# Negotiating Price on New Skiff



## brokeoff (Sep 2, 2016)

Is the pricing on a new build negotiable?


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## Fishshoot (Oct 26, 2017)

All they can do is say no. If you are dealing directly with builder you might be able to save some money buying certain things yourself (gps, trolling motor) and having them installed by builder.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

Is the skiff in demand (ie you are on a waiting list for the build)? If so then generally no.


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## Guest (May 13, 2018)

I know we all want/ need to save money. But what if we pay the builder what they deserve for the work they are performing. We all expect to get paid for our work right? Send it down the line then. If you are thinking of buying a boat then don’t you want that builder to be around if/when there is warranty work to be done? I certainly do. Too many builders come and go because of money problems.


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## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

Boatbrains said:


> I know we all want/ need to save money. But what if we pay the builder what they deserve for the work they are performing. We all expect to get paid for our work right? Send it down the line then. If you are thinking of buying a boat then don’t you want that builder to be around if/when there is warranty work to be done? I certainly do. Too many builders come and go because of money problems.


Not all builders “deserve” what they are asking for their boats.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

MatthewAbbott said:


> Not all builders “deserve” what they are asking for their boats.


Perhaps but all builders "deserve" what consumers will pay. And like most things in life you tend to get what you pay for. At the end of the day the power still lies with the consumer especially when it comes to discretionary things like a boat. Don't like the price. Don't buy it.

But I think the bottom line is covered above. If you are looking at a skiff that is in demand and has a waiting line then you are not likely to have much negotiating ability.


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## tjtfishon (Feb 9, 2016)

I don't understand the point to the thread. No one is going to have relevant experience with more than one builder, and even then it it isn't recent it might not be accurate. Are asking about one specific brand? If you you have a better chance of getting some realistic feedback.

My personal opinion, not based on any fact or research other than a sales and marketing background...The builders that can produce boats for inventory will have dealers and the dealers may or may not negotiate, but also add on all kinds of other "fees" which are really just additional profit/markup. Builders making to order, especially with a waitlist are likely already underpricing their product compared to what the market will allow. But there is a fine line between pricing that attracts a waitlist and having rent, staff, etc waiting around for an order on an overpriced product.


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## brokeoff (Sep 2, 2016)

tjtfishon said:


> I don't understand the point to the thread. No one is going to have relevant experience with more than one builder, and even then it it isn't recent it might not be accurate. Are asking about one specific brand? If you you have a better chance of getting some realistic feedback.


The point would be to figure out if most people pay the exact amount on the price list or if it’s negotiable. I’m not sure why relevant experience with more than one builder is important? If someone has relevant experience with one builder that would suffice.

I’m not looking at any specific brands right now. Curious about builds, inventory, and used skiffs.


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## Fishshoot (Oct 26, 2017)

Look at the 17’ hpx v lawlelman has for sale on here. Iris now at a $17,000 discount from sticker price. Maverick is different than most skiff builders as they have a dealer network. Used stuff is always negotiable in my experience. If you are going new built exactly to your specs it can be more difficult. If you have the money, paying the full price up front rather than just a deposit may get you a discount, just make sure it is a reputable established builder.


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## tjtfishon (Feb 9, 2016)

brokeoff said:


> Is the pricing on a new build negotiable?


Not typically


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## zmgsvt (Jun 5, 2009)

Fishshoot said:


> If you have the money, paying the full price up front rather than just a deposit may get you a discount, just make sure it is a reputable established builder.


Don't count on it


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

I know when I ordered my HB the price was only negotiable to the extent that options were added or subtracted. I doubt that any of the top tier builders are going to have negotiable prices for new boats. These skiffs are very different products than mass produced cars and trucks with many dealers everywhere.


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## Gatorgrizz27 (Apr 4, 2015)

Agreed with what’s been said here. If you ordering a new skiff spec’d the way you want, expect to pay sticker price. You also don’t want to come across as a cheap ass from the beginning, as they aren’t likely to do you any favors.

Personally, I’d ask for a quote on the boat you’d like, the way you’d like it rigged. If it’s over what you anticipate or are able to spend, there’s no harm in asking them “I was hoping to stay closer to $x, what can we do to get it down around that number?”

It might be just leaving the seadek or trolling motor off for now, but they might have a hull that they built for a guy in another color and he backed out of the build, or a motor that someone ran for a bit and then upgraded they would be happy to make you a deal on.

Asking them to do the same amount and quality of work for less $ is wrong IMO though. Take that for what you paid for it.


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## tbnolefan (Feb 2, 2017)

Everything is negotiable. Always.


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

tbnolefan said:


> Everything is negotiable. Always.


Under extremely extenuating circumstances (like a replay of the great depression etc) then yes better probability of negotiating price. Other than that, not so much. 

