Boats.co.uk team up with Princess

ChrisJefferies said:
From Fairline to Princess - here's the MBY write-up:
http://www.mby.com/news/boats-co-uk-teams-up-princess-motor-yacht-sales-46037
What do we think? Is this a smart move by the Barke Bros?
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A very smart move by the Barke Bros - would you expect anything else! They now have a extended range of boats to sell without a ceiling of 78 feet and will no doubt be offering all the people they have sold Fairlines to an upgrade to a new Princess.

I expect my quote within 30 minutes

-Andrew
 
The outrageous and unsubstantiated scuttlebutt doing the rounds is that it was EBY who dumped Fairline due to Fairline using Essex as some sort of free loan facility and wanting daft settlement times on their account.
All allegations being totally scurrlous and improbable of course.:)
 
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Very smart move, lets home they can help Princess with regard to in build and post build customization of boats.

Good luck to them both i say!
 
jimmy_the_builder said:
Great news all round. Be interesting to see how territory gets split up between PMYS proper and BCU, they are both ambitious companies.
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Yes great news. I've never understood how you define territory Jimmy. Where the customer lives? Where the customer will use the boat? Many customers are not easy to pin down on either score! No doubt BCU's customers will just stick with BCU, knowing that the service will be so strong compared with PMYS
 
jfm said:
Yes great news. I've never understood how you define territory Jimmy. Where the customer lives? Where the customer will use the boat? Many customers are not easy to pin down on either score! No doubt BCU's customers will just stick with BCU, knowing that the service will be so strong compared with PMYS
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And I think BCU understanding of Part Exchanges and a deal will drive people towards them.
 
jfm said:
Yes great news. I've never understood how you define territory Jimmy. Where the customer lives? Where the customer will use the boat? Many customers are not easy to pin down on either score! No doubt BCU's customers will just stick with BCU, knowing that the service will be so strong compared with PMYS
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Good question and I've never understood it either. Personally I won't work for a manufacturer unless we have exclusive rights for the whole of the UK and Ireland. It's difficult enough competing with other manufacturers, let alone other dealers. I suppose that Princess have rationalised the situation to PYMS that BCU will be bringing in mainly ex Fairline customers ;) who would otherwise not have bought a Princess but all the same, PYMS must be a bit pissed off with the situation. On the other hand, isn't PYMS owned by the factory anyway so the factory are only potentially hurting themselves by appointing BCU?

Either way, it is an excellent choice by both Princess and BCU although hardly a surprise. The loser out of this will be Fairline and it is a mystery as to why they didn't move heaven and earth to keep BCU on board

I see Cala d'Or is part of the deal. Is that the ex Fairline crowd?
 
Well I did NOT see that coming at all - big cat in the pigeons.

But as others say good news except for Fairline IMHO as I know several previous fairline owners who have changed brands and been happy with the result.

Buk have a wonderful reputation for a deal etc so existing customers are almost bound to follow the broker/dealer IMHO and change brand.

Be an interesting May show in swanwick and SIBS on the Princess stand...
 
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Interesting development, and I for one didn't see it coming.

I can see what Princess get out of it (selling boats to current Fairline customers), I can see what BCU get out of it (a replacement marque and > 80 feet), but I can't see what PMYS get out of it? It seems clear to me that some people will now by Princesses from BCU when they would previously have bought them from PMYS. They're smart people though, so I'm sure they have their reasons.
 
Deleted User said:
... I suppose that Princess have rationalised the situation to PYMS that BCU will be bringing in mainly ex Fairline customers ;) who would otherwise not have bought a Princess but all the same, PYMS must be a bit pissed off with the situation.
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No, I think PMYS is a party to the BCU deal so it is their deal; they won't be unhappy. My understanding (though I don't know first hand) is that PMYS is a sort of master dealer, and BCU a sort of sub dealer so to speak

Deleted User said:
isn't PYMS owned by the factory anyway ..."
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Nope - PMYS is independent, owned by Whale family (car dealerships, and on that score I had to wince at the line in the press release where Mr Whale of PMYS said ..."we continue to develop some of our luxury franchised motor trade knowledge to deliver European customers a ‘turn-key’ yachting experience..." There is no connection between cars and yachts. You buy cars online or get your secretary to sort it out or whatever. Ref the last several new cars I've bought, we didn't even visit the dealership. Yachts are completely different; they matter.)

Deleted User said:
The loser out of this will be Fairline and it is a mystery as to why they didn't move heaven and earth to keep BCU on board
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Absolutely right Deleted User. Fairline have miscalculated imho if they think the product will sell as well without the back up of BCU. Of course I hope I'm wrong on that.
 
Deleted User said:
On the other hand, isn't PYMS owned by the factory anyway so the factory are only potentially hurting themselves by appointing BCU?
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if PYMS is owned by princess, I don't think there is a problem,
then Princess and PYMS have good reasons to support BCU for bringing any new customer to Princess, and grow Princess's market share / turnover
and they can agree on a good and clear agreement between PYMS and BCU how to handle the market, beneficial for all party's involved...

edit: more accurate info in jfm's thread here above, simultaniously posted
 
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Nick_H said:
but I can't see what PMYS get out of it? .
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Nothing, I think is the answer to that but I guess that Princess have calculated that any potential PMYS sales lost to BCU will be more than balanced out by an increase in sales that a company like BCU can bring in and not only that, some of the p/x liabilities will be taken by BCU rather than PMYS. Maybe what's in it for PYMS is that BCU can help them shift some of their incoming p/x boats? I can imagine that BCU are a whole lot more skilled at that
 
Fairline will be the massive losers here. EBY / BCUK are a substantial business with excellent after sales. Would i go an buy a new boat from a small dealer with a sales office and a coffee machine? No. I would not feel happy anding over that kind of money.

The Barke brothers are fantastically easy to deal with. They state a fair price and deliver great service, take PX and so on. They also play a long game and know people will buy from them again. I like Fairline, but like most owners are open to a change at some point in the future and here BCUK will do well here i believe.

The Cala Dor Fairline dealer - Fairline Cala Dor is a Fairline dealer in its own right - they just worked closely with BCUK. As I understand it the new Cala Dor operation is new and not connected to FL Cala Dor.
 
PMYS is a sort of master dealer, and BCU a sort of sub dealer so to speak
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Ouch just like Peters used to be for Fairline? I wonder how long that will last?

Nope - PMYS is independent,
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Yup you're right but it's confusing. The holding company is Princess International Sales and Service Ltd which I assumed was a Princess Yachts International co but of course it isn't and the shareholders are all Whale family. It's a fair sized operation though. £80m sales in last accounts so the appointment of BCU must be a concern for them

Absolutely right Deleted User. Fairline have miscalculated imho if they think the product will sell as well without the back up of BCU. Of course I hope I'm wrong on that.
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Fairline aren't the first manufacturer to think they can operate without a strong dealership network and they won't be the last
 
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