Cowlitz Tractor, Ha Ha Ha

getut · Jun 16, 2005

( $1000.00 to $1500.00 I agree stay local.)

Not everyone can even call $1000 extra chump change. As long as there is a local service center that I can call on or a local trusted generic tractor mechanic, then I would jump ship for probably as little $300-400. I would not make that same decision if service was questionable. I was/am struggling getting an older house up to speed and every little bit of money counts because we are scraping.

It is absolutely infuriating to the point of getting in a guys face if a dealer would have the cahunas to try and punish me for saving money on the tractor purchase. ESPECIALLY if I was standing right in front of him with money in hand, ready to pay him a fair price for working on it.

TractorLegend · Jun 16, 2005

People and their money are kinda funny.
Theres always customers from ****---nobody needs em.
But I made an order for the CK30 HST, fel, finish mower yesterday from te Tractorgal that I could just as easily bought from Cowlitz Tractor. I didn't do any strange customer techniques as some report seeing. I was fishing for a place to buy. A couple bucks in either direction wouldn't sway me ultimately. But the lack of respect did.
I needed a tractor, I was gonna buy a tractor, Cowlitz sells tractors---the only thing missing was respect. Paula still has her shiny tractor on the lot waiting, I guess, for the humblest of customers who will play by "their rules". Whatever those unwritten rules are. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

getut · Jun 16, 2005

Why is creating an auction mentality being a jerk? That is exactly what the internet allows a buyer to do and it opens up the possibility of getting prices from more locations. As I said in a post above, when things are done the old way, the game is played on the dealers court with their ball and their rules. WIth the internet, things are ever so slightly turning so that the consumer can even the playing field a little. I still don't think a dealer is going to offer anything at a loss to themselves, so they are at 0% risk in this.

Neil, Too many people have attested to your business for anyone to EVER believe that you are anything but top notch, but can you honestly think badly of anyone trying to get the best deal? I think it is the customers right to know how he is being charged and to know if he is being hammered for one item so they can offer a better price on another item. These are marketing gimmicks all designed to confuse the consumer.

Edit: It is exactly this that I have griped about. Why not show each dealer what the other bid was? Why the secrecy? Why try to hide anything and stop the flow of information unless there ***IS*** something to hide? If a dealer is putting down his best price, he should be proud of it. If he is ashamed of his pricing then I can see that as being a valid point.

frank_f15 · Jun 16, 2005

Tractor dealers, car dealers, etc. are all not of the same breed, some are good and some are bad, and the same goes for the customers. 5 years ago i wanted a new 3 car garage built, new concrete drivway, a complet strirp off of my house roof, with new plywood and new gutters called 5 local contractors (rural area) explained what i wanted, 2 never called back, one came and we discussed it, but he never sent me a quote, 1 gave me a quote over the phone the price was so high i could have built a house, one guy returned my call the same day, came down that nite and we went over exactly what i wanted, he made sugestions and we talked and discussed, 2 days later he was back with complete drawings, and details of what he was going to do and materials he was going to use ( i wanted 18 ft door) for 2 car section and he said it would be best to put a steel plate in the header. point being i was NOT looking for the lowest price! Just a fair price for a well done job. I GOT what i paid for, and it was an EXCELLENT and professional job.

MessickFarmEqu · Jun 16, 2005

( Neil, Too many people have attested to your business for anyone to EVER believe that you are anything but top notch, but can you honestly think badly of anyone trying to get the best deal? I think it is the customers right to know how he is being charged and to know if he is being hammered for one item so they can offer a better price on another item. These are marketing gimmicks all designed to confuse the consumer.
)

Thanks for the nice comment. My distaste for that guy was not so much what he was doing, but the attitude they had about it. The problem with the faxing of quotes has more to do with ruining my relationship with our competition more than anything else. I know many dealers who will refuse to undercut customers who live in close proximity to their competition. We are not so nice, but that goes a long way when you want to transfer inventory from that dealer the next day.

My opinions about using the internet to price shop are just like yours, I do it almost everyday. Part of the reason our store does well is because people excersize their right to shop around. Go ahead and shop till your blue in the face, thats your right as a consumer. My concern is that from reading your posts you come off as an arogant customer who is out to beat someone up and nickel and dime every purchase. Its a two way street, I often throw in free hats, filters, delivery, etc to customer who buy at a fair price. Then there are those who work you to the bone, and you have to nickel and dime them in return just to break even. As a dealer, I can build a better working relationship with someone who is reasonable and fair. In most cases, both customers net out at the same point. I should keep my mouth shut on some of these things, we are not exactly your typical dealer and my point of view is skewed some.

getut · Jun 16, 2005

( My concern is that from reading your posts you come off as an arogant customer who is out to beat someone up and nickel and dime every purchase. )

I realize that I appear that way and it comes mainly just from my getting involved in this type of discussion over and over... and because I am talking about points of view so generic. I am not really an arse in person and do NOT beat up my or any other dealer and I am nice and respectful when I talk to them. I don't expect a dealer to lose money on me and would never want that. But I DO want to monitor exactly how my money is being used in a purchase. I usually DO get my purchases priced both ways... itemized and package deal. I want to see it. It is not meant to offend. I don't think dealers should be offended if that information is shown around (even to other dealers) either.

