MAC Tools franchise complaints are streaming in to UnhappyFranchisee.Com from struggling & angry MAC franchise owners like Nick & Paula Tsantles (see video below) and Cory & Michelle Seguin (see MAC Tools Screwed Us).
In their video, Nick & Paula Tsantles warn would-be MAC Tools franchise owners of the truth behind the Be-Your-Own-Boss, Control-Your-Own-Destiny hype of the MAC Tools franchise sales pitch.
The Tsantles’ complaints are consistent with many others we’ve received regarding MAC Tools, as well their competitors Snap-On Tools and Matco Tools:
Nick: Hi, I’m Nick and this is my wife Paula. I’m a Mac Tools Franchisee, I started with Mac tools a year ago and I wanted to take a few minutes to tell you how the past year with Mac tools has been, so you don’t make the mistake I did. Be your own boss, own your own business. You don’t need to know anything about tools. They sell themselves. All you need to do is show up for work everyday. You will start making your paycheck in 12-16 weeks after you start. Sounded good to me.
Paula: Mac does an extensive background check on potential distributors and franchisee. They make sure you have the financial backing to bring you into the business. This is all done before you go to Mac Tool school for training and testing so it doesn’t matter how well you do in school. They don’t care! They know you have the money so you’re in! Yet you are asked to do business with people you don’t know on a hand shake. Sell the tools, Mac doesn’t care if the customer pays. They know they will get their money.
Nick: I’ve struggled from the very beginning, support and help from Mac was very limited. District Managers were always busy with other new start up distributors. the answer to the problem was always “put more tools on the street” which meant me getting deeper in debt with Mac Tools even though there wasn’t enough money coming in to pay my personal bills. They did not seem to care much about what I was going through in my life as long as I sent them there money every week.
Their “12-16 weeks and you will be making money” has turned into “12-16 months and still not making money.” We have depleted our savings account. Your success or failure with Mac Tools is literally the flip of a coin.
Paula: The list of calls on the route survey Nick was given supposedly conducted on January 15, 2012, yet many of the shop on his list of calls have been closed. Some have been closed for as long as 10-15 years! Yet they claim on January 15th, 2012 somebody from Mac visited each and every one of these shops. There’s no way this happened.
Nick: It’s been tough getting customers to trust again after being left high and dry by prior Mac distributors. I didn’t find out until after I started that there has been 5 previous Mac Tools distributors in this district since 1990. Doesn’t sound like a record of success to me.
Paula: Something also we were never told. Several Mac Tools are mad in China or Taiwan. It is strongly suggested to pull the Made in China or Taiwan stickers off all the tools before displaying them.
Nick: Not one word was mentioned about the distributor taking the fall for broken return tools. When they told me they would give me a UPS account number I thought it was for the cost of sending broken tools back to Mac. NO the customer makes out, he gets a brand new tool in replace of his broken one, Mac makes out because they keep a customer and I get screwed working for free and paying the cost for the postage to return the broken tools.
Not to mention my time, and gas, running across town to take returns the UPS.
Nick: Nick has sold and received payment of over $115,000.00 in 2012 and has not made a dime. Mac tools get all of theirs and then there is nothing left.
My family lived a pretty simple life style, although now we are working ourselves to death and living my income only (which for a family of 5 this is around poverty level for this county)
Our family is falling apart! We are miserable! Thanks Mac Tools for screwing our family!
ALSO READ:
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MAC TOOLS Franchise Owners Claim They Can’t Compete (Slideshow)
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE MAC TOOLS FRANCHISE DISTRIBUTOR OPPORTUNITY? PLEASE SHARE YOUR OPINION BELOW.
TAGS: MAC Tools, MAC Tools franchise, MAC Tools video, MAC Tools distributor, MAC Tools pricing, MAC Tools franchise opportunity, MAC Tools distributor opportunity, MAC Tools dealer, tool truck franchise, mobile tool franchise, Stanley Black & Decker, franchise complaints, franchise lawsuits, Nick Paula Tsantles, Nick Tsantles Mac Tools, Paula Tsantles Mac Tools
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View Comments
Really this is unbelievable cant believebavcompany can screw innocent people like this
Really i can't believe a company would stoop so low and treat people in this way when they are trying to make a honest living working everyday trying to do the best job possible for the company and the family then finding out that i was betrayed and taken advantage of by the company that i was working for..
It is depressing to read horror stories such as the one concerning the Tsantles and Mac tools. He has done everthing he can to do to earn a decent wage for him and his family, and the Mac company. He is on the route each day, and puts in many hours not arriving home till late evening, and for all this work he receives nothing but Lies, false promises and a complete lack of coperation from his Company. MAC should be ashamed and made to remove our Flag from their headguarters since this is NOT the way America treats its citizens
If you are an existing Mac Tools dealer or were one in the last 3 years and feel like you got a raw deal please email me your information. I am working with a Franchise Attorney that wants to help because what Mac Tools has done and is still doing to hard working people is wrong. My email address is [redacted]. I like your name, contact info and a brief description of how long you were with the company, where your route was located, how long you were in business and how much money you lost.
[We don't allow posting of personal contact info in the comments. If two commenters want to connect, please send me a request to me at UnhappyFranchisee[at]gmail.com. Thanks. ADMIN]
It’s good to see some active discussions being generated here at Unhappy Franchisee. If you were wronged by MAC give attorney Jerry Marks a call. Becoming a MAC distributor was the worst decision of my life. That’s why I started this Blog – http://stanleymactoolslawsuit.blogspot.com/ I have links pointing back to Unhappy Franchisee and I hope everyone stops by often for updates and to leave their own comments.
Very sad to hear your struggles with Mac. I want to assure you as you know that you are not alone. There are tons of us out here. I can validate everything you have said and then some as it has happened to me first hand. I hope your web sight will help save others from making the same mistake as we have by trusting Mac Tools. As a word of advise to guys thinking of getting into this business. Mac will give a distributor a $6000.00 tool box to recruit you. Ask the Mac recruiter what percentage of distributors make to their payoff in 5-6 years still in business. Have a lawyer look at the franchise contract. Find out who the previous distributors in the area were and ask them their side as to why their business failed. What ever you do don't gamble with a Mac Tools route. Your odds are better at the black jack table!!!
I had a Mac Tools DM stop at my shop the other day for a survey. He has a new guy starting the area my shop is located. This Manager had no idea what he walked into because I am an expert in this business. My words were " So you have another poor old soul suckered into a misleading business venture that will eventually be that persons nightmare?". He looked at me and said " This business is what you make of it and some fail and other succeed" So I corrected him and said " What you mean is many will fail and some will make it". I feel sorry for who ever is gonna be going in this new business venture. My class from 5 years ago in Tool School of about 20 people are all out of business. It's ashame
Mac Is A total scam rippoff
Lost about 45000 in 18 months they could care less
I drank the mac Koolaid but finally spit it out