Boat negotiation with cash-in-hand 2024

stk44 reply :

I have been looking to purchase a bass boat for a few years now, and in that period of time, my tastes have changed from an aluminum bass boats to fiberglass bass boats...without ever actually owning either :lol: . The only stipulation that my wife gave me if that I must pay it off in cash, so that cannot change. I've projected that I'll have enough cash by Fall 2018.

I'm currently looking at Nitro Z18's which has an MSRP of about $29k + $1k prep/freight. Add in the Ultrex w/ ipilot, Helix 9 at the console and Helix 10 at the bow and I'm looking at around $35k.

How much room for negotiation will I have? I would love to pay around $30k cash, and cash-on-hand SHOULD give me a little more purchasing power, but I wanted to hear from you guys first and see what is worth negotiating and what isn't. I'm assuming if I can't negotiate on the sticker price of the boat, that I could at least negotiate on the electronics or trolling motor.

Thanks in advance!

flyfisher reply :

So i can't speak for boats but in the car biz cash in hand doesn't give you any more purchasing power because the margins are not that high. They make more money if they get you to finance the purchase than if you pay cash in hand. Now in a person to person sale cash does rule because it is hard for someone to pass up that money in their face. Don't get me wrong though, a sale is a sale and someone with cash in hand is ready to buy and any good salesperson will make sure the sale is made at that point as long as they have something that can fit your needs.

Also, just something to consider but depending on what kind of interest rate you can get on a loan, you can always just put that money in the bank and use it to purchase the boat on a monthly payment cycle. If you are getting more interest on your savings than yo are on your loan then you will make out in the long run. Sure it may not be much but it can't hurt to at least crunch the numbers.

Scott F reply :

Buying a boat in the fall, just about the time when you will put it away for the winter, isn't when most people would do it. That might be a good time when dealers would like to get rid of unsold boats. If you waited a few more months, and bought at a winter boat/outdoor show, there are usually good deals to be had there.

stk44 reply :

On 7/17/2017 at 8:50 PM, flyfisher said:

So i can't speak for boats but in the car biz cash in hand doesn't give you any more purchasing power because the margins are not that high. They make more money if they get you to finance the purchase than if you pay cash in hand. Now in a person to person sale cash does rule because it is hard for someone to pass up that money in their face. Don't get me wrong though, a sale is a sale and someone with cash in hand is ready to buy and any good salesperson will make sure the sale is made at that point as long as they have something that can fit your needs.

Also, just something to consider but depending on what kind of interest rate you can get on a loan, you can always just put that money in the bank and use it to purchase the boat on a monthly payment cycle. If you are getting more interest on your savings than yo are on your loan then you will make out in the long run. Sure it may not be much but it can't hurt to at least crunch the numbers.

That makes sense that the dealership would receive an incentive to finance, I didn't think of that. Do you think there would be any room for negotiation on electronics?

I looked into financing, it looks like for 36 months and under it would be around 4.25% interest. At that rate, unless I would add the cash to my investments, it really wouldn't be worth keeping that cash in the bank.

Thanks for your help. This is exactly the type of input I was looking for to get me thinking.

flyfisher reply :

I am not in the boat biz but negotiating on dealer installed/purchased items is always easier. They have more play in that realm for sure. If you are ready to buy and like you said, cash in hand, they don't want you to walk out without a purchase.

Way2slow reply :

Cash in hand is much more effective when buying used from individuals. Some dealers can actually make more on a financed deal than a cash deal so many times it's meaningless. With a dealer, it's just how bad he wants to make a sell and your ability to negotiate the best deal. Time of year definitely makes a difference.

The biggest thing is making the dealer assured you will buy if he comes to agreeable terms and you are not just thinking about it.

stk44 reply :

On 7/17/2017 at 9:03 PM, Scott F said:

Buying a boat in the fall, just about the time when you will put it away for the winter, isn't when most people would do it. That might be a good time when dealers would like to get rid of unsold boats. If you waited a few more months, and bought at a winter boat/outdoor show, there are usually good deals to be had there.

