Out of state guys that have bought from Barlows?

[bfisherman11]

I have been talking with Brady Barlow about a Kubota L2501 HST w/AG tires and a loader. All sounds good so far. What is the procedure once you have gotten in the pricing ball park? I have rough numbers but nothing laid out to a bottom line.

I assume he writes up a contract, especially since I would use the 0% Kubota financing. I am out of state so I am thinking delivery.

About two weeks before I started talking to Barlows I had been at my local Kubota. He basically was quoting me list, talking bad about LS, Kioti, Massey (real turnoff). Pretty much anyone who ever built a tractor. He offered me $1500 for my 9N but was not discounting past the posted rebates on line.

Yesterday he called me, kinda with the attitude of "why I had not called back?" He said he talked to Kubota and they said really my trade was worth only $600 but he would stick with the $1500 (nice guy). Ha. Then he said Kubota had discounted some and gave me a number $200 more than I had two weeks before. I told him that and then said I am talking to Barlows too. For the same tractor they are $2500 less than you. He got mad and said, "So when you need service, you taking it there?" I said, "Your a Kubota dealer, If my Ram breaks I don't need to take it where I bought it". He said, "Well I probably should not say it but you would be waiting till all our actual customers got serviced first". I am thinking A-hole but keep my cool. I said "OK, what can you do about price?" He said nothing and that "Barlows will do bait and switch. The tractor they deliver won't be with AG tires and HST like I want"....

Is this guy all wet, just a jerk or what?

It is OK to PM me if you don't want to post. Anyhow, I believe Barlows is VERY legit. There are way too many happy posters to prove it.

Really want to hear from Barlow buyers. What was the process and experience. I am a do unto others type of guy. This is what I hear about Barlows, good ppl. I have searched archives and have not seen a thread like this. It might help other potential Barlow purchasers.

I am usually a support your local dealer type but not when there is this much gap and such an attitude. If we were 200-300 dollars apart it would be different.

Thanks so much,

Bill

 

[paulfun9]

I know nothing about Barlow except from what I have read on this forum. Given that and what you have said so far about the dealer you are currently talking to I would buy from Barlow and find an other Kubota dealer to buy parts/service from even if it is more of a drive.

Also remember there is always the ability to ship parts to your door when you need something and for many folks like me who would rather do things ourselves its sometimes best.

Have you checked out the other brands that your dealer is talking bad about? Might be worth a look because they are all building good machines and in most cases I was able to get a lot more machine for less money. More options, more power, better warranty and a phone call offering me a lower price than we had discussed on the lot even after the down payment was applied! Yep that's right My local dealer got within 300 dollars of my lowest quote from dealers that I had talked to and then even after I decided to buy the machine at 300 dollars more he called and said he figured out how to match their price and did, so I paid 300 less than anticipated.

 

[MIke Castillo]

Bought a beautiful L3301 HST from Brady at Barlows in March. Everything was perfect and as agreed to. There were some minor issues which were quickly resolved. They do a lot of business and know their stuff. Buy with confidence.

 

[TSO]

Sorry to hear that your local Bota dealer is such a DB. Can't stand people like that. There was actually a Massey dealer on this forum who said the same thing (about not servicing warranty work on a Massey if he didn't sell it)... Everybody's gotta make a living, but how can they get upset at someone wanting to save $2500 ?! My Massey dealer states that his "sign says Massey, so regardless of where you bought it, he will honor warranty work." I'm sure there are Bota dealers out there that will be good like that also.

...I had been at my local Kubota. He basically was quoting me list, talking bad about LS, Kioti, Massey (real turnoff). Pretty much anyone who ever built a tractor.

I'm interested to hear what negatives he had to say about the other brands. I don't mind as much if they have very specific examples, but, like you, I can't stand it when they bash other brands to try to sway you their way.

Sorry, I can't help on personal experience with Barlow's ... But like RCO in Texas (big LS dealer), I've heard nothing but good things.

 

[AxleHub]

(Also posted in the general buy/pricing)
. . .

About two weeks before I started talking to Barlows I had been at my local Kubota. He basically was quoting me list, talking bad about LS, Kioti, Massey (real turnoff). Pretty much anyone who ever built a tractor. He offered me $1500 for my 9N but was not discounting past the posted rebates on line.

Yesterday he called me, kinda with the attitude of "why I had not called back?" He said he talked to Kubota and they said really my trade was worth only $600 but he would stick with the $1500 (nice guy). Ha. Then he said Kubota had discounted some and gave me a number $200 more than I had two weeks before. I told him that and then said I am talking to Barlows too. For the same tractor they are $2500 less than you. He got mad and said, "So when you need service, you taking it there?" I said, "Your a Kubota dealer, If my Ram breaks I don't need to take it where I bought it". He said, "Well I probably should not say it but you would be waiting till all our actual customers got serviced first". I am thinking A-hole but keep my cool. I said "OK, what can you do about price?" He said nothing and that "Barlows will do bait and switch. The tractor they deliver won't be with AG tires and HST like I want"....

Is this guy all wet, just a jerk or what?

. . . . . .

Thanks so much,

Bill

Bill,
My opinion probably won't be popular . . but I believe it needs to be said. I copied parts of your post for readers to reference if needed.

I think you made a non-positive situation into a negative one that didn't need to happen.

1. It sounds like you sensed a local dealer was bad mouthing every other product but his own.

2. You contacted another dealer and found a much better situation (price and quality of sales style).

3. So then when the poor dealer recontacts you . . Instead of dealing with his short comings . . you use the 2nd dealers name and pricing as your defense.

