I am off to purchase an ATV next week and was wondering if you all had any tips or suggestions to help out with the bargaining process. Also if any of you Ohio riders have any preferences for dealers let me know. What about your personal bargaining tips, what have the dealers done?

Thanks for the help. I have done all the research and am now ready to purchase my new Kodiak. Thanks for the help in picking it out!

 

Getting the best price is a frequent topic here and elsewhere. But what I've noticed is that most people expect to be handed a sweetheart deal without having to do any preparation or work on their end.

There is currently a thread in the Polaris Forum entitled, "Salesman Suck". If you want to know how NOT to get the best price, then just go in with an attitude like that.

Whether good, bad, or indifferent, the salesman is the guy you have to go through to close the deal. If you openly ridicule him, or convey disdain for him via your attitude, he will certainly have no incentive to negotiate with you. And if your "attitude" is sufficiently obnoxious, he may refuse to negotiate with you at all.

Don’t cut your nose off to spite your face. My advice is quite simple:

BE POLITE, BE PROFESSIONAL, BE PREPARED, BE PATIENT!

Be polite: no matter what you might think of your salesman's qualifications, his knowledge or his lineage, keep it to yourself. Those things are NOT the issue. Always maintain a pleasant demeanor, and graciously overlook any gaffes the salesman might make.

Be professional: There is no need to act like a punk, and try to "impress" the salesman with how much "big air" you can catch. He doesn't want to hear it. He is there to do a job. He may be passionate about it and do it well, or he may not be able to find his butt with both hands and a flashlight. It doesn't matter.

While a person with limited sales abilities may pose a problem you will have to work around, do not allow the salesman's lack of ability distract you from your purpose. You are at the dealership to get the best deal on the quad (or car or truck or bike or jet ski) of your dreams, so stay focused on that goal.

Be prepared: The dealership wants to sell product, that's how they stay in business. The salesman wants to close the deal, that's how he makes his living. The buyer (you) wants a new toy at the best possible price.

The best possible price on anything is usually the result of a cash deal, if financing is involved then the price inevitably goes up (Fact Of Life - the dealer passes the cost of financing on to the buyer). So, if you have managed to save the purchase price of your dream toy, and you walk in with cash in your pocket, you'll have a better chance of getting the best deal because you are not generating any additional work for the dealer.

But what if you don't have the cash? If you must finance your purchase, or if you must sell an existing toy before you purchase another, then line up your financing, prepare your existing toy for trade-in (a sure way NOT get the best deal since the dealer must make a profit on reselling your trade), or sell your old toy, but do it before you ever set foot in the showroom. Involving the dealer in your personal financial life only wastes his time, and it works against you. The last thing a dealer wants to hear is, "Yeah, I'd really like to buy a Porcine 565 4x4, but I gotta sell my Dunehopper 250 first".

A prearranged bank loan generally carries a lower finance charge than a loan originated through a dealer. An added benefit is that the prearranged loan looks like cash to the dealer.

Be Patient: The impulse buyer who just has to have the product right now always pays the highest price. If you discipline yourself to wait for seasonal sales or promotions, or end-of-model-year closeouts, you can get much more for your money than at the beginning of the riding season. Also, just because the dealer is unwilling to accept your offer initially doesn't mean that upon reflection he won't accept it later. As long as you have made a fair and reasonable offer, then giving the dealer a few days to think about it can work in your favor. Besides which, it shows that you're a reasonable person, someone the dealer can work with.

If "your" salesman proves difficult to work with, then politely (see Rule # 1) ask to talk with the sales manager, or the owner. If you have done your best to adhere to Rules 1 & 2, and you still find the personnel at the dealership difficult to work with, you can drop them from consideration and you will have incurred the least amount of aggravation and wasted the least amount of your time.

Finally, have all doubts about the model you want and the features you want resolved before you begin negotiating the sale price (See Rule # 3). Telling the salesman that the Porcine 565 has less horsepower and displacement than the competition's Major Oinker 597 says you're not serious about the deal, and only encourages the salesman to suggest you visit the competition and buy an MO597 instead.

Shopping for a new toy can be a time consuming endeavor. The key to finding and purchasing the toy of your choice with the least amount of hassle is to make efficient use of your time. The four simple rules postulated above have always worked exceptionally well for me.

Army Man

 

Get the best price you can from a dealer and than go to another dealer and ask if they can beat it(they will).I had a price of $8150 Canadian for a 2000 SP500 with a winch,which is very good.I than called a other Polaris dealer and told them I have a price of $8150 and he told me he would sell the same machine to me for $8000.I saved $150 with one phone call.

 

What part of ohio u in. Im from nolbe county