Interesting Policy - UK dealers selling at USA prices

Tom
I think a campaign should be mounted for world pricing for all boats - a price at the point of manufacture plus delivery and local taxes. Where CE costs more the cost of that should be stated and included in the additions - an open system for all to see.

All we have to do is mount a public campaign writing to each UK dealer and publsihing on the web the answers. I would be happy to provide the web site to show all the letters and answers.
 
I dont agree. Just because a few people on here want the comfort of a world price is hardly a business case. Surely, people want to buy a boat a simply as possible, and as long as they believe the price to be fair, given the standard of service and support they wish, it is much simpler simply to pay in GBP. Incidentally Sweden is not in the Euro, so unless the factory does all its costings and invoicing in a foreign currency rather than in its domestic one, you are merely introducing another exchange risk. Whether Westline will support a world wide price , I dont know, but why should they? If not, that leaves the UK dealer with the issue of convincing any buyer what the now illustrated differences are between his price and the price in Sweden. Sounds like an unnecessary burden. Why flag it?
While I was working in Denmark, it was cheaper for me to buy a USA boat from a Danish dealer, out of Germany, and transport it to the UK, than it was to buy it in the UK. So, this is nothing new.
 
I disagree.
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Just because a few people on here want the comfort of a world price is hardly a business case.

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I think for most people on here the purchase of a boat is a major expenditure and they would very much like to have the option of a lower price. There have been many threads on importing boats to get this lower price - so where you get the idea that this only effects a few baffles me.

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Surely, people want to buy a boat a simply as possible, and as long as they believe the price to be fair, given the standard of service and support they wish, it is much simpler simply to pay in GBP.

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yes as simple as possible, under my proposal they can pay the higher price in £s if they wish - I do however thinkl that many , if not most would opt for the lower world price taking the currency risk themselves.
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Incidentally Sweden is not in the Euro, so unless the factory does all its costings and invoicing in a foreign currency rather than in its domestic one, you are merely introducing another exchange risk.

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It was jez who stated euros not me - its whatever currency the factory invoices in - its much simpler than you are making out. A world price involves the one exchnage risk - there is not other. You pay more for this excahnge risk when others - the dealer, has to take the risk.
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If not, that leaves the UK dealer with the issue of convincing any buyer what the now illustrated differences are between his price and the price in Sweden. Sounds like an unnecessary burden. Why flag it?


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You are complicating it - the dealer provides a £ price as now or if the customer wishes to pay at world price then the world price. Do you really think that most customers do not care about getting their boat 10% tp 50% cheaper?!!!!!!
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While I was working in Denmark, it was cheaper for me to buy a USA boat from a Danish dealer, out of Germany, and transport it to the UK, than it was to buy it in the UK. So, this is nothing new.

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What you are saying there is that the problem is nothing new - I agree. had the world price been the practice you would not have had the hassle and this last point of your actually supports the need for it.
 
still dont agree with you, but maybe thats what makes the world go round.

You keep harping on about price. I d have thought you of all people would appreciate that there is more to a satisfactory boat purchase than simply a price. In different countries the costs of providing those ancilliaries costs will vary.
One boat I had needed some warranty work, which as it happened was going to be paid by USA not the local dealer. USA went bonkers when they heard what it would cost to fix over here.
Your reasoning surely implies that the difference in pricing cannot be justified, and therefore the dealer must remove this unfair extra profit margin.
Er, why? Its his business. I suggest he charges what he can and good luck to him. If he has a good business model, he will succeed; if he doesnt, maybe he wont. We are all grown up;if you dont like the price, dont buy it, or source it elsewhere.
 
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You keep harping on about price. I d have thought you of all people would appreciate that there is more to a satisfactory boat purchase than simply a price. In different countries the costs of providing those ancilliaries costs will vary.


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I agree there is more to a purchase than price - I am not even making these points for me - my next boat is being purchased at world price and the dealer does not want to become a currency risk taker.

I really think that the boat suppliers can sort out warranty issues to simplify things. In the UK the warrantty on mt Marlow is 2 years but only one year in the USA - that was soered by sensible talks between maker and dealer making it simple for the customer but does not involve any extra cost to the customer.

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One boat I had needed some warranty work, which as it happened was going to be paid by USA not the local dealer. USA went bonkers when they heard what it would cost to fix over here.

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Who pays for the warranty work is between the dealer and his supplier and should not involve you the customer - in my case this was sorted without any problem being transferred to me the customer and I praise this approach.

