Do dealers really not care about selling?

[zudnik]

Here's my deal. I live in two different states about 400 miles apart. I'm buying one machine to be used and trailer it when required. A dealer in one state quoted me over 3K+tax, higher on a GC1710. I'd prefer to buy near NJ, since that's my primary residence, but the 3K savings is too good to pass up. I figured if I sent the hard copy quote to my NJ dealer, that he'd at least try to get a little closer. Doesn't care though. Is that normally the case?

Any tips on this? I'm horrible at shopping for cars and stuff. I have green cash and want to spend it, but also want a deal.

 

[Sysop]

Lots of reasons the price differs from dealer to dealer. Perhaps the NJ dealer has spent the past ten weeks unloading them at the higher price and sees no signs of slowdown. Perhaps he has extra tied up in it he can't afford to let it go cheaper. Perhaps he is just greedy. Take the deals where ya can, when ya can. I'd not spend a lot of time on trying to talk him down if he doesn't seem willing to budge, you may find a day you need to roll onto his lot with your tractor for parts or service. If he remembers you as a pain in the butt, your future services may reflect that.

 

[jeff9366]

If you are going to transport your tractor between locations, buy from the other dealer.

Have you figured your transportation costs, with additional insurance, for 800 mile round-trip pulls? It has to be $500 additional over the cost of driving truck solo. Pulling a tractor on a trailer 400 miles on east coast highways would be a FULL DAY for me.

 

[sixdogs]

Having been there and done that, the right answer is to quietly buy from the cheaper guy and say nothing to the other guy. If it ever comes up and you can't avoid it, just tell him that he didn't seem to want to sell one to you. It's not your job, nor will it ever work to try to get the guy to get religion. Just move on and, as they probably say in New Jersey, forget about it.

Buy it, give the wife a couple hundred cash so she can associate tractor buying with good vibes and pocket the remaining $2,800 in recognition of your good sense to shop around.

 

[Fawken]

Let's think about this one. Tractor dealers are not like car dealers. What's the average time of car ownership? 5 years? Six? Less? IDK, just asking. Now a tractor, how often will the average buyer be trading in and getting new? It's been 32 years running in my case and that is probably the extreme, but I'm guessing at least 10-15 years. Point being tractor dealers probably make more money on parts, implements and service than on new tractor sales and especially on repeat customer new tractor sales.

Two strategies that I have used when buying pick-ups:
(1) Don't tell a dealer you're pricing the same make at another dealer. Tell them you're looking at a similar machine of a completely different brand that he doesn't carry or service. You'll get a better price.
(2) Don't tell them you're buying a tractor to work your homestead or farm. Tell them you have a landscaping business and 4 of your crews are using older machines and you would like to replace all four within the next 12 months to take advantage IRS depreciation allowances. Never (even if true) let on that it is your first tractor purchase.

 

[PILOON]

Often it can depend on how the dealer is paying for his inventory.
Probably most inventory is financed and the who and how can make a big difference, also how long the particular tractor has been on the lot.
Then also some dealers are simply more greedy and insist on 'list price' claiming a slim margin.

 

[k0ua]

Buy it, give the wife a couple hundred cash so she can associate tractor buying with good vibes and pocket the remaining $2,800 in recognition of your good sense to shop around.

That is the best piece of advice I have heard all day:thumbsup: