Modern Vespa

Hi all. I'm in the market for a Vespa and I've gotten a lot of good information here to help me narrow my options. I have my heart set on a new GTV 300 and will probably be visiting the dealer this weekend to make up my mind.

What can you tell me about your experience in negotiating price on new scooters? It seems that there's limited supply and ample demand (I'm in Maine, not an urban area) and I'd like to know before I go in what my chances are for getting a decent break from the MSRP. With an asking price of $6,899 for the GTV, what would you suggest I shoot for? I know that what works in, say, San Diego or London may be different from coastal Maine, but I'd like your advice nonetheless.

With any luck I'll be back within the next week or two posting photos of my new ride.

Cheers,
Rick

Hey Chichikov-I think you'll find that Piaggio is pretty tight with the dealers and their small profit on new bikes and you won't get much haggle with the MSRP on a new bike. Your best bet in my opinion is to hope you can negotiate down the freight and other charges or maybe talk the dealer into throwing in a topcase or windshield. Make sure you know what accessories, helmets, gloves, etc. that you are sure to add and do some dealing on that end. You can also maybe ask for a break on your first service or two and see how willing he is to deal there. But my experience says you'll be knocking your head against a brick wall trying to talk down the asking price of a new Vespa.

Good luck with that 300. I think that GTV300 might be the nicest bike from Italy yet. I'm jealous.

I was told by a friend that is a dealer that his 300 cost is around $6400.00 I doubt they could deal too much. Try for free accessories at the very least.

Azcraig

I had an interesting experience, buying my new GTS 250 back last December. I brought along a good friend who had sold cars for many years. What an education! Bringing along this guy was the best move I ever made. The dealer, who also sold Harley-Davidsons, didn't know whether to s..t or go blind! There was another Vespa dealer nearby, and we pitted the two dealers against each other. Within several days, we got the out-the-door price (the REAL price) down about $1,000. I suspect that we could have knocked it down further, but I wanted the GTS 250, and to get the color I wanted, they even had to import it from another dealer under the same ownership about 120 miles further up the road. MSRP and the other charges, such as dealer prep, transportation, etc., are all bullshit. Find two dealers and let them fight it out. You're the customer, and you make the final decision!

Just remember, you want that dealer to be in business when you need parts or service.

I can't imagine that you will be able to do anything on the out-the-door price for a GTV300 given how new they are. You might get the dealer to throw in some minor accessories. Where you get the deals is with previous years models, discontinued models, used, demos, etc.

Good luck!

We even have a wiki article on this topic: FAQ: How negotiable is the price of a modern Vespa?.

Before you go to town on your dealer, ask yourself a few questions:

Are they courteous to you? Are they friendly to you? Do you feel like you are treated with respect? Do you feel they are knowledgeable with the product?
If the answer is yes, then it may be worth not getting the cheapest price. But if it is no, then I'd contact a bunch of dealers, check out cycletrader, ebay etc and find your scoot there.
You should have no issue getting an out of state scooter, as your emissions requirement is the same.

The dealer really doesn't make much money on the bike itself, all the profit is in the fees. The documentation fee and the pre-delivery inspection fee are where the money is. If you value having a local dealer in your remote area, you'll pay it. Ask for some free accessories or a free first service, but remember: If everyone were to haggle away all the profit, the dealer will go out of business in a matter of months and you'll have to go hundreds of miles for service. It's happened all over the country. Hell, even San Diego lost all their dealers recently.

+1

Don't be penny wise but dollar foolish.

Don't expect them to treat you with dignity and respect if you don't return the favor.

Wrong! MSRP is the suggested price set by the manufacturer. It allows a modest profit for the sale. Dealer prep is required to service and check a new bike and is not included in the MSRP. Transportation is a flat fee charged by Piaggio for every bike shipped to the dealer and not included in the MSRP. State fees for registration and title are also real costs borne by the dealer.

The dealer is not in business to absorb real costs and operate at a reduced profit just because some cowboy comes in the door who wants to chisel a sweet deal that leaves nothing on the table for the dealer.

Some adjustments may be made but don't expect tremendous savings.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people come in acting as if im a bad guy. I was born and raised into a family of car dealers, if I wanted to sell you a scoot let me assure you that you would. But I try to educate and inform customers about bikes.

+1 on all the MVers that mention supporting your local dealer. How much sense does it make to save 100 bucks on purchase if it means not having a local dealer and having to go 2 1/2 hrs to get service.

Also trying to set up your own Piaggio dealer cock fight doesnt make sense. I know the closest competing dealer and yes I want the sale but dealers really dont have the ability to cut each others legs out nor do we want to.

