We attended an RV show and about midway through our visit were hanging out in a nice toy hauler. Happened to be near one of the sales desks and we overhear a negotiation in progress (if you want to call it that).The rig the buyer wanted was already lower than anything I could find online but it turned out the buyer wanted to trade his one year old rig in and wanted $55k for it. The sales manager very politely pointed out that the highest book value was $48k and the wholesale was $38.5k. The buyer didn't care plus he wanted an additional $5k off the new unit.The sales manager responded, very funny I might add, "what would your response be if I walked in here and simply raised our asking price by $20k... you would probably tell me to get lost. I thank you for your interest and am happy to work with you but only if you are able to negotiate in good faith".Now there is normally a lot of dealer bashing that goes on but in this example I am totally with the dealer. His matter of fact response made me like him even more. I won't mention the dealer name but they are a large brand. I wouldn't be surprised if that buyer was telling this story but in a much different tone.

Yup, you always here one side of the story...remember, even a pancake has two sides....

Regardless, where did the dealer get the so-called wholesale price for the trade-in? There isn't one. Too many dealers use the lower NADA book value and call it a trade-in value, which it isn't because it's a value used for a junker trade-in (the book says so). So I question the dealer's numbers from the get-go. What if the buyer had done his homework and the NADA number really was 55k and the dealer was low-balling him? Did you stick around long enough to see a result of the negotiations?My response would be to walk out and see how fast the sales manager would chase after me. I've walked out before.

Best thing to do is make an offer and walk. No sense arguing with a dealer. I actually had a dealer tell me they only made 3% profit on new MHs. Nobody wins an arguement. That is why I call in my offer on the phone. Call me back if interested. I doubt any dealer loses money on a sale.

azdryheat wrote:Regardless, where did the dealer get the so-called wholesale price for the trade-in? You do realize every dealer is connected into the wholesale market because they do take trade-ins and base trade values largely on what the auctions of the comparable units have brought in the recent past right? There are even factory new units that go into the wholesale market when they've been lot queens somewhere.

I wasn't there, but if he was wanting to trade in a rig he had purchased just a year ago, clearly he was trying to undo a previous bad decision and trying not to lose his shirt. Unfortunately, that is not the way the world works. You're seldom going to come out very well on a trade. Like a few years ago after my Dad passed, a dealer offered $19.5 to trade his 18 month old Ford F150 King Ranch with only 5K miles on a new car for my Mom. We passed and sold it private party for $33,300.I'll never forget what the guy said as we signed the papers - "you don't sell your stuff cheap!" No, but we sold it!

Rude buyer towards sales person - seeing the other side

55 Replies

tkcas01
Explorer
Jan 18, 2015
I wasn't there, but if he was wanting to trade in a rig he had purchased just a year ago, clearly he was trying to undo a previous bad decision and trying not to lose his shirt. Unfortunately, that is not the way the world works.

You're seldom going to come out very well on a trade. Like a few years ago after my Dad passed, a dealer offered $19.5 to trade his 18 month old Ford F150 King Ranch with only 5K miles on a new car for my Mom. We passed and sold it private party for $33,300.

I'll never forget what the guy said as we signed the papers - "you don't sell your stuff cheap!" No, but we sold it!
geotex1
Explorer
Jan 18, 2015
azdryheat wrote:
Regardless, where did the dealer get the so-called wholesale price for the trade-in?

You do realize every dealer is connected into the wholesale market because they do take trade-ins and base trade values largely on what the auctions of the comparable units have brought in the recent past right? There are even factory new units that go into the wholesale market when they've been lot queens somewhere.
WyoTraveler
Explorer
Jan 18, 2015
Best thing to do is make an offer and walk. No sense arguing with a dealer. I actually had a dealer tell me they only made 3% profit on new MHs. Nobody wins an arguement. That is why I call in my offer on the phone. Call me back if interested. I doubt any dealer loses money on a sale.
azdryheat
Explorer
Jan 18, 2015
Regardless, where did the dealer get the so-called wholesale price for the trade-in? There isn't one. Too many dealers use the lower NADA book value and call it a trade-in value, which it isn't because it's a value used for a junker trade-in (the book says so). So I question the dealer's numbers from the get-go. What if the buyer had done his homework and the NADA number really was 55k and the dealer was low-balling him? Did you stick around long enough to see a result of the negotiations?

My response would be to walk out and see how fast the sales manager would chase after me. I've walked out before.
GENECOP
Explorer II
Jan 18, 2015
Yup, you always here one side of the story...remember, even a pancake has two sides....

Forum Discussion

Rude buyer towards sales person - seeing the other side

55 Replies

About RV Tips & Tricks

Related Content

Purchasing rv without seeing in person

Personalized plates

Personal Integrity

Solar Panels- Another Step Toward Independence

Personalized license plate?