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[Anonymous Poster]

Inspector,

I can only speculate but from the talks I have had with my dealer, (Scott Lazenby) I believe that if you approached him with your story of having bought from a private party and/or having moved to a different part of the country with your YM, he would probably look much more favorably on your request for service. He has not seemed the least bit unreasonable to me. I know and understand his reluctance to work on problems bought for a few less bucks from questionable dealers elsewhere.

Soundguy,
we were there the same day and maybe at the same time. I also saw the little red farmall in his back lot. It was nice for nostalgia sake but I prefer a "new Yanmar" myself /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

I already knew from reading your posts that we were located pretty close to each other. Maybe we will meet someday.

Gary

 

[HoyeTractor]

Jerry,
I don't think that this is a practice unique to the tractor industry. I bought an Polaris PWC from a dealer about 50 miles away because thay had what I wanted in stock. Now, if I want to get it worked on (still under factory warranty) I either have to take it all the way back to them and it will get fixed right now, or wait for the local Polaris dealer to "get a chance to look at it". Every industry has this type of prctice. Customers first.

I don't think that it comes down to them not wanting your cash. I think it is more like a matter of time. I suspect that if you left your tractor there until there original customers had been taken care of; they would fix your tractor. Just like my Polaris dealer, they will take care of their customers first and get to you "when they have a chance". Some shops, the ones that say "absolutely no" might be like my first example and always be busy with their own customers or just assume that you will not want to wait as long as it might take for them to get to you.

I don't want to sound like I am taking the other side here but I can see why they might have this policy.

 

[kayssupply]

I have repaired other things for people that bought " lesser quality" from someone else. It almost always takes more than expected to make a proper repair. When the price is higher due to the hidden problems the " new " customer tells everyone he sees you took advantage of him. There is always two sides to any story, and sometimes three or four.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

That's why when you repair something with the likelihood of problems inside you charge time and materials instead of a flat rate.

 

[lens12]

I think Aaron has the closest answer as to why dealers will only work on tractors they sold. Time is a big factor. Sure they can make money working on the tractor, but the big reason they don't want to is that they can make more money selling tractors than repairing them. You do what brings in the best return.
It is the same with parts . Many "dealers" don't want to handle parts even for the tractors they sell, because it is time consuming. Handling parts is a dealer service, just like repairs is a service. These services are sometimes subsidized by the sales of tractors. I receive many calls from people that were told by their selling "dealer" to go to JD , Ford, etc for parts. It isn't that simple, but they're just trying to make a sale. They have a lower cost of doing business since they don't deal in parts & service allowing them to under cut the full service dealer. If the full service dealer provides these services in effect he is subsidizing the tractor seller. To me a dealer by definition provides parts & service. If he doesn't he is just a tractor seller, not a dealer.
As to the issue of buying privately or moving. In most areas that have some agriculture there are independant repair shops that will work on any brand. The important thing is to have a parts source lined up before you take the tractor to them. They don't want to tear apart a tractor & find out you don't know where to get parts. I receive calls from shops that say they won't work on a grey , because of the time they had in finding parts. Sometimes it takes a long time to get parts, but if they know this from the beginning it makes it better.

NOTE: When I post something likes this, I sometimes get an email chewing me out for not selling parts to everyone.
FOR THE RECORD: I SELL PARTS & MANUAL TO ANYONE. I'LL WORK ON ANYONES TRACTOR (time permitting)

 

[pruntyc]

But when people find out it may be hard to get the grey worked on, that doesn't help sales. I see where a lot of people question, if parts and service is going to be a problem. If I thought that I might have a problem for any reason I probably wouldn't have bought a grey. So when a person can't get his grey fixed and he tells a lot of people, you are loseing a lot of could be customers, for your sales of more tractors, at least that is the way it seems to me.

 

[lens12]

Your correct. At the very least a tractor seller should provide the purchaser with a name of a supplier for parts & manuals. I have many sellers & dealers rthat efer there customers to me for parts & manuals. If they know of a repair shop that would work on their tractor that info would be helpful , too.

