MATCO TOOLS Franchise Complaints

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• Wow, are we having fun now or what ?

  Just one more post then I'm hitting the sack. I have to get to the local food pantry early to grab a few cans of Spam so my kids eat tomorrow.

  Jason, On the recruiting issue I was just making a point that Matco has to constantly recruit to keep fresh bodies on the road because they just dismiss distributors left and right. It always made me curious as to WHY they had to do this, now I know. It isn't fair, it isn't right.

  I am not recruiting for Jerry Marks. (Even though he is one of the few with the "testicle fortitude" to fight for us) I AM recruiting people to get off their ass and fight for themselves. Debbie, Tommy, Richard, Carl, myself and hopefully many others have no intention of going away quietly.

  Just to throw this out there................I enjoyed being a distributor, I liked the fact that techs liked me and knew I wasn't going to give them the run around on warranty..........I had some great times at expo. from what I remember. ;-).........I treated the customer service people with respect, and for the most part they treated me the same, especially Anita, she is awesome!

  Toolboxes? Matco makes the best box IN THE WORLD, hands down ! If I didn't like these things I would be happy to be out. The "suits" in corporate that just see numbers and nothing else. THEY are the ones I am after.

  I hope successful distributors stay successful, I really do. I just wished I had the opportunity to grind it out and get over the hump, but I was taken behind the shed and shot like an old dog.

  Guest, I appreciate your support and your comments, keep it up ! I am tired, I am tired of the endless bickering, going to enjoy Thanksgiving and take a break. Happy holiday to all.

• I have posted the full Matco Tools TD Bank Class Action Lawsuit complaints here:

  I have also posted a copy of the alleged "secret" three year projections that the lawsuit claims Matco furnished to TD Bank but forbade them from sharing with the loan applicant and Matco distributor.

  https://unhappyfranchisee.mystagingwebsite.com/matco-tools-class-action-lawsuit/

• Just added a reference page for documents, including the 2011 FDD which includes number of distributors, number of terminated distributors, as well as financial performance claims (Item 19) and lots of other info:

  MATCO TOOLS 2011 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) & Other Resources
  https://unhappyfranchisee.mystagingwebsite.com/matco-tools-2011-franchise-disclosure-document-fdd/

  If anyone has relevant docs or links to add to this page, email unhappyfranchisee[at]gmail.com. Thanks

• @ADMIN - thank you for posting the information and reference documents. There has been an eerie silence since..........

• I would also like to add the OFFICIAL word from Verizon wireless.......... maybe questioning the truth behind my lack of cell coverage can be silenced now too.....
  ----- Forwarded Message -----
  From: "wfmweirt@HQ.VerizonWireless.com"
  To: ladymatco@yahoo.com
  Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 3:13 PM
  Subject: RE: Coverage Map (WFM84365607)

  Good afternoon Debbie,

  My name is Mandi and I hope your having a great week! Thank you for taking time out of your day to contact me requesting information about cellular service in your area. I understand how important it is to be familiar with the workings of a cellular network and I will be more than happy to assist you. In some spotty areas of coverage, calls may drop and text message or emails may fail to send due to a lack of reception in the area.

  Voice calls and text messages run on the same frequency while emails and internet connectivity flow through another. This explains why although your call may drop, your email may still go through because the internet and email frequency is still available in that area. Text messages and emails have a higher success rate in spotty coverage areas due to the fact the system will continue to attempt to send the email or text message until sufficient coverage is found and it can be successfully delivered. Voice calls require a continuous signal which may be interrupted (causing drops calls) when service is unavailable. Another call must be initiated in order to continue the conversation, which can be frustrating in an area where signal is inconsistent. You can view information about our coverage map anytime online using the link below.

  http://www.vzw.com/coveragemap

  Additionally, I want to take a moment to let you know about our great online Support Tool. Our support pages include documentation, tutorials, and video guides to cover many different device-specific issues you may encounter. In addition to this, you may also access our forums, which host numerous answers to various questions. In order to access our support tool online, you may do so at the following link:

  http://www.verizonwireless.com/support

  Debbie, thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with you today. It has been a pleasure providing information about service is spotty coverage areas. If you have any further questions in regards to this matter please don't hesitate to contact any of our spectacular customer service representatives at 1.800.922.0204 or *611 from your handset. We value your loyalty to Verizon Wireless for over six years and it is our commitment to ensure your satisfaction with our products and services. We realize you have a choice when it comes to your wireless service and I would like to thank you for choosing Verizon Wireless. Have a wonderful day!

  Sincerely,

  Mandi

  Verizon Wireless, Customer Service

  Internet Response Team

• Oh, one last comment.........

  To the "old boys" or successful distributors that are so happy to point out that they were "invited", Emails were simply sent to EVERY email address I had. The more emails I sent, the more email addresses were sent to ME.

  So, I just took a page out of Matco's play book ~ much the same way they "qualify" the number of mechanics placed on a new distributors "List of Calls"..................