Probably the best possibility to negotiate a significant discount is if the dealer still has some unsold previous year scooters. Around here you can negotiate pretty aggressively on '09s still in the dealers stock. That does not apply to the 300GTV of course.

Thanks for all of your input. I didn't think the dealers had much wiggle room on price and you've confirmed that for me. I'm very much into supporting local businesses and I'm not interested in chiseling them down to where they aren't making a fair profit. Presumably I'm going to have a long relationship with them. I'm just looking for a good deal when it can be had.

Then buy used.

If I could find a deal on a used GTV 300 I'd snap it up

In this area the used scoots are priced pretty high. My wife is looking for a 150. With the $500 savings that Vespa is currently offering, all of the recent model used ones available are at about the same price as new.

probable not much wiggle room unless its old new stock or their going out of business, never hurts to try though

Just thought I would toss my two cents in the mix.

I have a pretty good relationship with the dealer where I bought my scoot. I even worked there part time for a while. The shipping an handling are real costs. These bikes come in a crate, which takes time to open, take the bike out, and deal with once its empty. They quite often have to be moved from a warehouse, via a cager. Then parts need to be put on (mirrors, licence plate holder, etc) then gassed up and air in the tires and road tested. I would say its almost a full days worth of man hours to get a bike out the door. Someone has to pay that person, and I don't want a minimum wage worker safety checking my scooter.

But on that note, vespa dealers quite often buy scooters on credit, so every month in the warehouse it is loosing money. If your dealer is slow and they have had stock sitting still for too long, they might take a hit on the price of the bike to keep from loosing more money on the interest.

But for me, a quality scooter is worth every penny of the sticker price. Pay full price, get a deal on a helmet.(I got a $400 helmet for $100 when I got my scoot). Doesn't seem like much, but for some reason saving $300 on a helmet feels better than $500 on a scooter, go figure.

Besides, if you save $500 on your scooter, then have to truck it 2 hours to the closest dealer for scheduled services, because your local one closed, that will eat into your savings pretty quickly.

If you are really looking to save cash, and have to have the GTV300, my best suggestion is to wait 6 months.

The world is full of people who buy these things, then realize that they are not toys--they have a close call, etc., and end up reluctant to ride it after only putting on a couple hundred miles. After they realize their riding days are over thanks to a last second left-turner that caused them to crap their pants, they put it up on eBay or craigslist.

Buying low-mileage used has huge advantages--someone else has taken the depreciation hit, as well as paid the shipping and dealer prep costs, and new vehicle taxes (in IL, when you buy a scooter/mc, the taxes are fixed at $25, whereas new, you have to pay like 8% of the retail price).

Also, remember that the prices you see on Craigslist are set by delusional people with no sense of what is happening in the economy, and there's lots of wiggle room.

I bought my GTV last fall off of craigslist, showed up at the test ride with cash in the amount of the max I was willing to pay, and my offer was accepted without hesitation--and my price was significantly less than what was posted on Craigslist. I ended up paying about 65% of what the seller paid new OTD, but at 550 miles, I had to fork out $250 for the first service almost immediately.

I guess my point here is, if you want a deal, you may have to be patient. Let the deal come to you. If you have to have the latest, greatest and most coveted Vespa immediately, you're probably looking at paying full-boat regardless of you haggling skills.

Hope this helps.

If I remember the title correctly, its 'royalty items.' These items, mainly motorcycles in our case, aren't a necessity. Cars, for instance are, at least in America. Thats why insurance can be alot more for some people and motorbikes/scooters/cycles/ATV/snowmobiles, ect are all pretty much bought at MSRP. Also, these toys aren't as prevalent as a car, hence the royalty item cost.

As said many times buy a used scooter for saving money or work out a deal with your other items (helmet, jacket, pants, scooter servicing). Also, wait a year or two then buy it from the dealer brand new. I just bought a new 2009 GTV 250 for $5k. I also bought my car that way to, brand new, but a 2 year old model...If you want the dealer new bike and save around $1,000, then buy an older model.

When I bought my Kymco last summer, the mechanic (who had been in the bike business for a long time and a salesman as well) told me that the fees are add on profit. The MSRP price already covers the cost of all those fees.

When I bought my 2009 GTS 250, I walked in and talked to the sales manager. I pulled an envelope of cash ought of my pocket and offered him $4795 out the door. He looked at me, looked down, waited 2-3 seconds, looked back at me and said "I'll make that deal." This place was not a Vespa boutique. They sold Victory, other brands of bikes and off road stuff. At that point, I realized that I probably could have offered him less and gotten it, but I knew I had still gotten a good price. So, I was happy with the trade.

