Is it better to purchase at Dealer or NEC show?

[Giles123]

Hi, thanks for all the very helpful comments on previous posts and we have now worked out the van we want.
What are peoples thoughts /experiences on buying a new van at a dealership vs. the NEC show?
We have been to a couple of NEC shows and are aware that there seemed to be a lot of ‘show offers’ but as we were just generally looking at layout options didn’t really take a lot of notice if these show deals reflect real savings.
We are looking to get a new motorhome in time to start our adventures next year when we both have significant birthdays!
As ever I really appreciate all the different thought provoking views that get expressed here

 

[Rollingwheels]

Might be worth getting some idea of the prices at dealers of the type of van that you are interested in so you can go along to the shows armed with an idea

 

[MichaelT]

The people who sell at the NEC are all dealers so no difference. You may get show offers or maybe price guarantee at the show but a lot of dealers may match them.

 

[Polar bear]

We go to nec to look at what’s available and then buy from local dealer as all vans have problems and it’s much easier to get problems sorted locally and no needing to drive miles across the country to the dealer who sold you the van at the show.

 

[offagen]

You may get some good offers at the NEC but bear in mind that the salesman you buy from may represent a dealer far from your home. This could prove inconvenient when you need servicing and warranty work done, particularly as some coveniently local to you dealers may refuse to carry out warranty work on a MH you bought elsewhere - even when they do sell the same brand.

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[Hedgewitch]

Agree 100% with Polar bear & offagen
If you approach your nearest dealer about a month before a major show, knowing what you want, the dealer will already know what their show offers are going to be.

Ask nicely and you may well get the show deal without being there (has worked for me).

But if you need to go to the show to audition lots of different vans it's a mute point.

 

[Howard H]

We bought our van before one of the major shows but the salesman asked us to sign up at the nec as he got more bonus for selling at the show . It was no cheaper but as we where going anyway and he gave us free tickets and it helped him out

 

[Stoosal]

We bought at NEC but had the choice of which dealership/location supplied the vehicle. We got a far better deal via the NEC show than the same supplying dealer had previously quoted!

 

[Jo-jo]

We saw the MH we wanted at the NEC, within our budget. We asked another dealer for their best price for the exact spec. He couldn't match it and said if you've seen it, at that price, go and buy it.

We then asked the original dealer if there was any incentive for buying at the show. He said "I've got £3k to play with, so I can knock that off the listed price". So we bought it at the show with a price guarantee too.

Both dealers were within 50 miles of home.

 

[Parrot Face]

We had an unwritten deal with a dealer for an Adria. Went to the NEC and at the Adria area they had a fabulous deal for the same vehicle with loads of add ons. The dealer was also there and he agreed to cancel our "deal" and substitute it for the better one all very friendly.

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[Carpmart]

Now that we are in (or at least entering) a buyers market again, my biggest tip for achieving the best price, is work out the dealers fiscal year. Is it Jan to Dec or April to March? Once you know this, time your purchase around quarter end which is how the sales team will be measured. They will want to be bolstering their sales figures and you’re the white knight to help them with this.

End of fiscal year purchases are even better for transaction value.