| RV News invites letters from
our readers. We want to share your thoughts, ideas and concerns with the rest of the
industry. Unsigned letters will not be considered, but you may sign your name with the
assurance that it will not be used if you so request. Address letters to: Editor, RV News,
408 E. Southern Ave., Tempe, AZ 85282, or FAX them to (602) 784-4060.
Dear Editor:
Although I agree with the point of your editorial (Feb.
99), I don't see any difference between the RV broker who pirates a deal away from a local
dealer and the 800# super dealer thousands of miles away who does the same thing.
Why are the manufacturers so upset about the emergence of
RVbrokers, when they haven't raised a voice to stop the territory abuse going on within
their own dealer bodies that results in the same outcome, i.e., customers with no service?
It just smacks of hypocrisy.
What's the difference between soliciting business from
outside your market in a national magazine and soliciting business from outside your
market by affiliating yourself with an RV broker?
Why not ban affiliations with buying clubs too, like
Sam's Club? After all, they provide out-of-market sales to many dealers too. And you could
consider them a broker as well. How about internet webpages that reach out to everyone in
the world. They create out-of-market sales too. If they're going to ban RV brokers, then
they ought to ban dealer national advertising, buying club affiliations and the internet
advertising as well.
There is only one reasonable solution to this spreading
problem from my viewpoint. The manufacturers are simply going to have to create an
incentive for dealers to service RVs not directly sold by them. Something like a
significant holdback that goes to the dealer in whose area the RV is registered. That way
if a coach is sold into your area, you'd have an incentive to service it because you were
paid for the sale (no matter which dealer-broker-club affiliate made the sale). And, a
dealer would have a disadvantage in pricing outside of his market because he couldn't
count on the holdback as part of his deal.
This idea has the potential to thwart the biggest problem
our industry faces...unhappy customers with no service. And, we'd still have our free
country with no restriction of trade. But the 800# super dealers may not like this idea
and I see the manufacturers knuckling under to them. Afterall, who do you suppose is the
biggest lobby against the RV brokers? Yep, the 800# super dealers who have now lost deals
to some little dealer who has a hookup with a broker. Sort of "the shoe's on the
other foot" situation. And the big guys don't like it!
Pete Koyak
President
Fourwinds of America, Inc.
Maroa, IL |
