New boat shopping

[Julio Santana]

Was at the local Bass Pro today. A nice new NX 882 Nitro caught my eye and at $17,995 or so with a nice new Merc 150 XR6 I thought it was a pretty good buy.



We started talking and my wife was actually ok with the thought of my trading in my 2000 Nitro 700LX w/ Merc 90. Ok that is until the guy came back and, sight unseen of course, told me what they wanted to offer me for my boat.



While I know that everyone believes their boat is worth a lot more than it is, I seriously believe my Nitro is definitely worth more than 40% of what I paid for it 4 years ago. Heck, I've babied it and kept it in the garage. It looks like it did when it left their showroom.



Several things about this little experience. Had he taken a little time he might have checked and seen that I've bought 3 boats now from that Bass Pro Shops location and I don't know if he took me seriously.



Number 1--It soured my wife on the idea of getting the new boat.



Number 2--It really made me angry to have them give me such a lowball number.



Number 3--They told me I could probably get at least $10K or maybe more for it if I sold it myself...letting me know they didn't want my trade. How about just telling me that up front? So now I'm off to the boat trader....



Number 4--He could have sold the 882 right then and there had they been a little more reasonable than that.



Number 5--If they toss that number out, it would make a buyer wonder about the value they get out of a Nitro.



Number 6--If I sell it myself, I'm a cash buyer...I might not go back to buy his boat...I can go anywhere. That might steer me in another direction if the price is competitive on another brand. Cash is king... It's the extra attention and benefits and many times it's the dealer that "sells" the package and not just a boat to you and not necessarily the model boat you are looking at initially.



So now I'll sell the boat and I'll shop. I'm sure I'll stop and look at Triton and Stratos where I wouldn't have even given those a glance before.



When will those guys ever learn?

 

[Jack Long]

Hey Loan, I found that Bass Pro does not want your trade-in,

I had the same problem. I ended up going to a Nitro dealer, not BPS, and got $2,000 more for my trade-in. Good Luck<>< <>< <>< <>< Jack

 

[Greg Meyer]

My advice would almost always be to never trade boats... Seling outright will always be a better deal..

 

[C C]

They are not trying to insult you or rip you off, the deal you were getting on the 882 is rock bottom. The 700LX 2004 with a 90hp and the power up savings event is $12,995. They would have a hard time selling 2000 without a warranty over the 2004, it's not personal, it's business.

 

[Brian Bell2]

Cass has a very valid point, one other item, being a cash buyer realy does not buy you anything, the dealers actualy prefer folks taking a loan, since they make $$$ on that end as well on the % rate. Its not like years ago when your father or grandfather walked into the dealer and threw down a pile of cash, banks todays especialy with boats are allot easier to deal with. The only thing it can buy you is, that your serious, but if a dealer needs that type of incentive to get them to work with you, my advise is to find another dealer. Cash or loan you should be able to get the same deal regardless of what brand boat you decide to purchase, good luck with your new purchase,

BTW,

I have sold my last 3 boats off Traderonline and Florida Sportsman.com.

Good Luck.

Brian

 

[Staci Matheis]

I, too, will agree with Cass. Think about it for a while, Shark.....



Investigate the real value of your boat..... Then, remember that, when they sell your old boat, they have to make a fair profit on it as well - after putting additional time and money (shop prices) into your boat..... And the boat could sit on their lot for quite some time.....



If you want the 882 AND top dollar for your boat - sell your boat yourself.



"It's not personal; it's business."

 

[Michael Snow]

I've found that many dealers don't want trades. Some outright won't take them. Boats have horrible resale value, and Nitro isn't known for having a good resale value compared to other boat lines either.

 

[Staci Matheis]

I think that line about not having as good a resale value as other lines is BS.



Owners of "the other lines" would just like to think their boats have better resale value because they pay more for them.



Percentage-wise, they're gonna be right about equal.

 

[Julio Santana]

I thought about it...time to find another dealer...



