VB,with me it is not "I don't want to tell you" It's "Formula won't let me tell you on line or by email,but call me and I will tell you". I may not like it,but I play by their rules.Read some of my ads,I try to explain my pricing situation,but it is tough at times.If someone wants my best price,I give it to them,no money on the table.If I left money on the table then it is not my best price,so I lied.Would you buy a boat from someone who lied to you? This may turn into a very interesting thread.

Sorry I edited my prior post Robert and left out part of it,

I understand the situation you are in with Formula, you need to put that in your ad because when you don't, the above is what I think.

We are all aware that sometimes Sellers aren't allowed to price because of restrictions on new items, but I'd just out say it in the ad. Other products do, and that I understand.

Something to the extent of:

"Due to factory restrictions please call and ask for Robert for best pricing and mention you saw this ad on XXXXX"

I'll admit, that wasn't a very good analogy.

What I'm trying to convey here is that if someone is too busy, too proud, too 2008, too whatever to have a phone conversation about a possible purchase of something $200K!!!, then there is an unbelievably slim chance that he is a legitimate buyer. Maybe I am severely jaded here, but that's the way I feel.

If these dealers sold one boat for every 50 tire-kickers they waste their time with, they'd all be millionaires.

As long as we are talking about selling, You want to make sure I never even consider your boat, list it with 3 different brokers that have 3 different prices on it...that really drives me insane or the same broker but using different prices on different websites.

That just screams stay away to me.

I hear ya, I was just poking at you because I knew what you ment and housing was a bad example, exotic car dealer would be a lot closer


But I think both our points emphasize that you and I have different ways of starting the buying process and that's what I am trying to pass along, I don't think in sales you can discount a way of attracting or communicating a sale. I always talk to the seller at some point and all but once met with them in person at some point before closing.

There is no right or wrong here i don't think.

Check out my 382 ad at www.nelems.com and tell me what you think of the wording. Maybe I should put this in all my ads.

I'd only change it to say "will be worth your time" instead of "may" and if there's a way to bold the disclaimer about pricing I'd add that too.

Just my $.02 and that and another $3 will get you a cup of coffee today.

I'm not sure that what we're discussing here is that a phone call isn't justified for this kind of purchase, but that without a price to begin with you won't make the short list to get that phone call.

List a starting price and then perhaps state "Call for Best Price"

Seriously? For a brand new boat someone would scrap a deal because it might cost them $1 for a phone call? The sad thing is, once somebody actually speaks to Robert they'd actually enjoy talking to him.

Simple email response: "Formula will only allow me to quote XX% off MSRP in my ads or via email. But tell me when and how to get hold of you, or just call me, and I'll share my best price." And make sure you have the necessary "been in business XX years, never an unhappy customer, customers all over the country" etc.

In your ads you can again reference the factory restriction and tell people they WILL get a better price when they actually call. You have to put that at the beginning of the ad also, not at the end. Hook 'em up front.

I'm just not cynical enough to believe that people are too full of themselves to think their time isn't worth a 5 minute phone call. Don't lose sleep over this one Robert. He was too cheap to make the phone call, but he had enough time to write a nasty email. He'd be the customer you'd rather not deal with.

I have dealt with the same issue. I don't pretend to think that I have dealt with it successfully.

In my experience, the serious buyers pick up the phone.

T