MAC Tools Screwed Us: A MAC Distributor Speaks Out (Video)

160 thoughts on “MAC Tools Screwed Us: A MAC Distributor Speaks Out (Video)”

• Anyone who operates a tool franchise and makes a living at it KNOWS that the tool business is nothing more than a PONZI SCHEME.

  Each tool company allows SOME distributors to be successful while using their tool purchases as a means to CHURN other distributors in routes that are non-viable and produce no profit. Successful distributors turn their heads as they watch devastated franchisee after devastated franchisee fall victim to these thieves. Existing distributors who have been working for these franchisors are the problem. As long as they are making a living they don’t care how many Americans lose their life’s savings, homes or investments as long as they are allowed to make a living at it.

  Until active distributors form a coalition utilizing attorneys, financial consultants and economists franchisors will continue to CHURN their franchisees. Most of these franchisors selling franchises have older distributors who don’t even play by the same rules as new franchisees. Attorney’s know all about and do nothing because victims don’t have corporate money and are broke. It doesn’t matter if felonies are committed by franchisors against franchisees. It doesn’t matter if your Constitutional Rights are violated. Nothing is what the Coalition of franchising does to protect franchisees.

  The Federal Trade Commission is nothing more than terrorist organization within our terrorist government. The American people are being attacked and it is not by a foreign enemy. It is by people who call themselves supporters of the American people.

• Looks like a little honest discussion stirred up some MAC “Old Timers” in this thread. Welcome!!!

  So guys you refer to 3 successful distributors in your area? Full disclosure now — how many “New Starts” have you guys seen fail in year 1, 2, or 3?
  I bet you don’t have enough toes and fingers between you to count them all. And just how many warehouse brands do you have to order to actually turn a decent profit? What drawer do you keep the SK in?
  Did the MAC DM tell the new recruits they would have to keep money put aside to special order WH brands to even stand a chance of survival?

  Tell the truth now … feel free to visit http://stanleymactoolslawsuit.blogspot.com/

  memacfooled

• There’s no reply at all! No reply at all!

  If your going to post YOUR success for unsuspecting potential franchisees to read try bringing some facts to the table!

• I think Mac Tools should stand up for their employees
  And face there company rip offs

• Mac tools should stand up and face their problems instead of trying to rip off other innocent young couples

• I can hear the crickets. Mac “Old Timers” where did you go? At the risk of repeating myself …..

  “Looks like a little honest discussion stirred up some MAC “Old Timers” in this thread. Welcome!!!

  So guys you refer to 3 successful distributors in your area? Full disclosure now — how many “New Starts” have you guys seen fail in year 1, 2, or 3?
  I bet you don’t have enough toes and fingers between you to count them all. And just how many warehouse brands do you have to order to actually turn a decent profit? What drawer do you keep the SK in?
  Did the MAC DM tell the new recruits they would have to keep money put aside to special order WH brands to even stand a chance of survival?

  Tell the truth now …”

• By the way Mac Tools robs their employees
  They should at least face their misrepresentation of the company

• Mac Tools should face their Mis Representation of their company
  For Robbing their employees

• Hey ” successful ” MAC distributors where are you? From my post on May 17th I was hoping to hear from you …. Ok I’ll post it again …..

  memacfooled says:

  May 17, 2013 at 4:15 am

  I can hear the crickets. Mac “Old Timers” where did you go? At the risk of repeating myself …..

  “Looks like a little honest discussion stirred up some MAC “Old Timers” in this thread. Welcome!!!

  So guys you refer to 3 successful distributors in your area? Full disclosure now — how many “New Starts” have you guys seen fail in year 1, 2, or 3?
  I bet you don’t have enough toes and fingers between you to count them all. And just how many warehouse brands do you have to order to actually turn a decent profit? What drawer do you keep the SK in?
  Did the MAC DM tell the new recruits they would have to keep money put aside to special order WH brands to even stand a chance of survival?

  Tell the truth now …”

• OK … well I am strangely disappointed but not surprised that I received no reply’s to my May 4, May 17, and June 12th comments. The truth is hard to dispute isn’t it guys and gals?

• memacfooled:

  It is sometimes strange how comments flow some times and don’t others. But be assured that many many more people are reading your comments than ever post their own.

