Did I get a bad deal?

Here is my situation… I bought a Current Designs Storm GT last weekend from a kayak and canoe shop. After getting it home and inside, and upon closer inspection, I found a “wavy” spot in the hull just below the cockpit. It isn’t bad but is noticeable if you look and feel for it. I got past that with the understanding that long poly boats are susceptible to oil canning in that area, and that I could probably fix it. BUT when I was at the court house registering it today, I noticed on the manufacturers proof of origin paper that it was delivered to the store almost two years ago. I paid MSRP for it. My main question is: Is it common (and acceptable) to pay full price for a boat that has been sitting in the store since 2012? Maybe it’s not a big deal, I honestly don’ know.

good question…and a tricky answer

– Last Updated: Feb-18-14 5:32 PM EST –

could you have gotten a better deal at another dealer? Is there another dealer? Do you like the boat? Do you like the dealer? Will you remember this lesson next time you buy a kayak?
I'd say if you have fun, use it regularly, have more fun, make good memories and anticipate good times, your return on investment will be just fine.
Never bought a new boat, though I've had 13 at one time on occasion, so I can't honestly answer your question. I know the local dealer does end of season sales, but their inventory is so huge I know not everything gets sold.
My favorite boats are the ones my kid got for free lol. Oh, to be young and talented.

Others will disagree with me, but…
… I don’t think there’s any reason to provide a discount on a boat that’s been in the store for two years. There’s nothing about the boat that is any different now than when it arrived. Further, except for cars and electronics, nearly all the other expensive items we buy could easily have been laying in the store since the previous year or more and we’d also never know or care. Would you demand a discount on the power saw you just bought, just because it was manufactured more than 12 months ago? Hardly - it’s still a new saw and it’s still the one you wanted. I’d apply the same reasoning to boats. That doesn’t mean you couldn’t try to coax them into giving you a deal on such a boat, but as you can see, they must have planned on selling it for full price because someone would eventually want it, and they were right :wink:

Today’s MSRP…
would be higher than the one from 2 yrs ago due to inflation. At the least you got a sale of sorts on that.



I’d just be attentive to how things like the hatch covers and perimeter lines loo. If the boat has been sitting indoors they should be fine, if it was outside you could see some dryness.

That you paid MSRP tells me that
the dealer has room and cash reserves to carry inventory.



I got a Swift Raven several years ago from a reputable dealer that said it wasn’t moving and no one had interest. There was a forty percent discount. The dealer simply wanted it out.



That the hull was delivered in 2012 is not a big deal. In your area dealers may get inventory only a few times a year. And there may not be much demand for sea kayaks.



If you want to talk waiting, because of transport, it can take two years to get your canoe barged back out of the Arctic.

maybe
Full retail on a boat a few years old, especially if that boat is still sold as is (so there is not a newer/better version) is not unusual.



If that wavy section impacts the usability of the boat, then that may be an issue that would justify bringing it back.



Overall, big discounts on boats are rare. The person who mentioned the 40% discount got a deal, as that would put the boat at or below what the dealer paid for it. There is not a lot of margins on these things. The margins are a little better on clothing and accessories, so discounts there are more common. But overall, sometimes it is amazing that dealers even stay in business.

Some boats
will move at 20% discounts in the fall. That is very common. That wave is something that I would want to be sure could be removed which it likely can. A dent or wave in the bottom is very common. I got one in one of my boats from leaving it sitting on the bottom in the garage for a few days. But it came right out with some applications of hot/boiling water and a towel laid over the area. It has never returned since I have been careful about storing it on its side or deck in slings at the bulkheads.

two years old
Getting the boat for a “new” price isn’t so much an issue unless it gets stolen and you report the loss to your insurance agency. They’ll devaluate it your brand new boat down two years. (this happened to me when some AH stole my new three year old Hobie Catamaran) Fortunately, the dealership owner (Mr. Tom Hatch) came to my aid to explain the situation. Just saying… By the way, summer heat may melt your boat (oil can) if it is not laying on the gunwhales or upside down. I don’t recommend transporting or storing plastic on cradles/saddles. And it happens fast.

I concur.
I have had dents/ waves in both of the boats I got, but customer service and the owner’s manual both said to let it sit in the sun for a few hours, and it would come out. On one it did, but on the other it required manually pushing out the dent after it had heated.



If that didn’t work, I was supposed to try a heat gun, but to be extremely careful that didn’t make the problem worse.