• Perceived Value vs Value

  A distributor buys a tool box at regular cost - retails $10,000
  Offers mechanic #1 $5000 trade in and sells the box for $5000

  A distributor busy a tool box a regular cost - retails $10,000
  Mechanic #2 wishes he would have bought the box when it was on sale
  distributor offers mechanic #2 $3000 trade in (the used box is identical to the box mechanic #1's traded)
  AND tells mechanic #2 he will STILL honor the expired sale price $2000 off .........AND SELLS THE BOX FOR $5000

  END RESULT - BOTH MECHANICS PAY $5000 AND THE DISTRIBUTOR HAS A TRADE IN BOX TO SELL - perceived value

  FRANCHISEE FEE??????????

  MATCO *REQUIRES* a distributor to purchase 80% of the National Avg/WEEKLY
  currently $2756 - let's say, for argument's sake - Matco's mark up is 50%
  $1378 ~ but Matco is not charging a franchise fee

  OR - take MATCO's *required* purchase 80% = $2756
  Again, for the sake of argument - Matco's mark up is actually 40% - $1102
  AND THE FRANCHISE FEE IS $275/WEEK

  Distributor is paying Matco the same amount each week $2756
  Perceived value........... or I believe Matco calls it "No franchise fee"

• If I couldn't meet 80% of the NPA, I'd make myself go out of business..

• Okay guys, I've read now I'm gonna talk. I was a DRB in Kevin's district. I got railroaded by the DM's song and dance. I was lied to from start to finish. Everything Tommy has said and claimed is true, so I won't rehash that.

  I last 6 months. EVERYTHING that has been said about "started inventories", "inflated call list", etc IS TRUE.

  Now is where I go out on a limb and potentially lose a very good friend. Before I started as a DRB, I was a tech AND customer of Kevin's. I have know Kevin and one other DRB in that "district" for nearly 20 years. Kevin really is a good guy. HE bleeds Matco red. And whne Kevin says he doesn't let "company guys on HIS truck" he isn't lying. I spoke with Kevin at great lenght about my going in business with Matco. Kevin was one of ONLY two DRB's that gave me the "straight shit". They painted VERY ugly pictures about how rough it would be to get started. Neither discouraged me, but told me cold hard truth.

  NOW, that said. Other than an occansional email, I have not talked to Kevin face to face since about '08, when I was a DBR. I have talked to the other DBR that I knew. I can tell you that they BOTH were VERY dissappointed in the way I was handled by our DM.

  I was told, by one of Kevin customers and a former co-worker of mine, that when he told Kevin I had decided to "exit", that Kevin was hurt and made a comment something like "well I guess (insert DM's name here) screwed another new guy".

  Kevin may be a "golden boy" as far as sales, but I can tell you that he can be and probaly has been one of the biggest pain in their asses, if he thinks they are fucking the DBR's it's gloves off!

  I here that DM is retiring, I hope so, he was one of the bad apples. Kevin is one of the good ones.

  I can tell you that I did retain Jerry Marks to represent me and my wife (now ex-wife, and Matco had A LOT to do with that) against Matco. All I am allowed to say is that we reached an agreement.

  Matco is a shell game. I learned many things in our lawsuit against Matco. Things that IF I had known BEFORE, I would have NEVER signed on. But you can't find this info anywhere because Matco has a department in Stow that does nothing but comb the web, magazines, etc to remove "negative info". Now once you know where to look, the bad is out there, and boy is it.

  I've probably lost a friend of 20 years now, but Kevin knows what goes on. He does NOT like or agree with it. TRUST ME! Our district has/had the "million dollar boys" in it year after year. BUT it also had a lot of "6 month wash outs". And yes, the "million dollar boys" have SWEET routes AND have been at it, this is just a guess from memory, at least 15 years.

  The district typically has 20-25 DBR's in it. Around 12-15, back in '08 anyway, were "established" guys that had been doing it awhile and probably still are. They other 5-8 are a revolving door.

  Kevin takes it personally when someone washes out. That shows classes. Kevin and one other are the only ones that would and still do, acknowledge me as a person. The rest of the DBR's were given their "marching orders" by the DM and trashed me good. I could hardly get a job where a Matco guy stopped.

  Kevin and the other rose above that. The BOTH helped me with trying to find another tech job. I owe that to them.

  To sum it up, Matco DOES suck and screw new guys. PLEASE call and speak to Jerry Marks!!!!! They is SOOO much I wish I could say about what I learned, but I can't.

  But ease off Kevin. I know first hand he is a great guy. Maybe he doesn't know even the stuff I learned about Matco's "business practices"? I'm guessing he doesn't. Because knowing Kevin, if he did, he'd be a thorn in Matco's ass that they WISH they could get rid of.

• John- That would be a good theory if it were actually true. If we're comparing to Snap-on, the retail price I sell my products for (I'm talking about identical products from the same manufacturer) is almost always lower, and my markup averages higher, plus I have no fees of ANY kind to pay. Your theory doesn't hold water, and if you were a Matco distributor, you would know that. I would like to see prices lower, but item for item, I'm much more profitable with Matco than I would be with Snap-on.