• Absolutely understood Admin. I am well aware and appreciative of the traffic generated by unhappy franchisee. I can tell by the click through rate to my blog. Click on the memacfooled link to view my blog folks…

• hmmm and here i was actually considering buying some Mac Tools wrenches. they’re called Knuckle Saver.. hmmmm.. now idk?

• See the MAC Tools Truth video regarding the products MAC slaps their names on and claims to be their own. The flashlight shown in this video is just one example. You can easily loose credibility in an entire shop when one guy gets burned and feels price gouged.  MAC should think about that and price accordingly — but nooooo. As for the DM’s they are their to do two things 1) Replace failed distributors and 2) Push overpriced tools on existing distributor’s

• I am watching this with mixed feelings. I am a sales PROFESSIONAL and as such I could tell you in the first 20 seconds of watching this that he is not the right person for a career in sales. I see this all the time people get into a new business venture with high hopes and expectations only to find out they lack the skills they really need to be successful. The MAC DM is an idiot for selling a franchise to unqualified people And this couple should have given more thought to their investment. IMO

• If you get into this business with drive, commitment and a positive attitude, you will

  succeed. There is no “bad route”, and successful distributors will vouch for that. As for your repeated badgering about jobber margins, look at it this way: if I have to, I will sell jobber product at a lesser margin than MAC. this is not a loss, just a sale with less profit. The fact that it didn’t work for you shouldn’t give you the twisted right to try damaging the company the way you are. You just failed.

• Sorry they screwed you guys over. Exactly why so many wont buy tools from MAC or Snap-On. The quality is nowhere near as superior as it is said to be. Good luck.

• mackanic50 just to clarify …

  — I said 50+ hours. That is 50 hours minimum.

  — And what about that DM clause in the contract? Why is that there? — And my question about margins was regarding MAC versus the identical tool you could sell from a warehouse direct distribution house.

• Ok understand on the 5 out of 11 …. but let’s do a reality check. Get back to us when you know how many of your class mates are actually doing well and have survived to date. Remember you bragged on how much your class had “bought” from MAC. The web is littered with tool guy testimonials who were top “purchasers” in year one and who ultimately fail in year two or three. Look at the statistics… they don’t lie. I wish you well … I don’t wish failure upon anyone.  Again, look at the stats

• I think it’s disgusting how Mac has treated their distributors. I know I would not buy Mac.

• I have been a tech for years. I have seen person after person come and go; and lost count along time ago. The only thing with MAC Tools that is consistent is their ability to screw people. I hope someone eventually puts a stop to it!

• Mac Tools Suck …

  Oh yeah – big money vacuum – so hold on to your wallet – or what you have left in your wallet …

  So … current and former MAC dealers do yourself a favor and contact Jerry Marks. Why? Because you owe it to yourselves and your family – and guess what? Mac Tools Suck …

• Wow! I feel bad for you guys. I hope this can be resolved.

• I live in the San Antonio Texas area and there have two recent Mac dealers in the past year. Both of them just vanished. I sure now of what happened.

• it seems strange to me that there are several videos where the same script is used but with different people?

  in all the videos I have seen, the same shot of the truck is used. so you cannot identify the truck

  the guy is always on the left and the woman on the right, the woman always wares glasses?

  the words are read from a script

• Bob Williams:

  Regarding the same “script” ….It’s a pattern of abuse

  Regarding the same truck … It’s a Mac truck. (By the way, look close, one is flamed …)

  Regarding Right / Left / Sunglasses … ???????

• It’s true Mac is ten times more expensive the outher brands

• I had the same Mac man for almost 20 years, We got a new one a couple of months ago. I have always bought mac stuff and others with no problem. As for the one previous comment about Mac being more expensive is not true, have you been on a snap on or matco truck lately? There higher than any of them.

• Chris102371, you are correct MAC is just as expensive as Snap On and Matco. Taken in context with all of the other comments between you tube, my blog, and unhappy franchisee… well … enough said.

• My Mac guy does just fine and he shows up to my shop along with Snap-On and Matco. who also do well. Sounds like this guy was just a shitty salesman or didn’t feel like stocking his truck correctly. trust me. I’m a mechanic and the tool truck is like a candy store. The tools sell themselves.

