Same as cash | Ski equipment purchase

[Murrski]

How many hours of SIA slalom searches do you do and get ready to pull the trigger but yield to new conversation about a new ski that just sounds awesome? I don't know how many circles I rotate in the off season thinking about a new ski for the upcoming season but it's damn near shameful. So I'm thinking to myself, would I just pull the trigger on a new ski if the immediate purchase wasn't a chunk of cheddar? I'm thinking yes -- if there was a same-as-cash purchase option that allowed me to spread that cheese over a span of 6-18 months for example -- I'd probably purchase a ski and binding setup every other year. Am I nuts - for sure... but who is with me?

 

 

[lakeaustinskier]

I'm not sure I understand your question. If you see a ski you want to try.........buy it (either new or used). Keep the ski in pristine condition. Ride it for a sufficient number of sets. If the ski is a keeper then hooray! If the ski is not for you then dump it for a small loss on SIA. Look at the small loss at sale as a rental fee.

[Murrski]

@lakeaustinskier - I'm just saying that I'd be more inclined to buy a brand new ski if I had a same-as-cash purchase option. Just like furniture shopping... spread it over several months to lessen the burden. $1500 or less purchase (6-month option), $1500 or more purchase (12-month option).

[RazorRoss3]

I don't believe that will ever catch on. Sellers aren't looking for monthly payments on their used gear especially since it would be near impossible to guarantee full payment.

[Than_Bogan]

Well this is strangely timely. I think about all I am authorized to say is:

 

Wait for it...

 

(@RazorRoss3 He's not talking about used gear; he's talking about an operating lease on a new ski.)

[keithh2oskier]

Financing waterskis? What would the APR on something like that go for...

 

Put $100/mo in a special waterski piggy bank until your ready to buy in cash.

[Mateo_Vargas]

Just get a introductory 0% interest credit card that gives you 6 months or more before charging interest. One year I got about 5 or 6 of them to help pay for a promo boat.

[Murrski]

@keithh2oskier - I hear you on creating a waterski tip jar - but it's to easy for my kids and wife to withdraw from that bank - lol. APR? Same as cash is 0.0% :smiley:

 

This was just food for thought! I'm just thinking I might buy more " brand new" products if I had the option that I have at most home improvement stores, furniture stores, etc.

[gregy]

When I had my Auto repair and Offroad shop there were companies contacting me about that kind of stuff were the shop gets the money upfront minus some interest. I bet the same kind of thing could be done through ski shops. Its not a bad idea and could possibly be organized by the manufactures and offerred down to the dealers. I try to pay for stuff straight out but used one of these offers recently to buy tires just because it didn't cost anything.

 

If you're buying used I think there is a way you can pay on paypal with a credit card so that you could use one of those 0% offers.

[Dacon62]

No disrespect to other opinions but if you have to lease/finance a relatively low cost, high depreciation item like a new Waterski you might want to wait till you can afford to buy it cash and keep your old plank till you can. And zero percent financing usually means the finance charges are hidden in the price you pay. Not much real free stuff out there. Everyone has to eat.

[Andy]

Always pay cash for toys.

[lpskier]

One our club members owned a repo business. A whole new line of business.

[mikegile]

Agree with @Andy. Pay cash for depreciating assets!

[greghayes]

Some smart manufacturer will come up with a ski subscription service. Trade in your ski for the latest model every 18 months for a mere $100 per month fee. Ski tuning included.

 

@Than_Bogan - was I reading too much between the lines or is this what you might have been alluding to?

[Murrski]

@greghayes - love the idea and I'll stay tuned to the "wait for it" that @Than_Bogan hinted about. I have a hunch something good is in the making!

[swc5150]

Use Paypal. Purchases over $99 offer 0% for 6mo.

[gregy]

As a buyer I try to pay for everything up front. But hey if your a business you have to look at marketing strategies with a competitive advantage. Look at D3's demo program I think its a really good marketing strategy, evidently HO did to because they adopted. If your in business your always looking for an edge.

[Wish]

@Than_Bogan is just saying stuff so he can get his bag of peanuts.

[sunvalleylaw]

@greghayes I could see some company trying that. You will not own the ski either. License fee only. But I bet they require you to return the ski with no handle dings, preventable damage, etc. to keep qualifying for new skis, or pay an additional damage fee. And other such provisions to put the risk of loss as much as possible on the lessee/licensee.

[keithh2oskier]

Would the option of buying certified pre-owned skis take a hit from the market of brand new skis?

[Wish]

@keithh2oskier .. Heck ya!! Think of it. Reconditioned, flex tested ski with a companies name stamped on it and the company backing it up. Until Denali, I have never purchased a new ski..(me=skier on a budget). I have hedged my bets with SIA and have been burned. I come out on top with good deals but the idea of not havejng to wonder what I'm really getting would be worth a few extra dollars for the assurance of it being a competent, not abused ski.

[keithh2oskier]

I was joking on the certified pre-owned ski. The issue I have is this is a waterski, not a car where you can do a multi-point check and you can see the "miles" (leases are done on a mileage basis). Can you only ride your ski x many sets? Sure you can flex test and set the fin back to standard but at the end of the day their could be internal compromises to the ski that cant be known.

 

If I was a dealer I don't know if I would touch this with a 10' pole. great option for the consumer (financially) but the liability is up there. Who knows if the previous skier rode it a few times a month or a few times a day. Was it stored in the trunk of their sedan in Arizona baking or in the climate controlled house in Washington.

[swc5150]

I guess I'm still missing how Paypal isn't the answer to the OP's question? Sure, there are still some people out there without Paypal accounts, but I personally haven't encountered many. Anything over $99, you have 6mo no payments / no interest. I used that option when buying my Vapor from skidawg. Threw $550 down on day one, and the final$550 6mo's later. Pretty painless and simple. I could've easily paid it all up front, but making it 2 installments took the sting out of it.

[Wish]

@keithh2oskier I'm pretty sure someone in the know with any manufacturer could easily see whether or not a ski could be certified or scrapped through a series of tests beyond just a flex here and there. I've got a buddy that sold a Nano 1 to a friend for more then probably worth on SIA do to the fact that the friend knew he was getting a well cared for ski. Not much different. The consumer would know it is a legit ride at a deeeep discount. Ya, some can ski a ski to death in one short season...most cannot including me and my season is looooong. Probably easy to spot one of those rode hard and put away wet just like the car. I would not hesitate to by a certified 1 season old Radar or D3 or just about any of the brands if it ended up being certified by someone that actually knew what they were doing and had a loooong history of ski building and design. The proof would be on the company to provide their recertification process and perhaps history of the person(s) doing the recertification much like certified cars (huge liability there). Maybe that person takes a ride on it having first hand knowledge of what it should feel like...much like test driving that car. Can tell a lot just with that.

[LoopSki]

@Dacon62 well I must be on a much lower pay grade. $2000 +/- is not a relatively low cost piece of equipment to me ! A 0 down no interest and payments for 6 months would be a cool option. They bank on the ones who don't pay it off. Interest accumulates back to purchase date. Sounds like a good option. However some ballers would get reemed if they don't pay off the ski in time !

[Dacon62]

Hey, 2 grand is a lot of money...when I referred to "relative" I meant relative to bigger ticket items with payments traditionally spread out over a specific term, like a car or house.

 

Welome to BOS @LoopSki

[swc5150]

@LoopSki Correct indeed! Paypal bones you solidly should you not payoff the 6mo deal within the timeframe. And, they don't announce in your statements loudly that the promo timeframe is coming to and end.