MATCO TOOLS Franchise Complaints

4,850 thoughts on “MATCO TOOLS Franchise Complaints”

• Tommy wrote – “I was not liked by my D.M. he has a reputation for kicking people out.”

  Junior – You were disruptive Tommy. And DM’s can’t do ANYTHING without an RM approving it. And an RM has to run ANY separation thru Matco. Unless you decided to sign a separation agreement, which if I recall you did. So you kicked yourself out Tommy.

• Tommy wrote – “I have recovered from my losses and moved on”

  Junior – Huh? When does this start?

  Tommy wrote – “but I am not letting up on Matco.”

  Junior – So which is it? You moved on…but you didn’t. This is how you ran your truck Tommy. You’re all over the place.

• Tommy wrote – “MATCO, GUESS WHAT, THE FEDS ARE COMING TO STOW, AND SO IS JERRY AND THE GANG, INCLUDING THE DEFENDERS, THEY WANT A REFUND ALSO, THEY HIDE BEHIND US, UNHAPPY FRANCHISEES AND SCREEN NAMES.”

  Junior – What is is this? Where do you come up with this stuff? An facts on the Feds? Why would they let Tommy know anything?

  THERE’S THREE WAYS TO GETTING SOMETHING AROUND, TELEPHONE – TELEVISION – TELL-A-TOMMY!

• Debbie wrote – ****************DISTRIBUTOR CHURNING – FACT*********************

  Junior – Debbie, the statement they make only proves the turnover/separation rates. You have to prove Matco is negligent or malicious in its actions to prove churning.

  And not all separations are due to failure. Some leave on a positive note like I did. Some become DM’s, trainers, you name it.

• Sounds like Matco#1 is an ex Snap-On distributor or he sure knows a lot about how Snap-On treated their distributors. Perhaps if he paid attention to what is going on with Matco and its distributors maybe he would have a clue WHY WE ARE POSTING ON UNHAPPY FRANCHISEE.COM.

• “Churn and Burn, Non Factual”

  The facts come from Matco Tools own FDD:

  MATCO TOOLS Franchise Report Alleges Distributor Churning
  http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/matco-tools-franchise-distributor-churning/

  The fact is that nearly half of Matco distributors flush out of the system each year.

  A portion of the other half are lucky enough to have been granted old agreements and solid, profitable routes. They claim their success (a good degree of which is luck and circumstance) is entirely due to their own business savvy, heroic work ethics and macho good looks.

  These are the Matco Old Boys Club members. They choose to boost their egos by coming on here to flaunt their success and pretend that the Matco system is “nearly perfect” despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. They strut their massive egos and take on fantasy roles (the karate kid, the motor pool war hero, the self-made ex-pig farmer turned tool magnate). They each generally have one friend they respect who got screwed over but they refuse to acknowledge the validity of anyone else’s identical stories.

  Don’t bother to try to argue with them because if they acknowledge that the system flushes half and lets the other half be, they’ll have to acknowledge the fact that their success is little more than the luck of the draw, not a result of their personal & professional superiority.

  But that seems to be the deal. Some got lucky , signed old agreements and kissed *ss and brownnosed til they got in the Old Boys Club. It’s obvious by their comments here that they didn’t succeed through their personal charm, team spirit or ethics.

  Then there are some who were doomed from the start, like the dbr in Todd A. Peterson’s detailed account who was sold a franchise, & sold an initial inventory even though no LOC existed for him.

  And then there were those, like Todd, who were successful but never got granted the protection of Old Boys Club status. They were encouraged to buy inventory, lease new trucks only to have customer shops taken, LOC cut until they fell below the required purchase level and were then abruptly terminated to make way for a new creditworthy future flushee.

  Stories like Todd A. Peterson’s and all the others I quoted earlier are detailed, believable and credible. I doubt anyone is reading the white noise of the Old Boys Club disruptors except the OBC members themselves. The OBCs think they are oh so clever and cutting but are really just sad and embarrassing.

• Junior writes: “the statement they make only proves the turnover/separation rates…not all separations are due to failure. Some leave on a positive note…”

  If their franchise was successful and profitable, it would stand to reason that they would sell it, since it would be a valuable, profit-producing asset. Yet fewer than 7% were able to pawn off their franchises on someone else.