Hey look...I was willing to let the guy make some money...don't get me wrong. If he would have been reasonable, I would have signed up right then and there.



Also you guys should know that I finance boats for a living. So I'm in this game and I told them as much and gave them my business card.



Here's my point. The 700LX SC sitting in the showroom is priced at $14K before their prep, rigging and other charges. That's with their power up deal and a 90hp and a galvanized trailer.



Even in the new catalog it's listed at $13,695 with a 90 and an aluminum trailer..plus prep and rigging.



Bottom line is if you want a 700LX...get ready to drop $15,600-$16,000 by the time tax, title, prep and rigging is all taken care of.



By not taking a trade, they make me pay more in taxes than I would have (Only pay tax on the cash difference with a trade). So 6% in Florida over the entire $19,000 of the new boat (Freight prep and all that tossed in) instead of perhaps on only $9,000.



They offered low end, poor condition, wholesale value for the boat...granted...sight unseen, but still. I traded in a 3 year old Tracker 165 and still got $6500 for it when I traded it in on this Nitro. Am I to believe that an almost 4 year old Nitro that costs $6,000 more than the Tracker can't fetch the price of a Tracker 165? Even on a first, sight unseen offer?



It seems that these guys need a home run, slam dunk in order to take a trade. Business may be business, but theft is still theft. Honest deals make people come back. Stuff like this steers people to others for their purchases.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Geeze, just buy my 929 for $19,000 and be happy!!LOL



TOXIC

 

[Edward J. Krummert, Jr]

I think if the salesperson would have explained the whole idea to you even though you understand the "game", probably more than most because that's what you do for a living. You probably would not have been so mad. How issues like this are handled either make or kill a dealer. If the salesperson would have offered to see if he could find someone buy your boat you probably would have been alot happier. Ed

 

[C C]

If someone can buy a 04 882 with a 150hp motor for $17,995, why would anyone buy a 04 700LX SC with a 90hp for $16,000? The number I quoted was from the Nitro web site with the Powerup deal $12,995.



I don't understand where you get theft from them telling you straight up what they would give you on your rig vs selling it your self. You know that when they take a rig in on trade they have to test out the motor and check out the rig, and prep it before they can put it up for sale, this cost money. Not that I am defending BPS (I don't even own a Tracker Marine product) but, anyone expecting a dealer to make a better offer with out seeing the rig, thats not really fair now is it? Maybe if you took your rig in and let them check it out they could do better with the numbers. I do not think it's theft, it's business and it's your choice to do business with them or not.



I highly suggest that you shop your boat around and see what you can get for it. If you can get a better deal somewhere else with a trade and purchasing a new rig go for it and enjoy yourself.

 

[Corey Carrico2]

An 882 after tax title prep and shipping charges will be over 20K...the 17,9K you see advertised is not the out the door cost.



I looked at selling my 882 this year after owning it for 3 years and I found that it had depreciated so much that I am better off keeping it than taking the loss to sell it.



This is the time of year to sell a boat though...you can probably find a buyer at a price that will make you happy.



-Corey

 

[Brian Bell2]

I think maybe the 700LX resale value may have been hurt a bit when Nitro started building the 750 series, they are only about 600.00 more and allot more boat, I paid for my 2004 NX750 with a 115 EPLTO, galv. trailer and the only other extra I had the dealer install was a Dual Pro. I paid out the door, 17K. I sold my 99 700 LX in 2001 and got 10K for it with a 120 Force outboard. I paid just around 13k out the door.

NADA shows with a 75 HP average trade in is about 6800.00 average retail 8390.00 add about 200.00 for the 90 HP based on the NADA states on difference in value of outboards.

If you have a few extra's like sounder , gps , dual pro. I would say add another 500.00.

If it was me, I would look advertise it for 8500.00 and take no less than 7500.00. I bet it would sell pretty fast, a four year old bass boat for well under 10K. Not bad deal..

Put it on Florida Sportsman.com, traderonline, bass fishing homepage and here.. I bet it sells real fast. Folks just got back taxes..