Have you purchased a Riverstone from Terry Town RV

[Drew and Lexa]

We are looking at getting a Riverstone 37FLTH and we see that they are charging for PREP and ADMIN fees. $500 for Prep and $220 for Admin Fees. Has anyone else bought from Terry Town RV in Michigan and did you pay these fees? Was their Prep worth the cost? Were you able to pick up your RV and find nothing wrong as the Prep ensured a trouble free RV? Thank you for your help in this.

[filthy-Beast]

Total out the door price is all that matters. Prep is a cost of goods sold on a balance sheet, if they want to offset that by showing a charge for it vs burying in the selling price who cares.

This allows them to post and phone quote a lower price while still having the same profit vs a dealer who does not charge a prep fee.

[Drew and Lexa]

Originally Posted by filthy-Beast

Total out the door price is all that matters. Prep is a cost of goods sold on a balance sheet, if they want to offset that by showing a charge for it vs burying in the selling price who cares.

This allows them to post and phone quote a lower price while still having the same profit vs a dealer who does not charge a prep fee.

So you are saying that dealers simply add this to their price while Terry Town is showing it as a separate line item?

[formerFR]

some do, some don't, but all are out to make a profit, no matter 'how' they sell it to you... it's all the same in the end - the price YOU are willing to pay, period.

[mike.t]

Originally Posted by filthy-Beast

Total out the door price is all that matters. Prep is a cost of goods sold on a balance sheet, if they want to offset that by showing a charge for it vs burying in the selling price who cares.

This allows them to post and phone quote a lower price while still having the same profit vs a dealer who does not charge a prep fee.

Not all dealers "bury" the charge!! some feel it's something that should be done for the consumer at no charge. Some retailers charge double for shipping, some for free, and the selling price is the same. It's called looking for repeat business.

[stannwen]

Originally Posted by mike.t

Not all dealers "bury" the charge!! some feel it's something that should be done for the consumer at no charge. Some retailers charge double for shipping, some for free, and the selling price is the same. It's called looking for repeat business.

We purchased a 39FKTH in March 2020. We decided which model we wanted, got their asking price and told them what we were willing to pay out the door. They accepted. It doesn't matter what it says on paper. The deal was so good I didn't care what it said on paper as long as the last number is what we agreed to.

[walaby]

Agree with those that say at the end of the day the out the door price is all that matters.


Here locally, the Camping World changes their fees daily. Whatever they feel like today, that's the doc fee. They also want you to pay over $1000 for prep fee, and half of the delivery fee they paid to get the trailer on their lot. When they hit me with that and I questioned it, the saleslady said "well, we have to start negotiating somewhere. My wife immediately stood up, and said "you can start with someone else".. walked out and didn't even look behind her to see if I followed her. I just stood up and said "yup, what she said", and out the door we went.


End of the day, if the Terry Town deal is good at the bottom line, don't worry about what they categorize things as. I bought a used car a few years back.. Told them out the door I wanted to pay $6500 out the door. We agreed. Then it came with $6500 plus a 799 doc fee. Told them I don't care if they make the doc fee $1500... the max I will pay is $6500. They actually changed doc fee to $1500 and reduced the base price so out the door, with tax was $6500. I don't know if they got a benefit by doing that, and don't care.


Mike

[filthy-Beast]

Originally Posted by walaby

Agree with those that say at the end of the day the out the door price is all that matters.


Here locally, the Camping World changes their fees daily. Whatever they feel like today, that's the doc fee. They also want you to pay over $1000 for prep fee, and half of the delivery fee they paid to get the trailer on their lot. When they hit me with that and I questioned it, the saleslady said "well, we have to start negotiating somewhere. My wife immediately stood up, and said "you can start with someone else".. walked out and didn't even look behind her to see if I followed her. I just stood up and said "yup, what she said", and out the door we went.


End of the day, if the Terry Town deal is good at the bottom line, don't worry about what they categorize things as. I bought a used car a few years back.. Told them out the door I wanted to pay $6500 out the door. We agreed. Then it came with $6500 plus a 799 doc fee. Told them I don't care if they make the doc fee $1500... the max I will pay is $6500. They actually changed doc fee to $1500 and reduced the base price so out the door, with tax was $6500. I don't know if they got a benefit by doing that, and don't care.


Mike

They did, it reduced the taxes and thus more of the 6500 went to them. Many states now have a max that can be charged for doc fees to stop them from doing it.

[filthy-Beast]

Originally Posted by Drew and Lexa

So you are saying that dealers simply add this to their price while Terry Town is showing it as a separate line item?

The price of your purchase, must include the unit itself, transportation to the dealer, labor cost to prep the unit, and all overhead plus profit. what buckets they put it in doesn't matter if you focus on out the door price. If you focus on just unit price then they can pad that with the additional fees. Plus in a lot states those fees are not taxed so it helps lower your total price and increases their profit, not sure if MI does or does not tax fees.

[lcv800]

Yup. Out the door price is all you have to worry about. They can all the fees, charges, or whatever, but out the door price is out the door price.
Rusty