  Wouldn’t it would be fair to assume that the 93% were either terminations or simply abandoned as unsaleable?

  From the report:

  “During the three year period from 1/1/08 to 12/31/10, seven hundred fifteen (715) Distributors, forty nine percent (49%) of the total number of MATCO Tools Distributorships open at any time during the period, left the MATCO system.

  “Of that 715, only fifty (50) transferred their MATCO Tools business to third party franchisees. Of the remaining six hundred and sixty five (665) Distributors who left the MATCO Tools system, five hundred thirty one (531) closed their Distributorships, and one hundred thirty four (134) had their distributorships terminated. If a MATCO Tools distributor desired to exit the system during this three year period, and hoped to sell its business through a MATCO approved transfer, that franchisee had less than a seven percent (7%) chance of success. Statistically speaking, such a low success rate indicates that the MATCO Tools businesses run by distributors who were leaving the MATCO system were so unprofitable as to be unmarketable.”

  Note to Jerry: That may be another point in favor of an employee, not franchise, designation. When you leave a job as an employee, you have nothing to sell… just like when you leave your Matco Tools “franchise.”

• Here is another interesting tid bit. If you know a DM or RM ask if they get FAT bonuses after getting three new Franchises started. I know more specifics but that is all I am saying for Now.

  Remember how Matco gave us a step-up program to find new recruits. Is there a similar step-up program for DM’s.

  Is a $5000 bonus enough incentive to get a DM or an RM to lie, cheat and fraud franchisees for bonuses?

  I guess these are questions for the courts to decide.

• Guest said: “The fact is that nearly half of Matco distributors flush out of the system each year.”

  Guest, you’re a liar. You’ve always been a liar. You will always be a liar. That’s not at all what the report said, and you know it. Anyone who clicks on the link YOU provided will see that you are a liar. Please keep posting lies, so potential distributors can see what you are, along with the rest of the WMD. You continuously discredit the WMD with your lies, and it’s really surprising that they keep agreeing with you. I guess it shows their true integrity is as poor as yours, and that’s exactly what I would like you to demonstrate. Thanks for proving it.

• Kevin writes: “Guest, you’re a liar… a liar… a liar… you are a liar… keep posting lies… discredit the WMD with your lies”

  Kevin: Are you insinuating that I’m a liar?

  Feel free to make a point… such as your interpretation of the report. I quoted from it and link to it. I personally feel that making an actual point is more effective than namecalling, but maybe bullying earns you more cred with the Old Boys Club.

  Incidentally, I like the WMD moniker, since those who created and advanced that acronym originally (like you and the OBC on here) were proven dead wrong. Those who refused to face reality-based facts and instead incited outrage at the threat of imaginary WMDs created much financial & personal devastation. Kind of like the Matco Old Boys Club.

  By now, we should have all learned that it’s better to face the facts and tackle real problems head on instead of believing oversimplified falsehoods (such as that those who failed are all lazy slackers and all who succeeded could have done so without the luck of the draw.)

  Of course, these are my honest opinions that differ from yours (or, as Kevin calls them, “lies”)

• Guest said: “The fact is that nearly half of Matco distributors flush out of the system each year.”

  Are you having problems with reading comprehension again? Read you own link. It states over a 3 year period, 49% left the business. That’s about 16% PER YEAR, not “nearly half”. That’s a very low separation rate, as franchises go. You being a liar is not my opinion, it’s a FACT. Please keep discrediting the WMD. All the better for Matco, but not so good for Tommy’s case.

• More evidence these guys just want to take cheap, personal potshots, but are unwilling to provide a substantive case for why this is a great or even good franchise program:

  “MATCO TOOLS Franchise Defenders Speak Out” comments: 79
  “MATCO TOOLS Franchise Complaints” comments: 1810

  Why doesn’t the OBC go to the “Defenders” page and build a case that the Matco Tools franchise is structured and implemented is fair, equitable, aboveboard, efficient, and effective for all involved?

  Why doesn’t a Matco representative offer an explanation or defense?