Scott,

I'm gad you mentioned that. I worked out a good deal on a camper in the fall, so I was hoping it would be the same for any recreational vehicle.

I could definitely wait until the winter. There might be hard water until April anyway.

Would you typically have to negotiate a winter deal at a boat show, or are they already heavily discounted?

12poundbass reply :

I'm in the process of searching for the right boat for me. I'm leaning towards a Tracker. Tracker has their "no haggle no hassle pricing". I've talked to 3 different Tracker deals and their prices are the same and they do not budge what so ever. They were worlds apart on labor install and were willing to match pricing on electronics, and labor to get the sale.

I'd check and see if Nitro has the same "no haggle no hassle" pricing.

stk44 reply :

On 7/17/2017 at 9:23 PM, 12poundbass said:

I'm in the process of searching for the right boat for me. I'm leaning towards a Tracker. Tracker has their "no haggle no hassle pricing". I've talked to 3 different Tracker deals and their prices are the same and they do not budge what so ever. They were worlds apart on labor install and were willing to match pricing on electronics, and labor to get the sale.

I'd check and see if Nitro has the same "no haggle no hassle" pricing.

They do have the "no haggle no hassle pricing" but I know too many dealerships that have the same policy and they all negotiate. It's hard to say whether or not it's just a ploy.

It would be nice if a dealer could just tack on their margin and extend a price, but that doesn't happen too often for any type of vehicle.

Scott F reply :

If you really want to save thousands, consider looking for a boat that's a couple of years old.

12poundbass reply :

On 7/17/2017 at 9:40 PM, stk44 said:

They do have the "no haggle no hassle pricing" but I know too many dealerships that have the same policy and they all negotiate. It's hard to say whether or not it's just a ploy.

It would be nice if a dealer could just tack on their margin and extend a price, but that doesn't happen too often for any type of vehicle.

I tried blowing a little smoke and told one dealer that X marina were cheaper and he called my bluff and said they'd risk losing the privledge to sell Tracker Boats.

On 7/17/2017 at 9:42 PM, Scott F said:

If you really want to save thousands, consider looking for a boat that's a couple of years old.

Boats and vehicles are 2 different things but my step dad just bought a 2016 1ton Silverado and he said he saved 17k from a brand new one. The depreciation isn't that dramatic with boats but you can still save. We've all traded a vehicle in so we all know what the trade in value is, I imagine the same goes for a boat at a dealer. There's probably plenty of room for negotiating with a used one.

nocluefisher reply :

I bought a nitro z18 4K below the no haggle price, but it was a leftover.

Redlinerobert reply :

Also consider the benefits of financing. I was offered 2x length of boat motor warranty for financing over cash, and no penalty to pay off early. No brainer.

stk44 reply :

On 7/18/2017 at 10:29 AM, nocluefisher said:

I bought a nitro z18 4K below the no haggle price, but it was a leftover.

That's exactly the kind of deal I'm looking for. What time of year did you buy?

nocluefisher reply :

2 weeks ago. I was looking on nitro website and found a 2016 z18 was for sale in my state at a dealer who has several locations. I went to the local one to just inquire about it. The no haggle price was $32k with dealer prep and freight. I was going to see if they would go down to $30k. Before I said anything the dealer said that boat is $28995, but I will let it go for $27995. I asked if the was out the door figuring they would add on all kinds of fees and what not, he said yes. I was shocked and excited, had them bring the boat to my local dealer so I could take it for a spin. Then bought it. Only other cost was my state sales tax.

iabass8 reply :

Buy from a local dealer. They will have more wiggle room than a Cableas and BPS which is some cases will tell you "That's the price.". My new Ranger I purchased a couple months ago I got for 4k less at a local dealer than what Cableas was quoting. Even cut me a deal on an Ultrex, too.

you will find a lot of year end sales at dealerships and boat shows of marinas/dealers trying to get rid of last years inventory for a lot less than what you would pay today. Late fall/winter will be a good time for you to buy and save.

Another perk from buying from a dealer over a BPS/Cabelas is they will very often put you in the front of the line or same day if anything goes wrong with your new boat. I've needed a couple small things taken care of and when I called my dealer told me to come down and he took care of me in less than an hour when his shop was full.

