Buying a New ATV or Motorcycle this Season

Filed in archive Learning on May 9, 2007

Depending on what kind of ATV riding you do, and where in the country you are, this may be the season for buying toys. If you plan on buying a motorcycle, ATV, side-by-side etc., from a dealer then here are a couple of things you can look forward to, and a few things you can do to help you get a better deal.

What You Can (Usually) Expect at the Dealer
Most of the guys/gals working at the dealer are not there because they want to be. They're there because they want to make money. They make money by selling YOU stuff. The more stuff they sell you, the better they like it. They're also going to sell it to you for as much as they think they can get away with.

Yeah, they'll put their arm around you, pat you on the back, smile at you. They'll coddle you, pamper you, tell you they're going to make you a deal they won't make anybody else, and reassure you they know you're a real smart cookie who knows a good deal when you see one.

They know how to make you feel good. That's their job. It's what they do. When you feel good, you want to spend money. When you spend money, they make money. If you like to be wooed and talked pretty to, then you should hang out at dealers and pretend you want to buy something and that "money is not the issue". On the other hand, if you want to go into a dealer and look around without being hounded, tell them when you get there that you're just waiting for your wife to get out of the candy shop next door.

What You Can Do to Get a Better Deal
If you want to get a good deal, you have to do your homework and sell yourself. When I go into a dealer, I have already done my homework on whatever I'm buying, including various prices for the same or similar item. I have already called other dealers asking for their "base price", (because asking them for their bottom line over the phone will only get you laughed at).

When I show up, I let them know precisely what I'm going to buy. I also let them know I'm going to be a pain in their ass. That usually gets their attention. Sometimes I suggest to them that the deal I'm going to get, IF I am going to buy here, won't be done without their manager's approval, and that they should get their manager to deal with me directly.

Sometimes you have to work the sales guy a bit to get them to that point. When they say they can't go any lower, it's time to drop the manager bomb on them.

I have also used a few well timed calls to another dealer to see if they'll match this guys price. You have to let the sales guy or manager know who you're calling, but do it inconspicuously by saying something like "Let me call Ted and see if he can beat your price". (They hate when you're on first name terms with sales guys from the competition.)

Lastly, if you don't like the deal, let it cool off. Walk out. Not mad, but walk out. Tell them you don't think you'll be able to get the price you want, and you're going to look around a bit and perhaps come back. What ever you do, stay in control. Don't be pressured into buying too soon. Keep working them down.