BOOT Dusseldorf (2019) - are exhibition offers/specials any good?

[rolf.nielsen]

I'm looking forward to BOOT Dusseldorf in January. I'm in the market for a new radar and a new gas stove for my boat. I usually stay clear of offers/rebates because they are usually either almost always available anyway, or they just get physical stores' prices to match online sotres, or they hike the base price before they apply the discount. Does the same monkey business apply to special prices at exhibitions like BOOT, or can I actually expect to find good real offers? If so, should I research upfront on, say, Furuno, to find out what they may put on offer at BOOT?

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I bought a new RIB tender at the Dusseldorf show a few years ago and I certainly got a large discount from list price with which I was happy. I guess you have to do your homework which means going to the show knowing beforehand what are the best prices you can get for the gear you want from a store and challenge the exhibitors at Dusseldorf to beat those prices

 

[jrudge]

I bought in inflatable sailing boat and slide. They were discounted and I haggled and got more off.

The price was good but I hadn’t tried to haggle elsewhere !

The exhibitors only justify exhibiting if they shift stock so they are in that mind set. Are the unbeatable ? Who knows but the overall price in my experience is ok

I boat a boat at London ( now gone of course ) and that discount was also favourable.

 

[BartW]

at Boot you have many booths with chandlers selling direct to visitors, and as sayd above, the guys want to push out more sales as much as possible, and are usually in for some hagging on the price.
The divers hall is like a indoor market, and the last weekend of the show you can get real bargains, and hagging on the price appears to be the norm.

for disposeable items such as water sports accesories, (I ve bought ski's, vests and toy's there..) this is absolutely ok, (fe for that burner..)

but for valuable items sa Radar, .. you have to be carefull that the seller can offer after sales service and support, let alone the distance and the language.. I would never buy something like that at Boot.

Many brands (fe Furuno) have their own stand, and if you are lucky to find a knowledgeable person at the booth, you can get detailed product advice, but be carefull; sometimes they have unexperienced people at the booth helping for manning the stand, and they know nothing,
also you could get one of the local dealers in Germany or another country, and sometimes they are not interested when they realise you're not from their region ..
But again if you can find the real product specialists, you can get free and good advice.

on such a "brand" stand, is nothing for sale, but some of the representatives hanging around at the booth make offers through their dealers or send you to a chandlers elsewhere at the show (for their comission)