I crossed the river and visited Moto Italia in Edwardsville, IL, who is a Vespa, Piaggio and Aprilia dealer. The owner saw the bike in my truck and struck up a conversation with me. He asked me where I got it and what I paid for it. He seemed amazed that the other dealer didn't charge me any extra fees. The week before I had been in to Moto Italia and was looking to buy then as well. All I was shown were two used bikes that were priced like they were brand new.

I visited Moto Italia again about a month later. They had a sign on the door saying that they were no longer going to be a Vespa dealer because their customers are not in the market for Vespa's. I talked to one of the salesman about it. He said that Vespa had been buying back unsold stock around the country and selling the bikes (as new product) at a substantial markdown to other dealers. They can't afford to compete with these dealers who are getting new bikes at a better price than they did--and they have the loan costs to deal with.

My point in all this is that non boutique stores might give you a better price.

But I would agree with others who have said that a new GTV (especially a GTV) will not be given much of a discount.
I had to shop around for my Kymco People 150--I got a bike with 20 km on it for $2000. It was returned to the dealer because the man who bought was elderly and really could not handle it. The bike was brand new.
I wanted a GTS250 and I shopped around for it and finally got it at a price that was acceptable. I realize that dealers need to make a profit to stay in business, but I cannot afford to pay them an exorbitant one.
Vespas are luxury items and are priced like it and sold at that price.

This is just my two cents--I shop around not because I am a cheapskate but because I have champagne taste and a beer budget.

It's funny to see my very first post on MV resurrected from the dead.

Here's what happened... The closest dealer had one GTV on the floor, which my wife really liked and ended up buying. He quickly dropped the price by $1000 without us even asking. If he hadn't jumped the gun we probably would have only asked for a couple hundred dollars off. He then got really pissy with me because I wasn't interested in anything that he had in stock. I asked him to order a new GTV (that I'd pay full MSRP for) and he wouldn't. I don't think he was moving many scooters at that point and was kind of desperate for a sale, but I just couldn't understand why he wouldn't order what I needed. How hard can that be? While I felt bad for the guy, I knew what I wanted and he just didn't have it. He also pouted and bitched and moaned to my wife about how little money he was making on her scooter. He never even thanked her for buying it. He named the price, she paid it, and then he cried about it. What a dick.

I went to the next nearest dealer, who did have a couple of GTVs in stock. His sticker price was lower than the previous dealer and he knocked another couple hundred off the price. Great guy, happy to make a deal - nothing like the other dealer.

I'm sympathetic to the plight of Vespa dealers and I want to support them if and when I can., but the attitude of the first guy left me feeling like I never wanted to spend another dollar in his shop. I was in there a couple of months ago with a friend. He greeted my buddy warmly and then he actually grunted at me. And he's the owner, not an employee that should be shown the door. That's not someone I'd ever go out of my way to support.

When I posted last year I knew next to nothing about the PTW industry, which is why I asked the question I did. All I knew was car buying and had no idea if working with a scooter dealer was similar. I know a hell of a lot more now than I did then.

Hey, where are you in Maine? Still there?

Funny about different dealer attitudes. We only have one place here at the NJ shore that sells Vespas, and he's a Yamaha dealer. I went to look at them in late March, drooled, and then realized how much more than my tax return money one would cost me. Sad. The dealer was all charm. Told me he doesn't sell used b/c in our area there are so few on the road that used is hard to come by. And that's true.

But Nnext day a Vespa goes on auction on Ebay, locally, and I ended up getting it and I love it love it. Went back to dealer to buy a helmet, told him what I'd found....no more charm. Told him I'd be coming to him for services and gear, a little charm returned. But he'd seen the stars in my eyes and thought I'd be back with a fat check the next week. Guess my helmet/services $ doesn't float his boat as much as a new sale! Now I'm passed right off to the service guys...

Yeah it's real hard to support a dealer when their an ass. People on here always say to support your local dealer but a lot of us don't have good ones. Ours here sells mostly HD and that's their main bread and butter, so they don't care about us. JOHN got a great deal but it was because they were getting rid of old stock. Deals can be had but you have to like what their offering. Nobody takes their scooter back for repair/maintenance. Everybody who has taken their scooter to that shop has a horror story. Hence the not so many vespas on the road. Rich people get one and then in a few years it comes on CL. Very scooter friendly island but not many vespa's. I don't know if dealers in CA will ship it to us anymore, like mine did. He closed his shop.

I got $500 off my 2011 matte titanium gts 300 Super

I recommend finding a hold over from last year. In the fall of 2010 I found a brand new 2009 S50 and saved $1000

I'm going to resurrect this thread because it looks like I'll be negotiating soon.

