Competition is a good thing in the retail market place. Internet dealers are merely new competitors. Internet sales have changed the landscape for many retailers. RV dealers are no different. Local dealers not only have to compete with the guy across town but also with an outfit 3 states away.
Only the strong will survive. Good dealers will adapt poor dealers will fail. Any dealer can establish an Internet presence. RVW and RV direct are not the bad guys. They are blowing the lid off of traditional pricing and giving deep discounts to consumers. I saved 5K and never needed any warranty work. Had my local dealer had a sharper price he may have gotten my business. Had the Internet dealer not been around I may have went local . The reality is the internet is here to stay and the competition has gotten tighter.
The other reality is consumers must become more educated particularly when internet shopping. They must be aware of the dirty warranty secret. They must also weigh the risk of purchasing from a dealer 500 miles away. The good thing is these choices are available. The consumer must decide what works for them. What is more important savings or warranty. The dealer must also decide what is more important. Turn away potential customers forever or try to work with them. The dealer must decide how they can remain competitive in a changing marketplace.
Luckily we have this forum to discuss this issue and educate ourselves. There is no perfect answer or solution. Never will be. JJ feels he's lucky to have a great relationship with 3 local dealers. I have a mediocre relationship with one. I'm still happy because I saved a bundle. Competition and choices are good for the consumer. Internet savings are for real. Warranty service refusal is for real. Know these issues before you purchase and you will make the right choice. Failing to research all factors will result in dissatisfaction. The tricky part is figuring out what works best for you.
You have 8 local dealers for a specific brand you were pricing? Were you trying to get a better price?
I rv 2 when i went shopping for a rv I went looking for a floor plan that worked for my family not a brand,,,,,and yes I found a better unit with more option that was way less than rvd price too
My experience is that local dealers, face to face, won't let you leave their shop ... let alone give you a price so that you can go shop at 8 other dealers.
they ether said no we cant do it or this is as close as we can come and no one held me down and didnt let me leave
That's why I liked dealing with RV Direct ... clean, quick, low price ... and yes, I saved close to $3,000 on a Jayco over my local dealer's best price. Since I picked it up at RV DIRECT's Des Moines (Iowa) RV dealership (one of Jayco's oldest dealers), right off Interstate 80 ... if I ever have to take it back (and I don't anticipate that) ... I run up and down I-80 about 10 times a year so it will be no problem.
I saved $1,000 over rvd prices for mine,,and my dealer is only 15 miles from me,,,as fare as Des moines Rv they just started in Des moines 2 years ago??????,,(not the oldest jayco dealer)
ps,, you are a rolling rv add for rvd as much as you promote them,,,,, why is that????? not saying you work for them but??? do you???
Lantley wrote: Competition is a good thing in the retail market place. Internet dealers are merely new competitors. Internet sales have changed the landscape for many retailers. RV dealers are no different. Local dealers not only have to compete with the guy across town but also with an outfit 3 states away.
Only the strong will survive. Good dealers will adapt poor dealers will fail. Any dealer can establish an Internet presence. RVW and RV direct are not the bad guys. They are blowing the lid off of traditional pricing and giving deep discounts to consumers. I saved 5K and never needed any warranty work. Had my local dealer had a sharper price he may have gotten my business. Had the Internet dealer not been around I may have went local . The reality is the internet is here to stay and the competition has gotten tighter.
The other reality is consumers must become more educated particularly when internet shopping. They must be aware of the dirty warranty secret. They must also weigh the risk of purchasing from a dealer 500 miles away. The good thing is these choices are available. The consumer must decide what works for them. What is more important savings or warranty. The dealer must also decide what is more important. Turn away potential customers forever or try to work with them. The dealer must decide how they can remain competitive in a changing marketplace.
Luckily we have this forum to discuss this issue and educate ourselves. There is no perfect answer or solution. Never will be. JJ feels he's lucky to have a great relationship with 3 local dealers. I have a mediocre relationship with one. I'm still happy because I saved a bundle. Competition and choices are good for the consumer. Internet savings are for real. Warranty service refusal is for real. Know these issues before you purchase and you will make the right choice. Failing to research all factors will result in dissatisfaction. The tricky part is figuring out what works best for you.