• cornwell does the same thing

• its fake u can tell they r hiding something

• they sound like robots. lol

• It takes several months for my Mac dude to warranty stuff even basic stuff like sockets. I have either sold/traded in or taken all my Mac tools home. It’s a bummer there Mac edge sockets are some of the best out there.

• I am a new (2 years in May) distributor in an area very close to where Cory was: the video they made is way off of the truth. The tool business requires a lot of time and effort (as any new business does) which they obviously did not put in to it, but the company and support is excellent. In two years of hard work I was able to be in the top 10% of MAC distributors in North America. Not one regret in my choice of careers! 

• Few more issues with video: (1) Mac will NEVER tell you what you could earn, or what other distributors earn. (2) No orders are ever placed by anyone but yourself: all orders submitted on a password protected website. (3) I do all the business work, orders, cleaning and truck maintenance myself: my wife works full time so yes, it is possible for one person to do the work. as long as that person is willing to do the work!

• Mackanic, The DM’s lie to get you onboard. MAC does not have to lie…their minions do it for them. Mac has a disclaimer in the contract. Being in the top 10 percent of MAC means your buying that much from MAC not that you are selling (or collecting) that much. Let me know how the rest of your graduation class is doing. Hey, how much Sunex, SK, etc are you selling? I’m sure your DM is Ok with letting us all know. What is your margin on warehouse brands versus Mac brands? Tell the truth now ….

• Neither MAC, my DM or other distributors would give an answer in regards to earning potential: it is totally dependant on how each independent business is run. As for my class, I met up with 6 of the 11 at Tool Fair last year. Two were Diamond (Top Sales Level), One Platinum (2nd Sales Level), one Gold and one Bronze. I would say that is a fairly good return for the first full calendar year in business. Tell me, how consistent was your schedule set up? How much time was put into a work week?

• So, 5 of 11 failed first year.  Year three will be a disaster count on it!!! 50 hours per week or more to answer your question sir. Again, your ratings are based on purchases from MAC not sales or collections … How are your MAC margins compared with jobber brands?

• FYI regarding DM’s .. so why does MAC have a disclaimer in the contract stating they are not responsible for anything a DM may tell you that may have “convinced you” into buying in to the business?

• “5 of 11 failed” is not what I wrote: I said I only talked to 6 of them, as far as I know none from our group has quit. That is a totally different statement than what you are trying to twist it into. And 50 hours a week is what you do when you work for someone else: ask any person in any business they run themselves, it takes more time than that. My sales are very strong, and overall margin for last year was within 2 or 3% from where I would consider ideal. so also very good.

• Well …. Diamond, Platinum, Gold, PERFORMANCE level awards are based on PURCHASES from MAC. They are not awarded for SALES. At the risk of repeating myself …. remember the web is littered with tool guy testimonials who were top “purchasers” in year one and maybe year two but who ultimately fail. I can hear the DM’s mantra now: “more tools on the street – more tools on the street …

• Mackanic50,

  I too was a Kool-Aid drinker like yourself. I was Silver my first year, Gold my second and always in the top 10% of Mac card and tool box sales. I worked my tail off and was putting in 55-60 hours a week. I carried my bag with the “magnificent 7′, kept my truck clean and stocked. Followed the business model to a T and listened to the advice of the DM and credit analyst. Happy for you that right now things are working out well. They did for a few years for me too. Just know when the s*** hits the fan all of us on this side of the mix which by far out number the ones where you are sitting right now and will totally understand and try to comfort you when you realize you just lost it all. When you walk the platform and get your award at Disney ask them how many guys failed in contrast to the ones this year who are receiving them. Ask them how many the walk the platform last year even that were silver, gold, or even platinum that have now failed or are barely hanging on. There are thousands of us out here who have failed and lost it all. Thousands!!!! My starting class had 18, at our 5 year 4 were left, now its 3. Oh, and by the way, don’t be shocked when your DM helps you by placing an order on a deal he just didn’t want you to miss out on, and then another, and then another. Just because your experience is different from others doesn’t mean theirs isn’t true. Good luck!