Tell ya what: Why dont you call up Hells Bay Boatworks and ask them to offer a 15% discount on a nicely optioned Professional. And then tell them you are only willing to give them a $1000 deposit to initiate the build. Tell them if they dont come off their offer you aren't buying. Then humor us all by reporting back here honestly what they tell you.


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## tjtfishon (Feb 9, 2016)

tbnolefan said:


> Everything is negotiable. Always.


Exactly. That’s why I always pick the no haggle checkout lane at the store. Waiting for all those price negotiations at Publix and Lowe’s and costco gets tedious. 
And I love the look on their face when I start to haggle over the menu prices at Olive Garden...even more fun at McDonalds.


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## Gatorgrizz27 (Apr 4, 2015)

tbnolefan said:


> Everything is negotiable. Always.





commtrd said:


> Under extremely extenuating circumstances (like a replay of the great depression etc) then yes better probability of negotiating price. Other than that, not so much.
> 
> Tell ya what: Why dont you call up Hells Bay Boatworks and ask them to offer a 15% discount on a nicely optioned Professional. And then tell them you are only willing to give them a $1000 deposit to initiate the build. Tell them if they dont come off their offer you aren't buying. Then humor us all by reporting back here honestly what they tell you.


Pretty much. Yes the 1st post is a “rule of business”, but it also implies you have leverage or something to offer. Not going to apply to a boat they could easily just not build or sell to someone else.

I own a finish carpentry company and we don’t negotiate on prices. We give fair bids and if the client would like to spend less, we are happy to give them ways to achieve that goal. They can paint it themselves, leave certain features out, etc. We very occasionally give discounts if they choose to have us do multiple projects at once, which saves us time rolling out tools on a job.

Want to order 6 skiffs from East Cape to outfit your lodge, they might cut you a deal.

We do stay away from the “what the market will bear” game. There is a huge demand for construction work right now and there are those who are ripping clients off, that will be remembered when the next down swing hits. 

I won’t do top quality work for less $, and I won’t do poor quality work at all, so I will refuse any “price haggling” attempts, and these customers get blacklisted in the sense that I need to be on guard with them. These are the people that will continually expect something for nothing, nitpick everything, even well past warranty, badmouth your business, and generally be a pain to deal with.

No offense intended, and there is a big difference between the guy that says “it’s my dream to own a HB professional, but I’ve only got $30k to work with, how can we get there?” versus the guy that says “I want you to build me a brand new HB professional for $10k less than you’d charge anyone else, just because.”

None of this applies to a boat that is already built and sitting on a lot somewhere, negotiate away as you would any car.


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## Net 30 (Mar 24, 2012)

The were 2 times I was able to "negotiate" a discount on a new custom boat because the builders wanted to get a boat into an untapped market and I agreed to allow potential customers to see the boat. Both builders knew I spent a ton of time on the water and they considered it good advertising for the boats to be seen.

I know that it resulted in more than a few sales and it worked out great for both parties. 

If you have nothing to offer that benefits the builder, prepare to pay full freight.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Here's a simple way to look at it. Why should a builder who has an order backlog for months give you a deal? Unless, like the guy above, you can offer them some business advantage they just have no reason to give you a deal.

Oh and one more thing. Lets say builder X did give you a discount. Well we all know that you just can't stop from bragging about the deal you got with builder X (this is a generic statement not meant for the OP). Then how does everybody else that already paid the full price feel? And now that becomes the new price because everybody now has leverage. "I know you sold that boat to X for this price and I am not paying more than he did."


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## kylet (Jun 29, 2017)

Pretty sure you can get a good deal on chittums. Their sales manager is a softy. Tell him you heard about them on microskiff


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## brokeoff (Sep 2, 2016)

ifsteve said:


> Here's a simple way to look at it. Why should a builder who has an order backlog for months give you a deal? Unless, like the guy above, you can offer them some business advantage they just have no reason to give you a deal.
> 
> Oh and one more thing. Lets say builder X did give you a discount. Well we all know that you just can't stop from bragging about the deal you got with builder X (this is a generic statement not meant for the OP). Then how does everybody else that already paid the full price feel? And now that becomes the new price because everybody now has leverage. "I know you sold that boat to X for this price and I am not paying more than he did."


The reason a builder would give a discount from the quoted price list would be if it's standard practice. It seems like it is not standard practice.


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## tjtfishon (Feb 9, 2016)

brokeoff said:


> The reason a builder would give a discount from the quoted price list would be if it's standard practice. It seems like it is not standard practice.


