Worst Newmar/RV Show Experience Ever

[srrobe]

Originally Posted by Jack1234

Not trying to excuse unprofessional or rude/boorish behaviour, but perhaps we need to appreciate that an RV Show may not be the best time to expect sales people & Dealers to devote endless hours to people doing research and still unsure if an RV is even really in their future. By all means poke around, open cupboards, crawl under the rig, check things out....but what's wrong with making an appointment with a salesperson ....at the Dealership during a time when you both have time and few distractions so you can ...... (1) interview him/her for the right personality & knowledge fit.......(2) interview the Dealer & their customer service attitudes....(3) view products and discuss questions " in-depth". While I expect my salesperson to be knowledgeable, I don't expect them to know more than me after I've spent hours researching the specific things that are important to me. I don't find it unreasonable that they may need to take some time to research an answer and that during a very busy RV Show this may not be practical.
From a previous thread it is my understanding that RVOne sold over 50 "new" Newmars at the Hershey show. In other words, they booked over $10,000,000 in "real sales" for 5 days. For sales people and Dealers this is serious business and if we are still at the kicking tire (research) stage ......perhaps we should respect the fact that there are "real" buyers at the show who probably deserve a bit more attention than us? I also expect that all the Show Dealers are feeling the pressure to "book" sales or face being replaced by a more aggressive Dealer at next year's show.....funny thing...... I'd also expect the Salespeople are feeling some serious pressure to write business.

Of course, I will now be flamed for daring to suggest that buyers also need to respect the "sales process" and that considerate behaviour is a two-way street.��

Well said!

[tlc1244]

Originally Posted by FLSteve

Bullitt ... sorry you had this kind of experience. I do agree with JFXG ... let Newmar know about it and then find a different dealer to spend your money with. Not sure how much control Newmar has over the dealers ... but if they get enough feedback like yours ... maybe it will make a difference for the next guy.

Good luck going forward.

Steve

The best dealer

[akadeadeye]

You really shouldn't hold a manufacturer responsible for the dealer's actions or lack thereof. Send this complaint to Newmar. Both Newmar and Tiffin are quality manufacturers and should not be entirely judged by "non employee" agressive dealer sales people.

Ever bought a Chevy, Ford,...........etc.

Don

[tlc1244]

The dealer I just order from was Dylans RV in NJ.
They treated me so well salesman Sandy spent half the day with me and allowed me to test drive for 2 hours. When I was at the Hershey show this year the dealer would not allow me to test drive unless I gave a deposit. I flew to FLL airport and stopped in at Northtrails I spent time looking at the coach but the salesman said you have to give a deposit before you can test drive. How crazy is that after telling him weeks in advance I was coming to down and ready to deal.
So Dylans in Sewel, NJ is a small dealer with big customer service. They work with you and give you from the start an aggressive price.

Locations
Dylans RV Center of Sewell
2190 Delsea Drive, Sewell, NJ 08080

SALES HOURS
Mon-Fri: 9am-6pm
Sat: 9am-4pm

Phone: 888-770-4409
PARTS & SERVICE HOURS
Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm
Sat: 9am-4pm

Fax: 856.228.9030
Dylans RV Center of Berlin
19 S. White Horse Pike, Berlin, NJ 08009

SALES HOURS
Mon-Fri: 9am-6pm
Sat: 9am-4pm
Phone: 856-768-1010
Fax: 856-767-3613

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by ChiGirl

As someone who is planning to buy within the next year, I find this disturbing. You're making a purchase of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and you're not supposed to research it, or test drive it, or go looking at models, before you make your purchase? Absurd.

If you were buying a S&B house, does your realtor expect you to look at only one house and buy? Of course not. You look at neighborhoods, different floor plans, etc. It's a process.

I hope we don't get the runaround when we get closer to buying. Linda

I don't get it. Do some of these dealers at the RV Show have people walk onto their display an fall in love with a coach, grab some dough off their money tree, and throw it at them as they make a $300,000 purchase on a whim?

These salespeople must get paid so much themselves that they just go out and buy items worth thousands of dollars without a second thought.

You won't get the runaround too much, Linda. It's just some dealers so just politely take a walk (or run) if it happens.

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by adonh

Come on give these sales people a break, they are looking for the Easy Sell, and there are plenty of them out there. If you are a Knowable buyer they don't won't to spend time with you. You will just beat them down on the price, ask a bunch of questions and take a lot of their time.