• That’s right. Those awards are only based on how much you spend. I was always criticized by my DM and RM for not following the system and ordering from WD’s. This is before they had a Mac Tools Warehouse Catalog. I bought deals that made me money. If Mac had a good deal on an item I can make 50 or more points I bought many. If ISN had a deal where I can make 50 or more points I bought many. In purchases I was mostly Silver every year with Mac. What’s funny is all the guys who drank the Kool Aid by management and were platinum and gold were always on credit hold. I even remember having a conversation with one dealer Joe Poulin (a DM now) who was at the time a poster child for Mac blown away when I told him the story how I needed to buy another safe to store my cash. He even admitted he at times struggled to pay his invoices and wish he had my problem. So you can make money in this business but you have to be smart and know how to tell management to kiss your ass. I was successful doing things my way but will never talk down at someone that failed. It is easy to get sucked into the bull shit managers will tell you. I was smart and strong enough to play the game back.

• Playing a game was not what I had in mind when I became a franchisee. Most franchisees get sucked in with lies but what happens when lies lead to fraud, theft and felony acts against your franchise? NOTHING! Laws do not apply to franchisors. Franchisors are above the LAW. A. Federal agency which does nothing. (Federal Trade Commission), an organization which attacks franchisees (International Franchise Association) and a State Attorney General and Senator that blames the other for the violations of your Constitutional rights. America is not the beautiful anymore. Too full of politicians lusting after tax payer dollars, cheating on their wives and playing with honest Americans lives. When freedom stops ringing and justice can not prevail American Patriots will rise. Our forefathers fought for their freedom and I stand ready to fight for mine as well. Crooks run our country for now but Patroits are getting fed up. You may have taken away my livelyhood and ruined my dreams but my life is far from over. Our soldiers and honest Americans with dreams deserve the opportunity to provide for their family rather than be fleeced by coalition of THIEVES!

• Mackanic50,

  I was doing some work today and started shacking my head as I remembered some of your post. How do you know if a Mac representative had ever said how much you could make? The DM that recruited me surely did! I was told “75k-100K per year is very realistic, sky is the limit, I have several guys making over that right now”. Did you seriously get into the business without asking and having no expectation of what you should be able to make? I wanted to know and I am sure I am not alone in that. I wouldn’t have signed up without some kind realistic idea. Did You? And as far as there not being a “bad” route. The two distributors I rode with prier to getting in both admitted to me later that they had easily between 450-500 customers and recommended that I cherry pick the good shops. When I hit the route my survey said 350 but in reality it was a stretch to come up with 250. Happy for you that you were dealt a better hand. Before you ASSume to much though give thought that others may have been lied to. I know I was! I hope it doesn’t happen to you but the odd’s are you will learn eventually other people’s hurts by MAC TOOLS are real first hand.

• YOU idiots quit ur crying get out their and hit your route like clock work with a good inventory and ATTITUDE!!! and u will do fine,FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN THIS LAZY CRY BABY SITE!!! 21 PLUS YRS!!!

• Wqakon1, I think your comment is idiotic. Not everyone fails because they aren’t hitting there routes. Let’s see how you would do if you just started today. I bet your stupid response would change.

• Wqakon1,

  21 years? Well congrats to you! I was in for over six. When I started our district had 21 distributors. When I left, I was 6th in seniority and we had 17 distributors. In addition to that I can think of at least 10 guys in my district who came after me and l failed before I got out and 4 more left within 6 months of my departure. We had one year 4 guys got in and all failed within 1 year. There is one route that had 3 new guys during my six years. But your right! none of us ran our routes like a clock or had any inventory and our attitudes all just sucked! I do agree with you on one point! We are all idiots! and any one who has read theses comments on these lazy cry baby sites and still gets into Mac is also an idiot!!! One more thing though! I may be an idiot as well as my other cry baby friends…but at least I’m not the world biggest JACKASS!

• I almost became a Mac dealer in 2009. I was approved had my truck and ready to go. Got the contract read it first so I could read it before signing, and I am glad I did, had my attorney read. First thing out of his mouth was they are sitting you up to fail.

  I set up an appointment to discuss the contract with their attorney to get some verbiage changed. Especially the paragraph that allowed them to have a UCC on everything you own. Even if they lent you money on it or not. They said no we do not change anything in our contract. I just happily hung up the phone.

  Now almost four years as a Cornwell dealer and I have seen four Mac dealers come and go in my area. The last one I have to get Mac tools involved to get broken tools replaced for a client. It took him 5 months to get my tools to the client. The poor kid never had any tools on his truck. And he was always on tool hold.

  Made me happy that I never signed with Mac.