Your logic is kind of clouded IMO... probably why I didn't understand the point to the question in the first place. If it were standard to give a discount, then that would just be the price...I know it is pretty common in retail to mark something up higher than it should and offer for a discount, but these aren't retail items and skiff builders are not generally into such marketing games


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## brokeoff (Sep 2, 2016)

tjtfishon said:


> Your logic is kind of clouded IMO... probably why I didn't understand the point to the question in the first place. If it were standard to give a discount, then that would just be the price...I know it is pretty common in retail to mark something up higher than it should and offer for a discount, but these aren't retail items and skiff builders are not generally into such marketing games


I'm trying to think of a transaction where a customer is quoted a price list, the business providing the service has a wait list, and the price is negotiable. Off the top of my head I can think of home renovation contracts with a general contractor or business consulting and audit services (per hour rates are insane but no one ever pays the quoted rate). In audit services that is standard practice and everyone knows it.

Again, I don't care what the answer is but I think it's a fair question. I will always ask someone if it's the best they can do and they usually knock off a few bucks. Actually, I never ask the plumbers for a discount.


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## Cam (Apr 5, 2017)

On production boats, discounts are common. On my KW we knocked off over 20% when we bought it new. On a custom build that is in demand, typically their price is fairly firm. What you can usually work an angle on are the add-ons.


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

Cam said:


> On production boats, discounts are common. On my KW we knocked off over 20% when we bought it new. On a custom build that is in demand, typically their price is fairly firm. What you can usually work an angle on are the add-ons.


Correct. If you want to save a little buy the basic skiff and add on items later if you want them. However, if gadgets are a thing you may save $$ using the builder price list and rigging skill.


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## Fritz (Jan 17, 2017)

I'll bet you can get a better price if you buy in quantity. Show up at HB and tell them you want five or ten, but need a better price, you would have their attention.


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

^^^Well in theory yes. Only a dealer would be buying quantity and they don't sell thru dealers. Moot point. Custom high end boat builder so their business model is not oriented around that.


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## Matts (Sep 2, 2015)

If you want to negotiate, buy used.


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## Dallas Furman (May 13, 2018)

I will be in the market for a skiff provided that I am able to find a place closer to the water that both my wife and I will be happy with. That being said, if I am getting a skiff built I certainly would not expect a manufacturer to come off of his or her price. The manufacturer has a percentage of profit that they must maintain to stay in business let alone make a living. There is nothing wrong with asking how to get what you want down to your price point. A manufacturer certainly would like to see more of his or her product in the public eye and they may have a little wiggle room but I would doubt it.


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## brokeoff (Sep 2, 2016)

Matts said:


> If you want to negotiate, buy used.


Frankly, no interest in negotiating. Just wanted to know if it was customary. I would go so far as to say I prefer that it isn't negotiable.


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## Matts (Sep 2, 2015)

brokeoff said:


> Frankly, no interest in negotiating. Just wanted to know if it was customary. I would go so far as to say I prefer that it isn't negotiable.


Well it's safe to say, you've found that market


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## predacious (Sep 1, 2016)

brokeoff said:


> I'm trying to think of a transaction where a customer is quoted a price list, the business providing the service has a wait list, and the price is negotiable. Off the top of my head I can think of home renovation contracts with a general contractor or business consulting and audit services (per house rates are insane but no one ever pays the quoted rate). In audit services that is standard practice and everyone knows it.
> 
> Again, I don't care what the answer is but I think it's a fair question. I will always ask someone if it's the best they can do and they usually knock off a few bucks. Actually, I never ask the plumbers for a discount.



what if you worked for me :

I had an ad for a job,it stated "10/hr" at the end of that 40hr week,i offered you $300 ? what would you do ? that's what you're doing

tell me,what makes you special ? seriously,what makes you deserve someone sell you something for less than the advertised price,or quote ?

when I ahd my shop,before retiring,i would get people that wanted to negotiate the quote they were given - I would laugh,and give a simple reply "if I wanted that price,i would've given you that price",after that,the choice was simple - when were they taking their boat OUT of my shop...

you people attempting to negotiate everything really chap my ass - I've no time for cheap people,most people in the biz think like me too,few will tell you to your face,most will talk about you after you leave - who would you respect more ? the guy who throws you out of his shop...


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## dranrab (Oct 9, 2016)

predacious said:


> what if you worked for me :
> 
> I had an ad for a job,it stated "10/hr" at the end of that 40hr week,i offered you $300 ? what would you do ? that's what you're doing
> 
> ...


It is standard practice to negotiate boats and cars. Sellers will often ask more than they want to get so that when the price is negotiated down they end up with what they wanted. I will and have payed the asking price on things when the asking price was good. I have certainly never paid MSRP on a car. Hell, most boat dealers won't even advertise a price on new boats. If they expected a set price, why wouldn't they?


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## Gatorgrizz27 (Apr 4, 2015)

dranrab said:


> It is standard practice to negotiate boats and cars. Sellers will often ask more than they want to get so that when the price is negotiated down they end up with what they wanted. I will and have payed the asking price on things when the asking price was good. I have certainly never paid MSRP on a car. Hell, most boat dealers won't even advertise a price on new boats. If they expected a set price, why wouldn't they?


