2 thumbs down for MM

[searay495]

:smt009 After months of looking for the right boat, I decided to trade up from my 2003 30 DA to a 2000 340. I had been going through the MM in CT and they had quoted me several times on boats in their inventory in the norheast. I finally found a boat that both pleased my eye and my wallet, but it was in Florida. I let the MM salesperson know I wanted to put down a deposit on that boat. He got back to me and told me that the price difference was not in their interest, (they had offered me $67,000 for mine a couple of weeks ago against a 340 in CT which he wanted $100,000 for). The boat in FL was $90,000. He then informed me that Sept. 1 trade in values went down 10% thus making my trade in value $57,000. This seems like a load of BS. He also told me, and I mentioned this in an earlier thread, that they don't want to take trades against used boats??!!! Isn't this how boating sales works?? Sounds like to me that MM is in some sort of financial troubles......This is unfortunate because they lost a deal, and may have lost a devoted Searay owner..

 

[Bridog]

My advice....sell your 300DA first, then start looking. Or better yet...keep your 300DA:thumbsup:

 

[osd9]

......., (they had offered me $67,000 for mine a couple of weeks ago against a 340 in CT which he wanted $100,000 for). The boat in FL was $90,000. He then informed me that Sept. 1 trade in values went down 10% thus making my trade in value $57,000. This seems like a load of BS. ........

You could also get him a new calculator.....10% of $67,000 is $6,700....new value....$60,300....not $57,000.

 

[fwebster]

If you must trade, you will probably need to find a motivated dealer to work with. Your MM store obviously isn't.........and that may be your problem with this deal. You buy a FL 340DA and the FL MM store is the seller and his inventory is reduced. If you trade for it, your local MM store must write you a check for the trade and they keep your trade in CT, while the sale is still from the FL store. This creates negative cashflow for the CT store and positive cashflow for the FL store and even though its the same company the stores are in different accounting units. That in and of itself is likely what you are dealing with since MM is probably sound, but they do have a cashflow problem particularly in the off season. You local strore obviously isn't excited about the prospect of buying your boat and making no profit out of the deal since they won't profit until the trade sells.

A while ago, Sea Ray dealers used to take any reasonably sound Sea Ray on trade for anything in their inventory, new or used. What you are seeing is a product of the times. Dealers are getting very cautious about trades and trade values simply because they don't want to get stuck holding the bag in a down market....andd you can't blame them, can you?

We used to see the salesman crank the engines on a trade at the dock and if it runs (breathes), they gave you NADA wholesale or a little more. Now we see the service manager and a technician fully evaluate a boat including sea trial it. In some cases on a non-Sea Ray, I've even seen them hire a surveyor to do a C&V survey on a trade-in. And don't forget the lenders.....dealers floor plan their new and used inventory and lenders don't want boats in a dealer's inventory that pose a risk to their security.

I'm also seeing the dealers refuse to take older boats, poor selling models, and boats too similar to what they already have in inventory on trade......our dealer was offered a beautiful freshwater '67 AC on trade for a new DA and he wouldn't take the deal.....older boats and AC's do not sell in our area and the dealer couldn't find a quick market for it at another dealer. And, even though he has a good market for 340DA's, he has refused to take several newer 34's because he has 5 33-34' DA's in his inventory.

So, back to my first sentence.......if you must trade, you need to find a motivated dealer.

 

[tc410]

......our dealer was offered a beautiful freshwater '67 AC on trade for a new DA and he wouldn't take the deal.....

'67 AC as in 1967? I can't blame him for not taking that deal.

 

[CSR_Admin]

Was the boat in Florida a brokerage boat, private sale, or MM trade-in?

 

[Presentation]

MarineMax is having troubles.

MarineMax moves to 3rd-quarter loss as same-store sales slide 27 percent
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080731/earns_marinemax.html?.v=1

Short selling of HZO (Marine Max)
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/08/04/10-stocks-under-attack.aspx

Even at its very low stock price, Marine Max is selling its own stock to raise money
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idINN1330652420080813?rpc=44

Marine Max stock was about $30 two years ago, over $17 in the past year. Now its at about $8. http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=...=on;ohlcvalues=0;logscale=on;source=undefined

 

[searay495]

The boat in FL was a trade in. All things considered, I believe they should stay true to their word. shame on them.

 

[chuck1]

The boat in FL was a trade in. All things considered, I believe they should stay true to their word. shame on them.

in their inventory in the norheast.

Frank hit the nail on the head.:thumbsup: Each MM location is a separate accounting units. Each region (Northeast versus Fl) even has separate deals. I deal with MM in GA. I can get a better deal on a NC boat versus a FL boat. NC is in the same region as GA.

Why do you feel that MM is not being true to their word?

