So I went and had a chat with my local dealer about an upgrade to a SuperGlide want to do a lot of traveling so want a bit more grunt and size.
I have on 08 883c, pipes, AC, PCIII, heaps of chrome and extras.

They offer 10k for a trade.
On the shop floor they have an 05 pre EFI stock bike with more mileage for 13k WTF?
and these guys dont negotiate in any way its all on take it or leave it.

So they are looking at making a 50% profit on my traded bike alone.
I dont mind taking a bit of a hit on price for the convenience of trading over private sale but flushing 5k down the toilet is a joke.

I did tell them to shove it I dont like being ripped off.
left such a bad taste in my mouth that I dont want to do business with these guys again.

Problem now is the next nearest dealer is like 2 hours drive away,

Now as much as I love my Harley, but this has almost made me want to get a new Thunderbird when they come out just so I dont have to stuff around with the local rip off merchants.

Is this the normal standard of business with Dealers?

Take it or leave it seems to be the answer for a lot of businesses, not just Harley Dealers.

seems a bit odd considering the down turn in the market at the moment.

 

My nearest dealer is 2 and a half hours away, the other one probably 3 hours.....

I think you did the right thing.......FUCK the STEALERS, try and sell it elsewhere.

whatever your selling !!! , it's always better to sell privately ,and you will usually get a better retail price from the dealer when youv'e got a handfull of cash .  it's not as convenient , but it'll save you dollars . 

Sell it private if you don't like what they offered you.

Mate, if they have offered $10K for your bike as bucket said it is a fair price for an 883. FACT, your bike is more valuable stock or if you have done the upgrades but still have the stock parts....you can negotiate with this. Secondly, pick out the bike you want and make a list of all the extra's (bling) you want as well as slip on's, before you go to the dealership. Take this list to the dealer and negotiate, they will not drop on the price of the bike but are able to negotiate on bling. If you're smart, what you lose on the trade in you can gain on bling....simply, if you don't ask you don't get... good luck.

next bike purchase will be different...see this forum is not shit...

Take it down to Bunbury. I got an extra 2 g buy doing that.

There not has bad has they were ,, a few years ago i went to the local dealer with the wife too buy her some boots, anyway bought the boots. While we were there i was admiring a Harley, fairly shore it was the dyna sports , any way said to the wife i might get one , just bought her the boots she was in a good mood ok she said. so along comes the salesman , how much I say think it was around 27 on road, my missis said your not getting that one its only got a harley sticker i want one with a badge , the salesman looks at me we both look at her and i say how much for that one it was a heritage softail with all the bells and whistles, how much i say he tells me,, not sure but think it was just over 30 grand , asks me if i have a trade in no i tell him i'll sell mine private .

So we sit down , I've got my cheuque book with me i'm gonna write a cheuque out , it was a saturday morning , getting towards closing time , I tell him lets get it sorted before she changes her mind , and decides she want a facking lounge suite instead. Were gonna do the paper work and he tells me the full price can't remember excatly but i know it was over 30 grand , anyway i said how much off , he says we don't deal on the Harleys , the price is firm .

I say ok then fair enough , tell you what throw in them boots i just bought , and we have a deal they were Jenny Rebs cost of $200 he said we don't deal . I said too him think careful because , we come in for a pair off boots and i'm gonna give you a cheuque for a heritage , you'll lose the deal if you don't throw in the boots , not too worry he said , we have more buyers than bikes , , ok no worries see ya later , and off i went , and i could not facking believe what i had just heard .

A few years later , april last year to be excact , i walked in and bought a street bob and they did deal . 8 weeks ago i bought a rocket and guess what they did deal again , although i will admit we were down to the last 200 dollars on what i wanted to pay and they seen me walk again only too ring me 4 more times coming down to within 100 dollars off what i wanted to pay , then on the last call told him lose that last 100 or don't ring me back , they did ring me back but they risked me getting the shits and walking again just for 100 dollars , thing is though has soon has i signed up i ordered 2 grands worth off bits and peices.

They will deal now but you have to be prepared too walk. I think there struggling a bit Harleys hav'nt really gone up that much in the last 7 years or so