Buying stuff at the boat show............discounts?

[Fascadale]

I'm thinking of buying a wind instrument for my boat. Online the kit (Raymarine) I'm looking at varies in price between about £1,180 and £1,280

I'm going to the London boat show and I'm wondering whether "boat show discounts" actually exist or are they no more than an urban/metropolitan myth?

Any thoughts, anecdotes or experience?

 

[ex-Gladys]

Yep, I got a big discount off a mast just as an example. I have always done well at Boat Shows - but Southampton rather than London. You may find the major electronics sellers on line will give you a competitive price now anyway. Often (particularly for Raymarine) there is a "manufacturer's deal" going on around this time of year

 

[aussi]

I also have experience of getting good discounts, but there is an element of luck. For example, Cactus are one of the cheapest online electronics retailers already, and I went to Southampton this year looking for a new B&G chart plotter so made a beeline for their stand and was delighted when they had an offer at the show of a low price plus a free UK chart. Extra bonus was that B&G also had a cash back offer on at the same time, but that's nothing to do with the show. In my experience it's also worth chatting to the salesman as they sometimes have the power to offer an on-the-spot discount to get a sale.

 

[gjgm]

I'm thinking of buying a wind instrument for my boat. Online the kit (Raymarine) I'm looking at varies in price between about £1,180 and £1,280

I'm going to the London boat show and I'm wondering whether "boat show discounts" actually exist or are they no more than an urban/metropolitan myth?

Any thoughts, anecdotes or experience?

In my experience, there is limited scope for the chandlery to cut much. The manufacturers clearly do offers on some stock, and this sometimes only seems to be with selected retailers. Unless Raymarine are going to be offering a discount on what you want, I think the chances are pretty slim on getting much shaved off. Cactus are pretty good at discounts to start with, so I would start with them - or give them a call and discuss. £1800 might be alot to you and me, but selling one unit probably is not going to get them breaking out the champagne. Selling 50 reduced price plotters might do

 

[Pye_End]

When looking at the 'i70 pack' a couple of years ago there were benefits from buying it during SIBS but not LIBS. Raymarine were including an extra display at the time (ie at SIBS only). Couldn't get any deals on it at LIBS. The Garmin pack at LIBS, however, was much more attractively priced, and wonder whether it might have been more cost effective to have put the Garmin backbone and devices in, and buy an i70 separately. Also putting in a 2000 rather than STNG backbone means cheaper upgrades to the system in the future, though I do like the Raymarine wiring with the smaller plugs.

 

[[70521]]

At those prices I'd be asking myself if it was worth using Raymarine. Either look at other suppliers or shop internationally, you might get a much cheaper import from the US of A even with import duty etc.

 

[Concerto]

At those prices I'd be asking myself if it was worth using Raymarine. Either look at other suppliers or shop internationally, you might get a much cheaper import from the US of A even with import duty etc.

A couple of years ago I bought a Raymarine Evolution 100 auto pilot. The list price was £1500 and the best discount price I could find was £1250. With advice from this forum I checked out prices across Europe. The unit was finally bought in Sweden and allowing for the 23% VAT and carriage, it cost me £965. Shortly after it arrived, the Southampton show was due to start and the discounted to £1099. The exchange rate was better than it is today, but you may still find better prices elsewhere in Europe.

One final point. The Raymarine guarantee is world wide and makes no difference where it was bought or fitted. So no worry about purchasing outside the UK.

 

[yoda]

I'm thinking of buying a wind instrument for my boat. Online the kit (Raymarine) I'm looking at varies in price between about £1,180 and £1,280

I'm going to the London boat show and I'm wondering whether "boat show discounts" actually exist or are they no more than an urban/metropolitan myth?

Any thoughts, anecdotes or experience?

If this is what you are after I had excellent service from them:

http://www.simpson-marine.co.uk/en/945-raymarine-i60-wind-pack.html

Yoda

 

[john_q]

One final point. The Raymarine guarantee is world wide and makes no difference where it was bought or fitted. So no worry about purchasing outside the UK.

Please note that according to RayMarine dealers the Caribbean is not in the world. If you take something to a dealer, they will ship it to the USA (at your cost) maybe mend it then ship it back to you again (also at your cost) even if it still under warranty

 

[JumbleDuck]

I'm thinking of buying a wind instrument for my boat. Online the kit (Raymarine) I'm looking at varies in price between about £1,180 and £1,280

I'm going to the London boat show and I'm wondering whether "boat show discounts" actually exist or are they no more than an urban/metropolitan myth?

Any thoughts, anecdotes or experience?

I think that nowadays any genuine Boat Show discounts are also available over the phone. Just call and ask.

 

[Fascadale]

Well, that was interesting, the Boat Show that is.

True there were some Campavans for sale and true there was some garden furniture to be seen but I don't think that particularly detracted from the event, over 95% of the stuff was boaty.

Rather too many Mobo's for me but there were plenty of people there enjoying them, in fact I did not go on any boats other than a couple of narrow boats, which is a bit odd as I sail keel boats.

Very pleasant atmosphere, chatty friendly people on the stalls, some really interesting bits and pieces, lots to look at.

As for "boat show reductions": I think I got £40 off a £1,100 bit of electronics, not a great deal and certainly not enough to make buying stuff the reason for going. I got a pair of sailing gloves of unknown provenance for £10 less than those on the big chandlers stands, though the gloves may turn out to be a false economy. I considered a jacket from one of the big chandlers supposedly heavily discounted but available online for the same price.

I have not been to the Southampton show: I'm sailing at that time of the year.

Will I go to LIBS next year? Probably.

 

[Poey50]

I've been tracking the price of Raymarine EV-!00 tiller pilots. There was no movement at all on Black Friday or January sales but a £200 drop online for a boat show reduction. That was available to anyone - possibly it was even cheaper attending the boat show but I doubt it. Most online companies then matched that lower price.