  Please, tell me that negativity toward those who have been flushed or are being flushed from the system ain’t all you smart, successful toolmen are capable of?

  I seriously would love to see an explanation and justification of the current Matco system, and why more distributor-friendly policies that help those who are struggling would be a mistake. I’m hoping there’s an actual point these guys have, rather than just attacks to defend the status quo.

• I quoted directly from the report: ““During the three year period from 1/1/08 to 12/31/10, seven hundred fifteen (715) Distributors, forty nine percent (49%) of the total number of MATCO Tools Distributorships open at any time during the period, left the MATCO system.”

  Why don’t you worry less about ME and address the substance of the issues: that forty nine percent (49%) of the total number of MATCO Tools Distributorships open at any time during the period, left the MATCO system and fewer than 7% were able to sell or even give away their franchises for free.

  (Stay tuned, folks, for deft sidestepping of the issue, ad nauseum nitpicking of my wording, questioning of my tool experience, claims I work for Jerry, etc.)

• Guest said: ““MATCO TOOLS Franchise Complaints” comments: 1810”

  Another lie. There are not 1810 complaints here. I will say there are more posts from the WMD than by others, but when one post is answered 4,5,6 times by the same WMD, the posts certainly add up.

  You might want to read this again, from the top of the page. Maybe several times, considering your comprehension level:

  MATCO TOOLS Franchise Complaints: Have you had any dealings with MATCO Tools or the MATCO Tools franchise? Please share a comment about your experience – ((good or bad)) – below, as well as advice for those considering investing in a MATCO Tools franchise.

• So, Guest, I see we went from one year to three years on your 49%. I guess that comes to about 16% PER YEAR. One-third of your original lie. I know, just nitpicking.

  You tool experience?????

• kevin is wrong, plain and simple, but he would really like to be right in his own world

• Matco just called and siad for the OBC club to go do some illegal repo’s and sell the tech’s personal possessions, that it was ok, so run along now

  I wonder ir they give the tech too much credit when applying, only to know the items would be repossessed later. Could they be screwing tech’s also? They would be another case for Jerry and the gang. Someone should look into, what determines if a tech is approved or not.

  They could be churning and burning the teh’s also, I had an 18 year old kid at goodyear, and they gave him a 10000.00 dollar credit line, what is that saying, matco is setting him up for failure too. What lube tech can afford to pay on a 10000.00 credit line?

• kevin is wrong, plain and simple, but he would really like to be right in his own world. if it were 16% each year it would be 16% overall for 3 years

• Richard, Please read the link again. You’re making a fool of yourself.

• Guest wrote – “Wouldn’t it would be fair to assume that the 93% were either terminations or simply abandoned as unsaleable?”

  Junior – Where on earth do you come up with your facts? It’s certainly not from the very report you quote.

• “Of that 715, only fifty (50) transferred their MATCO Tools business to third party franchisees. Of the remaining six hundred and sixty five (665) Distributors who left the MATCO Tools system, five hundred thirty one (531) closed their Distributorships, and one hundred thirty four (134) had their distributorships terminated. If a MATCO Tools distributor desired to exit the system during this three year period, and hoped to sell its business through a MATCO approved transfer, that franchisee had less than a seven percent (7%) chance of success. Statistically speaking, such a low success rate indicates that the MATCO Tools businesses run by distributors who were leaving the MATCO system were so unprofitable as to be unmarketable.

  “MATCO Tools has, nonetheless, continued to offer and sell Distributorships despite the pattern of early failure.”

  http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/matco-tools-franchise-distributor-churning/

  How many McDonald’s franchisees do you think simply walk away from their franchises or aren’t able to sell them?

  I look at the front of this website and each day these comments are always at the top of the discuission list. Even the Curves discussion doesn’t have as many complaints and they had 10,000 locations.

  Kevin, you can keep arguing that Matco is only suffering “acceptable losses” and is a normal franchise situation, but the comments, the report, the SBA stats, and the lawsuits tell a more convincing story. Keep arguing that there are WMDs long after it’s clear there aren’t and its you who looks like a fool.

  Why don’t you address a few of the many detailed accounts of good dbrs being unfairly terminated and convince them that they got what they deserved instead of arguing that there’s no problem whatsoever.