I fully realize that they are looking for the "Easy Sell" and they want to make a buck. But, when you're looking at a new coach with an MSRP of $335K, it's not like walking onto a Ford lot looking to buy a entry level Fiesta just to get good gas mileage for the commute to work.

I'm sure that they realized that I was a knowledgeable buyer too and because of that, the questions I had would not have taken up much of their time. Heck, I didn't even ask to test drive one (and wasn't going to).

The salesman from Mike Thompson's RV (representing Tiffin) took the time to answer all of my questions even though he knew that I wasn't going to buy that day, but in the spring (I was on the fence between Tiffin and Newmar at the time). But, I'm sure he was banking on the probability that when I was ready, I'd go see him and give him first shot at Mike Thompson's. If I decided to go with the Tiffin when I was ready to purchase, he would be right.
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[newmarpusher]

Originally Posted by Bullitt

I don't get it. Do some of these dealers at the RV Show have people walk onto their display an fall in love with a coach, grab some dough off their money tree, and throw it at them as they make a $300,000 purchase on a whim?

These salespeople must get paid so much themselves that they just go out and buy items worth thousands of dollars without a second thought.

You won't get the runaround too much, Linda. It's just some dealers so just politely take a walk (or run) if it happens.

IMHO, an RV show is where you should be encouraged to kick tires, ask questions, take test drives, etc on a variety of brands. That is what we've been doing for a couple of years. Most dealers/manufacturers we've visited at the Hershey RV show and other smaller shows have been responsive to our process. On the flip side, we have run into a variety of dealers and situations at shows that were absurd. All the coaches locked and sold, people wanting deposits to take test drives, etc. There are a couple of manufactures we never even considered in the final process because of the denied access to the units and ability to ask questions. How would I even go about buying with that lack of access? Their loss...

Some sales people just don't get customer service. If you turn prospective buyers off, how will they ever become real buyers.

After three years of the Hershey RV show and constant Internet research, this year we were ready to buy IF the right coach, dealer, deal presented itself. We found that in the 2015 Ventana 4037 ordered from Kristin at RVONE.

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by astonge

Bullit - I couldn't help but read through this post. It seems that the salesperson 'got under your skin'.
What I can speak to is the Newmar quality I have observed while making modifications to our motorhome. We have had no problems with our unit and we are impressed with the quality.

Regards, Andy

Naw, he didn't get under my skin, Andy. I just had to vent about their arrogance. "aeroquality's" experience with Holland RV backs up my point with them and my "what are they thinking" bewilderment.

When I walk into an automobile dealership, I know everything about the car I am looking for (from vehicle stats, to invoice, holdback, and dealer incentives if my inside sources can get them). That's easy for me. But, this is our first motorhome purchase, ever. They're a complicated vehicle and there are many details for me to discover yet. iRV2 is really the best research medium around for all RVers because of the first-hand experiences from members. Even so, as I do my research here, not all of the answers can be found. However, with such good input about Newmar, such as yours, at least we know which manufacture to go with.

This is going to be our home after the S&B is sold and I want to get it right the first time. Thanks for your encouragement, Andy. One of the things I like most about being on iRV2. Best RV Forum spot on the internet.
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[biosensai]

When we decided to move from a 37' gasser to a larger DP, we started looking at 40' Phaeton's. That evolved into including the Newmar Ventana and the Entegra Anthem. Temporarily off the road in Temecula (while I recovery from MAJOR surgery) we have spent hours in dealerships all over looking at these lines, especially Tiffin & Newmar. We have visited Holland in Escondido many, many times in the last 8 months. We've talked to many salespeople. Had nothing but positive experiences with all. (Even had a company rep, probably Jeff Lake, call prior to his visiting So Cal about 6 months ago.)
As part of my first excursion back towards full-timing, we made the pilgrimage to the dealership in Junction City. (Good guys. Prices might be a little higher than could be.) While in a Redding RV park, talked to a Phaeton owner who heaped praise on the Moorpark dealership. So much so, that we will be visiting them before making the purchase. Richardson's RV in Riverside was carrying Newmar's but their sister store in Menifee carries Entegra's, so they may simply be selling off remaining inventory. Checking out a Dutch Star there, again, later this week. We've now decided that the 43' Dutch Star is probably our best choice. The Allegro Bus & Anthem could be candidates if their best price is significantly better on one of these.
Two things as far as pricing goes. First, our last two motorhomes were purchased not face to face, but over the Internet. We got incredible deals. Our current plan is to try & pull the trigger mid-December. Second comes from the boating world, a saying you may well be familiar with. BUY THE DEALERSHIP. Ultimately, the quality of the service department is going to be with you long after you've forgotten a few dollars difference in price.

