MAC TOOLS Distributor Problems – Your Input Invited

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• We’re sinking fast.
  We have asked for help a number of times and always get the same answer “you need to get more money on the street”. This is our money that’s going on the street!

  The route survey we were given hasn’t been updated in many years. Many of the stops were shops out of business, empty lots or a totally different business in the building. The support from Mac just wasn’t there as promised. We weren’t out to get rich just to put a little money away for college for our kids, but now we are in worst financial condition than before.

• Most of the problems I have experienced over the last 41 years of route truck sales have been brought on by myself. As self employed business owners we control our own destiny. Tell the truth, do what you say, give good service, collect your money as agreed, pay your bills and live within your income. Be a good citizen.
  As far as Mac Tools is concerned they need to make the following changes in their network to continue to hold and grow their market share.
  Provide us with a more usable tool box and equipment finance program.
  Return the quality of our hard line tools to the days when they were made in Ohio.
  Provide more in field support for distributors, especially for younger new starts.
  Avoid the price above quality sales promotions, low quality sales prostitutes our brand and business.
  Make an all out effort to bring more of our production back to the USA, I sell tools to American technicians, not foreign ones, we owe this to our children and ourselves to support our fellow citizens.
  Respectfully to all my fellow distributors!

• Unfortunately times have changed and the MAC disclosure agreements/contracts have changed. It is very hard for new start distributors/franchisee's to make it in this industry under these contracts. I agree that MAC has changed their product line and most items are made oversea's.
  Try selling tools to techs in North America from these foreign countries when our economy is suffering terribly. How do you suggest that I sell these tools? How do I explain to my customers that they are good quality tools when the labels indicate that the products are made oversea's? How is one to make it in today's market with the "new disclosure agreements"? How come when I reach out to MAC with problems that arise, I either receive no support or are differed to another person with in the company? How am I suppose to compete when a customer brings a tool on to my truck from a independent distributor; that has the same specs and looks identical for half the price?
  I give good service to my customers, I do pay my bills and live with in my means. I help everyone out and live by the moto do unto others as you would expect them to do unto you. I feel most days I am misleading my customers and being untruthful about the products and am getting very fed up! I hope MAC makes some changes soon.

• Donnie Mac Ellis, I think you know you are the exception not the rule. How many new starts do you see fail in the first / second / third years? Do you think these people were all just stupid? Were they all unmotivated? Do you think they planned on losing their life savings? You got in well before Stanley came in and started diluting the MAC brand with import tools, before ebay, and before the investment was close to if not in the six figure range to get on-board. Seriously, when the DM's are selling the new recruits on a a recycled failed route ... and they all are for the most part ... do you think they are as honest as you are in lines 5 through 14 of your comment? Your a legacy in your region! I congratulate you on your success! But consider being new, naive, in debt up to your ears, and starting fresh in a territory where the local dealer techs past the time by betting on how long the latest MAC guy will last!

• Well said memacfooled. Times were different 41 years ago. Times were different 5 years ago. When customers see dealers coming and going the brand becomes the 2nd or 3rd choice. You have to be first choice in order to make a living. Mac Tools teaches you in Tool School a 5 week turn on payments. First 4 weeks pay for the merchandise and the last payment is your profit. In a perfect world that is true. The problem by time you receive that item and merchandise it in your truck a week has gone by. Then a customers grabs that item and says " Can I make my payment next week? I wasn't expecting to buy anything this week." Most dealers aren't gonna say no. So then next week goes by and you receive your first payment on that tool that was invoiced to you 2 weeks ago and is now 2 weeks away being due. So following the 5 week rule doesn't work. Plus tools are expensive. You can probablly sell an item for $100 and expect $20 a week. How many tools sell for $100 or less? Not many.. You sell an item for $400 that is $80 a week in payments following the 5 week rule. Who can afford that? Most dealers will probablly settle on $30-$40 a week which doesnt even cover your cost in 4 weeks when the item is invoiced to you. So where does the extra $$$ come from to pay for these tools??? The dealers pocket. That is where dealers lose everything and charge up there credit cards. So what happens is the very same system you were taught in Tool School is really a scheme on putting your hard earned money in Mac's pocket and you being the dealer assuming all the risk with your money out in the street which will now become a money collecting pit that has no end and never enough to pay bills. And once you are out of business good luck collecting your money because it never happens. So this system Mac has in place is to fail in the very start. They know you have money to burn when they recruited you and will tell you everything under the sun that it takes time to grow a business and put more money out in the street because it keeps that machine alive sucking you dry. The failure numbers speaks for itself.

• I would like to invite everyone to visit my blog at: http://stanleymactoolslawsuit.blogspot.com/ you can read about mine and many other MAC victims stories. Lets keep the dialog going folks. After your visit to my blog come back and leave a comment here at Unhappy Franchisee.

• Iwas mac tool distributor for 7 years, at first i made good money when they change too, Green Sky i could not get any body qualified for tool box over last 4years about 1/2 million dollars so i gave it up. If any thinking about going in to the tool bussiness he need have is head ck, shop's are closing up

• HSBC was the better days. I was top 100 in Mac Card sales for the 2 years HSBC was around and did pretty good. When Green sky took over that was the end of my big ticket sales and business. You can't survive without a good finance program in the tool business. The product is too expensive and the margins are too low if you were gonna float someone on payments.

• Was a distributor for 17 years. No one in my recruitment class lasted more than 3 years. The entire management team from the president down to the district managers are a bunch of low life cocksuckers. They have no interest in the mobile tool business just fucking ordinary people out of their life savings.

• R Clark Taylor - Wow! Your my new hero! C'mon people lets here what you have to say. Whether you have commented before or never commented, please follow Mr. Taylors lead. Personally I'm mad as hell at Mac and I'm not going to take it anymore! Mr. Taylor please visit my blog by clicking on my name above "memacfooled" and post your comments any time you would like! This is reality folks ....