  No one’s buying it.

• Relentless wrote – “…If you know a DM or RM ask if they get FAT bonuses after getting three new Franchises started.”

  Junior – You left out the retention requirement. You know, the FACT that if they separate within a specific time-frame they take the recruiting incentive back.

  Relentless wrote – “Remember how Matco gave us a step-up program to find new recruits. Is there a similar step-up program for DM’s.”

  Junior – If you know a DM or RM ask them how Matco feels about a -1 or -2 within a region or district. They actually put a ton into retention, you left that part out.

  Relentless wrote – “Is a $5000 bonus enough incentive to get a DM or an RM to lie, cheat and fraud franchisees for bonuses?”

  Junior – Are you aware that a DM is required to fulfill ALL of his weekly duties on top of a new start. Hours or his own time, time away from home, non-reimbursed time and expenses for his effort. And he gets zero if the recruit wakes up one day and says, I’m out, it’s not my cup of tea. The DM NEVER gets that back.

• Tommy wrote – “We will be heard and Cary, you may want to call Jerry, because it wont be long before you fail and will need someone to help, call us, we will be there for you too. Its called turn-around..GO GET EM JERRY.”

  Junior – It’s called Mob mentality. And Tommy you can’t be there for anyone, your family counted on you and you failed them. Now they look at the back of your head while you spend your life on forums and craigslist posting unfactual claims in a misguided effort to ruin a massive corperation.

• Tommy wrote – “We can turn this into a major headache for all franchises that treat their franchisee,the way Matco treated us.”

  Junior – So all franchises are scams now Tommy? Any facts to back all of this up?

• Guest said: ““MATCO TOOLS Franchise Complaints” comments: 1810″
  Kevin wrote: “Another lie. There are not 1810 complaints here.”

  Clearly says “comments” not “complaints.”
  Kevin, why don’t you either make a point or do something more productive, like checking your still, huffing methane or polishing Glenn’s hood ornament. What little game you had is long gone.

• IGNORE,IGNORE

• Guest- It is rare that a distributor would sell his franchise to another distributor. It is legal, and it does happen, but rare. The reason? HE DIDN”T PAY FOR IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!! A McDonalds franchise costs a bunch of money. The seller won’t just walk away without recouping his franchise cost. You know this, but you keep spewing lies and distortions for the weaker minds to gobble up. Like I said before, keep it up- it only makes the WMD look worse, and Matco look better.

  In you case, someone is buying it, and I’m happy they are.

• Guest said: “Clearly says “comments” not “complaints.”

  Yeah, that’s right. thanks for supporting my post. You tried to make it sound like they were all complaints, but it didn’t work. Another distortion by someone who has never been a distributor. Nice try- thanks for playing.

• Kevin writes: “It is rare that a distributor would sell his franchise…The reason? HE DIDN”T PAY FOR IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!”

  Sure Kevin. McDonalds franchise owners sell their franchises for a bundle because they pay a separate franchise fee and Matco owners are unable to sell their businesses because their franchisee fee is hidden in their initial tool purchase.

  Mmm Hmm.

  And by extension, no one ever sells an independent business because they didn’t pay a franchise fee.

  Mmm Hmm.

  On 2nd thought, better lay off the methane, Kev.

• Todd, wrong again, 100% with Matco, but as a former dm I know a lot about all of the companies…it was my job!
  I know Matco isn’t perfect, have had my own issues, but I handle them with Matco and not on a forum with former dbr’s a lit of which failed because of their laziness or the fact they were a flake and even though their customers smiled at them or told them they like them, the reality is they chose not to do business with them.
  Now it appears your case is different than tommy’s. As I stated I know Marco isn’t perfect but I do know they are #1 for a reason, the other tool companies are terrible.
  Mac from 2000 dbr’s to under 500, loosing money year after year, Stanley cant get rid of them.

• IGNORE, IGNORE, The matco way.

• Guest said: “Sure Kevin. McDonalds franchise owners sell their franchises for a bundle because they pay a separate franchise fee and Matco owners are unable to sell their businesses because their franchisee fee is hidden in their initial tool purchase.”