BassNJake reply :

In my opinion cash in hand is best when dealing with an individual as opposed to a dealership.

I worked for a guy and he bought this trailer for his backhoe.

The guy wanted $4200 ... my boss began to point out little issues like a broken light, worn tires, also suggested that the sellers wife probably wanted it out of the yard since it had been sitting there for over 6 months and offered $2800.

The guy laughed and appeared to be insulted.

My boss handed over 28 $100 dollar bills and said if you dont want the money , you can give it back.

We hooked the trailer up and left about 5 minutes later.

12poundbass reply :

On 7/19/2017 at 10:21 PM, iabass8 said:

Buy from a local dealer. They will have more wiggle room than a Cableas and BPS which is some cases will tell you "That's the price.". My new Ranger I purchased a couple months ago I got for 4k less at a local dealer than what Cableas was quoting. Even cut me a deal on an Ultrex, too.

you will find a lot of year end sales at dealerships and boat shows of marinas/dealers trying to get rid of last years inventory for a lot less than what you would pay today. Late fall/winter will be a good time for you to buy and save.

Another perk from buying from a dealer over a BPS/Cabelas is they will very often put you in the front of the line or same day if anything goes wrong with your new boat. I've needed a couple small things taken care of and when I called my dealer told me to come down and he took care of me in less than an hour when his shop was full.

I agree fall/winter is the best time to buy. I talked to a salesman a few weeks back at BPS and he said the '18's would be arriving in a month or so. You know come Sept. Oct. They'll be thinking about unloading the '17 so they don't have to carry them through another winter.

The local Tracker dealer I talked to has the same service guarantee you're referring to. You bring it in and they guarantee they'll have it don't by Friday.

Another thing I noticed recently was Tracker offers a BPS gift card if you buy a boat. For a 175TXW its been $250 all year now its getting later in the year and it's up to $500. I know the OP is looking at a Nitro so that's something to look into as well.

stk44 reply :

On 7/19/2017 at 10:21 PM, iabass8 said:

Buy from a local dealer. They will have more wiggle room than a Cableas and BPS which is some cases will tell you "That's the price.". My new Ranger I purchased a couple months ago I got for 4k less at a local dealer than what Cableas was quoting. Even cut me a deal on an Ultrex, too.

you will find a lot of year end sales at dealerships and boat shows of marinas/dealers trying to get rid of last years inventory for a lot less than what you would pay today. Late fall/winter will be a good time for you to buy and save.

Another perk from buying from a dealer over a BPS/Cabelas is they will very often put you in the front of the line or same day if anything goes wrong with your new boat. I've needed a couple small things taken care of and when I called my dealer told me to come down and he took care of me in less than an hour when his shop was full.

Well, I'm not sure if I even have a local dealer. Closest place to me is the BPS in Harrisburg @ 160 miles away. Sounds like the boat show would be the way to go for me.

This might be a stupid question, but where the heck do I take my boat for service if the closest dealer to me is 160 miles away?

iabass8 reply :

On 7/20/2017 at 2:43 AM, stk44 said:

Well, I'm not sure if I even have a local dealer. Closest place to me is the BPS in Harrisburg @ 160 miles away. Sounds like the boat show would be the way to go for me.

This might be a stupid question, but where the heck do I take my boat for service if the closest dealer to me is 160 miles away?

You take it to the closest certified mechanic for your outboard. Whichever motor you choose will have a list of all their certified mechanics to work on your boat. If the closest one is 160 miles....you take it 160 miles for work. There's got to be a local marina closer than 160 miles from you. Go on merc or evinrudes website and they will list all their local mechanics. Do some research on local marinas. Find a good one that's close and see if they will work with you on ordering the boat you want.

stk44 reply :

On 7/19/2017 at 10:50 PM, BassNJake said:

In my opinion cash in hand is best when dealing with an individual as opposed to a dealership.

I worked for a guy and he bought this trailer for his backhoe.

