prices

[gride300]

how would posting msrp hurt nautique? it's a very confusing strategy to me. new boat buyer looking online wouldn't know if the new ones cost 50k or 200k. seems very secretive and we all know secrets don't make friends.

[maxpower220]

I agree, other boat makers post their MSRP on their websites. I'm not sure what the reasoning is behind it, but from the casual observer it is a tactic that lends itself to deception. As a first time boat buyer, I'm sure that this tactic has cost CC a few sales.

[210GA]

I can tell you this, unless it's to much info Jeff and please delete if so, that a 2011 210 will run about 75k and a loaded team edition will run you in the mid to high 80's.

[NautiqueJeff]

Correct Craft has specific rules on MSRP and what can be provided on the Internet. Along the same lines, check out any dealer's website. You'll notice that NONE have prices listed for new boats. It is just the way Correct Craft chooses to do business.

[pj]

that must be the christian values at work

[gride300]

i certainly think it's a deceptive tactic to allow them to manipulate prices. in 2005 a 210 team w/ tandem galv. trailer w/ disc brakes was 56k. i'll probably never be able to buy a brand new boat again the way things are going.

[ers906]

What do christian values have to do with pricing of boats? not trying to be a smartass but I dont see the correlation. But then again, I am not christian either

[swc5150]

What do christian values have to do with pricing of boats? not trying to be a smartass but I dont see the correlation. But then again, I am not christian either

I believe he was just refering to open and honest communication between vendor and consumer. The dealer where I purchased my first 196 from wouldn't share the exact MSRP with me. I would've liked to know, simply out of curiosity, but the spread between MSRP and the purchase price is typically so large that MSRP is something I've always laughed at. The unfortunate reality in the marine industry is that an uniformed buyer can spend way too much. I sold MC's though my college years, so I've seen it first hand.

[Oletimeskier]

I think for the most part that all of the Nautique dealers DO NOT want you see the actual factory MSRP sheets as they make up there own MSRP pricing so they can show a bigger discount and pad the price some. Then the buyer thinks he or she is getting a good deal.

I would think Nautique would want to put some sort of pricing out there so that prospects could see about what something is going to cost.

[NautiqueJeff]

I doubt seriously that any reputable Nautique dealer would do that.

[wake4life6]

I guarantee Nautique dealer would do that. They are salesman just cause we have nautiques doesn't make us immune to the bs that goes along with someone trying to make his $ they do what they have to do its just that line of work. I agree the should have more set pricing so people dont find out after that that got screwed because their buddy got one for 5k less. JMO

[Shooter]

This way of doing business really pissed me off when I first started looking. I posted on wakeworld asking for MSRP and real world prices, only to start a huge pissing match between the industry people and buyers. People acted like I was tring to low ball the dealer when I just wanted to know if these boats were in my price range. I really think it turns away many buyers.

I can say the guys at my local dealer (CCC) are stand up guys. Unfortunatly I decided buying new was a bit too pricey and purchased used.

[swc5150]

I guarantee Nautique dealer would do that. They are salesman just cause we have nautiques doesn't make us immune to the bs that goes along with someone trying to make his $ they do what they have to do its just that line of work. I agree the should have more set pricing so people dont find out after that that got screwed because their buddy got one for 5k less. JMO

We never inflated our retails at MC, as they were inflated enough as it was, but I would sell the same model to different people for very different prices. The territory rules helped make this possible as well, as it took dealership competition out of the equation. I don't mean to start a territory conversation, as I'm not giving an opinion on that issue. The marine industry is especially good at keeping margins well hidden from the market, unlike the auto industry, who fights Edmunds and like all day long. Of course, the volume just isn't there, so dealers must try to maximize margins on every sale. I'll bet that if owners started posting their purchase prices on the web, you'd have some unhappy buyers out there.

[tdc_worm]

Price Fixing: Establishing the price of a product or service, rather than allowing it to be determined naturally through free market forces. This procedure is often an illegal practice.

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/pricefixing.asp

you can make the argument that because there are other comparable boats by other manufacturers in the market, that CC does not fix prices. however not making retail pricing available, in conjunction with establishing and restricting dealer geographies, removes a portion of the free market forces. it removes dealer to dealer competition.

do dealers abuse this? how would we know? blind faith?

the model is antiquated, and became so when message boards and online boat classifieds flooded the internet, but it works because of how CC has positioned themselves. they dont care about selling the most boats. they care about a perception (true or untrue) of quality and service...and it is built into the price...you have to pay to play this game.

my local dealer has zero issues filling every dock in front of $3 million house on lake austin w/ 230s that are advertised on the showroom floor for $105,000....and that doesnt include taxes or trailer. realistically they lose more than $25k as soon as it leaves the showroom floor...

the major irony is this: the industry could potentially price itself out of "watersports". these boats are status symbols, with the majority of them used for cruising or going to some party cove...the worst thing that ever happened for my (our) sport is that wakeboarding became cool...i am surprised that people in austin even spring for board racks when all they use them for is a place to hang their beer bongs from....

[horkn]

that must be the christian values at work

LOL.

For those not in the know, until very recently (and maybe they still do?) CC has always mentioned they are a christian company with highly christian beliefs and morals. Look at their old catalogs, even in the 90's and you will see several mentions of this, including the "miracle" of boating story about war commissioned boats that they produced.

I have a feeling after the majority of shares to an outside non family entity (2008?) that they stopped mentioning this history because it wasn't family owned anymore.

It might actually hurt sales in today's climate.

I do think not posting prices makes one wonder about getting ripped off though.