 

[Nehalennia]

If you're going to be frustrated You should be mad at MM not SeaRay.
Keep your boat for the winter and try to sell it in the spring, then without a boat you'll be able to pounce on the right boat whereever it is and whoever is selling it.
Like Frank said,

"If you must trade, you will probably need to find a motivated dealer to work with

plus it also narrows your options. You'll have to pick from their available boats. If you sell your outright you can pick any boat anywhere at any time

Good Luck!

 

[garryowen]

The boat in FL was a trade in. All things considered, I believe they should stay true to their word. shame on them.

SAY WHAT?????????
sounds like you turned down the deal in CT.
did it ever occur to you that at 100,000 they had more wiggle room to show you 67,000 for your trade??
they might have had 80,000 in the FL boat and 75,000 in the CT boat. why should they make a bad deal for them to keep you happy??
in your threads you have received advice to sell your boat and then you will have the upper hand in dealing on a used boat.
its not sea rays fault MM wont give you the deal you want.
THERE THE DEALER NOT YOU. they need to make money on deals to keep the doors open. if you dont want them making money on you dont deal with them. did they call you looking to trade or did you call them?:smt089:smt009:grin:

 

[fwebster]

Jeff (tc410)

I keyed in the wrong numbers for some reason (age, dislexia, too early, before coffee, in a hurry, etc. pick one!).........the AC in Florida was an '86, not a '67. But the kicker is that it was a lake boat, always stored in a boat house, about 350 hours, and the interior is a showplace for teak wood work. An absolutely georgeous boat, but being an AC w/ 6 cylinder engines it is one that will never sell in that particular market.

Thanks for catching my error.

 

[NorCal Boater]

It should not be a secret to anyone that MM and other dealers are reeling right now. I was disappointed, but not surprised, to see the MM in Tower Park here on the Sac River Delta has closed their door as of 2 weeks ago and I also understand they layed off half the staff at the Sacramento main store.

If I were the GM at the CT store in question I would have altered the deal as well as the buyer altered the deal. The first offers were for a boat in the CT inventory not one that was less money 1000 miles away.

 

[spimik]

One of my marina neighbors is selling his 10 year old 370 on eBay. When he first mentioned this strategy to me I thought perhaps he had downed one too many whisky sours. Turns out that eBay has tons of boats listed and he had sold a previous boat this way. (I'm not an eBay user and had no idea!?)

Talked to him a few days back and so far over 5,000 hits and 3 offers thus far. All 3 are low, but he is at least getting action. He feels that when buying/moving up, he wants to be boat free. They are looking in the 55' to 60' range for next season.

Just a thought. Good Luck.

 

[mrsrobinson]

One of my marina neighbors is selling his 10 year old 370 on eBay. When he first mentioned this strategy to me I thought perhaps he had downed one too many whisky sours. Turns out that eBay has tons of boats listed and he had sold a previous boat this way. (I'm not an eBay user and had no idea!?)

Talked to him a few days back and so far over 5,000 hits and 3 offers thus far. All 3 are low, but he is at least getting action. He feels that when buying/moving up, he wants to be boat free. They are looking in the 55' to 60' range for next season.

Just a thought. Good Luck.

We listed our last boat on eBay. I did not think it would sell there but I was hoping to use eBay as a way to advertise on the internet. It worked, someone saw the ad on eBay, waited for the ad to end (reserver never met) than contacted me about the boat. They bought it.

 

[spimik]

We listed our last boat on eBay. I did not think it would sell there but I was hoping to use eBay as a way to advertise on the internet. It worked, someone saw the ad on eBay, waited for the ad to end (reserver never met) than contacted me about the boat. They bought it.

We live in fun times! So many options for both buyers and sellers. It make's it interesting. Thanks for the info, I would include eBay as a sales vehicle if we were in the market to move up.

 

[Morpheus]

None of this surprises me about MM, my sales guy retired last week so I've been handed off to some dork. I asked about used Sundancers over 34' and he told me they didn't have any used boats.

 

[fwebster]

You are complaining when you should be rejoicing.

I'd whole lot rather have a salesman who didn't know his butt from 3rd base. You can stay a mile in front of him in the negotiations. Just make it clear that, as long as he goes and hunts up the right answer for you, "I don't know" is an acceptible answer to one of your questions.......whereas fabricated BS that sounds "boat-y" is not.

 

[tc410]

I keyed in the wrong numbers for some reason (age, dislexia, too early, before coffee, in a hurry, etc. pick one......

I knew that, Frank, I was just having a little fun with it. Plus, I think we all (well most anyway) know that Sea Ray didn't make an aft cabin in '67. Take care.

 

[fwebster]

You just like picking on the aged and the disadvantaged don't you...........!