Yes but is this a Polaris promo or a dealer promo? If it is a Polaris promo the cost is the same to the dealer whether you get the winch or free goods. As far as marking off $250 dollars the dealer is not very bright because Polaris uses that as free goods to help the dealer make money. The dealer does not recieve that whole sum of money, he might see a third of it. Besides if it is the dealers own sale (Polaris is not involved) he is assuming most people will not take the winch and he saves money because the winch cost him a more than $250.

 

Been a great machine. I ride in a river bottom with muddy trails and deep water crossings and it is the best mudder of all the ATVs we ride with. I have 300 miles and 40 hours on the machine and have not had any problems. The ride of the 4-wheel independent suspension is very smooth. My dad has a 2002 500 HO and my brother has a 2001 500 HO and a 2000 500 Non-HO. All four have been good machines.

 

The promo is from Polaris, but in fine print, it says to contact your local dealer. From past dealings, it's a huge load of crap. I mean, some dealers won't do it unless you pay full msrp, and set up and freight. Other dealers won't offer it unless you pay cash, and I don't mean check, money order or cashiers check, cold hard cash! A lot of the dealers right now don't even offer anything unless the buyer sujests it. It seems like that should be illegal. For a company to offer a rebate and the dealers don't mention it and keep the cash back, and you know thats what they do! They all have known about it when I mention it to them, but only one has offered it to me before I mentioned it. I don't mean to sound like I'm down on Polaris, like I said before, all the dealers around here do it, and get by with it. I have found a "new" 01, yellow HO that was a demo unit that I can get for $6400 cash and they would give me the winch. (best deal to date)
Thanks mag, I'm waiting on a return call from Honda East for their bottom dollar best deal.

 

I bought my 2002 500ho in December its a special silver gray with Goodyear Rawhide tires and crome wheels. After going to the dealer a couple times and seeing one of these. I had to ask all about it and found out it was a special. They told me it sold for the same price as a regular 500 ho so I said order me one. They ordered 5 of them and I think they sold at least 3 or four already as I just saw one left the other day when I was there. The price was 6100 plus tax plus 150 for shipping(don't know why I had to pay for that when they ordered 5). The winch was 69 dollars but it cost 50 dollars to have it installed. I traded in a 2000 335 sportsman and got 3025 for it. I don't really know if this is a good deal or not but I know other dealers here in western pa. are asking as high as 6700 plus tax for the regular 500ho.

 

Every dealer (97% anyhow) .period. does it. Car dealers, quad dealers, bike dealers, PWC dealers, etc..etc..etc.. I am not arguing with that. I just want people to know that the S#!T is not free. I can't help it if your dealer wants $400 too much for the quad. It just jerks me the wrong way when customers walk in the door stating they can get it cheaper here or there and you make so much on this or so much on that. Well if they know all this why aren't they an owner of a shop? Not to bring them into this but I'm sure Elroy and Rick know exactly what I mean. I know after we pay all our overhead we are LUCKY to see 8-10% of a profit (which most of that gets set back to improve the company). That doesn't even mention all the hidden costs of being a dealer. Now if I gave everyone a 10% discount I start losing money and eventually I will not be here to serve you in the future. Just be happy the quad business is not like the Harley business. Shop around for a Harley and ask for a discount.........what happens? They will laugh at you! I don't mean to **** anyone off but every 3rd guy that walks up to my counter asks for a discount. For regular good customers I do. For everyone else, I am sorry but I need paid.

 

uflg

You bring up some interesting points. I have bought my last two atvs from the dealer that I listed above for three basic reasons:

1. Their prices are the best in the area.

2. They are convenient for me to get to enroute home from work.

3. They are pretty straight forward on their pricing.

When I bought my Magnum in 98, I bought it from a new dealer in the area that was starting up (not the one mentioned above). I wanted to give him the business and figured that I could get better service there, so I bought my first machine from him. He gave me a reasonable price and I didn't shop or haggle on it. But after that, he screwed me on a snow plow (supposed to call me when it was in and mount it as part of the sale, didn't do either) and getting screwed when making parts trips there, I decided that I might as well buy where the prices were better. On the parts trips, this dealer was 15 miles out of my way. I would make a Saturday trip over there only to find the parts manager's girlfriend working the counter (the owner and parts manager where up north snowmobiling). About everything I asked for, she would tell me "the computer says its here, but I can't find it". After that, I started shopping at the bigger dealer listed above that is not out of my way. They never seem to have any parts in stock, but at least they are not out of my way when I order things.

