Your (Consumers) Perspective on MSRP

[drfife]

Originally Posted by CampDaven

RV dealers did not do the Saturn thing. I did what I did.
Is there a better way?

If RV dealers did like Saturn, I bet you would have found another RV dealer selling a different RV manufacturer.

[JDT]

I knew going into the process that I would not get the same percentage off an Excel that I could get on other brands and I was ok with it. I did not look at MSRP as being important at all. I was much more concerned with value for my money. The bottom line of my Winslow was in line, and even less, with the best price I could get on a few others we considered. A comparable NuWa Hitchhiker II was about $6K more and didn't have a residential fridge we wanted as an option. A couple of "high end" Redwoods were a bit cheaper and had a really high MSRP but they are not even in the same league as an Excel.

I read on other forums that anyone who doesn't get 40% off is an idiot. I guess I'm an idiot but I sure do like the Winslow and am happy with the price I paid. All I did when I got my price from my dealer was ask it that was his best price. He said yes and I said I'll take it because I already knew it was a good price.

Bryan, I find it refreshing that you asked us, your customers, for input on an issue like this. Don't see that happen very often. I think you need to do what is best for PI to stay in business. MSRP was not even a consideration for me but may be for everyone else. Then again, this is rv number 10 for Vickie and I in 42 years of marriage, and we have yet to trade one in. If I was working off an MSRP for a trade it would probably take on greater importance.

[drfife]

Jim, I'm an idiot as well.

I ordered my Winslow.

I was given a price, which I felt was fair.

No haggle.

No problems.

It was a pleasant experience.

[didymop]

Thanks for asking. What a mindset people have. They must feel they're getting a deal. Consider what JC Penney has tried. They used to always have sales. Decided to just have lower everyday prices and even went to whole dollar amounts instead of $??.99. Their sales crashed; the consumers don't feel they're getting a deal because nothing is on sale.

It is difficult to reeducate the masses and JCP couldn't do it. We always say you get what you pay for and feel that we got 2 great new Excels at fair and reasonable prices. If someone really does their homework about quality, materials, workmanship and service after the sale they'll realize the right and wrong when comparing apples and oranges in RV manufacturers and their products.

You may have lost a sale because he didn't get 30% off the top with you, but I bet he'll be kicking himself in the rear later down the road when he realizes the mistake he made in the one he did settle on; but he did get a good deal.

Honesty is always the best policy.
Sarge

[caissiel]

I buy on price the bottom line. All options to me are just things. I usualy add what I need when I need it. My $400 truck DVD/GPS is now 6 years old and Ford sells it for $7000 and mine is set my way with 2 rear cams. And a ceiling monitor to better see the GPS in daylight. Highway Rubbery.
I just bought a pickup for my guitar for $14. They are priced up to $180. So I bought 2 for spáre. Its buyer beware and if you loose a customer he will never return.

I just filled the car with advertised gas at $3.82. After buying on my CC I found the price at the tank was $4.17. I will never return for sure.

[goldwing02up]

When we purchased our used Excel, we spent more for it then what we could get a new brand x for. We spent many full days going from dealership to dealership, in and out of more RV's then I care to remember. Nothing compared in quality to our 2007 Excel that was in our own home town. We came home, got online and read everything we could find on the Excel and PI. I think Joe called and asked a few questions too. We realized we had come upon a company that had every reason to sleep well at night. If and when we go full time, we won't look elsewhere for a new home so all I ask is that PI and its dealers don't lose integrity. We will want to know the price we pay is fair to all, even if it means you have to explain the cost of lumber.

Thanks,

Karlene

[pagosajoe]

An observation on MSRP - Colorado (and other states) bases their tax structure on MSRP, not purchase price. As a result, the taxes you pay are highly inflated as well, giving pause to a potential buyer when they find out what the "true" cost of the RV is over the years. If manufacturers would establish a reasonable price structure, that would be of benefit if it more accurately reflected the cost/value of the coach.

[chief02]

Bryan,
Char and I researched Excel for four years before buying. During that time I had many close calls with almost buying SOB's. I kept coming back to Excel for many reasons, one of them being how the sale is presented and executed. In my case there was some wiggle room on price. The final price was irregardless of any trade in. If I brought forward a trade, it was valued an offer was given and it would have simply come off the purchase price. For me, this a simple way to close a deal. I surely would not change much of how you manage sales. I wonder how some of your dealers that have SOB's on the lot train their sales people to work in both a PI sales format and that of the others? As you experienced with the fellow walking away from you, it is difficult to educate a propective buyer in the few short minutes of a product introduction.

[RickS]

"I guess my purpose of this post is just to open up a dialog to get the perspective of our owners and prospects on what you expect when you trade. From what our dealers share, our mark-up is among the lowest in the industry and it makes it hard for them to work trades.

