Any suggestions on motorcycle loans, dumping current place over incompetence.

[Martinjmpr]

I'd say around 40% of the bikes for sale on Craigslist are Harleys. If it's not 40%, it's gotta be at least a third. I've seen several Sportsters for sale with less than 100 miles on them, usually something like 35 or 60 miles. Guess they rode it home from the dealer and never rode it again...

Last I checked more than 50% of the bikes over 700cc sold in the US were Harleys, so if 40% of the ones that are for sale are Harleys that's about equal to their share of the total MC market.

[rondog]

Then the cost of that needs to be factored into the price, just like it is withvirtually every other product sold in the market.

If I buy a TV from Best Buy and the price is $599, then the price is $599 (plus tax which of course Best Buy has no control over.)

How would you feel if they said "OK, that's $599, plus the fee to take it off the truck, plus the fee to put it in the warehouse, plus the fee to take it to your vehicle - $680 plus tax?"

Imagine buying a gun at your LGS. Sale price is marked at $690. But when they ring it up, they add the shipping charge, the record keeping fee, the unboxing charge, the inspection charge - etc etc.

Would you put up with that? Hell no you wouldn't and neither would anybody else. But for some stupid reason we put up with this crap when it comes to motor vehicles.

Understand, I have no beef with charges that are out of the seller's control: Sales tax, excise tax, background check fees, new development surcharges - those are things that the seller can't change.

But things like "assembly" ought to be built into the price unless they're going to give you the option of buying it unassembled. Otherwise, why charge it? If it costs the dealership $200 in man-hours to assemble a bike, then instead of selling it for $5995 sell it for $6195.

I mean, dealerships might as well charge extra for wheels and tires while they're at it. Or sparkplugs. Or oil in the engine.

And BTW it is EXACTLY shit like this that makes me reluctant to buy from a dealer, and I'll bet I'm not the only one. I wonder if dealers could actually sell more products and have happier customers if they simply built all the extra charges into their prices and advertised that fact: "The price you see is the price you pay. No hidden charges, no bogus add on fees."

Lol! My dad spotted a nice Ford Windstar once that he wanted. Went in and negotiated the price, and whipped out his checkbook to buy it on the spot. Salesman about shit himself, stammering about other fees and charges, financing, etc.

Dad said "you told me the price was $xxxxx, you wanna sell the damned thing or not?" Boss told the saleshole to let Dad have it for that price.

[Jim B]

Lol! My dad spotted a nice Ford Windstar once that he wanted. Went in and negotiated the price, and whipped out his checkbook to buy it on the spot. Salesman about shit himself, stammering about other fees and charges, financing, etc.

Dad said "you told me the price was $xxxxx, you wanna sell the damned thing or not?" Boss told the saleshole to let Dad have it for that price.

Sucks your dad got stuck with a Windstar.

[asmo]

I mean, dealerships might as well charge extra for wheels and tires while they're at it. Or sparkplugs. Or oil in the engine.

Auto dealers call it an 'destination fees' and 'dealer prep fees'.

The scammy part of all of this is that dealers are given kick-backs from the manufacturers to cover costs like this.

[BladesNBarrels]

Lol! My dad spotted a nice Ford Windstar once that he wanted. Went in and negotiated the price, and whipped out his checkbook to buy it on the spot. Salesman about shit himself, stammering about other fees and charges, financing, etc.

Dad said "you told me the price was $xxxxx, you wanna sell the damned thing or not?" Boss told the saleshole to let Dad have it for that price.

I bought a used Dodge Van in 1973 from a dealer in Boulder.
Wrote a check for $3,000 and left it unsigned with the salesman and said, "When you are ready to accept that amount, give me a call. It is all I have,"
Had a call later that evening and picked up the van the next morning.
Never worked since.

[rondog]

Sucks your dad got stuck with a Windstar.

His Windstar was damn nice for a new 2000 model. Now, the Aerostars were steaming piles o'shit.