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Your reasoning surely implies that the difference in pricing cannot be justified, and therefore the dealer must remove this unfair extra profit margin.


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N0 - my reasoning implies that boat dealers have to factor in a currency hedge and have to play safe on that. All I am asking for is open world pricing not some form of misty style pricing under a cloak of secrecy.

Boat Showrooms - a company i respect have lowered the price in one big step on Flemings because of the drop in the diollar but it has dropped further so why not cut the hassle and offer the option of buying in dollars at world price?

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Er, why? Its his business. I suggest he charges what he can and good luck to him. If he has a good business model, he will succeed; if he doesnt, maybe he wont. We are all grown up;if you dont like the price, dont buy it, or source it elsewhere.

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I am not in anyway wanting my suggestion to be compulsory. I think that those offering this option will provide customers with a better value product and will therefore grow. If I was buying a TV for £1k ok but when buying a boat for £50k, £200k or over £1m there is a big difference. So whilst I agree that if a boat dealer can get away with high profits - great for him but that can be a short term profit.

If you look at the USA price of a boat and thyen the price here the problem is that there is not open competition as there will be one importer here - but in the end those seeing the future will grow and those like Peters Opal will fail.

All I am doing is making a suggestion for dealers to offer another price that totally removes the currency risk from them and would transfer that top the customer who can choose to take it or leave it.
 
Hi
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There is no reason why boats cannot be a world price.
You simply pay the same price at the point of manufacture then add sipment to your destination plus local tax - end of subject.

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Surely the cost of bringing a product to market here in the UK with all the inflated advertising costs, labour costs, rents and taxes etc etc that a company has to pay here, precludes charging a world price as we cannot compete. Now if ALL our costs were the same as the country we were buying from then a world price would work, however we have to charge more, simply because we have to pay more.

I may be wrong if am fine. I would however like to see a business model that would allow me to do just that.

Regards
Julian
 
I disagree Julian.
We are taling about ordering boats from overseas - let us say the USA as an example. What costs are really involved that are that much different?
How much have you spent on magazine advertising in the last 12 months? I wager its less than USA dealers selling the same product.
In truth there is very little difference in costs that can justify all but the slighest cost difference in relation to the sale price of the boat. Are you telling me that you pay higher wages than dealers in the USA?

The USA dollar has really devalued of late - so how much over the last year have you dropped the price of your boats to reflect that drop in purchase price?

Explorer UK have a very good clean marina set up with a high investment and they have all the brochures plus a full page in this months' MBY - so tell me what have you got that has a higher cost than those people?

Sorry Julian but if you are going to enter a public forum as a trade member then you have to be prapred to justify your remarks. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I for one do not swallow the smoke screen of extra costs over here havinmg any significance. If you calim they do then detail them after explainging how you think dealers over here payiong in USA dollars should reflect their lowered buy in price in their selling price.
 
I think this is a good example. Email I have sent to Cruisersowners Club Forum. Replies - none.

Curretly owner of 370. Am trading up to 420 with Volvo IPS 370's. Debate on Yachting and Boat World forum in UK regarding boats being sold at world prices. Have searched web for USA price for comparison but have been unable to find US price. Anyone with info? Obviously understand mark up will include transporting to UK and tax costs etc.

I have emailed Cruisersyachts asking if IPS Autopilot can be factory fitted in addition to basic 2 electronics pack and the cost. Despite emailing sales and service totally ignored. Paranoid perhaps but do they give a sh**t about overseas buyers
 
Somw food popints there.
Some makers do not care much or are confused with overseas sales etc. Others lay down a world wide policy - marlow have done this and regulate so that all customers get the same crack of the whip - the result is something like a marlow 57E a boat over 60 foot long and with a good beam has a base price in the UK of about £650k plus VAT, a fantastic quality boat that noone else can compete with at that price.
The staff costs if anything in the USDA are higher and leaflet/brocjure costs are small in relation to tghe prices of the product but its only by customer pressure that things will change.

If i was shopping for nay overseas made boat at Sibs i would ask what the pric e was at source and if tis the same as the locals pay at source. The trade need to explain why a price would be any different without the use of smoke screens.
 
Think I know the "dealer". Can't get info from the States for comparison. Can't even get US manufacturer to reply to emails.
 
