no quote available from Carver

[FamilyFarm]

I requested a quote from Carver's on a B7800/loader/mower combo and here is the response I received. I am sure they are a great dealership, but save your time filling out the quote forms on their web site. It might be wise to call them first and see if quotes are available.
I was also surprised they sent me another email trying to sell me a Kioti (?).

email response from Carver:

Friday, April 25, 2003

Welcome to Carver Equip., since 1959

Good morning,
We appreciate your note and the opportunity to serve you and do all we can to see that you will be 100% satisfied. Store hours are 8 AM to 5 PM weekdays.

You wrote-> about new Kubota Tractor quote request.
sc-> We are curtailing INTERNET long distant offers for the NEW Kubota tractor / mower model you listed above.
Just click on REPLY and let me know if you want us to respond quoting used Kubota or products from other manufacturer.
We have several a complete lines of tractors, mowers, implements, etc.

As always, your 100% satisfaction is our primary goal.

Best wishes,
Steve Carver
President
Carver Equipment
Dunn, North Carolina

P.S. I am NOT trying to put down Carver's - I now they are sponsors here with many, many satisfied customers. I'm just saying save your time filling out the forms if you aren't going to get a quote.

Terry

 

[pcmem]

Terry,

Carver's has a habbit of waiting on brand new models until they are proven to them to be 100% reliable. IMHO this is to cover their costs if there are problems or issues with the newest models as they want their customers to be fully satisfied. I suspect you'll find the same for the BX1500. They did the same thing when the BX22 first came out as well.

If nothing else give them a call,
Michael

 

[hoss]

I'm fortunate enough to live fairly close to these guys, give
them a call, you won't find a better group of people. Bought
my BX2200 there, it is always a pleasure to pay a fair price
for something when the people you are dealing with are
straight-up. I worked with Al in sales, he'll explain what
the return e-mail meant, have fun....

 

[equipman]

tlphlps
I will say that the strong sales of the B7800HSD have caused a problem with availability and I would bet that is why they have stopped Internett quoting on that model. Hope this helps.
Lewis

 

[kcook]

I dont think it needs to be proven, its a stripped down 2910. I would guess its in demand and they don't have many or any to sell.

KC

 

[hayden]

I'd venture a different guess - that Kubota is putting the screws on their dealers to stick to their territories.

 

[frank_f15]

HAYDEN: u think that might be true? seems to me that a buyer should be able to buy a machine from any dealer he feels comfortable with, whether it is in the dealers area or not. if i go to a ford dealer 30 mi from home and ther is one 1 mile away would they refuse to sell to me? i would hate to think that would be the case.

 

[John_Mc]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Carver's has a habbit of waiting on brand new models until they are proven to them to be 100% reliable. IMHO this is to cover their costs if there are problems or issues with the newest models as they want their customers to be fully satisfied.)</font>

It would be nice if they just came out and said so, rather than leaving you wondering.

John Mc

 

[JATO_RaT]

pcmem, I don't know how accurate that is, they sold me a L48 when it first came out. I don't think this is their policy. Availability or something else is more likely the issue. Carvers treats the customer very well. When they made a mistake, I always got free stuff. A set of filters all the way around when the mower came without a belt. He also gave me an extra belt for the mower, an apology and a "team meeting" to ensure this would not happen again. Rat...

 

[gsxr1100]

I hear ya. I dislikes Carver because he was very high for my BX22 with mower. Everyone says they have good prices when in fact they were about 2K more then what I got ......delivered.

 

[Buster57]

I found Carver to be quite easy to negotiate with. I recomend you give them another call.
Use the phone and fax them.
I get 100 or more e-mails a day where I work so I understand where this may be a problem at times. When I did call and spoke to someone at Carver, they knew their stuff and were on the ball.

