Internet Tractor Purchase

   / Internet Tractor Purchase #41  
I am not a lawyer, but I have read about "Fair Trade" laws which state in essence, that you cannot arbitrarily refuse to sell a product or perform a service for to one person, and not another. I am SURE there are various laws about it though. Maybe the SBA or similar site would have more info.

BobT.

A Indiana Boy
 
   / Internet Tractor Purchase #42  
Spoke to my Kubota dealer about the warranty service issue. The answer was very clear to him, as his family has been in the tractor business for 51 years, so I didn't feel the need to press him to see the actual agreement, though I am professionally curious.

He said that dealer is required to provide warranty service to a Kubota owner no matter where the tractor was purchased. That's the same arrangement for other lines of equipment he carries, such as Cub Cadet. He feels certain that other brand tractors would have the same requirement.

He did point out that the dealership agreement does not say when the tractor has to be serviced. That is, a dealer is free to service his own customers first. It would make business sense for a dealer to do that, and I think many of us have heard that. He admitted that that the only negotiating "leverage" a dealer has with a prospective buyer on the warranty service isssue is to suggest that the dealer's customers will get first priority.

There is no legal obligation for a dealer to offer after-warranty service, but he stated that it would be foolish for a dealer to pass up that revenue. Service is a profit center.

Glenn
 
   / Internet Tractor Purchase #43  
Glenn, the person requesting warrenty service on a tractor is also going to judge the dealership on the courtesy provided during that phase of tractor ownership. If the owner feels slighted in the timely manner in which work has been performed, then he will be LESS likely to return for after warrenty work, which like you said, is a dealerships meat and potatoes profit center. Seems like an astute dealer will recognize that, and do his utmost to insure that he gains a 'loyal' customer for future profits. Of course, not ALL dealers are astute.
 
   / Internet Tractor Purchase #44  
Scruffy, I agree with your analysis. I think the only time the warranty work priority issue will come into play is if the dealer has a legitimate work overload. For example, if WillingtonPizza lives next to me and buys from Carver, and we both have a warranty emergency at the same time, my dealer is going to come to my house first. If he doesn't, I'll be the guy who feels slighted.

This is probably a scenario that does not happen very often for a dealership with an established service department, because Kubotas simply don't need much repair. If you buy from a one man or extremely small dealership, however, that guy may have trouble servicing anybody under any circumstance, simply because he doesn't have any manpower.
 
   / Internet Tractor Purchase #45  
Glenn, you hit the nail right on the head with the discussion regarding the dealer sales and service agreement. In the auto business, it's becoming more common to review dealer agreements (the legal department, that is) and enhance or change them, with many now being 3/5/10 year agreements. Every dealer I've talked to about this viewed it as pure manufacturer arrogance and the manufacturer trying to dictate to the retailer how to run his business.

Now, to tractor dealers. One auto dealer I know also owns a NH and Kubota dealership. While the sales and service agreements are different for the manufacturers, both bind him to provide warranty service for the respective manufacturer's products, regardless of whether he sold them or not. Neither agreement is time bound, although both NH and Kubota can add ammendments to the agreements that require facility appearance, customer service levels, and market share be at or above some type of target level.

True, he may choose to perform warranty and customer pay service on his customer's tractors first, but as he said, "I didn't get to own all this being that stupid. It's all about customer service today. Send me every unhappy New Holland and Kubota tractor owner you know and I'll handle their service and make them MY customer."

So, the sharp guys don't want to miss the sale, but they don't want to miss the service after the sale, either. Find one of those guys.

Bob Pence
 
   / Internet Tractor Purchase
  • Thread Starter
#46  
I have decided to purchase from Carver, here are my reasons. I am purchasing a Kubota because after doing research I believe I probably will not need service. While deciding what to purchase I have been a pain in the as_. They are the only people that have quickly answered my price questions without making me feel uncomfortable. I do not like the dealer near me, he makes me feel uncomfortable. I will probably go with a B2910 but I am thinking about getting a price on a 3010hst because I often skid logs out of the woods and I think the extra size will help. Thank you for all your help, I will keep everyone posted on how the transaction will work.
 
   / Internet Tractor Purchase #47  
WillingtonPizza, I'll bet you'll be happy with either tractor, and with Carver.

Bird
 
   / Internet Tractor Purchase #48  
ditto what Bird said....I've purchased 2 Kubotas from Carver....GREAT folks before and after the sale.

Terry Giles (the parts guy) is top notch. I can call him and have parts (filters and such) for either UPS'd to my house before I can even find time to stop by the local guys place ( if I was so inclined but I'm not) and pick them up.
jeff in nc
 
   / Internet Tractor Purchase #49  
First, Carver [and couple of other internet dealers, I have been told] do a first rate job. I would have considered them if I was not lucky to have a good dealership nearby. This is not a knock on anyone who has elected to go the distant dealership route but I strongly advise everyone to visit every dealership within a 60 mile radius.

There are a few things to consider. First, I had limited experience with tractors when I bought one. I NEEDED to shop the local dealerships. Got a so-so reception from the JD dealership. Got a great reception from Parsons Tractor in Kalispell MT even though my first statement was "I am not ready to buy today" If you are not a tractor pro, I strongly suggest you try to find a local dealer or, at least, use a broker like Harv did. The saleman- John- even came out to my property in order to make better recommendations as to size and type of tractor. John delivered the Kubota 2910 and ended up spending 3 hours instructing me on proper, safe tractor procedures. Alot of you do not need this type of baby sitting, but it helped me [as this website has] make a better buying decision.

Secondly, I had intended to take care of the 50 hour service. That is until I realized it was not simply changing some fluids and lubing zerks. I have elected to have my local dealership to do this. By the way- these local guys have gone out of the way to show me how to do any procedure I might try to tackle. As to warranty issues, this dealership will send a tech out to my home if they think it will solve the problem. They did this when I was having problems with the adjustments of implements. I had bought a Landpride scarifier that attached to my rock rake. Without me asking or other prompting, Parsons decided the scarifier was not appropriate for my purposes and offered to switch it for a boxblade with teeth. The difference in the discounted price between the two implements was $15.00. They delivered the boxblade and told me to forget about the price difference.

I realize not everybody has this type of dealership nearby, but I suggest you visit a couple of dealers before making your buying decision. The above described customer service is simply good business and I am sure there are other Kubota dealers with this type of attitude. Price is important but I sugest you DO NOT start by asking your local dealer what his best price will be. I try to evaluate what the intangibles the dealer can offer before I get to price. As I mentioned before, my final price for everything was within $500 of what I would pay Carver.

Food for thought

Rick
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

71054 (A49346)
71054 (A49346)
2014 Ford Flex SUV (A50324)
2014 Ford Flex SUV...
2015 FREIGHTLINER M2 DAY CAB (A51222)
2015 FREIGHTLINER...
2013 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD (A51039)
2013 Chevy...
2021 Cat D5 LGP Dozer (RIDE AND DRIVE) (A50774)
2021 Cat D5 LGP...
2014 Freightliner M2 106 Ambulance (A50323)
2014 Freightliner...
 
Top