Gludy, surely you're missing the point here. You don't need a global pricing structure to get the best price out of a particular dealer. If I was in the market for a particular new boat, I would approach every dealer I could find, both in the UK and Europe and outside Europe if necessary to get their best price for a particular model of boat and the play off one against the other. I would hope to get a UK dealer to match the best offer I got, but if not, then I would buy the boat from a foreign dealer always assuming I was satisfied with their financial status and willingness to provide warranty support
Btw, we saw the Marlow 57 today at SIBS and both SWMBO and I were well impressed. Powerful looking beamy hull, extremely spacious, first rate engineering and excellent attention to detail. The only downer was the small cockpit. The price seems v competitive certainly against the Fleming 55 and Aquastar 57 as well. Definitely a contender for our eventual semi retirement boat in 5-7 yrs time when we intend to do a lot more boating
 
Mike
You can doo all of that comparing fine but it would be much easier if you were quoted the ex-facvtory price plus delivery - all clear and simple.

Often you cannot buy from outisde without warranty issues, CE issues etc.

Glad you like the Marlow - the base price for that boat is £650k plus VAT - that is the world price of course ($1.3m) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

There are so many features like the kevlar hull, no oplywood anywhere, great if a following se with the twin struts etc etc etc. IMHO it knocks spots of all the competition.
 
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IMHO it knocks spots of all the competition.

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Umm - didn't you say that about T****r as well - once upon a time?
 
I can see a worldwide price making sense in higher end boats. However, boats of say £15k to £50k, with relatively low turnover, the CE costs etc of selling in UK have an impact for say US manufacturers who don't have to pay those costs in US. Do they subsidise sales in Europe and UK by charging US customers for part of those costs, or simply pass the costs onto UK and European sales? Shipping cost on a smaller boat on top of purchase price would look terrifying to a newbie boat owner? So they simply bundle everything together and sell it at a cost where everyone can make a margin.

Big boats different, people have different expectations, but I don't think you can simply ask for a worldwide sales price on all boats.
 
When I ordered the Trader I wrote to Tony Chappell stating that I rated the Marlow as the best boat out there but the easy part X and claimed quick delivery at the time pulled me the Traderr way - that quick deliovery never happened of course. So even when buying the Trader I have in writing that I did not rate it the best boat. Nor did I at anytime claim it was better than the other SD competition - I simply claimed it as a good boat.

So no I claimed Trader were good boats but never rated them then or now like I rate a Marlow. A sorted Trader is a good boat - IMHo the one I had was past all the limits of sorted.

I was wrong in choosing the company I bought it from - a big mistake. My judgement on that was not just slightly out but way out.

If you look at the Marlow, look at the quality - it is like no other. Look at the technology behind every aspect of it - it really does stand out. If you take a look at the spec and the boay in the flesh, then disagree - let me know, that would be interesting. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
brendan
I think your points make sense - I agree with them.

I was thinking mainlky of boats of £50k or £100k starting price and where the boat is built to order.

A £20k boat is also probably bought in as stock and that is a different ball game.
 
Lucas,

You can have a quick search through Boat US forums as well as powerandmotoryacht.com forums

On other brands I have checked, not only have I usually found prices, but threads where people state the size of discounts they were able to negotiate.

Another place to look is:

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/c...d=-1&ps=100

From what I briefly saw (didn't check specs such as IPS etc) there is one UK 2007 boat going for US$645K, no 2007s in the US, but a few 2006s, ranging from US$299K up to US$389K.

At that size and type, you could also consider Formula Boats and Doral.
 
Interesting, I am not sure if it is still true but I bought my Fleming in 1991 the same way.
I paid the USD price and was billed for shipping ( at cost ) then plus VAT.
At that time it cost me £247k + VAT, when I sold her she went to a new owner in Florida and I got my money back with some to spare. I have no idea how Flemings are now priced in the UK?
 
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the base price for that boat is £650k plus VAT - that is the world price of course ($1.3m) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

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So why bother quoting the Sterling price at all? In fact, today the price in Sterling is different to when you posted due to the exchange rate. And tomorrow it will be different again. Surely if you are talking world price you should only ever quote it in the currancy of the manufacturer - otherwise you are just doing what a dealer does.
 
Jez
I was simply doing a simple calc at 2 dollars to the £ to gibbve todays price which is why I then quoted the world price in dollars.

You are right - the world price should be quoted in the currency to be paid but that does nopt prevent me from doing a quick calc to give todays sterling price. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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