Price Increase

Just noticed a change in the PC  Pricing Calculator.
On the 2552 selecting the Slide out with Sofa and Pantry ILO Dinette used to show a net savings of $1440.
Now it shows as a $2280 add.
My understanding is they have always charged the $2280 but then credited $3720 (Delete Slide Out W/ Dinette) for a net savings of $1440.

I noticed this change first on the options list that was provided to my by Campers Inn Kingston for a unit they have in stock.
I assumed it was either a mistake or maybe CI was trying to make a few extra bucks on the deal.
Unfortunately now the pricing tool also reflects this.
I see it as a $3720 MSRP price increase.
Guess I shouldn't have waited so long to order my unit.

My fingers are crossed that this is actually just a mistake and not the beginning of a trend.

Jim,

Your numbers are correct on the previous pricing process for the sofa/pantry on the 2552 (2280 plus for the sofa slide out coupled with 3720 credit for deleting the dinette slide out--resulting in a 1440 credit overall).

I just took a quick look at the pricing tool on the website--I may be wrong, but I think that's still what they are attempting to say, although the pricing tool needs to be corrected.  The base price on the 2552 clearly says that it includes "1 Slideout Std".  Then on the "Select a Slide Out Option" dropdown, there are only two possible entries:
1. "Delete Slide Out w/dinette" -- which drops $3720 from the base price.
2. "Slide Out w/Sofa & Pantry ILO Dinette" -- which adds $2280 to the base price.

Note that there is no option to add the dinette slideout--the only two options are to delete the dinette slide (for no slide at all) or to add the sofa slide---what that tells me is that the dinette slide is still showing up as "standard" in the base price (since there is no option to add it).  To get to the correct price with the pricing tool, you need to be able to select both options--delete the dinette slide which is standard in the base price, and then add the sofa slide which is an addition to the reduced base price.  If you do that, you still get the traditional $1440 credit overall.  On the 2552 slide outs, the dinette has always been more expensive than the sofa, and it is not reasonable that it is now included in the base (no option to add), but you still have to add another $2280 to that price to get the sofa.

As I said, I could be wrong in my analysis, but I think the way the current pricing tool is structured one must select both slide out options to get the sofa/slide (which is not doable with the tool).  Phoenix needs to correct this version of the tool.  Certainly, a phone call to them could quickly confirm things.

All the best,      Mike 

Mike: What you say is what I am hoping to be true but the wording doesn't indicate that to me.
In the description "Slide Out w/Sofa & Pantry ILO Dinette"  ILO meaning In Lieu Of  indicates "to replace it or substitute for it"
Also the Campers Inn window sticker I received didn't give a credit for the base slide option (attached for reference)

AND (now I'm really depressed) I took a closer look at the pricing tool and it looks like this is not the only change.
The MSRP for the base unit and some of the options have gone up as well.
The attached spreadsheet shows the options I was going to order that have changed showing a total net increase in MSRP of $9858.

I am becoming discouraged based on these price increases as well as a recent conversation I had with Barry.
He seemed less inclined to want to customize a unit saying they would not refuse but would have to revisit the pricing on some of the extras (i.e. 6" extension, comp fridge etc.) that I asked about.
He just didn't seem interested in talking to me about it till I had my checkbook in hand. I am aware that I have been taking a long time in this process and may have earned a bit of a reputation as a "tire kicker" but I have been careful not to bother them with my multitude of questions. I did follow up my last conversation with them with a short e-mail that contained 4 questions. I got a hasty reply that almost answered one of them.

I know that  any company has the right to change prices at any time. I just think that as good as PC has always been, things may be moving in the wrong direction. Time will tell.

Mike : I Re-read your reply and I agree it is strange that in the past the sofa was less than the dinette by $1440 but now appears to be 2880 more.
Actually I have always thought that it should be less expensive for PC to build a dinette in house than to procure and install the sofa.
To me as much as I dislike this pricing change (if it is real), it makes more sense.

I will be contacting the factory soon and hopefully will come away feeling better than I do right now.

As always I appreciate your counsel.

Jim,

Quick response:  Checked your spreadsheet numbers against the pricing tool and my build sheet (ordered August 2018, delivered February 2019).  I match all your numbers except the cabinet behind passenger seat--MSRP on my build was $866 vice the $788 you show as "old" price.  All other "old" prices correspond on my build.  I'm not aware of an "advertised" price increase since my order, so I must assume that the price tool increases that you document are "incremental" increases that occur over time.  I haven't attempted to research Phoenix's past  process for raising prices--I was aware of the pretty much across-the-board 15% (or so) increase that occurred not too long before I ordered (along with the reduction in discount from MSRP from the previous 26% to the current 20%).  The combination of those two increases resulted in a substantial bump between units bought in 2017 versus late 2018--I had to swallow pretty hard to accept the fact that if I had ordered a year or less earlier I could have bought for 20%+ less---a really major dollar amount--but my timing was what it was. 

While I wasn't aware of the increases you document (have had no occasion to look at pricing), we all certainly know that prices inevitably increase (they virtually never go down).  I've certainly had no occasion to look at competitive pricing, but I'm virtually sure that it has increased as well.  I was not happy to have to pay over 20% more for a Phoenix unit than I could have got approximately a year previous--but I didn't  buy it a year previous, so it was a moot point.   The decision was whether to go ahead and buy when I did or not, and I decided to do so.  I'm satisfied with that decision.

Regarding communication with the company---in my opinion you should always remember that you are a (potential) customer, and as such you deserve reasonable answers to reasonable questions.  It is obvious that your approach to a purchase is very careful and very detailed--but a Phoenix RV is not a small purchase, and you have every right to get their best answer to questions you have.  It may be that on less common options they may need to revisit pricing and might not have the adjustments on the tip of their tongue.  If that's the case, work with ballpark costs.  I didn't know the exact final price of my unit until shortly before delivery; that last 1% of total cost can be nebulous.  My experience, however, is that Phoenix was fair in any adjustment they needed to make, and didn't take advantage of the situation to balloon anything.  I told them what I needed; they did it; and added the cost to the bill.  I'm sure they do get a lot of "tire kickers" that take up time and don't ultimately result in sales, but that's the nature of direct sales--it has been their decision to pursue that approach and a definite percentage of inquiries will turn into buyers.  Once you reach the point of actually placing an order and making a deposit, the leverage is yours to make adjustments and refine your build the way you want it.

I still think that pricing on the sofa/slide is in error--no way they are now going to ask you to pay $4300 more for a sofa/slide than for a dinette/slide.  I believe your phone call to Phoenix will resolve that issue.

All the best,           Mike