 

[EFC]

Aaron I see your point and Len your dead on about the dealer vs. reseller. This has been bugging me for a long time. Just like the PWC story I bought a Dodge truck 300 miles away. It wasn’t just cheaper it was $12,000 cheaper and they had what I wanted in stock vs. a 3 month wait at my local dealer. When I came in for my valve adjustment (non warranty) to my local dealer they refused to work on it because I didn’t buy it there. I am going to be paying them $75 an hour and they don’t want it. They would rather make their point. Now I know why they only have 10 trucks on the lot, their shining customer service. Most states have laws that say if you provide a service on a specific piece of equipment you have to provide that service to any customer that walks in. Local chainsaw shop was sued into bankruptcy because they would only service their customer’s chainsaws and somebody thought that policy was discriminatory. We already have the shop, tools compressor, crane, computers, hoses widgets and gadgets to service the tractors we sell why you would let that sit on the floor and make $0 when it can be making a flat $60 plus parts. If you have 1 employee then you might as well have 20. I figure most people say they won’t provide service to others because it is easy to BS your way through the sale but you can’t BS your way through the service, you either know it or you don’t. I would not say that the guys that are just reselling tractors as a hobby or small extra cash business on the side should provide full Ag shop repair but this guy has 50 tractors on the lot, I think it is more than a hobby. Any person willing to come to your shop to pay you money for a service you perform is YOUR customer. What sounds better to a customer’s friends and relatives that are potential tractor buyers. “All I know about that dealer is that I couldn’t get my tractor repaired because I didn’t buy it there” or “They fixed my tractor even though I didn’t buy it there”. Odds are if you don’t advertise for service you won’t get any. So when somebody asks if you service tractors you can just say “yes” and leave out the “only if you’re my customer” BS. Sounds like something a used car salesman would say. Please no hate mail I already know I’m a bastard /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

How many used car lots service the cars they sell. They do if they are part of a new vehicle dealership, but then the price of the service is higher (i.e. the owner has to make money on every facet of the service). Privately owned service shops cut out the extra profit, but lack the name and therefore reputation of the dealer. What we are talking about here is dealers of used tractors that have no dealership network on which the consumer can rely. That is part of the reason that you don't have to sell your first born child to buy one.

The grey market dealer, however, is left with the quandry of what to do about parts and service for each customer. The customer may or may not be mechanically inclined. Do they maintain an inventory of parts or make the customer wait--and what does the dealer say about the availability and timeliness of parts.

First, they can lie and say "you can have it fixed at a Deere dealership", and "parts are available through the JD dealer".
They therby imply that although they do not repair tractors, such service is easily available.

Second, the dealer can refer the customer to a place for parts, manuals and if a reputable shop is available give them the name of the shop.

Third, the dealer can try to have some sort of service available through hs dealership. Unfortunately, good employees are difficult to come by and the owner has only so much time. Therefore some places will only service the tractors they sell or don't want to get involved with a tractor that has been mistreated and repainted (I mean rebuilt).

I doubt the real problem is that the dealers are trying to punish the individual who bought elsewhere....I think that the dealers who do repairs feel an obligation to try to help those who did buy from them while they feel no such obligation to others. Furthermore, repairs and estimating the cost are a trap for the consumer to be angry with the dealer. The consumer is already unhappy that his tractor is broken. If the estimate is wrong, the customer will feel like the dealer is trying to jack up the price and will be more unhappy. He will blame the dealer who is trying to help rather than the seller who may have misrepresented the tractor.

The only solution I see on the dealer's side is to charge different rates--one for the customer who bought from him and higher for the one who didn't. Call it a discount for the loyal customer and it is probably legal. Always estimate repairs on the high side or give a range of what it might cost.

 

[YanmarFever]

The only solution I see on the dealer's side is to charge different rates--one for the customer who bought from him and higher for the one who didn't. Call it a discount for the loyal customer and it is probably legal. Always estimate repairs on the high side or give a range of what it might cost



That has always been my practice, I give the loyal customer
more time in chasing parts and on repairs.
Where as I priced an engine for a stranger, $9.00 in phone calls and 3 hrs. later he said( I just wanted to know the price!)
This has happened a few times to me But im wiser now.
I have had to tell a few people that we only work on our machines , because they had the attitude of a pit bull whenyou first meet them.
And you can see problems dealing with them down the road.
So I see both sides.
Ern. <><