Farewell from TractorSmart !

[tractorsmart]

I have been reading all the comments. Also I have been thinking about what I would like to say next.
To speak the truth is always the best as I see it. Hundreds and maybe thousands will read these posts over the next days and weeks. If TractorSmart has harmed any person, dealer, or Kubota themselves I would like them to come forward and speak up. Stay tuned as I will have just a little more to say.

 

[riptides]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( TractorSmart has harmed any person, dealer, or Kubota themselves )</font> Hmmm... I could be way off base here, but I have this thought of a company putting pressure on internet sales of any kind affiliated with its product.

It seems over the years they have put pressure on dealerships to stop thier areas of "influence".

Now they seem to be doing the same, for their "suppliers".

Like I said, i could be wrong, but this is the first thing that popped into my head.

Face it, if the Kompany cannot embrace the internet, and embrace those that do business on it, they are short-sighted and not thinking about customers.

Please tell me I am wrong.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

</font><font color="blueclass=small">( Please tell me I am wrong. )</font>

Okay /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif , this has nothing to do with the internet. Its a change to drop shipment rules thats all. You can still buy parts from our website, or the other dealer who still does internet sales. What its changing is how profitable internet sales can be for dealers who don't have hundreds of thousands of dollars in parts on hand. All Kubota is changing is the drop shipping rules. Its now more approximate to the actual shipping cost where it was a true charity program before. There is no campain here to supress doing business online.

 

[riptides]

Thank you,

I retract my thoughts and statements.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[djg]

I will definitely miss the advice and knowledge you dispensed. You knew the part number for a block heater for my old tractor that the local dealer could not help with. You also helped greatly with a mower deck I am fixing up.

 

[_RaT_]

Ronnie, your service and your website were superb.
I frequently pointed folks your way for either parts or at the very least, some great information. Thanks for the absolutley superb service you gave and information you provided. I'm sorry for the situation.

 

[RobJ]

A sad day for sure. Once I found Ronnie I bought 95% of my parts there. And I'm not sure how this will force dealers to stock more parts. You walk in and need a part, sorry BO, you can get it in a week (might even have to pay shipping). What's my options, drive to another dealer that may not have it? Wait. What else can we do. But I have say the $5 shipping was to good to be true.

I am bummed... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

MessickFarmEqu, I understand you have taken over the site. So what are you going to do about prices. Ronnie was always 30% or more better than my walk in local dealer. If you up the prices and charge full shipping then you haven't really helped us. Since I'm a weekend farmer like most, waiting a week isn't a big deal but now I might have to make 2 trips to the dealer if I go local, one to order and pay, another to pick up. However my Woods dealer has no problem taking my order over the phone and drop shipping it to my house.

But price is a big concern, any comments?

 

[tractorsmart]

<font color="blue"> </font>
MessickFarmEqu
"Its now more approximate to the actual shipping cost where it was a true charity program before."
<font color="black"> </font>

Okay. Kubota has been offering this drop ship program ($5.00 fee) for at least seven year now.
Now why do you suppose they ever started such a program to begin with?
If they were loosing money at it did it take seven years to figure it out?

Now I suppose that dealers have gotten much better at stocking parts and providing answers to questions now ( which is shown by the rapid decline in Internet sales, a little sarcasm there folks) that Kubota no longer sees the need to provide that drop ship service at a reasonable fee.


Now I have to assume that Kubota would furnish all dealers the same rules to follow.

Now for an example lets say John Doe has an older Kubota that he is going to fix up.
He would like decals for his tractor.

We come up with 20 part numbers we need to order.
Again for this example lets say the dealer did not have them in stock.
Let’s get them on the way from Kubota.
20 decals are not going to weight that much so say FedEx is going to deliver them for $6.00 to the Kubota dealer.

Now let us suppose the customer says lets just have Kubota ship them direct to my house.
20 decals same weight, same warehouse, same box, same tape to seal the box, same FedEx to deliver it.
Now what is that going to cost the customer?
Okay residental delivery cost more so let’s say FedEx charges are $9.50
Now the special handling charges are $5.00 x 20 part numbers equal $100.00

As you say “Its now more approximate to the actual shipping cost where it was a true charity program before.”

“Okay , this has nothing to do with the internet.”

Okay then what exactly is the $100 additional charge for?


Having seen the true facts what do you think now -Mike Z. ?

 

[JRobyn]

Please do say more.... like "I've reconsidered and will stay in business", or "Kubota has agreed to made a shipping charge exception for TractorSmart"!

Also please include me among those who would definitely and gladly pay a bit more shipping charge to continue to be a customer and get the fast, friendly, competent service that you have always provided to me in the past.

 

[SeymourBota]

Well, I would like to sign the "guest book", as well. When I wanted a set of front rims for my 2410, who else would have contacted Kubota and had them pull some from the assembly line of the manufacturer and send them directly to me for no additional shipping cost than my $5 ??? AMAZING!!!!
And where else could any of us find .pdf files of our parts breakdowns for tractors and attachments??

Most dealers don't have a fraction of the internet presence that Ronnie had.

I can only pray that my 2 bota's never break down again!!! (ya, right!!)