A dealer is less than cooperative on a warranty claim!

[DavesTractor]

It is hard for a dealer to compete with a dealer that is going out of business. I am a dealer for a different brand, and occasionally we come up against a failing dealer that is selling at cost, or even below cost. A healthy dealer knows what it takes to run his business and the profit he needs to pay his staff properly, give good benefits, and be a responsible part of the community. You know that sort of business, they sponsor 4H animals for your kids, they donate for the Little League Field, they provide tractors for the Barrel Racers, etc. That is a good local business and they make the community a better place. But they can't sell a $30K tractor at 2% over cost or whatever and actually keep the doors open. But a failing dealer will sell at no profit and be glad to get the tractor off the lot.

Another thought, and I am not saying you are this kind of guy, but occasionally we get a customer that takes hours of our time, then shops everywhere and gets prices, then uses that info to re-shop and work the dealers against each other. That customer cares only about price, not about service and I actually prefer to not have a customer that does not value good service. Not that he should pay a high price for good service, just a fair price. Eventually that sort of guy falls out of favor with the dealer and they realize that when he walks in the door there is no money to be made, just time to be taken.

As has been mentioned, warranty is a losing deal for the dealer. At very best, it is a break even. And often a deler will take care of a hose or something that really isn't covered. Or they will do a service call for free. But that only works if they actually have a little profit in the bank on the deal.

It's a losing deal for the dealer at this point because you are unhappy. He actually should suck it up and just take care of you, with the off chance that you will convert into a value inspired customer and not just a price inspired customer. But even so, to put you in front of his customers, to bump them back in line, is not reasonable.

The good news is that it is just a hose. If you run into something major that is questionable as far as warranty coverage, you will be in a real bind. At that point you will need a dealer to go to bat for you, and I think you may have burned some bridges.

My apologies if you really aren't "this guy" and you just are getting a bum deal.

 

[richamor]

This time of year, most tractor shops are wide open. Warranty claims on your $35,000 tractor purchased elsewhere are hard to bother with when he has multi-million dollar long term customers waiting on service so they can get back to work. Or someone else that bought the same $37,000 tractor needing warranty work.

I ain't knocking you........but you got what you paid for. Maybe the finance company can help you out, but don't count on it. MF is who I would call. A dealer is paid to service the warranty no matter where you buy the tractor from.

But at the end of the day, it looks to me like you need to find somewhere else to get service from and bid this particular dealer good-bye. Give someone else your business and build a relationship with them.

 

[two_bit_score]

This time of year, most tractor shops are wide open. Warranty claims on your $35,000 tractor purchased elsewhere are hard to bother with when he has multi-million dollar long term customers waiting on service so they can get back to work. Or someone else that bought the same $37,000 tractor needing warranty work.......

I ain't knocking you........but you got what you paid for. ............................Give someone else your business and build a relationship with them.

How simple. Yet, how easy to forget!

 

[jbooth]

I think there is some politics behind some dealers reluctance to honor warranties. Typically the manufacturer holds the shop to a specific flat rate when covering warranties. Also the parts are generally sold at cost (no profit for dealer) for warranties. Sounds like your problem dealer built some warranty expenses into his original sales offer. I worked in my in-laws IH store prior to the merger with Case. We sold mostly agriculture products (big tractors, combines and etc.). Our parts department was a big money maker and at times carried the sales and service dept. We also carried a large inventory of parts and were close enough to the major distribution point to get a 1 day turn around on parts. It is now the trend to carry very little parts inventory and order as required. I would expect your parts and service problems to go away the same day your warranty is over. There is to much money to be made selling parts and service. Service maybe not so much $$'s unless the dealer has a great service dept., with fast workers capable of making flat rate.

 

[DavesTractor]

If a customer is willing to call Agco and threaten to stop payment on his loan due to an $80 hose, might he be a difficult customer? If the same customer shopped him for hours and bought elsewhere, it might be painting a picture of the customer, and the dealer might just prefer not to do business with this sort of guy. Just a possibility, and my assmptions could be wrong. But just like some customers prefer certain dealers, dealers sometimes prefer certain tpes of customers. :confused2:

 

[grsthegreat]

Theres nothing wrong with shopping around. Just cause i bought my ford at the dealer out of town, the local ford still honors the warranty.

I think the local guy needs to own up to the manufacturers warranty. Now, if the backhoe has only 1 yr warranty, and actually i believe hoses arnt even covered, then just go to a local hyd shop and get a longer replacement hose. Also, just a thought. they sell flexible plastic protectors that coil up and cover hydraulic hoses. Maybe invest in SET OF THESE to prevent a recurring headache.

Luckily a hyd hose is a simple and cheap fix compared to what could be happening.

 

[jlsmith]

As a MF dealer I have the right to refuse service to anyone (not that I would do that). During my hay season my customers and hay producers WILL come before anyone else. This is called customer loyalty and im a firm believer in that. Like some one else said the other dealer that was going out of buisness sold the tractor way to cheap. As far as all the dealers that are left are wanting to screw you over is verry wrong. I consider myself a great dealer and good friend to all my customers and to any new customer.
Jeremy

 

[1648nc]

I hope I'm not the only one who sees hoses as a wear item. Especially at 300 hrs. at a joint on a hoe. If it were me, as everything breaks on me on saturday afternoon after the dealer closes anyway, i just go to a local shop and have a hose made. I'm not gonna waste my time or the dealer's time on a $80 hose, that being said, if i had a broken hard line I might would be trying the warranty claim, but not a soft hose.

Of course i bought from the local dealer who my grandad bought his tractor from, and numerous other local folks bought from and I know they would take care of me if i needed it. They already have when my front wheel fell off at 10hrs. Happened on saturday, they put new lugs in monday and ordered a new wheel. Took 3 weeks to get a wheel but they came out to my house the day after it came in and swapped it over.

I hate your dealer closed but a dollar saved isnt always the best route.

 

[johnrex62]

Ok, so the dealer went out of business. That could have happened to the dealer with the highest cost too. Give the guy a break, he is not at fault for buying from the less expensive of the two local dealers. He had lower quotes from remote dealers too. He did not go the absolute cheapest route and he did not twist the dealers arms to make them sell low.

Dealers closing is not unusual. Happens all the time for all types of reasons. I see it as one of the obligations of a brand dealer to handle warranty work as a cost of brand association. If he did not make the sale is not an excuse. Sure he may not make money on the work, but he makes money on the brand association.

I can see putting my profitable customers first, but he should have been more tactful about saying that. Instead of saying 'You are last after my regular customers' he should have simply said something like 'I have a backlog of work in line ahead of you, but I will get to you as soon as I can.' Then everyone would be happy and he could still get to the money making jobs first.

 

[DavesTractor]

Ok, so the dealer went out of business. That could have happened to the dealer with the highest cost too. Give the guy a break, he is not at fault for buying from the less expensive of the two local dealers. He had lower quotes from remote dealers too. He did not go the absolute cheapest route and he did not twist the dealers arms to make them sell low.

Dealers closing is not unusual. Happens all the time for all types of reasons. I see it as one of the obligations of a brand dealer to handle warranty work as a cost of brand association. If he did not make the sale is not an excuse. Sure he may not make money on the work, but he makes money on the brand association.

I can see putting my profitable customers first, but he should have been more tactful about saying that. Instead of saying 'You are last after my regular customers' he should have simply said something like 'I have a backlog of work in line ahead of you, but I will get to you as soon as I can.' Then everyone would be happy and he could still get to the money making jobs first.

I think this is a well thought out response. It is true that a dealer gains nothing at all by making the guy mad, and can still put his regular customers first by just being tactful. Good job!