Price Check 2615 Price check

[whiteh2o]

Thank you....

 

[DavesTractor]

whiteh20, in no way was my comment directed at you. You received a good deal on a tractor, there is nothing wrong with that.

I also realize MSRP is the suggested retail price, that's why I don't get the huge fuss over MSRP's not being posted anymore but let's not go down that road again. Just my opinion.

By the way, dealers make very little, if any, profit on warranty work regardless of what you may think.

I was just stating why I have to sell at what some of the other dealers on here consider too low....in hindsight I should have probably just bit my tongue on the topic.

Regardless, enjoy your tractor!

Red River, SunDowner, and other dealers....this topic of profit on warranty/service vs initial sale just doesn't work in an open forum. I think if we were sitting down with these good folks, like White, they would understand, but it is hard to explain in a couple of paragraphs. I've touched on it a couple of times, very carefully, and it is universally understood by other dealers, but often not by the consumer. We know what we get paid for and what we do for free, we understand our costs, we know what dealers have properly invested in their own infrastructure to provide top notch support, and which ones have not. We know what dealers contribute heavily to the good of their local community, etc. But even so, if you say "so and so" can't sell for that, it is under or at cost...you will get backlash.

White is nearly unique in that he has no local dealer and didn't cross state lines to evade tax. He made some calls, got some pricing, was comfortable with the dealer and even paid his state tax upon return. I sure can't knock that, and I know you guys weren't directing your comments toward him.

Here is the point where I want to say so much more about stocking dealers vs "part time", tax issues, service calls, workers comp, frieght, delivery (many delivery guys don't have CDL's, DOT, etc like most should) and so on. But I think I should take my own advice and not get on that soapbox.

 

[EFC]

BTW...just bought a Lincoln Pro Mig (continious, no click) Welder 230v for $300 off it's MSRP. How do they do that? That's about x% off retail. How do they do that and make money? It's simple...demand verses supply...Does it appear I am a little pissy. Yes...if YOU the dealers can't get along then how do you think you make the consumers feel when making a tractor selection? In the end all of the dealers loose and it really doesn't matter where the tractor was bought, your still getting x amount on service and warranty work. Am I confused? The Harley, Dodge, (you pick) dealers could care less what deal you made with an out-of-state dealer....Never a question...they end up with the buck on service and support and these consumer items cost a lot more then the Mahindra I bought.

That being said, there are no Mahindra dealers here so I guess I don't have to lay awake and worry about it..

Just some simple dealer math. If I were to sell tractors at cost and just try to keep the lights on by what I can bill out of the shop I would need each mechanic in our shop to log 300 billable hours each per month. That would be the bare minimum necessary to stay in business. When I say stay in business I mean as an owner I would not get a paycheck and would have to look for another job.

Actually the Harley and Dodge dealer do care but what are they going to do when you come in? Stomp their feet and yell at the top of their lungs or process you like everybody else. A dealership is a synergy between, retail sales, service and parts. All three have to be profitable for a dealership to succeed because all three have real overhead associated with them.

Personally I wish Mahindra would set a minimum price dealers can be allowed to sell tractors for. Allowing dealers to sell at cost which is all I am seeing on the quotes posted (some even less than cost) makes the dealer network weak and unstable. Unstable dealers give crappy service and crappy service is something you want the competition to be known for not the other way around.

Dave, I buy my soap in bars, it is way easier to use than having a big boxes of it everywhere with footprints all over them.

Buck

 

[pete-mi]

I agree. I have seen some of the same things you are talking about at work over the years.

 

[whiteh2o]

Buck,

1) You didn't even show up on the dealer search I did. Maybe Mahindra needs to fix its website.
2) There are actually dealers closer, but, when they answer the "cell" phone "hello" verses "Thanks for calling xyz tractor" you seem to wonder if it's a part time job or they are actually a full time tractor sales & service. This dealer needed to make an appointment to meet you, because, it's not a full time job. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy. What are the Mahindra requirements to own a dealership? Part time sales? This encounter was not good. I have a couple of bars of soap available...

Dave and others thank you for you kind words. I'm between a rock and a hard spot. I want to thank the others that have supported me in this adventure. Looking back, I probably would have bought something different because of the BS on this thread.

It's been fun...

 

[whiteh2o]

My mistake EFC does show under zip code 99352. Another one shows in Pendleton under 'My Own Auto Sales'. Strange name for a Mahindra tractor dealer. Never talked to them either.

 

[RedRiver]

Personally I wish Mahindra would set a minimum price dealers can be allowed to sell tractors for. Unstable dealers give crappy service and crappy service is something you want the competition to be known for not the other way around.

Agreed.

 

[DavesTractor]

Personally I wish Mahindra would set a minimum price dealers can be allowed to sell tractors for. Allowing dealers to sell at cost which is all I am seeing on the quotes posted (some even less than cost) makes the dealer network weak and unstable. Unstable dealers give crappy service and crappy service is something you want the competition to be known for not the other way around.
Buck

The other option is to just push the standards up, or at least hold the dealers to current standards. Part time guys that are really just trailer dealers, or perhaps they have 3 tractors in stock and make their money selling cars...well, those guys need to either get up to speed, or drop the line and let someone else do it justice. If all dealers had proper facilities, properly trained and compensated staff, adequate inventory, etc., then if they want to sell cheap, at least it is a level playing field. With a level playing field, it is up to me to run my business effeciently and to keep my overhead costs down so I can compete with others.

This is the area in which the Big 3 are ahead of Mahindra and other up and coming brands. They enforce high dealer standards. There are exceptions, but generally speaking a JD Dealer or Kubota dealer has met some threshold of requirements before getting tractors to sell.

Mahindra has such requirements and I see that they are enforcing them more as time goes on. But as a newer brand, they do take some chances. When I signed up with them, I did not meet many of their facility requirements, but they knew I would very soon. They took a chance, and now we have done very well by them. On others they take a chance and after a couple of years they need to part ways, and that can be difficult.

None of my comments are directed at any specific dealers, just general discussion.