  Another distortion. You’re getting worse at this. Matco franchise owners are able to sell their franchises, it just doesn’t happen very often, BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T PAY FOR THEM. So I suppose the franchise fees you speak of are “hidden” in ALL the tools we buy since they are the same price as the ones in the initial inventory. And, our purchase prices are lower than Snap-on, with better margins, but Snap-on charges franchise fees, among many other fees.

  Mmm Hmm

  Of course, you wouldn’t know this since you’ve never been a distributor.

  Again, nice try, but again, failure.

• Entrepreneur has named Matco Tools the top ranked tool distribution franchise in its 2012 Franchise 500!
  That’s right! #1!
  Out of a field of 2, Matco is #1!

  It’s easy to see why Matco blew Snap-On away:

  Most years in business: Snap-on
  Most locations: Snap-on (4747 vs. 1434)
  Most unit growth: Snap-on
  Advertised in the Entrepreneur 500 issue: Matco

  The propaganda machine for recruiting the 2012 flushee replacements is underway. The Franchise Business Review surveys are out (did you get yours Debbie?)

  Lucky for Matco that they don’t survey the flushees.

• Kevin writes: “So I suppose the franchise fees you speak of are “hidden” in ALL the tools we buy”

  I agree completely. Good point.

• Tommy wrote – “IGNORE,IGNORE”

  Junior – False claims, false claims.

• Guest, I know your attention span is short, and comprehension is low, but you might attempt to read the rest of my post. That wasn’t even a good try.

  I didn’t realize there were only 2 tool distribution franchises left. Did Snap-on close up? Mac? Cornwell? Please let us know.

  Or possibly you’ve never heard of the others, since you’ve never been a distributor.

• Tommy wrote – “They could be churning and burning the teh’s also, I had an 18 year old kid at goodyear, and they gave him a 10000.00 dollar credit line, what is that saying, matco is setting him up for failure too. What lube tech can afford to pay on a 10000.00 credit line?”

  Junior – TOMMY, TOMMY…here is my problem with you. You accept ZERO responsibility for ANY of your OWN actions. You took the app, you requested the approval by Matco, you signed it with the kid, and you delivered the tools. And now it’s ALL Matco’s fault?

  Stop and think about it. You were given as much time as you wanted to review the UFOC before you got into the tool business. You had names and numbers to call, you had the internet, and you still signed the agreement. But it’s ALL Matco’s fault. Tommy is in no way responsible for his own actions.

• Could you imagine if Matco went to 200 headcount routes, had franchise fees, advertising fees, truck maintenance fee, promo flier fees and many many more like snap on does….ugly. Some don’t think 325 headcount is enough, 200 like snap on????….ugh, no wonder snap on is hiring emoloyees nobody wants to pay $7,500 a year to have it on the side of their truck.

  I wonder Kevin, if it violates flsa for us to do uncompensated work, I wonder why Jerry didn’t bring it up in snap on lawsuit. Jerry is a smart gut he could have made more money.

• MATCO#1- I’m sure it violates all that legal stuff- if Matco would have had the smart people, like Guest and Debbie, write the franchise agreement, instead of all those dumb lawers, there wouldn’t be a problem.

• Don’t forget guest

• Sorry I meant Tommy all that legal research he has time for

• New *legal* topic…

  Are KICK BACKS legal?

  Of course not!

  Of couse some will argue semantics..
  DM receive a “bonus” when they start a new DBR
  …. Some would call that a kick back

  DMs receive – ok the only name for it this time
  Is KICKBACK – DMs receive a kickback when the new
  DBR leases or purchases a truck from TransWest

  So now to the latest in kick back scams…..

  Matco’s new Debit card…. Genius – not
  Tech has to drive to a Money Gram location and deposit his money
  THEN has to PAY everytime to use
  THEN has a false hope of winning $5000 everytime he used
  THEN if tech has paid for an Elite level – Matco will afford him
  30 whole minutes with Customer Service – oh forgot
  “personal assistant” – only the common folk call it Customer Service and
  make that call for free

  BEST? Part- distributor gets a KICK BACK everytime
  poor tech uses his own money – that he already spent
  Some of his own money driving to someplace that would
  Him to load his own $$ on this card

  NOT same as the Debit card most of us already have from our banks – I never pay a fee to use. Matco’s debit card has no choice

  WORSE Matco expects DBRs to peddle this crap!
  We are not financial experts – yet we are tigons financial advice and
  Convince guys this crap is good

  Wrong!

