[revrnd]

Just wondering what the consensus is here and it's not a poll.

Do you run all over the place to get the cheapest price on a sled, then take it to the dealer who is closest to you for service?

Or pay a bit more at a dealer that you know and trust for their service?

The reason I ask is that some people I know will drive past Dealer A to buy their sled from Dealer B, because he's $100 cheaper. Then when they take it to Dealer A for service, they wonder why it gets shoved to the back of the shop. Dealer A is going to look after his buying customers and service their sleds first.

 

[Snow Monkey]

I will stick with one dealer if the service is fair, you are given a decent price, something not out of the ball park, and that they have a knowledge of the machines they sell and service. If a dealer puts in an effort, i will spend my money there on accessories and parts.

  Sometimes the dealer doesn't see customer satisfaction as a top priority and slufffs off some warranty work or service. What I find hard to believe is that when I needed warranty work done on my machine, nothing was done to it. I sat and watched him write everything down on a work order and when I got the machine back, nothing was fixed. So now the machine has been at the dealer for 2 weeks now and I wouldn't have heard from him if I didn't call two days ago.

Time to start kissing butt and find a new dealer. If a dealer wants my money than in return I expect friendly and helpful service and work done properly.  

 

 

[revrnd]

I can't blame you there. After my incident in February, I dropped it off Monday morning first thing and they called Thursday morning to say it was ready. I told them that I was heading for northern Ontario on Friday night.

I've been dealing with them since '91 & have bought 3 sleds from them & unless something catastrophic (Yarek will have learned a new word tonight)

before next spring, I'll be ordering my '04 from them.

 

[paul yarek]

my first sled in about 20 plus years came on a whim just called around from work and found a sled then went on a sled trip the next day. i bought the sled from a dealer that is a family business now celebrating their 50th year in business and i know my father bought his first two sleds there 35 years ago. my uncle is a tech there and a good one also. after my trip of 3-4 days i was told by all the guys to take the sled back for my 10 hour inspection. so with no snow here i did mainly because of the yellow on one of the idlers was cracked, after $175.00 later and i was charged for the idler i started second guessing them but still remained a customer. my son needed a pipe on his old 380 and i wanted it fast so i called them, $690.00 plus tax seemed big so i just checked for aftermarket at another dealer and the dealer said no aftermarket for that sled but $513.00 plus tax for what i needed. ever since then i go to another dealer and never check price bought two sleds from them, i don't like shopping all over gods green.

 

[jwheeler]

I had one polaris dealer for three sleds and they were great, this is my first second year on a ski doo and the service is not half as good as i got from the polaris dealership but i still stick with them, Sucker i guess!!

 

[Indywild500]

Hi, i've been reading this board for a couple of weeks now and really  enjoy  it.  Back to the question, will i go past the local dealer to save a buck , well it depends . I don't mind spending more for quality service but if the sevice sucks I'm lookin for a better deal.  I just bought a new sled after being out of the sport for seven years. Bought a leftover 02 indy 500.  The local dealer didn't have what i wanted so i drove an hour away and saved 1100 dollars.  I will give the local guy my buisness for the usual stuff oil ,plug ,belts. I'm sure even he will understand my reasoning.

 

[paul yarek]

indywild500,
 welcome aboard here the people here will treat you like you treat them {we have women here}. grab the microphone once in awhile and tell us a few stories.

 

[revrnd]

indywild500, my brother was looking for a '01 Formula Deluxe 600 this year. The dealers in southern Ontario had a few 500s & 700s. The dealer closest to him only wanted to sell him a Legend 600. He started calling the dealers on the OFSC trail map. He found what he was looking for in North Bay, a 3 hour drive one way.

 

[Indywild500]

HI Paul, thanks for the nice hello.  I started thinking about getting a sled last year, went to all the snow shows ,talked to all the local dealers . Still am amazed at how much the sleds have changed since i sold my old stratos.  I was always a ski-doo guy but after looking at them all with an open mind  for the kind of riding i do there really isn't a bad sled out there.  The dealer that i got my Indy 500 from sells polaris and yamaha in a good year he claims to sell over 300 machines , this spring he had 30 left over machines. i got the 500 for 4300 plus tx. All of his sled were were1000 to 1500 less than sticker. Could have bought a 700 xcsp for 6000  but my wife probably would have  skinned  me alive.   If you don't mind a left over their are some awsome deals out there. I've been away from the sport so i didn't even have a helmet any longer  so i was checking around on the net and found web site that has bunck of polaris clothing for sale dirt cheap(www.sportsmansguide.com). I bought two helmets, to coats two pair of boots and two pairs of gloves for 340 and it's all left over 2000 polaris clothing.  Well paul how's that for a story and it's all true thats the best part.