As Paul Harvey would say, now the rest of the story... The Polaris dealer that I bought the Magnum from got his dealership pulled by Polaris for bad customer service and complaints. A local farm products dealer nearby picked it up. I talked to him at the local fair and he seems like a good guy to deal with, so I will be taking all of my spring Polaris parts needs to him. Hopefully, he will continue to earn my business.

I certainly don't expect the dealers to give me a discount everytime I buy something. They have to stay in business too. I do expect good service and will generally stay with a dealership that provides this.

 

That's cool MagnumMudMan. I know I try pretty hard to walk that fine line of being fair without losing my rear to the owner of the dealership. I'm sure someone out there has something bad to say about me or any dealership for that matter. But I do know that the good compliments toward me tremendously outweigh the bad.

I have found good service will make up for not giving so many discounts. We have another dealer about 30 mins from us and I outsell him (not you guys elroy, you know who I mean) by a long ways for 2 reasons: 1-Honesty and 2-I keep a good amount on stock. Sure 99% of the time his prices are cheaper but he lies and says something is on backorder when he forgets to order it.

A lot of people are starting to appreciate an honest dealer even if he costs more. Believe me from past experiences myself, that is a good thing.

 

I don't know how we ended up on discounted parts. We are talking about a winch promo that is not being honored when you have already made a deal on the price. The promo doesn't say anything about not being valid if you don't pay MSRP. It simply states that with the purchase of select quads (including the 500) you get a FREE Warn winch. Period. Not if you pay full MSRP, not if you pay set up and delivery, nothing else! When you don't honor that, you're in the wrong. Period. Also, to those who are only making their little 8% and reinvesting it into their dealership, maybe you need a new line of work. Don't whine about the customer wanting what he is entitled to.

 

I understand that the dealer has to make a profit to stay in business, but if I'm even close to being right, they are making about 6 to 7% on the quad. Then if they charge setup and freight, that raises the percentage up. Then if they don't offer the cash back option, but keep it anyway, that would raise the percent even more. Do this on enough quads in a month time and it can be some big bucks. (or thats what a "honest" dealer told me) The winch deal or the cash back is what really gets to me. And how every dealer around here tries to scam us out of it. I'm in estamating and I know how deals work. Even with the friends discount, we still make money. Do this enough, and we still make money! If your not, you won't be in business very long. At $5999 they have to be making somthing or they would never offer it. So at $6999 thats not a bad proffit. I just don't understand how prices can be so different, and how Polaris as a company, can advertise special deals, then the dealers not have to abide by them.

 

First off only if you are a participating dealer. Second of all we go by the book on what we charge customers for a winch, whether it be free to the consumer or not it still cost us $$. I was trying to show you how it actually works. As far as 8% that's about right. For instance I just looked into a business that was for sale. No names but here are the numbers for 1997. Total income $440,000 and TCOGS was $240,000. Did he pocket $200,000......NOT. He paid out another $155,000 in wages, electric, gas, water, sewage, ads, etc. He made a final profit of $85,000. That is 18% without a mortgage payment. Now he paid his employees minimum wage or slightly above. OK we put several million through our company a year (I am not bragging hear me out), is this a lot, NO. It is a different scale of money. Everyone here at our dealership makes decent money, not alot, but decent. Not only that but it takes alot more money to be in this business. OH I forgot you probably already know this! After all 8% of 3,000,000 is nothing!?!?

asfastasu,
Your right! I do not want to **** anyone off I have made some good friends on here. I was trying to explain why some dealers do what they do. The promos are made to get people into a dealership so Polaris can sell their product. The only reason I brought up parts is to show that discounts and promos cost a dealer more than what most people think. And I agree with all the posts on here as far as dealers taking advantage of customers. I do not follow that practice. I am just stating the other side of the story. Hey we are not perfect and never will be but I am honest about my job.