Ever had a pricing bait-n-switch?

[hunterridgefarm]

I have two dealers I use regularly and one I will use for convenience, he is a little higher priced but closer.

I went by my #1 dealer at the time to get pricing on an FEL (bota 723) with bucket and tooth bar. My regular salesman was busy and I had to see the new salesman. Turns out the new guy had worked for New Holland and I remembered talking to him at NH and he was one of the main reasons I bought a Kubota. But I received a price from him anyway of $4000.00 for FEL,QA,and HD Bucket and $300.00 for toothbar. I wrote it down on the back of his business card. A couple of weeks went by and I stopped by on a Friday to let him know I would have my tractor there on Saturday for him to install. He told me there was no way he gave me that price he said it would be $4300 for the FEL and $325 for the tooth bar. I pull out my cell phone in front of him and called my #2 dealer and asked for a price; $4000.00 for FEL, QA, HD bucket and $350 for tooth bar. I asked the salesman if he wanted to match it or get within $50.00. He said "no way can he sell it to you for that". I told the #2 guy on the phone I would have my tractor there tomorrow morning.

To make a long story short my # 1 dealer was bought out by a guy who ran a dealership in Kentucky, within two weeks this salesman no longer had a job.
Seems he had done this to several good customers.

I still use these two dealers and sometimes there is $100-$200.00 difference in implements but it is usually due to the amount they buy. One dealer my buy 10 sets of forks and the other gut buys a trailor load.

I would let the owner know and ask for an explanation!

 

[BillyP]

Randy - Yeah, I knew who it was by name, and it was the same guy I talked with in person that gave me the quote.

At one point I thought it may have been a year-end make my sales quota kind of a deal because the quote over the phone was given just after Xmas, and now I go in and it is a higher price - but when I called the other dealer their price is still the same now as before, so go figure.........

You got this quote just after Christmas and 3 weeks later the price has went up? I don't know how long a quote is good for. Maybe some other dealers will tell us.

 

[kloswerkes]

The price change could also have been the result of a new price list that came out. I'm in the market for some extra rear remotes for my NH TC45D.
The last price list out shows them for ~$220 ea.
The current one shows them for ~$500 ea.

The salesmen around here mostly work out of the 3 ring binder.
If their binder isn't up to date, I get quoted the old price. When I go to order, they actually "check", and find out it has increased.

Not saying it was what happened in your case.
This was my experience, FWIW.

 

[Champy]

FYI - A short update on this pricing deal.........I went to another branch of the same dealership (but 25 miles away) and bought the rear blade for $498!

I believe the first salesman was trying to see if I was willing to pay List Price and/or was attempting to upsell me to a larger blade "since the prices are so close"....etc..

 

[Kendall69]

I had a service bait and switch. I was quoted on phone and in person $500.00, for some service, so I had them pick the tractor up. After tearing it down, they called and oh by the way now it will be $1000.00. I said NOPE!, I have a signed quote for all services ( quite clearly ) at $500.00 I said stop the work I'll be by to pick it up. went to pick it up they said it's $750.00 for tearing it down. I said see you in court.
I sued, they paid me $3,500.00, plus they put it back and delivered it for free.

My loss was the use of my tractor because they would not return it and I subcontracted a local company to till my fields.

 

[RedRiver]

You got this quote just after Christmas and 3 weeks later the price has went up? I don't know how long a quote is good for. Maybe some other dealers will tell us.

That's kind of what I was thinking about.

A lot of times dealers will have certain items in stock for a lower price that they are trying to move in order to get new inventory in and a lot of times that new inventory has had a price increase. Coincidentally price increases usually come at the beginning of the year.

I'm curious as to what explanation the dealer had about why the price went up?