at 8k how much should I try to get them down?

Thanks.

[Brewman]

No set answer.  Some dealers quote prices that are as low as they'll go, some may quote a price and have some negotiation room.
 All you can do is try and see what happens.  

[boobunnies]

Once I knew the brand and model of spa we were interested in, I searched this forum to see what it has been selling for.  

We were torn between the Sundance Bahia and the Hot Springs Tiger River Caspian. I knew they were comparable in price, but we did a wet test, and it was no question for us-- the Bahia was THE one. I can't stress how important it is to wet test; it can make all the difference in the world.

The price my Sundance dealer gave seemed a little high, but I mentioned what prices I'd seen it go for (he seemed shocked) and negotiated down from there.

He was pretty set on price, but I came in with my notebook in hand, fully prepared having done my homework when we did the wet test, and it showed.  He mentioned a couple of times that I looked prepared and finally gave us a good deal, but I think his price was pretty set; not much wiggle room. He knew we were serious, had the cash and were comparison shopping-- he definately wanted to grab our business.

The Hot Springs dealer was about the same; they have monthly specials on certain spas-- $1,000 off, and the prices seemed very fair for those models; don't think there would've been much negotiation there either.

Another tactic in negotiating is to see what they'll throw in for you-- an upgraded cover, coverlift, steps, chemicals, setup and delivery... all these things add up quickly, and if negotiated well, can be added in at no additional cost.

So, I guess my answer is, do your homework and decide what you want,  post on this forum what you want and ask what a fair price for it would be, and when you walk into the showroom, you'll already have an idea as to what a fair price is, and can confidently proceed from there.

Good luck!!

[sledjunkie]

Dealers generally are making about $2000-$3000 on spas. Sometimes a bit less, sometimes a bit more. It really depends on the model and the dealer. They are on the higher end of that range for the higher end models, and the lower for the lower.

I could haven gotten the antigua for the low to mid 5's.
That would be picked up by me 2 hours away, however I can tell you it only costed me $50 in gas to pick up my spa.
I bought an Artesian Gold Opal(brand new 05) for $6177.

Shop around, keep going further and further away from the city and your prices will be better.
There is more negotiaton than you think!

[TubsAndCues]

For our company, there isn't a whole lot of negotiation.  We try to give everyone the same fair price.  We do have 2 sales during the year where every tub is on sale.  Other wise, it depends on how long we've been sitting on certain tubs.  Remember this: most dealers pay interest on tubs that have been in stock after a certain amount of time.

Also, we can take off a little bit for cash deals since we get charged by credit card and financing companies.

It can sometimes depend on the dealer and their staff as well.  If you go to places that have straight commission salespeople, then they might not be so willing to lose money out of their pocket.  At a place like ours, we are hourly and salary, so there is no pressure to get more $$$ out of you.

Lastly, there is no such thing as throwing something in at no extra cost.  You're paying for it in the price of the tub, but it still doesn't hurt to ask if the dealer won't/can't come down any further in price.  I know I've comprimized my $50 bonus for selling a tub just to get the sale before.

[ucd9699]

Boo based on your research what do you think a fair price is for the Bahia?

[tubbyB]

Sledjunkie

Is the profit range you listed based on mslp?

[sledjunkie]

The profit is based on the following:
For example say the bahia is listed in the low 7's. The dealer is making approx $2000 as he/she paid approx $5000 for it.

[Wisoki]

By your reasoning...

Bahia      $5000
shipping  $300
lifter        $150
ozone     $180
chem kit  $170 (aprox 4 mo. supply)
steps      $125
delivery   $350
Total       $6275

I guess a thousand dollars is enough for all the rest of the stuff you need to keep your business operating. Lets see, electric bill 600, damn now I only made 400, ok so um phone bill 325 shit I'm down to 75 bucks, and I still havent paid any human beings.

The profit is based on the following:
For example say the bahia is listed in the low 7's. The dealer is making approx $2000 as he/she paid approx $5000 for it.

[East_TX_Spa]

HotSpring dealers only mark their spas up $10 over wholesale.  This is in order to give their customers the best deal possible.  Please don't take his $10 away.

Terminator

[East_TX_Spa]

The profit is based on the following:
For example say the bahia is listed in the low 7's. The dealer is making approx $2000 as he/she paid approx $5000 for it.

Didn't you buy yours from one of Artesian's Factory Outlet stores?  Did the factory direct rep make any profit or did it all go to the factory?

Terminator

[boobunnies]

UCD9699,

I've read on this forum that the average price for a Bahia is around $6,500-$6,995.  I think you're the one who provided a lot of figures that I used, actually!!  LOL

My dealer quoted me $7,100-without the stereo system (that would've been an additional $500), but including everything else-- upgraded cover, coverlift, steps, chemical kit, setup & delivery.

I asked him if I could get it for $7,100 out the door (tax included) , and he agreed, only if I wouldn't mention to friends and family the exact deal he gave me; he said he couldn't replicate that for others. It put the spa price before taxes at around $6,575.

Hopefully that's a fair price for us and for him-- I wanted to get the best deal possible, but didn't want to rip the dealer either.  Actually, we were down there today and put down the deposit.

I have to say, knowing that dealers are all over this board, that it made a world of difference. The HS salesman was very nice, but exactly that-- a salesman.

The Sundance dealer also happened to be the owner. He was obviously proud of his product, but told us if we wet-tested somewhere else and preferred that brand, to get it-- our satisfaction with the product is what counted. He was not at all pushy, but had a love and great knowledge about his brand, which made us love the Bahia all the more.

We're confident that he'll make good on his promises, be there for any help we may need, and are not just another number for him to push his product upon.

Does that sound like a fair price to you??

[sledjunkie]

wisoki, your taking those numbers I provided as actual. It was an example only.

The $2000-$3000 range I provided is real. Call it whatever you want, but it is what the average spa dealer makes per sale of a tub. The extras that spa dealers give you are basically that, extras and the extra cost is factured into my range.

I have a family member who retired from the spa business a few years back. He was in the business for 10+ years. This is where I get my information.

Just ask Mr. Texas, he'll tell you, or will he.. hmmm...

[Wisoki]

Yet here you are publishing the informatiion on the internet.

I asked him if I could get it for $7,100 out the door (tax included) , and he agreed, only if I wouldn't mention to friends and family the exact deal he gave me; he said he couldn't replicate that for others. It put the spa price before taxes at around $6,575.

[Wisoki]

Oh, I know, and your numbers are pretty close, but it is also important for those shoppers out there to understand how quickly that miniscule proffit vanishes based on the cost of doing business, of which I didn't even scratch the surface. There isn't as much negotiating room as one might think. Ant Term is quite open about his $10 mark up.

wisoki, your taking those numbers I provided as actual. It was an example only.

The $2000-$3000 range I provided is real. Call it whatever you want, but it is what the average spa dealer makes per sale of a tub. The extras that spa dealers give you are basically that, extras and the extra cost is factured into my range.

I have a family member who retired from the spa business a few years back. He was in the business for 10+ years. This is where I get my information.

Just ask Mr. Texas, he'll tell you, or will he.. hmmm...