• Debbie flat out LIE! Matco dms receive zero from transwest. You should be careful if you don’t know facts. I take lies serious and that is s flat out lie.

  Maybe I need to call Jerry

• Slander and lies, Debbie you should be careful.

• Debbie, based upon your definition you are getting a “kickback” every time you sell a tool. Or do you sell your tools at cost?

• Matco#1, looks like their quiet. No answers to valid points. All they have done is post falsified claims and have yet to prove a thing. We’ve replied to them but not one real answer. The only one here that’s actually told a story about what’s actually happened to him is Todd Peterson.

  He laid out how it went down and who was involved. And the strange part is he’s not generally bashing Matco and throwing claims of scams or pyramids, he’s not posting to craigslist, and he’s articulated his side of the story and left it to others to draw their own conclusion.

  I respect him for it.

• Tommy, if you want your point to be taken seriously you have to state your position, back it with some plausible facts, give data that helps prove your case, and stick to your position.

  You’ve never done this. You have given arbitrary opinions with no backing, you’ve made claims that actually are very farfetched, and then you went into some nasty attack that most just can’t get their minds around.

  You continue to babble your message and make statements like go team go, and it just doesn’t fly. Give us your accounting of what happened and what big bad Matco did to you. Otherwise you’re just on the ban wagon and are hoping to cash in.

• Matco #1, don’t be to sure she’s lying. Just because you don’t think it happens doesn’t mean it doesn’t.

  You also think none of what happend to many of us didn’t happen and it DID!

  I think you’ll be surprised at facts that come to light. May have to eat a little crow.

  I can’t say if Debbie is right or wrong. All I can say is I’ve had my day in court with Jerry vs. Matco. And it was a VERY GOOD day!

  Don’t discredit us just because it didn’t happen to you. Really think about it. How could this many people, that never knew each other before and spread out all of the country ALL have EXACTLY the same experience/story with ONE company if there wasn’t some truth behind it?

  You willingness, or lack there of, to even consider that we did, shows how narrow minded you and other are. I point back to fact that not a one of us has discredited your experiences.

  Its the blind, easy way out. Rather than have a meaningful discussion on what has happend and what we could all do to improve it, you start with name calling and bashing. Why? Is it fear that maybe, just maybe we have a point and are right?

  I admire you blind faith to your company. That is to be commended. But step back and take a minute. Think about your own experiences and of others in your district. Can you HONESTLY say that this things couldn’t have or never happened?

  Denial is a wonderful thing.

• Debbie wrote – “Of couse some will argue semantics..
  DM receive a “bonus” when they start a new DBR
  …. Some would call that a kick back”

  Junior – Debbie, you gotta understand what the meaning of sales is. I just bought two new trucks for my drivers, the salesmen that sold me the trucks at the local Ford dealer got a kick-back, a commission. God bless him. He worked hard for me and the dealer to put this deal together.

  Debbie wrote – “DMs receive – ok the only name for it this time
  Is KICKBACK – DMs receive a kickback when the new
  DBR leases or purchases a truck from TransWest”

  Junior – Are you kidding me? Did you make this up or did someone tell you this and you bought in. PROVE YOUR CLAIM!

  Don’t make statements like this unless you have a shred of evidence. OMG!

• Junior- I speak from fact and experience too. My “experience” was damn near EXACTLY like Todd Petersons, except happened over much shorter time period. And I can think of 3 or 4 in my training class that had EXACTLY same expeience.

  Are we all liars? I guess we are.

  Like I said, I had my day in court and was VERY happy with outcome. But as in Matco tradition I can no longer discuss specifics regarding it. I can only say that Jerry Marks represented me in arbitration against Matco. And that I was pleased with outcome. The rest is sealed as per Matco.

  I wish I COULD tell you all I learned and know about a certain tool company now. You guys have know idea how much Stow has betrayed you.

  Hopefully it will all come to light with this case.