Locking in Option Prices

[richardr]

Last week we finalized our build sheet. We had an unpleasant surprise. The cost of the under-trailer insulation for the 21 had increased $400 a couple of days earlier. We found out that we could have locked in the lower option price by letting our sales representative know we wanted that option and getting her initials on the build sheet.

Lesson learned: Lock in the price for expensive options as soon as you determine you want them.

[Greg A]

Wow, that's a big increase.

[thoer]

The original build sheet we got from ETI last April showed the spray foam for a 21 at $800 and now on the website it show as $1000 or a $200 increase. Is it now $1200?

[Brian B-P]

Good lesson, Richard.

Originally Posted by thoer

The original build sheet we got from ETI last April showed the spray foam for a 21 at $800 and now on the website it show as $1000 or a $200 increase. Is it now $1200?

I don't think so...

I noticed that there are two items in the current options list for the 21' involving spray insulation:

2 - 12V Heat Pads with Spray Foam Insulation $1,400.00
Spray Foam Insulation for Under Trailer $1,000.00

The most recent sample in the Wayback Machine is for 2016 Oct 19, and says

2 - 12V Heat Pads with Spray Foam Insulation $1000.00
Spray Foam Insulation for Under Trailer $800.00

so unless there has been another change (not yet shown on the Escape website) it looks like the recent $400 increase would be for the insulation with heat pads; the insulation alone only went up $200. I can only guess that the cost of the heat pads to Escape went up substantially.

[freespirit]

Originally Posted by richardr

Last week we finalized our build sheet. We had an unpleasant surprise. The cost of the under-trailer insulation for the 21 had increased $400 a couple of days earlier. We found out that we could have locked in the lower option price by letting our sales representative know we wanted that option and getting her initials on the build sheet.

Lesson learned: Lock in the price for expensive options as soon as you determine you want them.

there might be good news depending on when you pay for it... as a small change in the exchange rate in the right direction might help cover the additional cost

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by richardr

Last week we finalized our build sheet. We had an unpleasant surprise. The cost of the under-trailer insulation for the 21 had increased $400 a couple of days earlier. We found out that we could have locked in the lower option price by letting our sales representative know we wanted that option and getting her initials on the build sheet.

Lesson learned: Lock in the price for expensive options as soon as you determine you want them.

I believe on the build sheet somewhere it says there will be price increases until you sign off on your build sheet. Even then you can still have an increase if they change something on you. We had to pay more for something after the build sheet was signed off due to them switching some product around. I don't remember what it was now, but I wasn't too happy about that.

Oh, I remember now. It was the batteries we wanted. Not once did anyone notice that the batteries we ordered would not work with the inverter. We were informed just when the trailer went into production and we were told if we wanted the inverter, we had to switch to the other batteries, which (of course!) cost more. I thought someone should have noticed that earlier.

I know, not exactly what happened to you, but just a cautionary word that things happen at their end and you could end up still paying for something.

[War Eagle]

On the good side, though one option we wanted went up $25 CAD while we were working on our build sheet, two other options we wanted, and were happy to pay for, became "standard" so we didn't have to pay for them. On the whole, it we came out about $200 CAD ahead.

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

On the good side, though one option we wanted went up $25 CAD while we were working on our build sheet, two other options we wanted, and were happy to pay for, became "standard" so we didn't have to pay for them. On the whole, it we came out about $200 CAD ahead.

I know the cubbies became standard,but what is the other one?

[richardr]

Originally Posted by NW Cat Owner

I believe on the build sheet somewhere it says there will be price increases until you sign off on your build sheet. Even then you can still have an increase if they change something on you. We had to pay more for something after the build sheet was signed off due to them switching some product around. I don't remember what it was now, but I wasn't too happy about that.

Oh, I remember now. It was the batteries we wanted. Not once did anyone notice that the batteries we ordered would not work with the inverter. We were informed just when the trailer went into production and we were told if we wanted the inverter, we had to switch to the other batteries, which (of course!) cost more. I thought someone should have noticed that earlier.

I know, not exactly what happened to you, but just a cautionary word that things happen at their end and you could end up still paying for something.

I also thought that option prices could increase at any time until the build sheet was signed and why I had not updated my build sheet on a regular basis. However Joldie said, during our discussion, that if she had initialed off on the option before the price increase, we would have not had to pay the price increase.

However as happened to you, there are no price guarantees until the trailer is delivered.

[thoer]

From the Escape option page:

Inverter 1500W with one additional 120V outlet .
* This option will require Dual 6V Batteries/

Inverter 1500W Includes Transfer Switch and all 120V outlets.
* This option will require Dual 6V Batteries

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by Ginger

I know the cubbies became standard,but what is the other one?

Yes, one was the cubbies. Also, on our original information, the two captain's lights over the head of the bed were not listed as standard, but they are now. At one point (2016 model and before?), I think the little shelf over the head of the bed also was an option (is that right?) but was standard by at least the time we started working on our build sheet.