I will absolutely admit a little pent up anger about EVER having to haggle. I despise the whole process (and despise is very weak word for what I feel). Any product that is sold with negotiable prices is haggled over. Haggling, by definition, is a confrontational process. The whole process is unfortunate. It builds lies and mistrust from the very beginning because it truly is a "game" that is either won or lost. I despise being put in a situation where following my morals, to be a good God fearing person, not lie and be truthful in all situations will very likely get me eaten alive monetarily. You CANNOT haggle successfully and at the same time be an open book and be completely truthful. Period. I try to find any way possible out of that conundrum because I refuse to compromise my morals yet I still don't want to get hammered monetarily. The best choice for me is to not play that game at all and use a different set of rules that don't require haggling and withholding information. Sales people who sell negotiable price products such as cars or tractors play the game everyday. They are much better at it than a typical consumer hence the "dealers game, dealers court, dealers ball, dealers rules" comment. Yes, I can see where dealers could get very offended about new tactics available to consumers with the rise of the internet, but it is a fact of life. I welcome every opportunity to ease the process of haggling or even eliminate it altogether. Making an "auction" out of a sale is a way I can eliminate that stress. I find out what I want to purchase, I let 5 or 6 dealers know exactly what I am going to purchase and I let bids fly around in the open. It is no different than selling a tractor at auction. The end result is that I get a fair price. Dealers will drop out at a level they are comfortable with and no one loses. If there are any hurt feelings, then it simply because the consumer didn't play by the old rules that so heavily favors the dealer.

If playing by a different set of rules that don't require me to lie or withold information to get a good deal makes a dealer angry, then so be it.. he'll just have to be angry.

viking65 · Jun 16, 2005

The federal government could determine prices we pay for goods and services. Would you rather that? Then you could be assured that your neighbor didn't get a better deal than you did on the same tractor. The Soviet Union had a system like that.

getut · Jun 16, 2005

How in the world did ANYTHING I have said above or in any other thread ever, even slightly imply that I would like or want anything like that?

RedRocker · Jun 16, 2005

My biggest problem with Neil is he's too far away from Texas.

gmsssi · Jun 16, 2005

The adventure in my new tractor purchase proves that sadly so, IMO, a game is being played! I researched the tractors, educated myself (Thanks TBN!), visited numerous dealers, web searched and e-mailed. I would have to say 50% of the dealers were attentive and 50% appeared to be aloof. In my search for a deal, it appeared that if you DID have serious intentions to buy immediately and the tractor was in stock, WOOOO!, can you say inflation (who’s holding the cards?)! I got my best prices from dealers I was up front with on my research, low quotes and who didn't have the tractor readily available (now who’s got the better hand)!

Ordered one from a TBN advertiser with the commitment to deliver in 1 month, they failed. I ended up purchasing from the first dealer I talked to who gave a great price and did not have the tractor in stock 5 weeks ago. Now with all that said, because I was rewarded with a good price, no haggling and prompt preparation, I will now honor him continued business. The day I took delivery I asked if he had pallet forks and he said “yes”. My reply was “throw them on the trailer”! Price was no issue and BTW, I could have purchased them cheaper.

Certainly I could have paid more for the tractor and got the same service, but who wins? What happens when I find out I got taken for a couple extra thousand dollars….you won’t see me again, because I’ll feel like a heel because I was taken advantaged of and I am not going to trust you again! Is service on a warranty item and a free hat worth up to a $4000 difference on the same tractor? I think not! Did the internet, TBN and multiple quotes help me…? DEFINITELY!

I purchase all my vehicles from one dealer (Redbank Chevrolet in New Bethlehem, PA) because they discount all vehicles, do not haggle (you pay as marked, they do not move and the price is always competitive), supply great service and are attentive to customer concerns. I probably could find a better price; it’s just too inviting and time saving to deal this way. If I could have bought a tractor this way, it would have saved me a lot of time and money! My tractor dealer has hit on three of the four and we will now find out on service if ever needed. Until he disappoints, he’ll be where I go for all my tractors.

What I learned in all this is….

• Not all dealers are obsessed with making a killing
• Not all dealers are concerned for you as a customer or return business
• Service is a dealers wild card
• Return business is the customer wild card
• How you pay really, really matters
• Dealers advantage on tractor packages (incentives and confusion)
• Patience is a virtue