Price gouging? Is this normal practice?

[snowdance]

I will do my best to stay within the rules on this post, so I won't mention the name of the business. Was up in the UP this weekend snowmobiling and headed North of the bridge on Saturday. My brake handle broke on my Switchback. Hard to snowmobile without brakes! This is a $40 part. I was told by the place in question that they didn't have the part in stock, but would take one off another snowmobile. Because of this, they'd have to overnight a new one and my cost would be $124. This was after claiming it would cost him $200, but would eat some of the cost. Not real happy, but stuck between a rock and a hard place decided to go with it. Also, this place is closed sundays and mondays, so overnighting the part was not necessary. My buddy was going to pick up the part. He had also purchased a brand new snowmobile from them. He mentioned this when getting the part to see if that would help any with the price. It was mentioned that they could get one from another location, but would still need to courier it. Now, the price became $99. I'm also aware that they have a driver that goes between their locations on a regular basis. While the part was being taken off the snowmobile it was also mentioned if it takes too long then a service charge may be incurred...are you kidding me?!?!

Bottom line am I wrong feeling taken advantage of?

 

[chords]

Hard to sell a sled out the door , on the spot with no brake handle.

Decided to go with $124, Then $99, Then maybe a service charge, Buddy pick up part,,,

What was the final cost on this $40 part ? And were you out the door quickly ?

 

[whitedust]

Not happy don't do it... walk out... or talk it out. Me I would say I'll pick up part tell them I'm coming partner a bit to get what you want & need there is a cost to having them do all the leg work for your specfic need.

 

[snowdance]

Paid the $99 after talking down from the $124. Yes got me up and running. But felt I was being taken advantage of and the extra cost was just making some easy extra $$. Yes hard to sell a sled without a brake handle, but could be swapped with another snowmobile if need be. I feel this wouldn't of happened elsewhere.

 

[Firecatguy]

just take it and learn a leson.....xtra brake and throttle......bring xtras so your the guy that holds all the cards........

this quote is not ment totally for you it is what I live by
.
"your lack of planning is not someone else emergency"


......I carry xtra parts...springs,throttle lever brake lever.......entrie trip wrecked over broke throttle once.....

 

[Skylar]

There is a reason why there is another Poo dealer in the area.

 

[polarisrider1]

Now they got to pay someone to put the other brake lever on the new sled??? You got a fair shake in the end it sounds. The price game they played would of sent me out of there.

 

[whitedust]

Most biz won't cannibalize parts from new tractors, chainsaws, bikes, boats, pwcs, sleds, atvs whatever costs too much in labor & can't sell product then missing parts are forgotten not reinstalled most biz just won't do it been there not going to happen. Think about customer comes in sees brand new sled without brake handle wonders what the heck is missing?.... bad idea.

 

[ezra]

well I have over paid have had buds over pay have seen guys pay hundreds for used parts out of a guys trailer and be happy to do it.
I sold a guy in a parking lot in CO a used diamond drive I thought I was gouging at 400 and he gave me a extra Hondo just because I saved his trip.
If I had to pull parts from a new sled to get u out the door I would do it but U would pay my guys time to pull and reinstall full gas bill for delivery guy delivery guys hr wage for time in truck and a few bucks for me to make it happen. and any attitude I would just have to say well o I don't have the part in stock sorry .
I

 

[Highflyer]

Paid the $99 after talking down from the $124. Yes got me up and running. But felt I was being taken advantage of and the extra cost was just making some easy extra $$. Yes hard to sell a sled without a brake handle, but could be swapped with another snowmobile if need be. I feel this wouldn't of happened elsewhere.

Given the fact that you got back on the trail for under $100 I don't see what you have to complain about. It was nice of the dealer to offer to take a brake off one of his sleds in stock. That means he is definitely not selling that sled in the next couple of days. He has to pay one of his guys to take the brake off his sled, put it on yours and put the new brake back on his sled. That sounds like a minimum of 1/2 hour or hour.

We had a similar situation with a buddy who busted a walker evans shock on his pro r the first day after buying it from the local dealer. He did the same thing your dealer did and we were just happy to be on our way. These dealers need to make money somehow.

 

[Team Elkhorn]

It happens, but more often than not the businesses UP there go above and beyond. I will mention one time though on a saddlebag trip, I broke a rivet that held on my saddlebags and stopped at a small snomo repair place, (no where near the area mentioned above) and asked if they could help me out. They said they were too busy to waste their time with my minor repair. But after some coaxing offered me a rivet and the use of their rivet gun to do it myself. Two minutes later when I returned the rivet gun and thanked him, I had planned on slipping him a $20, he charged me $45. If I had just stopped at the hardware store that I passed to get to his shop and bought a rivet gun and rivets...... I guess everyone needs to pay the their electric bill.