[float5]

Our Captain's lights over the bed were standard. As far as I know, the shelf has been standard but we had it omitted to be able to sit up straight as we did in the 19'. We also did not want the cubbies as we have other things there, so glad we did not have to have those.

[thoer]

Originally Posted by richardr

...However as happened to you, there are no price guarantees until the trailer is delivered.

Once you have signed off on your build sheet, ETI will absolutely not capriciously change any prices. It is a contract you have signed. If you have made a mistake on your build sheet and need to correct it, then ETI will try to make those changes for you (if there is still time) and you will be charged the clearly stated extra charge for changes made post-signing, plus the option cost.

Like any contract you sign, it is incumbent upon the buyer to make sure everything is exactly correct before signing. ETI did not have Mary and my full legal names on the built sheet, so before I signed it I pointed that out and they quickly corrected it. Had I signed it without asking to have it corrected, that would have been my fault not ETI's.

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by thoer

From the Escape option page:

Inverter 1500W with one additional 120V outlet .
* This option will require Dual 6V Batteries/

Inverter 1500W Includes Transfer Switch and all 120V outlets.
* This option will require Dual 6V Batteries

It may say that now, but it didn't when we ordered our trailer. I have a print out from their website of their options (dated 3/2/16) and it does not state this. Nor does a flyer I got from them when we first started looking at their trailers, the previous summer/fall. This was the information we used at the time of ordering.

It also is not stated on the original build sheet that we got that listed all of the options that we could choose from. This is dated Dec 17, 2015, which is when we paid our $500 deposit..

You're trying to say it was our fault. It wasn't. We were going by the information available at the time of ordering and putting our build sheet together. If it had been stated at the time of ordering, then, yes, it would have been our fault. However, it wasn't. That information was added later; I'm thinking after they realized they had been selling (and confirming on build sheets) the wrong set of batteries. This is why I wasn't happy over the situation.

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by float5

Our Captain's lights over the bed were standard. As far as I know, the shelf has been standard but we had it omitted to be able to sit up straight as we did in the 19'. We also did not want the cubbies as we have other things there, so glad we did not have to have those.

When we were looking at their display models in summer/fall of 2015 the trailers did not have that shelf. Later on I questioned that and was told it was now standard. On our list of build sheet options, dated Dec 17, 2015 it's not listed on there. We ended up having them leave it off and we did not get a credit for it (like we did on some things, but not all, we left off that were standard).

[thoer]

Originally Posted by NW Cat Owner

I'm thinking after they realized they had been selling (and confirming on build sheets) the wrong set of batteries. This is why I wasn't happy over the situation.

So would you have preferred that Escape went ahead and put in a single 12V battery that would not be sufficient to use with the inverter?

If you were only charged the difference between a single 12v and the more suitable dual 6v batteries, it seems to me that Escape was trying to provide you with a more useful setup and then they get bashed for it.

[Loren & Cathy]

I think ETI can be flexible. I added several options after our build sheet was in and the only charge was for the options. Loren

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by thoer

So would you have preferred that Escape went ahead and put in a single 12V battery that would not be sufficient to use with the inverter?

If you were only charged the difference between a single 12v and the more suitable dual 6v batteries, it seems to me that Escape was trying to provide you with a more useful setup and then they get bashed for it.

In terms of good customer service, when a company (*any* company) makes a mistake, they should suck it up. For months it was on our build sheet. It was not checked (and discovered) by someone with more knowledge of the situation until it went into production. Build sheets should be double checked by someone else that's not working with the customer. From my days many years ago of running a tally on accounting sheets, we always had someone else double check our work.

I've dealt with companies that have made mistakes at their end or there's a problem and they correct it without charging me for it. I've also worked for companies like that and that's when good customer service was beat into my brain.

We ordered in good faith off the information *they* provided both before and at the time of ordering. If they later realize the information provided is incorrect, I feel they're responsible for updating customers affected by that information. They can't assume folks will continually check their web site (which many of us know isn't updated in a timely manner) to see what all has changed. Especially after the trailer is paid for in full and everything is signed off.

[gbaglo]

I find it curious that there are all these 'issues' with your trailer and that it's even ETI's fault that you drilled four holes in the exterior wall when you installed the TP holder in your preferred location.

[thoer]

What "mistake" did Escape make?

In the past they offered single 12v and inverters. My guess is that over the years, they had gotten customer feedback that the high capacity inverter drained a single 12V battery faster than most customers were comfortable with and those customers expressed the wish that they had gotten the dual 6v. ETI is constantly looking to improve their product and decided that customers were better served with dual 6v if they wanted to use the inverter and that the 12v along with the inverter should no longer be offered to improve the overall product.

If that learning process and change came after you had completed your paperwork, I would be willing to bet that ETI would have deleted the inverter for you if you wanted to stay with only a single 12v and refunded your inverter option cost. What they were trying to do was not have a customer unsatisfied due to poor battery capacity with an inverter.

I'd say in this case ETI was going to be criticized for anything they did here.