Do dealers get paid from factory for PDI time?
I was out trying to make to make a deal on a 5th wheel and salesmen was trying to include a fee for the PDI. We didn't make the deal price was too high besides the PDI fee.
Forum Discussion
- We don't pay the assorted fees companies attempt to pad their bottom line with these days - - "shop fees" at the auto shops, "doc fees" at some electronic stores, etc. Overhead should already be built into the pricing structure, not tacked on at the end.
mileshuff wrote:
bob_nestor wrote:
In my mind this is something that should have been done at the factory as part of the manufacturing process, especially if the company is claiming to be ISO9001 compliant.
What does 9001 have to do with PDI at the manufacture? 9001 is more about consistency in manufacturing. Say what you do and do what you say. Not how you do something, quality etc.
What RV manufacturer is ISO certified?Oaklevel wrote:
Our dealer charges $0 for their inspection after arrival, $0 for my PDI with their mechanic, $0 for cleaning up the camper, $0 for paperwork the only add on was state sales tax & licence plates. They beat every dealers price for 400 miles and they also threw in installed roof vent covers and a lube plate. (Let them keep the cheap starter kit)
Yes they are a small dealer with low overhead costs.
Post his name!!- If a dealer does bad post his name, it might help to persuade him to be more honest, or at least let other members be aware of him.
Likewise if a dealer does good, post his name, he deserves the business. bob_nestor wrote:
In my mind this is something that should have been done at the factory as part of the manufacturing process, especially if the company is claiming to be ISO9001 compliant.
What does 9001 have to do with PDI at the manufacture? 9001 is more about consistency in manufacturing. Say what you do and do what you say. Not how you do something, quality etc.- I don't care how they work their numbers. I ask for MSRP price, pull out my calculator and subtract 35% and that's what I'm willing to pay. They can move line items wherever they need to make a profit from the bank.
- Our dealer charges $0 for their inspection after arrival, $0 for my PDI with their mechanic, $0 for cleaning up the camper, $0 for paperwork the only add on was state sales tax & licence plates. They beat every dealers price for 400 miles and they also threw in installed roof vent covers and a lube plate. (Let them keep the cheap starter kit)
Yes they are a small dealer with low overhead costs. - I am sorry but I have to slightly disagree and agree with some of the posts.
It DOES matter that the dealers are trying to charge for PDI and EVERY customer needs to pushback on that practice and flatly refuse to pay it or negotiate over it. Otherwise it will metastasize. Businesses NEED to hear when their customers/potential customers are unhappy or will not pay for something.
Now I do agree that the best negotiating strategy is the bottom line price (in most cases) But the two things are really separate.
The Trailer is THEIR Product. It is THEIR RESPONSIBILITY to make sure it is right and all systems are functioning as intended before delivery. There are certain things no PDI is going to catch, like hidden structural flaws.
The ONLY case in which a dealer should not be held to a PDI is if the RV is on consignment. - Back about 7 years ago the wife and I was looking casually at a new camper and the dealer starts to work numbers. They try and charge me 499 for PDI and 799 for cleaning it up. I laughed at them and walked out. We went to the dealer where we bought our first camper from and took delivery 3 days later and none of the above BS. We have since bought another new one from them again minus the typical games dealers play.
- When I bought my A from a dealer, we settled on a price and shook hands. They then prepared the paperwork. After the negotiated price was a line item for the PDI. It was 1K. When I questioned it, they said it was a thorough all systems inspection fee, detailing, and guarantee that they will make any discovered issue "right". I paid it, yet also hired my own independent technician to inspect the coach. The sales guy early in the process kept telling me that their thorough inspection will take care of any issues discovered in the coach, but never came clean on the cost. I ended up doing 3 of my own PDIs as each time I discovered some issue was not rectified. They eventually fixed everything, and the coach felt "better than new" when we finally picked it up. When I add this cost to what I paid for the coach, I think I got a smokin deal. And the coach has been trouble free.