We’re talking custom built here. Big difference from dealers with 200+ units on their lot they want to move.

No one is going to haggle on price when building you a race car from scratch or even a body off restoration.


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## predacious (Sep 1, 2016)

dranrab said:


> It is standard practice to negotiate boats and cars. Sellers will often ask more than they want to get so that when the price is negotiated down they end up with what they wanted. I will and have payed the asking price on things when the asking price was good. I have certainly never paid MSRP on a car. Hell, most boat dealers won't even advertise a price on new boats. If they expected a set price, why wouldn't they?




gentleman above me,he has it correct - we're talking about custom ! big difference between dealing with a custom builder and walking into the gheenoe dealer


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## brokeoff (Sep 2, 2016)

predacious said:


> what if you worked for me :
> 
> I had an ad for a job,it stated "10/hr" at the end of that 40hr week,i offered you $300 ? what would you do ? that's what you're doing
> 
> ...


I am talking about negotiating the terms of a contract. You are talking about breaching a contract. Totally different.

Show me where I said this: _ deserve someone sell [me] something for less than the advertised price,or quote ?

Good luck..._


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## predacious (Sep 1, 2016)

brokeoff said:


> I am talking about negotiating the terms of a contract. You are talking about breaching a contract. Totally different.
> 
> Show me where I said this: _ deserve someone sell [me] something for less than the advertised price,or quote ?
> 
> Good luck..._


do you attempt to negotiate your grocery bill at publix ? negotiate your electric bill ? your mortgage payment ?

get the point now ?


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## brokeoff (Sep 2, 2016)

predacious said:


> do you attempt to negotiate your grocery bill at publix ? negotiate your electric bill ? your mortgage payment ?
> 
> get the point now ?


Generally, the clerk at Publix does not have the authority to change prices. The utility company is a monopoly regulated by the state so they are the ones negotiating those contracts.

My mortgage payment, of course I negotiated that. The principal, interest, taxes, insurance and additional fees. And when I’m tired of negotiating...I send in my wife...

In all seriousness, I negotiated hard on the loan because it’s standard practice. Sounds like the expectation of negotiation depends on the product or service in question (just like someone said days ago).


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## predacious (Sep 1, 2016)

brokeoff said:


> Generally, the clerk at Publix does not have the authority to change prices. The utility company is a monopoly regulated by the state so they are the ones negotiating those contracts.
> 
> My mortgage payment, of course I negotiated that. The principal, interest, taxes, insurance and additional fees. And when I’m tired of negotiating...I send in my wife...
> 
> In all seriousness, I negotiated hard on the loan because it’s standard practice. Sounds like the expectation of negotiation depends on the product or service in question (just like someone said days ago).



some of us,we don't need loans...

relying on a loan to purchase a toy,like a boat,that means you can't afford that toy...

perhaps that's the reason you need to negotiate ? perhaps you should attempt to save your money and buy what you can afford ?


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## tjtfishon (Feb 9, 2016)

predacious said:


> some of us,we don't need loans...
> 
> relying on a loan to purchase a toy,like a boat,that means you can't afford that toy...
> 
> perhaps that's the reason you need to negotiate ? perhaps you should attempt to save your money and buy what you can afford ?


Give it a rest. The guy asked for and got the information he was looking for....and a whole lot of opinions. I don't see where he was even talking about a loan for a boat, but even if he were, that's his business. People don't come here for financial planning...if they did they would likely get as much bad advice as good from a bunch of people that spend so much time and money on boating and fishing.


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## Guest (May 23, 2018)

predacious said:


> some of us,we don't need loans...
> 
> relying on a loan to purchase a toy,like a boat,that means you can't afford that toy...
> 
> perhaps that's the reason you need to negotiate ? perhaps you should attempt to save your money and buy what you can afford ?


I don’t like credit either! However, when it’s 0% for 3-6 yrs like some is... kinda hard to pass on the free money!


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## dranrab (Oct 9, 2016)

predacious said:


> some of us,we don't need loans...
> 
> relying on a loan to purchase a toy,like a boat,that means you can't afford that toy...


You are smart enough to realize why you are fortunate that not everyone thinks like you.


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## TysonC (Apr 20, 2018)

brokeoff said:


> Is the pricing on a new build negotiable?


I don’t know about negotiating a price, but I recently spoke with several builders that were willing to give a small discount for first responders. I also spoke with a few that did not have a practice of discounting. Either way I would not have known if I didn’t ask.


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## Cut Runner (Jan 25, 2017)

The better way to get a good deal on a new skiff or any boat for that matter is to find a small upcoming builder that, under inspection builds a quality product and be an early buyer.


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