 

[paul yarek]

indywild500,
 ah we love ya for the story and that part about the wife skinning you has to be something those girls learned in another class at school that was privy to us guys.

 

[Snow Monkey]

Paul, you were probably off in the parkin lot drinkin and smokin, thats why you missed it!

 

[ZRT800]

Throughout my long 25 year life I've learned that when you find a good place to deal (be it a garage, a toy dealer or some other service oriented bus.) you stick with them.  They appreciate your loyality, & you appreciate there vip service.  A dealer will know if you are dealing somewhere else.  I've worked in a garage before & mechanics have a way of remebering what work has been done & if that shiney new part was put on by them or not.  I don't mind paying more for better service.  

Right or wrong, that's the way I view it, & it's worked for me.  If I had the cash to buy a new firekitty, I'd go straight to my current dealer & pay what they ask, hopefully with some added bonuses!

  It would take well over $1000- difference in price to make me even think about buying from a different dealer.  Hope my dealer doesn't read this & add $1500 to the F7!

 

[phazerhater]

Around here there is only one main cat dealer, but I have found cheaper sales else where.  So I will go farther to get a cheaper sled but take my sled in to the local dealer to get any repairs done that I can't handle.  The local mechanics are pretty good.  The front is where you get the snotty customer service.

  The guys in the back seem to know their stuff though and are very friendly.  The mechanics are the only ones I will deal with localy.....

 

[NDMtnSledder]

I jumped ship once to save a few bucks.  I will never do that again saved a little buying the sled but in the long run it cost me on service.  Oh well found a dealer i like know and learned from my mistakes.

 

[High Miler]

We buy two sleds, every two years. The dealer is 50 miles away and I think he is very fair on his pricing, the service is excellant, and he's been in busness for over 25 years.. He gives us discounts on oil, belts, plugs, etc.. The next Polaris dealer is 120 miles away.. A little to far..A good dealer is very important, regardless of the brand...

 

[SledHed670]

Good dealers are hard to come by these days.  If you find one stick with it.  I am not sure I've found one yet!

 

[LadyK]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (paul yarek @ April 04, 2002, 10:23pm)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">indywild500,
 ah we love ya for the story and that part about the wife skinning you has to be something those girls learned in another class at school that was privy to us guys.[/b][/quote]
That was a class offered to women only, I made the honor roll.LOL jk.

I get a great deal from my dealer and the best service ANYWHERE. We pay $300 over dealer cost (the guy has to make a living) and we have only had to leave a machine there ONCE because the part was backordered and our dealer talked bombi into giving permafrost a brand new sled to ride untill his was fixed, they cracked a crate to give him this loaner.My dealer shut his dealership down to fish my sled out of the lake.He only charged me $450 to fix the sled $0 to fish it out, while I was showering at his house.We get service when we arrive. I cant say enough good things about him. We have been dealing with him for 8yrs and have refered many people there. I will buy a sled from him as long as he is selling them.Our dealer is like family.

 

 

[alscool]

where i am there are all four dealers within half hour of each other.  so i will patronize the brand dealer and hope for the best.  i have only heard good things about Carson's in Perth

 

[mike800z]

i'd love to stick with just one dealer but the last 3 sleds i bought from 3 differant dealers they all went out of business. i cant find a dealer that cant seem to keep the doors open. maybe i'm just bad luck

 

[TallCool1]

Some of you guys are lucky!  I believe in good service, so I will always pay a little more for a product if I believe in their service.  Unfortunately, after 20 yrs, I still haven't gotten that relationship w/a snowmo. dealer.  Part of that is because I have one dealer 30 miles from me, and the next closest is about 4 hrs away.  The dealer close to me is a nice guy, but I've never been able to buy a sled from him.  The service is just OK, but the last 2 sleds I tried to buy were leftovers and his shop was still wanting list price for them.  I do get my parts from him 'cause he's fairly close, but that's it.  I think I found a good dealer now, about 3.5 hrs away.  Have been talking to him over the last month and sounds like the kind of guy I'd like to deal with....will find out soon.