What's your take?"

Sounds like marketing talk to me "dialog" for a MSRP increase in pricing. I bet your dealers asking for a higher MSRP to work with are not asking for a higher dealer cost? Do you think the business model that has kept you in business for 40 years should be messed with? Do you think a new buyer walking into a dealers showroom looking at units with that kind of markup (MSRP) will just walk away and say that's just out of our price range not knowing that maybe it really isn't. Your assuming that all your dealers are going to do their jobs and educate every person that walks on the lot that the Excel over there can be had for a lot less. I can't tell you how many lots I've walked through where not a soul made an attempt to help me out so that left me looking at price tags.

Maybe being a lower number production unit builder you and your purchasers at PI should try to negotiate better pricing on the item's you buy from eg. Dexter Axles? The competition you speak of may be getting better deals on items... PI I'll take 20 sets of axles whats my price? Your competition I'll take a 100 sets of axles whats my price? I'm sure this goes for 100's of other similar items you buy yearly.

You get a better deal you give the dealer a better margin instead of always dropping it on the consumer. That customer that walked away from you (because of price) may not be the customer you want anyway. The customer that walks away thinking that unit was just out of my price range because you left your dealer more margin and he wasn't willing to give it away is probably the customer you need. IMO.

[redcow]

I guess I am really dumb. We purchased the first Winslow sold by just looking at an artist concept of it on a piece of paper. I trusted Bryan when he said "you will like it"and I feel he and the Dealer gave me a fair deal without even worrying about MSRP.

red

[Bob Wilson]

Originally Posted by ExcelRVGuy

From what our dealers share, our mark-up is among the lowest in the industry and it makes it hard for them to work trades.

What's your take?

Bryan

Hi Bryan,

I just traded in my 2004 36RDO on a 2013 38resb3 Mobile Suites, and a big part of the reason was the markdown from MSRP. The 2004 was my first RV, and I made the mistake of taking out a 15 year loan on it; so when it came time to trade, I was understandably underwater. So the 30+ percent discount from MSRP on the Mobile Suites helped me swing the trade.

If I managed my finances better, I would be paying cash, and percentage discounts from MSRP wouldn't matter. All I'd care about was the bottom line and perceived value. I should be in better shape next time though because I financed this one for 7 years instead of 15.

So in answer to your question, you did lose this sale primarily on the financing side of the transaction. So I'd encourage you to follow the industry trend. Just my two cents worth.

Bob

PS: The other primary reason I went with the Mobile Suites was that there was more local inventory to choose from. This may also be related to the discount from msrp issue. If dealers are having a hard time taking trades, they are going to stock fewer rigs.

[RustyJC]

If your final deal price is, say, 10% higher than your competition and you're losing sales over that, aren't you concerned that bumping MSRP enough to give your dealers the leeway to offer 30% discounts is going to put your MSRP markedly higher than the competition as well, thus losing potential customers to MSRP "sticker shock"?

Personally, insofar as price is concerned, I deal based only on the bottom right hand corner - how much am I going to have to write the check for?

Rusty

[Jeff426]

Bryan,

We just bought a 2013 Winslow 31IKE from RVSalesNM. We work hard for our money! I believe we all are best served by purchasing the BEST we can afford! That's an Excel! My perspective may be different than the rest of the market but to us quality was the most important factor. Excel and just a few others provide that kind of quality. That is common knowledge! Would I like to get that kind of quality at a cheaper price? Of course, who wouldn't. The price was fair, the quality is fantastic. The secret for us will be where we are with this rig 5 or 10 years down the road. To us, educating the public as to the benefits and differences may be the way to go. Since we have been traveling numerous folks have come up to us and asked "where did we get our Excel?" They have been looking at them for a long time but have never seen one.
It seems like sometimes the market is fickle. Lots of folks ask the price first and worry about the quality second. That's one side of the market, I think there is another side, that's where we are.
Marketing seems a tricky game. I, for one, would just like to pay a fair price and get outstanding quality. You and your company have got the latter knocked. Promote that!
Was that what you were looking for?

Jeff Stevenson

[Rburke8]

Bryan,


I agree with Jeff said in his post above. The people that will be purchasing an Excel are doing so because of quality and not so much because of price. Yes, we all want to get a "great" deal, but if you can afford to purchase an Excel you then realize that the RV it self is a great deal. My purchase of the 41GKE went very smoothly and I didn't bat an eye when I first saw the price. In my situation the trade in value was important and because I was connect to a Jayco dealer to finalize the purchase ofmy RV it worked in my favor. Thank you for that.

I do not believe jacking up the price so that a person can deal a percentage off is the way to go. My 2cents