Bad form in my opinion. You didn't need to put the 2nd dealer into the situation with the poor dealer. You "sacrificed" the innocent instead of taking the heat yourself.

So what do I mean? When you had the recontact from the poor dealer . . I believe you should have indicated:

a. as yet you haven't made a decision

b. My 1st contact with you (poor dealer) was not a positive one because I don't like negative selling and your price was not very desirable.

c. I think you (poor dealer) are trying to intimidate me rather than impressing me.

Now why do I have this opinion? Because you have the right to be a prospect to whoever you want to be involved with. But defend your right . . don't hide from it.

Now Brady Barlow and Barlow's and anyone else shouldn't be your shield for your rights because they are innocent of anything. You used them as a lever against the poor dealer instead of being straight about the poor dealers actions and pricing in my opinion.

Now that action on your part doesn't help mske the poor dealer a better dealer . . but it also can have negative issues for good dealers.

Why? Easy. Because the negative dealer considers themself the victim and complains to their Kubota rep.. The poor dealer feels no sense of bad behavior and if they try to negative sell you or scare you about future service issues . . think how they will blame Barlow's for their situation.

All these dealers at some point come in contact with each other at regional meetings etc.. All of them have a reputation to defend to customers and kubota hierarchy.

You put a target on Barlow's that they didn't deserve.

My point is this . . each of us that are good prospects deserve the quality, fairness, and pricing we can accept and desire. But as good prospects we should not (not) use good vendors like a crowbar to avoid defending our needs with poor vendors in my opinion.

Be a man or woman and bare the heat of your needs. Talk to 25 dealers if you desire . . but hold each one individual from the others (yes tell them you are condidering others . . but don't name them or use their quotes as leverage).

My opinion on fairness. In a sentence . . Require of those who don't produce . . desire those who do produce. (an Axleism).

 

[AxleHub]

Greetings,

I'm not trying to promote a specific dealer in the general buying pricing area. However because someone started this about a specific dealer, I thought I should respond from my direct knowledge. Apologies to anyone relating to a specific dealer as there are many many fine ones throughout the country.

Now for an opinion on Barlows.

I'm not a customer . . but for several weeks I considered them to be my possible vendor for my first ever sub compact tractor.

Although we are many hundreds of miles apart . . they were in the top 2 choices out of more than 15 considered and contacted . . . and had the leading edge of the 2 choices. But I then altered my brand choice and so I didn't end up with Barlows.

So I have no ulterior motives in what I'm going to say . . Nor do I have experience as an actual customer.

But as a serious prospect over 5 weeks I was keenly impressed with what I experienced.

I did my homework ahead of time and got pticing on 2 models with various options. My contacts were just by email and with Brady Barlow. He was efficient but pleasant and personable in each and every email. He didn't high price then low price me. He responded sooner instead of later.

He offered added suggestions or input.

He showed no pattern of impatience as I asked for pricing on many implement or add on options. It was a series of emails (not just a couple) and each one pleasant, professional, and informative.

He offered serious pricing and was very complete about shipping costs or other issues.

My point is . . I wanted to explore the opportunity of Barlow's pleasantly, thoroughly, and without taking all their time.

I was impressed with Brady and how he handled our communications. I was impressed with their pricing and approach.

I have no reason to feel that had I bought from Barlow's . . that the customer side would not have been equal to the prospect side even though hundreds of miles separated us.

 

[ultrarunner]

Dealers are not all the same...

When I bought my first Kubota the nearest Dealer was still an hour away and sold Kubota and Ford.

I wanted a Kubota and they wanted to sell me a Ford... when I insisted on a Kubota quote... it was well over MSRP.

I kept shopping a saved several thousand dollars by driving 3 hours.

A few months later I wanted to buy a post hole digger and stopped by the nearest Dealer... he remembered me and asked if I was ready to buy... told him I was here to for a post hole digger and he said for what tractor... told him what I had and he got so upset... he told me he didn't have any post hole diggers to sell...

I never mentioned where I bought my Kubota... simply the act of not buying from him was enough to get me booted... AND he really only wanted to sell me a Ford from the get go...

Dealers range the full spectrum as there are people.

 

[AxleHub]

Ultrarunner,

Isn't that the truth . . and you did just what I would have . . you "faced the dealer" and offered them another buying opportunity (obviously less in size but still an opportunity).

It took courage to be a man/woman but you gave them a chance to learn and they didn't choose to learn or grab the opportunity either. It also does something for you though also . . it shows you that your 1st decision to get a different dealer was a very smart one

 

[Threepoint]

I guess I come at this a little differently from Axlehub. Assuming the OP recounted events accurately, I'm assuming we agree that there is no excuse for the bad behavior of the first dealer. But I also think the OP did nothing at all wrong by mentioning Barlows, even had the first guy not acted like a smug jerk. Retail tractor shopping is nothing more than an open, competitive bidding process. It's not unusual for equipment vendors to know who they are bidding against in response to an RFP. I doubt Barlows minds one whit if they're used as a stalking horse. Moreover, absent an understanding that the terms of a vendor's bid are to be kept confidential, there is nothing wrong with saying to dealer X "I'd like to support you as the more local dealer, but dealer Y is offering this to me. I owe it to myself and my family to be sensible with my money. What can you do to get closer to their deal?"

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

I would not care who you buy it from, but it should not be that guy!