 

[Buster57]

I do not think this is the case at all. When I purchased my L3010 from my dealer in McMinnville, Oregon I networked the price I was able to negotiate and they(my dealer) received several inquiries from California and Washington State.
The dealer had no objections, and in fact, I know he sold some attachments and probably some Kubotas as well.
Margin is up to the dealer and customer to establish. Volume of sales will almost always lead to lower cost to the dealer. I am sure my local dealer would have no problem selling anywhere on the West Coast.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

From what I understand...Stihl dealers will not sell anything to be shipped through the mail/UPS etc...in other words you have to go to a Stihl dealer and buy what you need,this is a Stihl policy way of protecting the territories,but of course you can drive to what ever store and purchase what you like.IE: If you need a chainsaw bar and your preferred dealer is 50 miles away and the local dealer you do not care to deal with is 5 miles away,you have 2 choices,drive 50 miles to your preferred dealer or go 5 miles to a dealer you do not like as well,because they will not ship the bar through the mail per policy,I know I can buy from any John Deere I choose and have things shipped to my house.Just a little tidbit to pass along.

 

[hayden]

Exactly.

I'm just speculating of course, but I bet Kubota got a lot of complaints from other dealers that Carver was driving down their prices and costing them business. Any dealer or reseller will want an exclusive territory without other competing resellers so they can maximize margin. The internet muddles all this up adn suddenly one dealer is selling into another's territory, where before in all practicality it didn't happen. If I were running Kubota's dealer network I'd consider placing restrictions. Don't know if I'd implement it, but I'd consider it carefully.

 

[Buster57]

I do not want to seem too disagreeable but there are at least 5 Kubota dealers in the 50-mile radius of where I live. This includes both Washington and Oregon.

Pricing has 10% variation. I consider that variable to be huge.

Customer base and volume purchases are the only way I can explain the difference in resale figures.

Exclusivity in sales territories is most likely determined by shipping costs. Carver and Sweet have difficulty competing with local Oregon dealerships that obtain their attachments from local distribution centers that, appropriately enough, sell locally. This only makes sense.

If a Carver or Sweet are to compete with my local dealer, they will have to prearrange shipment of heavy equipment to the local areas in Oregon where the dealers have all the logistics already worked out. For the margin they will be competing for, this in most cases, will not be worth their time.

If they open “Carver West” , then they may have a chance. All they will have to compete with then are the relationships established by the local dealers.

Relationships are worth gold.

 

[FamilyFarm]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I hear ya. I dislikes Carver because he was very high for my BX22 with mower. Everyone says they have good prices when in fact they were about 2K more then what I got ......delivered. )</font>

I have nothing against Carver or I wouldn't have requested a quote from them. When I bought the BX (from a local dealer) I got a quote from Carver first. I don't remember the specifics, but I got a better deal locally, even after taxes added on. But, it wasn't a HUGE difference, so I want to include Carver in the mix of possible dealerships now that I am considering a larger tractor.
I just thought it interesting that their website encourages requesting a quote, the email wasn't very specific as to why none was given, and to beat all, they sent me a separate email to see if I would be interested in a Kioti! Sure didn't seem like they were interested in my business! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Terry

 

[Anonymous Poster]

My closest JD dealer is about 30 miles away......They are a big dealer,I believe either 11 or 13 dealers in 4 states..They sell JD dozers/skidders/ and farm equipment down through lawn equipment,I have dealt with them and I feel like a number when I go in there,I would prefer to spend my money to an individual that recognizes me and treats me like a friend and cares if I am happy. This big dealer has done work for me,but when I get the bill and they have charged me a shop bill for a few paper towels and a few other trivial things...like disposing of 5 quarts of oil out of my engine..I do not like that....I could go on....

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue">but when I get the bill and they have charged me a shop bill for a few paper towels and a few other trivial things...like disposing of 5 quarts of oil out of my engine </font>
My Chevy dealer does the same thing. They could have lumped it into their hourly labor rate, their parts rate, etc. instead they chose to specify it separately so I know what I am paying for, particularly when the charge is for what is probably an environmental regulation. Odds are there's a back end reporting requirement for such items. We're paying for the same things at every other shop, they're just not itemized on the bill.

 

[Buster57]

My Kubota dealer comes to my house, fixes everything on the spot or takes the parts in to his machine shop, then comes back and finishes the work on site.

He always leaves a gallon of oil, trans fluid, or spray wax.

My BMW dealer is not as good at service as my Kubota dealer!

Relationships are worth gold and my Kubota dealer earns his eveytime I call him!

 

[hayden]

I think you are right about the dynamics of pricing, shipping costs, etc.

What's interesting is that Carvers has changed from quoting just about anything over the internet, to declining to quote. Not sure what's changed.