I agree with others
Another point, at least the engine is in good shape or, at least. in as good condition as you thought it was when you bought it. :wink:

Thank you, all
There have been some very good points made here. It seems like the general answer is that I shouldn’t be worried about the boat not being brand new. After reading everyone’s comments, I would have to agree. Nothing on the boat has changed since 2012 and I feel confident I can take the slight deformity out of the hull. I can’t wait to get her out on the water!

Loyalty Perk
I think I would use the situation to my advantage. I would go back to the dealer, and tell him/her that you like the boat but did not realize that it was two years old. I would then ask for some compensation in the form of a store credit for future purchases. While I am retired from retail, I do not know what the mark-up is on the boats, but I will bet a lot that the mark-up on the accessories is MUCH higher, making a store credit on those things you will need actually a better deal.

Not acceptable.
If you bought the boat as a new boat and not as an “as is” left over, I think you got hosed. A new boat should be as close to perfect as is possible, but it is up to you to check it out very carefully, before you make the deal. I don’t care if the wavy bottom is fixable, that alone should have brought a substantial discount. I personally would never buy a boat that has a serious defect. A warped bottom is a serious defect; it says something about how the boat has been cared for and that you had better do some further checking. Be especially sure that the keel line is straight. Polyethylene boats can get warped from end to end and that is a big problem.



I would take the boat back to the dealer and see if he was aware of the warped bottom and what he was prepared to do about it. Good luck.



I have never paid MSRP for any new boat, but there are a lot of competitive dealers in my area.

I think you did fine…

– Last Updated: Feb-19-14 10:34 PM EST –

As others have said it's not at all uncommon for merchandise to sit on the shelf for a while and be sold at full retail. It seems like if no one asks or knows then no one cares. Cars are a little different because every year most models receive a bunch of upgrades.

The people I work for believe that things should be worth more after they've been sitting because they've had to pay to store them and have had the money tied up. I don't agree with that, but selling a new Kayak at a discount because they ordered it and no one wanted it for a while seems a little rough, especially for a well known model like you bought.

The retailer you bought it from is probably not making as much as you think on the transaction, and even at full price you are not making them rich in any way. If they lose money they are out of business.

The way to make sure you got a good deal is to use it a lot.

If it has a manufacturing defect then that's on Current Designs, not the retailer, and I'm sure they'll make it right.

You got hosed!!!

– Last Updated: Feb-19-14 10:53 PM EST –

Mountainman outdoors old forge ny were selling 2012 Storm gt's at 985$ 3 weeks ago. you can still get one for 1085$ Msrp was near 1500$.. A boat that is 2 years old is old stock and you should be given a discount...in my opinion...


http://www.mountainmanoutdoors.com/touring-kayaks-inventory.html

But, is Mountainman Outdoors’ boat
in any better condition? The only way to be sure is to check it out in person. Have you verified that their boats are in better condition than the OP’s?



It’s extremely common for plastic boats to have dents in the bottom from rack display.



Most boats transported hull down on cradles develop dents where contacting the cradles, unless the cradles are located under the bulkheads.

Screwed, IMO
There is no way I would pay MSRP on a new yak even for this year, let alone a 2 year old one. Who here would pay MSRP on a 2014 yak? Not me!! So he paid MSRP on a 2 year old yak? Yep in my mind you got screwed. I have never paid MSRP on any of my kayaking gear and never will. I also do not pay MSRP for my cycling gear either. Always, always ask for a better price than they are asking for. If they come down great, if not and you really want they, hey you tried.

And Iowa is not Old Forge NY

– Last Updated: Feb-20-14 8:22 AM EST –

doubt there is competition in Iowa.

Total agreement with GBG

shipping costs??? nm

And meanwhile…

– Last Updated: Feb-20-14 8:17 AM EST –

... paddling shops all across the country continue to disappear because the profit margin on boats is so much smaller than average buyers believe. Consider yourself fortunate to live near a paddle shop in a robust market, a shop that can afford to offer you a discount on a new boat in hopes of making you a happy customer that will continue to patronize them and likely buy additional, more-profitable items.

It always amazes me how many people here think the individual economic situations of all paddle shops are the same. There could be a dozen reasons why one shop can fully expect to sell some leftover boats for full price, while another shop can't hope to unload them at all without slashing the price, while still another is in a the lucky position to be able to slash the price to gain certain indirect benefits.