Did I get a bad deal?

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.

Yes, I should have mentioned
that I live in Iowa. I’m sure there is very little competition between shops as far as touring boats go. To my knowledge, there’s only one shop that specializes in sea kayaks in the whole state, the vast majority of boats sold around here are recreational. I’ve decided I’ll contact the retailer and let him know about the wavy area in the hull while the boat is still new to me. That way, if the kayaks performance is affected by that, or a yet to be noticed deformity, I will at least have something to fall back on. The keel line appears to be straight, and besides the slight wave in the hull, the boat appears to be in ship shape.

What surprises me.
How absolutely demure some folks are when it comes to buying. There is no excuse for any product, let alone kayaks to be in less than perfect condition when sold as new. New means new–not with acceptable amounts of wear and tear. Any dealer should know how to take care of his merchandise and train his employees to do so.



What some here have said is true that some stores are pretty lax about how they treat their stuff; I’ve mostly noticed this about big box sporting goods stores as opposed to genuine kayak and canoe shops. My question is, why would anyone accept a scratched up dented boat when I assume the same person probably wouldn’t accept that when buying a new car?



Buying a new boat and the excitement of getting it on the water can blind you to a lot of details that later will cause you regret. But we live and learn and I’ve learned something each time I’ve bought anything of value.

New boat vs new car.
Most paddlers expect to get scratches on their boat the first time they use it.



Most car drivers don’t expect to get scratches on the new car the first time they drive it.