My Montana post was pulled?

[Bud Soda]

I carried my Montana tractor in to the local Dealer here in NC to have a few things repaired that should have been covered under warranty. I have only had the Tractor seven months. I told the guy that works there that if the problems were not covered under warranty do not do the repair, as I could do it myself. After two weeks I went to check on my tractor and was told that I owed $ 1.84 for a parking brake spring that was missing and $32.50 for a 1/2 hour labor to install the spring. This is just wrong. The spring should have been covered under warranty because it broke with less than 30 hours on the tractor. If it was not covered I should have been told before they put it on and charged me. I could have just picked up a spring at a hardware store and it would have taken me less than one minuet to put it on. I told your employee when I dropped the tractor off, to NOT make any repairs that were not covered under warranty!
When I went to pick up my tractor they had it locked behind a fence and I was told that I couldn't get it until I paid the bill, so I had no choice but to pay it. This will be the last tractor I buy from them.

The main reason I took the tractor (T2734) in was the muffler had broken loose. No big deal I could have welded it myself but I only live about 1/4 mile from the dealer and the tractor is under warranty so I just drove it there and dropped it off. I told them that the parking brake no longer worked so if they could fix it under warranty then do so, if not I would repair it. Only need a small spring. The reason the said that I had to pay the labor is that because the spring was missing and they didn't have a bad part to return to Montana for labor credit. I think that is total BS. I cant help the spring broke and fell off. You would think that because I bought the tractor from them and plan to buy a bigger tractor in the future that they would just have put the spring on for no charge. They had less than $1.00 in it and took about a minuet to put it on. I ended up picking up an oil filter while I was there too $11.44 I thought was a little high but I didn't complain about that. Now I also need a hydro filter so i can do the 50 hour maint. I will not set foot back in there so do you know where I can order one and have it shipped to me?



Well it was not handled in a timely manner to begin with but I was not using the tractor much at the time so I wasn't concerned about that. From the time I told them I needed some warranty repairs and they ordered the parts, until they repaired the tractor and I picked it up took about two months. I continued to use the tractor while they waited for over a month for the parts to come in then it took them almost two weeks to repair the tractor after I dropped it off. But that is not a big problem with me because I don't use the tractor all that much this time of year.

I know one thing, If I was in their shoes and sold a $15000 tractor to a person that was going to buy another tractor within three years I would do everything I could to keep him happy, even if it meant giving him a $1.00 spring and putting it on for him. That would just be good business.

As I said I will never set foot in their business again. I will try to mail order any parts I need, take it to the next nearest Montana dealer (100 miles away) for warranty repairs, fix it myself or let the local Kubota dealer repair it.

 

[Egon]

Are you a Canadian?

It is alleged they do not complain loudly but tell many others and never go back.

From a recent news posting!

 

[Texasgreen]

Did you sign any papers when you took your tractor in for service? If you did, did you read the fine print on the bottom of the paper stating their repair policy? If you did sign, chances are you gave them, the dealer, the right to work on your tractor. I am not too sure if this is why they worked on your tractor and charged you, but its worth a look.

 

[blueriver]

Sounds like to me its more than just a simple spring and a small dealer labor charge! Whats the real problem? I may be reading between the lines but you are down right mad!

 

[Robert_in_NY]

If it makes you feel better I took my 7710 in to my NH dealer for a $5k repair and got a bill for $13k. I told my dealer to do the engine work and if they found anything else that needed repaired to call me and let me know the cost ahead of time and for approval. I have not talked to a lawyer as I am trying to get something settled between me and the dealer to maintain the peace.

You see, it could be worse. I do not have $13k to hand my dealer which is what I need to pay the bill as there is no payment program so

 

[BruceR]

Sounds like to me its more than just a simple spring and a small dealer labor charge! Whats the real problem? I may be reading between the lines but you are down right mad!

It's not the charge, it's the matter of principle. I'm pretty sure I would feel the same way.

Bruce

 

[Bud Soda]

Sounds like to me its more than just a simple spring and a small dealer labor charge! Whats the real problem? I may be reading between the lines but you are down right mad!

I know my post may be a little hard to understand now because the moderator pulled it. I had to go back and start a new post. Parts of the original post and all of the replies were left out because I had to copy and paste the only part that the moderator sent me in a pm.
But the problem was I took my seven month old Montana to the dealer here in NC where I bought it from for a few warranty repairs. I told the dealer when I dropped the tractor off that if anything was not covered in full under warranty to NOT make the repair because I would repair it myself.
When I went to pick my tractor up two weeks later I was told I owed them $1.84 for a spring and $ 32.50 labor to put on the parking brake spring. This was just a small spring that can be put on in less than a minuet. I should have just picked up a spring at the hardware store and put it on, but as the tractor was under warranty why do it.
They had my tractor locked up and I could not get it until I paid the bill.

Well I learned a $35.00 lesson. But I guarantee it will cost the dealer several thousand. I am looking to buy another tractor in about three years, It will not come from this dealer. Also a few in my hunting club are looking at buying compact tractors for food plots, ect. Good thing we also have a John Deer, and Kubota dealer here.

I just wanted the people in my area that are looking to buy a tractor to know how this dealer treated one of its customers thats all. But I guess it didn't go along with the forum rules so the Moderator removed the post.

I have nothing against Montana and would buy another one, but not from this dealer.

 

[blueriver]

Okay, I must have read more in this than I should have. Have you tryed to talk to them and explain how you feel? I would like to think that a dealer would not want $35 to stand in the way of a happy customer.

I bought mine over the net from a dealer 5-6hrs away, when I had an issue I tryed to get the local dealer to help me, they had the attitude you didn't get it here so why should we help. Long story short, with some talking, I was repaired, taken care of and got re-imbursed from the selling dealer.

 

[Maka]

I would with hold passing of judgement here. Sounds like the dealer fixed under warranty all but one small issue. If this was not covered by the factory for warranty then the dealer did not do the work.

Why would a dealer do warranty work of muffler rapair or replacement but give seemingly different service on a spring? Does the dealer have a minimum labor charge for non-warranty issues? Have your dealings with them always been honest and up front?

I just ask as this seems to be such a simple thing that I suspect is not as simple as it appears.

Maka

 

[Bud Soda]

I would with hold passing of judgement here. Sounds like the dealer fixed under warranty all but one small issue. If this was not covered by the factory for warranty then the dealer did not do the work.

Why would a dealer do warranty work of muffler rapair or replacement but give seemingly different service on a spring? Does the dealer have a minimum labor charge for non-warranty issues? Have your dealings with them always been honest and up front?

I just ask as this seems to be such a simple thing that I suspect is not as simple as it appears.

Maka

It is as simple as this. I had one main problem with the tractor, a bad muffler. It broke at about 30 hours. I knew that parking brake did not work but no big deal i didn't use it that much anyway. When I dropped the tractor off I told them of the two problems, muffler and broken parking brake.

First thing I told them was "IF warranty does not cover it DO NOT DO THE Repair" as I could do it myself. When I went to pick up I was told I had to pay the $35.00 bill or I was not getting my tractor.

Now you are a dealer. Lets just say you sold a tractor, the person has a small problem, it that should be covered under warranty what would you have done. The right thing to have done was to either call me and tell me that warranty would not cover installing a new spring or just put me on the $1.00 spring at no charge and be sure that I would buy my next tractor from them.