RV Direct bought Des Moines RV a couple of years ago ... but Des Moines RV has been in business ... and a Jayco Dealer...almost as long as Jayco has been building RV's.
I get so tired of folks saying RV Direct is just an internet blip ... when in fact, they own three full-service RV dealerships.
So, yes, you are right ... RV Direct is the new owner of one of Jayco's oldest dealers, Des Moines RV, which long ago was "Gary's Trailer Sales." It's been in business since the 1960s
You say potato and I say....no, I'm not an employee of RV Direct ... only a very happy customer and a firm believer of shopping online for the best price.
I'm happy one of your local dealers bettered the price without you even pointing it out.
My local dealer wouldn't come close. But I agree, competition (and internet pricing) is going to force dealers to hold lower profit margins ... just like the car business had to change not too long ago.
In the future, the real profit margins for RV Dealers are going to be parts and service sales ...
But, of course, some are saying their local RV dealers are taking a "sticking their head in the sand" approach by turning away potential long term customers.
I mean, I usually keep my rigs for 6 to 8 years ... probably going to need a hot water heater, possibly a fridge ... so where's the sense in turning me away (and off) early on?
Also, those of you who believe in buying locally ... how many of you shop for parts and accessories online or at Camping World?
Seems to me a "buy locally" person would also buy all their parts and accessories from the local dealer too.
So, yes, you are right ... RV Direct is the new owner of one of Jayco's oldest dealers, Des Moines RV, which long ago was "Gary's Trailer Sales." It's been in business since the 1960's
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rvd bought Gary's out,, rvd calls the lot Des moines Rv and not RV direct,why ?
I here alot of folks say why would dealers turn away warranty service it will cost them potential long term customers,,, easy,,, if you didn't buy from them in the first place way would they think you will buy from them next time,,, I know in my business ( auto body repair ) if you had your car repaired after a accident and the body shop that repaired it used PPG paint... you bring it back to me because I use PPG also and it has paint issues and you show me the life time warranty for it...but you saved $500 by taking it to someone else,,,,,, you will have about 8 guys laughing at you... I'll be the one saying take it back where you got it done....because you got what you paid for
Remember you are the only one reasonable for your decisions (dont blame others)
* This post was
edited 05/15/08 10:04am by trailer folks *
Lantley wrote: Competition is a good thing in the retail market place. Internet dealers are merely new competitors. Internet sales have changed the landscape for many retailers. RV dealers are no different. Local dealers not only have to compete with the guy across town but also with an outfit 3 states away.
Only the strong will survive. Good dealers will adapt poor dealers will fail.
Lantley
good post, and I am very much in favor of completion in the market place...
the problem I have is Internet sales and store front sales are two very different businesses... comp. between two like businesses is good, but competing between two unlike businesses might not be good overall...
if the playing field is slanted only one way it is not the good that survive but the shady ones might... a good dealer that is forced to alter the core business to survive can only cause him to shift further away from good service in favor of sales only...
it is the customer that gets hurt in the long run, by eventually losing service to sales competition, even if in the short term there are some gains in the form of better prices...
the problem lies with the mfg's lack of concern for a dealer system they set up but fail to follow their own rules...
the RV wholesalers operate basically by just skimming the cream and leaving the rest to the buyer and local dealers...
doing high volume Internet sales on high dollar items is a major undertaking, while anyone can do it, not many have the means to do it successfully... most things seem easy until you are personally faced with them...
Jack
I RV2
I do buy many things from local dealers, I also by from CW, and occasionally from Internet sales...
I much prefer in store sales, I like to feel the weight and see what I buy, I also like to be able to exchange or return a item without waiting for UPS all the time... I think there is value added by being able to do this...
* This post was
edited 05/15/08 10:59am by JJBIRISH *
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