And, if you head up to Junction City, stay at Seven Feathers RV on the way. It's a 12 on a scale of 10!

[Route 66]

Yes. I've seen it happen.

Originally Posted by Bullitt

I don't get it. Do some of these dealers at the RV Show have people walk onto their display an fall in love with a coach, grab some dough off their money tree, and throw it at them as they make a $300,000 purchase on a whim?

[Dutch Star Don]

I found that when a salesman gets pushy, ask him what type of rig he has!

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by Jack1234

Not trying to excuse unprofessional or rude/boorish behaviour, but perhaps we need to appreciate that an RV Show may not be the best time to expect sales people & Dealers to devote endless hours to people doing research and still unsure if an RV is even really in their future.

For sales people and Dealers this is serious business and if we are still at the kicking tire (research) stage ......perhaps we should respect the fact that there are "real" buyers at the show who probably deserve a bit more attention than us?
Of course, I will now be flamed for daring to suggest that buyers also need to respect the "sales process" and that considerate behaviour is a two-way street.��

Oh, I understand the dealer's point of view, they're there to make a buck like everyone else. Fine with me. But, I had a list of six questions germane to Newmar and was blown off before I got to number three. All of my questions were ones that a salesperson should have known. They weren't even knowledgeable about the basic aspects of Newmar. For example, the sales manger didn't even know that the 40' could only be had with 2 A/C's and told me I could special order one with 3 A/C's, which is impossible with the line of 40' Newmars. I only needed 20 minutes of their time. They could see that I wasn't just poking around like some looky-loo. Been there, done that a while ago.

This was our second visit and they knew that. In-between, we decided to seriously consider a 43' instead of the 40 footer. I called and specifically asked if they had one in a similar floorplan. They lied over the phone and said yes. It was not there and this was the main reason for our return. I was PO'd about that, but kept it to myself and was nice as could be...because all I wanted was the information without hassle or confrontation.

Another reason we went back was to speak with a Newmar Corp rep (only one there apparently). The sales manager told my that there was only one and that he would be tired up for hours. Okay, fine. But they would not even let me try to make some kind of appointment. All I wanted was info on custom paint and Newmar's Factory Delivery option from the rep, and the sales manager knew that.

Even though it's the big annual RIVA RV Show for So Cal, they were not that busy at the time I was there. That's why I don't get it. I may have not been there to buy "today", but I let them know that I would be placing a special order for a Newmar this spring.

So why have an RV Show in the first place? It can't be just an outlet where people only come to purchase RV's at their "Special RV Show Pricing". That's just a bogus come-on anyway. You can always find a better deal away from any RV Show in regards to a DP.

I understand what you're trying to say, Jack, so no one should try to flame you. I look at all sides too, but this was way over the top by a greedy RV dealership. Read aeroquality's post (#35) on this Thread about his negative contact with Holland RV...and he was at their dealership.
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[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by akadeadeye

You really shouldn't hold a manufacturer responsible for the dealer's actions or lack thereof. Send this complaint to Newmar. Both Newmar and Tiffin are quality manufacturers and should not be entirely judged by "non employee" agressive dealer sales people.

Ever bought a Chevy, Ford,...........etc.

Don

I don't hold it against Newmar in regards to the dealer's actions, at all. However, the dealer's sales manger told me that there was only one rep at the RV Show from Newmar. This annual So Cal RIVA RV Show is BIG. Just wondering now why Newmar, according to the RV dealer, would only have one factory rep there. Especially since nation-wide sales are doing well.

You're right, both Tiffin and Newmar are the best in quality for the particular coach we want.

However, Don, Ford beats out Chevy ANY DAY! Sorry, I'm a Ford Guy.
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[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by tlc1244

So Dylans in Sewel, NJ is a small dealer with big customer service. They work with you and give you from the start an aggressive price.

Thanks for the tip. I get great help/advice here at iRV2. Gonna put their info in my Newmar notebook. I have a local dealer I'll be giving the first sales shot to. If that doesn't work, it'll be open season to find our coach.
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