Am I alone in thinking it's a bit of a cheek to charge £ 9 a head for someone to go and buy a caravan etc.? Ok so discount price is £ 7, book on line, I print my own tickets using my printer paper and ink, untouched by human hand, and lo there is an admin fee of £1. They're avin a larf. Be interesting to see attendance figures in these hard times. If I as an exhibitor had paid the sort of money they charge for exhibition space, I might be tempted to think £1 admin was the final straw.
Yes I think it is a bit of a cheek but the entrance fee is somewhat similar down here or maybe even more at the NEC Birmingham twice a year at the caravan & motorhome show. However, the attendance figures never seem to decline even though hard times.
Going to a caravan show is like going to the cinema, entertainment. If you want to buy a caravan go to a caravan showroom, entry is free.
I sort of thought it was an opportunity to see and compare vans and equipment under one roof in nice warm surroundings, The vans decked out with fancy lights and designer additions. And so all those guys with clip boards and little books of second hand values etc, are just the cabaret
You obviously have a very balanced view, probably not the dealers first choice as a target eh?
I agree with Tentz, I don't go to the motorcycle or car shows to buy, just for a day out (esp the European shows) the dealers showroom is the place for a purchase
Seems that no matter where you go / what you do - someone wants to screw the last drop out of you! Charge for credit and even debit card. Handling fee. Booking fee. Admin fee. They are all at it. If you are seriously looking for options for a brand new van then a show is the place to compare but otherwise I don't bother with the shows. I'd rather have someone else take the hit for VAT and all the add ons before they find they are not cut out for caravanning and sell out.
There aren't usually many stalls to interest me other than towsure perhaps but it's a bit like a street market with caravans, motor homes and residential caravans thrown in. Take a picnic lunch because the cafes can be expensive but I don't recommend opening it in a caravan to try it out - the salesmen don't seem to like that.
weird old world ,mate of mine came into a few million quid inheritance a couple of years back ,and he wanted to buy a new 4X4 ,he asked me along as he's not very good at negotiating deals etc (old habits die hard) .
the day we went we had been down on another friends farm so we were not exactly tidy looking when we got the showrooms one sales assistant at KIA would hardly give us the time of day ,he didn't get the business .
we next visited a nissan dealership and found someone talk to us and we bought the biggest in the showroom ,came to £28.000 but they REFUSED to take it in cash ,what a world we live in
I bought myself a brand new 2 seater sports car at 25 ( obviously gone now due to baby and it wasn't a good puller!!) a Toyota dealership and a Mazda dealership wouldn't give me the time of day until I mentioned that I had a new one on order elsewhere. Then they were falling over themselves. I wouldn't have bought from them on principle.
HP at a show or dealer sales room is the biggest money earner for them.when we offered to pay cash he said you mean you can not afford £XX a week going out of the bank.we walked away.not going to the manchester show this year because its moved and not easy to get too by bus.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
We went to the caravan/motorhome show at the NEC about three years ago, never again some of the caravan stand staff were really rude and would not us have a good look into some of the vans. We were glad to come out and all for a £15 each entrance fee. We would not go to another show again, there's plenty of dealers under thirty miles from us.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Manchester Show -They`re avin a larf
