Since I'm the manager of the local Montana dealer referred to by "Bud Soda" and was at the dealership when he finally came in to get his tractor, I'll be glad to, as Paul Harvey would say, "tell the rest of the story." First, I am proud to be a Montana dealer. They have always worked with us honestly and diligently with respect to customer satisfaction and, in particular, when it comes to honoring their warranty policy. Now, "the rest of the story:"
When our dealership first started dealing with ole Bud, our salesman was under the impression that he was dealing with our local county school system and originally set up his file as such. After the negotiations for a tractor with loader (both for under $15000) were completed our salesman was made aware that the sale was actually to Bud and NOT the school system. Bud, of course, was given the benefit of those negotiations and got a good deal. He appeared to be happy ... he sure should've been.
More than a month ago Bud called our location saying that he had been on the internet and saw that there was a problem with the muffler on the model tractor that he had purchased. We were unaware of such a problem and had had no complaints from any other customer. Bud informed our parts people that he was going to bring in his tractor for "warranty work" with respect to his muffler. Our parts people, as they ALWAYS do, explained to him at that time as well as in their later conversations with him, that he was responsible for any work we do; that we would be glad to file a warranty claim and assist in that regard and if same was justified and accepted by Montana that he would not be charged for the work (or parts or freight). He asked if we had the muffler in stock and was told we did not but would be glad to order one for him. He said get the muffler in and he would call back. He did call back and wanted to know if the parts were in and also whether we had a spring for his brake lever. He said he had "lost" one. We didn't have the spring but assured him we would get some. Again, it was reiterated to him about our, as well as Montana's, warranty policy. Let's face it, if he intentionally drives his tractor off a cliff, neither we nor Montana are going to buy him a new tractor even if he did only have it seven months! And he was again told about parts having to be returned before warranty could even be considered. The spring just so happened to be back-ordered. We had the muffler.
He subsequently called and wanted to know if all the parts were in that he needed. At that time we had gotten in the brake springs and he was told that everything was here. He brought in his tractor on November 28th and wanted us to assure him that everything would be covered under warranty. Again, he was told how we handled warranty claims. We also wanted to know how he was claiming a warranty claim on the spring (which he did NOT bring in) that he lost. He did say if something was going to cost him a lot he wanted to be notified in advance. We told him we would. We also told him that there was no way we could make a warranty claim for his "lost" spring.
We removed and replaced the muffler, gasket and bolts and filed a warranty claim on his behalf - it was immediately honored by Montana. We replaced his brake spring. All the work took an hour or less and was finshed by the next day.
We didn't hear from Bud the next day so Sam called him and told him his tractor was ready. We put his tractor in a secure area in the back where we keep our equipment as well as our customers' equipment. We have three secured locations for this at our dealership and all have locks. He finally called about picking up his tractor on December 10th; it had been here two weeks; it had been fixed for two weeks. Montana had even had time to fax us back with the credit for him for the muffler, gasket, bolts, freight and 15/100 of an hour labor as per our agreement with them. Bud said he was coming in to pick up his tractor.
When he came in he stated to our parts manager that "that this was all covered under warranty!" The person who helps our parts manager again asked Bud how we were supposed to have made a claim for the spring. At that time, for the first time, Bud claimed the spring broke.
He was then told that he was NOT being charged for the muffler replacement but only for the spring together with our shop's minimal charge for labor, i.e., 1/2 hour. He then asked to buy an oil filter from our parts manager and it was added to his bill.
Then he really started. He objected to our having done any of the work with respect to the spring, said that it should have been covered under warranty or given to him so he could do it. He said he was going to pay the bill but was going to talk to our owner about it, referring to him by his first name. He was then told by me that that would be fine. He then said he would not be back. Since we had never really made any money as a result of our relationship with him (except for maybe a couple of bucks on the oil filter), I don't see how we lose. No one has ever come in saying he referred them to us and he certainly had been doing everything he could (including name dropping) to avoid having to pay for anything.
At NO time was Bud EVER told that he could NOT have his tractor, regardless of whether he paid his bill or not. After he paid his bill he did ask where his tractor was and Sam, our parts manager, said he would go with him and help him get it.
In the twenty years I've been in the tractor business, mostly at the Kubota dealership he referred to, I can't say that I've EVER dealt with such an individual as this. After he left, we talked to the folks at Montana and they said even though the spring would not normally, under these circumstances, be covered under warranty, that with respect to Bud, they would cover it this time. That's how far Montana's willing to go to please their customers. Of course they did not have the misfortune of dealing with him personally