The guy wanted $4200 ... my boss began to point out little issues like a broken light, worn tires, also suggested that the sellers wife probably wanted it out of the yard since it had been sitting there for over 6 months and offered $2800.

The guy laughed and appeared to be insulted.

My boss handed over 28 $100 dollar bills and said if you dont want the money , you can give it back.

We hooked the trailer up and left about 5 minutes later.

And you're sure the local police aren't looking for you?

12poundbass reply :

On 7/20/2017 at 2:43 AM, stk44 said:

Well, I'm not sure if I even have a local dealer. Closest place to me is the BPS in Harrisburg @ 160 miles away. Sounds like the boat show would be the way to go for me.

This might be a stupid question, but where the heck do I take my boat for service if the closest dealer to me is 160 miles away?

You live in Pittsburg and there isn't a Nitro dealer closer than 160 miles? That's crazy. I have 2-3 within 1w0 miles of me and I live in BFE.

Looks like Tridelphia, WV is closest to you. Then Ashville,N.Y.

stk44 reply :

On 7/20/2017 at 2:53 AM, iabass8 said:

You take it to the closest certified mechanic for your outboard. Whichever motor you choose will have a list of all their certified mechanics to work on your boat. If the closest one is 160 miles....you take it 160 miles for work. There's got to be a local marina closer than 160 miles from you. Go on merc or evinrudes website and they will list all their local mechanics. Do some research on local marinas. Find a good one that's close and see if they will work with you on ordering the boat you want.

Yeah, there are some local marinas. I'm close to three rivers, so I'm sure there is a marina out there that does some work. Not sure of all of the services they offer just yet, but I'll find out. Thanks for the help, this is all kinda new to me.

12poundbass reply :

According to Nitro's website there are 4 with in 163 miles of you. That should help get you a decent price.

stk44 reply :

On 7/20/2017 at 2:56 AM, 12poundbass said:

You live in Pittsburg and there isn't a Nitro dealer closer than 160 miles? That's crazy. I have 2-3 within 1w0 miles of me and I live in BFE.

Looks like Tridelphia, WV is closest to you. Then Ashville,N.Y.

Yeah... There is a small tracker dealer close by, but all they have is bass buggies and smaller aluminum boats.

12poundbass reply :

On 7/20/2017 at 3:03 AM, stk44 said:

Yeah... There is a small tracker dealer close by, but all they have is bass buggies and smaller aluminum boats.

Chances are they'll have to order it and you'll have to wait up to 10 weeks for it. That's probably why you don't see any Nitros.

stk44 reply :

@12poundbass I saw the one in WV but they don't show any nitro inventory. Only aluminum boats.

On 7/20/2017 at 3:05 AM, 12poundbass said:

Chances are they'll have to order it and you'll have to wait up to 10 weeks for it. That's probably why you don't see any Nitros.

Ah, that makes sense. I will probably go to BPS and get a feel for exactly what I want, then take those requirements to some local places. Maybe I won't have to travel into 5 different states to get a boat after all...

12poundbass reply :

On 7/20/2017 at 3:06 AM, stk44 said:

@12poundbass I saw the one in WV but they don't show any nitro inventory. Only aluminum boats.

Give them a call and see if they can order one. I haven't looked at Nitros before but I'm willing to bet you can custom order them with a lot of different options on them (trolling motors,finders,power poles) and that could explain why you don't see any there. The aluminum boats you see are one size fits all deal.

On 7/20/2017 at 3:06 AM, stk44 said:

@12poundbass I saw the one in WV but they don't show any nitro inventory. Only aluminum boats.

Ah, that makes sense. I will probably go to BPS and get a feel for exactly what I want, then take those requirements to some local places. Maybe I won't have to travel into 5 different states to get a boat after all...

That's exactly what I'd do is go to BPS check them out,sit in them and get a feel for it before you make a decision.

Montanaro reply :

Financially speaking...

With cash in hand you can get a boat for its value or just under.

Most people finance and thats what the dealers want. At 4% over 4 or 5 years at the boats value will net the dealership an additional few thousand dollars.