I'm planning to purchase a 2009 GTS 250 Super in the next few weeks. The dealer did not have the MSRP/OTD figures marked down at all, and when I pointed out that their 2012 GTS 300's are the exact same price they said "Oh... let me check...", checked and then they said "those are a few hundred less". Note that they have two GTS 250 Supers in stock and one GT200.

Naturally, I want to maintain a good relationship and I do not want to insult them by negotiating unnecessarily low.

I would like the matching top case + rack, and the piaggio side crash bars. I also wanted them to install a Stebel Nautilus.

Their competitor over in the county has a GTS 250 (not super) OTD for $5399. I imagine that on sale, the Super would go OTD for $5599.

They said the side bars are $299, the topcase is $450, and I can't remember what the rack was.

If you were looking at the same situation, how much would you offer for that package?

I just purchased a NOS 2010 LX150 out the door at Vespa in Lancaster Pa for $3622.00 ! They had 2 or 3 Lx150. Don't know what they have in 300s maybe nothing but yeah the way to go if you can is to buy NOS. Worth checking with them to see if they have any 300s. Good luck. Even if you pay full price, if you use it a lot you won't be sorry. Take it from a guy who has purchased six modern Vespas! cheers.

you can always find a better deal somewhere but getting there costs money too.

I wouldn't confuse the issue with any accessory items like bars or a Stebel horn....those can be gotten from a number of sources and the mark-up in that stuff is pretty good. Mixing that stuff in doesn't help matters any in negotiating.

Get your price on the scooter, by itself....then deal with the accessories. Some dealerships offer a discount on accessories purchased within say, 90 days of a scooter buy.


My .02.

I guess the appeal of rolling in the accessories is that they are expensive all together and I can roll that into my financing all in all.

That is a good point about muddling the issue with accessories, however.

They had a few GTS 300 Supers as well and a GTV 300. That's what tipped me off-- the 300 Supers and the 250 Supers were listed as the *same* OTD price. The 2012 scooter would cost significantly more to insure, so the 2009 250s are much more appealing to me.

Can't really compare experiences with recent purchases of 250s to what dealers can or will with the 300. The 250 is a discontinued model with quite a bit of new old stock around. Piaggio has been giving dealers incentives to sell the older stock and quite a few dealers have acquired stock in bankrupcy sales and the like. Lots of flexibility in sales of 250s, currently very little in sales of 300s.

Do you know that the newer bike would be significantly more to insure? Ours are just a few dollars apart across the years. (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 bikes are $5-$20 difference per.)
Registration might be the actual significant dollar difference.

Well, I'm going off my progressive policy experiences with my last scooter. They had mistakenly listed my previous Buddy 150 as a 2010 and when they corrected it to 2009, they found out I had over paid by about $200 annually. It's possibly it's not the same with Vespas, but nonetheless, a 250 is good enough for me-- if I can get a bit of a deal on it, then I'm going to shoot for it!

A guy over here paid $5400 for a new 300. He walked in with cash,told them that was how much he'd pay for one. If they didn't like it he'd go to the Honda dealer across the street and get a MC. He figured if he was paying more than that he might a well get the MC. Look around,come with cash and who knows you just might get a deal. Also their might be some last year models around that they might want to get rid of. Good luck

I paid $5,500 for my 2010 Super, which seemed pretty reasonable, but I rolled a Akrapovic can and a floor mat into the deal. As others have said, I don't think the markup is too high on new bikes. The real profit is in accessories and service.

I paid $5100 for my 2010 Super this past July. No extras, but I did get a nice percentage off the cost of my gloves, jacket, rain gear, and helmet.

It's easy in Canada to get $1000.00 off the retail price of a large scooter on the day or week after Christmas. There must be an equivalent sale week in other countries.

Cheers and good luck,
Bob

I keep hearing about no wiggle room with the price of the Vespa. That is absolutely not the case (at least in my area). I shopped around and got quotes from 4 different dealerships and ALL of them were willing to give me a several hundred dollar discount on a brand new 2012 Vespa.
Having a lot of experience with buying cars, I do believe there is an art to negotiation on the customers part just as there is an art to selling on the salesman's part.
If you go into a dealership and get pushy & demanding they are going to tell you where to go. If you establish a friendly relationship first, and show them you are interested in their dealership, service dept etc. they will be more likely to work with you regarding price and other discounts on accessories.

Having said that, I had to do no work at all with one dealership. I just sent a quote request stating that I am shopping around for the most competitive price and gave them my preferred price. I received an email back beating my price plus many discounts on accessories and free delivery (even though I was out of their area).

So, in summary, I feel there is wiggle room with the MSRP. It's simply how you go about it. Remember, a good attitude in life goes a LONG way!