 

[snowdance]

Given the fact that you got back on the trail for under $100 I don't see what you have to complain about. It was nice of the dealer to offer to take a brake off one of his sleds in stock. That means he is definitely not selling that sled in the next couple of days. He has to pay one of his guys to take the brake off his sled, put it on yours and put the new brake back on his sled. That sounds like a minimum of 1/2 hour or hour.

We had a similar situation with a buddy who busted a walker evans shock on his pro r the first day after buying it from the local dealer. He did the same thing your dealer did and we were just happy to be on our way. These dealers need to make money somehow.

Just to be clear, we installed the part ourselves. My buddies stopped to get the part on the way through. Helped take the part off the snowmobile in the showroom (5 minute job) and brought the part to me, which we then installed.

Yes, in the end I was back up and running for under $100. I just felt like the story wasn't adding up. Especially the part of needing to overnight the part, when they were closed the next 2 days.

 

[Skylar]

Unsaid dealer tried to charge a potential customer for a brochure, by the way, this past summer.

 

[sw_lower]

Just take a spare sled, Like your riding and have all the spare parts you need.. no more getting taken advantage of..

 

[blutooth]

Just to be clear, we installed the part ourselves. My buddies stopped to get the part on the way through. Helped take the part off the snowmobile in the showroom (5 minute job) and brought the part to me, which we then installed.

Yes, in the end I was back up and running for under $100. I just felt like the story wasn't adding up. Especially the part of needing to overnight the part, when they were closed the next 2 days.

You are in the middle of nowhere really. Gas costs an extra 15%... Time is money, if you want to price shop, its going to take time in my opinion. Want it now, you will probably pay for it. Not to mention shipping something out of Friday to get it there on Monday is overnight shipping, and that dealer is guaranteed to not sell that sled for at least 2 days (one of which a most likely a very busy Saturday).

I'm always amazed at how little most dealerships charge up there to get people back on the trail quickly. They all have regular workloads already and coming in with an emergency fix sure screws up their workflow, etc.

I'd just be happy they got you back on the trail in a couple of hours. They just as easily could have not dealt with the hassle of removing it from a sled on the floor (and I'm a little surprised they let your buddy work pull something off a sled on their show floor - they don't know anything about his mechanical abilities...

 

[olsmann]

Yep, I know exactly who the dealer is and not surprised at all.

 

[Skylar]

Yes, it definitely takes a certified polaris tech to remove and replace a brake lever.

You are in the middle of nowhere really. Gas costs an extra 15%... Time is money, if you want to price shop, its going to take time in my opinion. Want it now, you will probably pay for it. Not to mention shipping something out of Friday to get it there on Monday is overnight shipping, and that dealer is guaranteed to not sell that sled for at least 2 days (one of which a most likely a very busy Saturday).

I'm always amazed at how little most dealerships charge up there to get people back on the trail quickly. They all have regular workloads already and coming in with an emergency fix sure screws up their workflow, etc.

I'd just be happy they got you back on the trail in a couple of hours. They just as easily could have not dealt with the hassle of removing it from a sled on the floor (and I'm a little surprised they let your buddy work pull something off a sled on their show floor - they don't know anything about his mechanical abilities...

 

[Trees4Traction440]

when I heard this last night over the phone I almost puked...that part is such a common part I cant believe they didn't have it, but Ya I understand they maybe sold out of it recently, That size of a place didn't have a blown up or wrecked sled laying around out back they could have robbed it off of for a slightly discounted price?? If I look I probably have a couple laying in the bottom drawer of my tool box. If they have multiple stores and another store has the part in stock and they have a truck that runs between them on a regular basis for their own business it should not be any extra. I could see maybe paying $50-60 since they sacrificed it off a new sled but I doubt they would sell every Polaris sled they have there in 2-3 days and be short on levers.
I would have gladly laughed at the guy behind the parts counter and put my $100 toward the taverns till over giving them 250% mark up on a popular part that costs them under $20. It would have taken the parts guy less time to pop off the brake lever then it did for him to even insult you guys on a price like that. He chose to "next day ship" the part in, if he ordered it from Polaris that day it would be on a regular delivery by wed-thurs and I bet that sled will still be there come next weekend too. sorry im done ranting....makes me sick when these places would rather worry about dollar signs then customer satisfaction. I hope for $100 they included the pin and e-clip with the brake lever because that's how the part is sold.

 

[polarisrider1]

Supply and Demand.

 

[Trees4Traction440]

and pretty soon they will have an excessive supply of everything and no customers to demand for anything. I sure as heck will never be caught dead at a place like that. maybe a dealership in Chicago can pull that crap but they don't get my $ or support either

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and pretty soon they will have an excessive supply of everything and no customers to demand for anything. I sure as heck will never be caught dead at a place like that. maybe a dealership in Chicago can pull that crap but they don't get my $ or support either.

I bet when the snowdance is in the market for a new sled he WONT be going there or telling his buddys to go there...for even a windshield dart.