So by buying at msrp with cash you WILL save money even though you havent haggled them down. And like others said you can probably get good deals on dealer parts especially after paying it all up front.

fishballer06 reply :

This sounds like a question for ***... And in true *** fashion, everything should be paid for with cash.

Scarborough817 reply :

one thing i didnt see anyone mention is taking it out as a line of credit up here you can do that fairly easily and the interest rate from the bank is around 2-3% instead of the 4-5% from a dealership

Montanaro reply :

You wont talk down dealer as much by financing outside.

If You have the cash then spend it. Even if you talk them down the interest will still total msrp or greater...

nocluefisher reply :

According to the nitro website there are some 2016 z18's within a couple hundred miles of you. I would reach out and see what they will do for you. They are at independent dealers also so they should get you a good price.

WRB reply :

Keep in mind you can fly anywhere in this country and rent a truck and bring the boat home or have it shipped. Bass Cat sells customer direct and often has a few good deals.

Most independant dealers will work with you to sell you a boat and upgrade optional equipment like engine, TM's and electronics. Some states sell at lower tax rates, so do your home and keep all your options open. Your local dealer will service your new boat, motor and trailer warranty regardless where it was purchased.

Tom

stk44 reply :

On 7/20/2017 at 5:55 AM, nocluefisher said:

According to the nitro website there are some 2016 z18's within a couple hundred miles of you. I would reach out and see what they will do for you. They are at independent dealers also so they should get you a good price.

I'll take another look. I didn't see any 16's when I looked. Thanks

On 7/20/2017 at 3:30 AM, Montanaro said:

Financially speaking...

With cash in hand you can get a boat for its value or just under.

Most people finance and thats what the dealers want. At 4% over 4 or 5 years at the boats value will net the dealership an additional few thousand dollars.

So by buying at msrp with cash you WILL save money even though you havent haggled them down. And like others said you can probably get good deals on dealer parts especially after paying it all up front.

That's a really good point. That's the number one rule in finance, so I try to pay off in cash what I can. I feel the same way about extended warranties, unless someone is just looking for piece of mind.

stk44 reply :

On 7/20/2017 at 6:50 AM, WRB said:

Keep in mind you can fly anywhere in this country and rent a truck and bring the boat home or have it shipped. Bass Cat sells customer direct and often has a few good deals.

Most independant dealers will work with you to sell you a boat and upgrade optional equipment like engine, TM's and electronics. Some states sell at lower tax rates, so do your home and keep all your options open. Your local dealer will service your new boat, motor and trailer warranty regardless where it was purchased.

Tom

That's a good idea. It would be nice if there was a dealer close by. I've never been in a bass cat, so that would be helpful before I decide. I'll have to make some day trips this coming year to see what I like. The closer dealer to me is in Maryland which is about 140 miles, so that's not too bad.

Do you have a bass cat by chance? I don't see too many of them on lakes near me, so I don't have an solid input on them.

WRB reply :

On 7/20/2017 at 8:48 AM, stk44 said:

That's a good idea. It would be nice if there was a dealer close by. I've never been in a bass cat, so that would be helpful before I decide. I'll have to make some day trips this coming year to see what I like. The closer dealer to me is in Maryland which is about 140 miles, so that's not too bad.

Do you have a bass cat by chance? I don't see too many of them on lakes near me, so I don't have an solid input on them.

No, have fished out of my friends Pantera many times and an excellent boat and family owned business.

Tom

stk44 reply :

On 7/20/2017 at 3:14 PM, WRB said:

No, have fished out of my friends Pantera many times and an excellent boat and family owned business.

Tom

I will keep them in mind. They don't show pricing on their website, so I am thinking th saber is the most comparable to the Z18? Do you have any input on the sabre?

Jig Man reply :

The largest Nitro dealership is 100 miles away from me. These guys have had some great deals on their boats. I don't use them for service but I don't think you can beat their cash price anywhere else. Of course you have to get the boat to the east coast which won't be cheap but you might still save money, especially if you wanted to do some fishing along the way and scheduled a vacation to come get your boat.

The place is called Pros Choice Marine in Warsaw, MO. The owner's name is Luke.

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