MATCO TOOLS Franchise Complaints

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• After over 2 years of having attorneys represent me, return deposits, terminate client relationships based on fraudulent excuses so the attorney could mediate 30+ clients I helped bring to him while refuting at least 3 others who wanted to be involved in litigation (Mr. Jerry Marks), force me to hire a franchise attorney who needed an hourly wage (300+ per hour) which would leave me bankrupt with Matco's constant refusal to mediate fairly and ask for items from me which had no relevance to the damages and acts committed by Matco I am left with filing a lawsuit Pro Se in Arkansas. A lawsuit which will list felony acts committed by my franchisor according to the Arkansas Franchise Practices Act, false termination for purchase average created by the franchisor, false termination for terminating an Arkansas franchisee without giving him 10 days notice to cure a second offense of the same default (Listed in the Arkansas Franchise Practices Act), substantiating a reason for separation for "good cause" through false pretenses while promising to resurvey a route which was reduced by 40+ percent due to a weak and troubled economy , selling blue sky to a franchisee through an LOC plagued with non-credit worthy customers who are here in this country illegally, do not use professional tools for their jobs and was never authorized service to the shop which made up franchisees LOC, creating false documents to fleece customers from a franchisee and then threatening a franchisee with the loss of his franchise if he does not surrender shops to put a franchisee prospect in business, creating false documents to justify a false termination for "good cause" under false pretenses when a route resurvey and more shops added to an LOC met the demands for "good cause" listed in the Separation Notice. Constant lies from management over adding shops, securing shops, picking up new shops, notifying franchisee of issues that might cost him his franchise, buying of TP customers from other distributors and calling on shops which other franchisees with separate agreements rejected after servicing due to poor sales. Matco is owned by Danaher and when pockets are this deep justice comes at a price! A price most victims can not afford to pay! I feel ashamed to be an American. Because when Americans are made to become victims of fraud and buying justice is required we stop being AMERICANS! When leaders fail to uphold the rights of the American people who are we as a nation? After over 2 1/2 years of being a victim of Corporate fraud I am no closer to having justice served than the day my franchisor committed the felony acts against my franchise which started the day I signed. I have reached out to Matco Management, the Federal Trade Commission, the International Franchise Association, Arkansas State Senators, Arkansas House Representatives, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Arkansas Attorney Generals Office, the Arkansas Governors Office, the Arkansas State Troopers office, the County Prosecutors Office, the City Prosecutor Office, Legal Aid of Arkansas and to NO AVAIL is there one person of integrity who has looked at my situation to protect me against the FELONY ACTS committed by my franchisor (According to the Arkansas Franchise Practices Act). I ask you future prospects of ANY tool franchise to consider what I am telling you. America is no longer an honorable nation to GOD or Americans when corporations can commit felonies against a States Laws and an American can not receive justice from that State or have a Federal investigation performed into the acts that a corporation stands accused of. Matco is a CHURN operation churning 1000 to 1200 franchisees every 4 to 5 years. That is almost 100% of franchisee contracts. Matco's 80% of the National Matco Purchase Average is a 100% fraudulent calculation. Reselling terminated franchisee stock to raise that average and utilizing older Distributor and Charter agreements to inflate an average churning the new investors. Would anyone argue that a franchisee with a "List of Calls" which would only give him written permission to call on the shops at the physical addresses on the LOC would be at a very distinct disadvantage as a "Distributorship", "Charter", or "Territorial" agreement which would allow for a geographical area to service which would contain numerous more potential customers and also receive growth with new accounts to service? To Frank DiCauddo (Stow, OH Matco Corporate Attorney) and Edward Barnidge ( Washington DC Danaher Attorney) I appreciate the offer of $40,000 to mediate the $500,000+ in real damages you have imposed on my franchise through your employees felony acts but I decline your offer. An offer which I would have to deem myself the failure of my franchise. An offer which would silence me as a victim of your fraud. An offer which is not respectful to the acts that your employees imposed on my franchise. An offer which would allow your corporation to close the mouth of another victim of your FRAUD!

  Difference between value of inventory returned minus an illegal stocking fee for false termination approx. $10,000

  Difference between value of inventory returned minus an illegal stocking fee and actual reimbursement of inventory approx. $5,000

  Matco stole $5,000 from the inventory I returned and intended to steal $15,000.

  Matco threatened me with loss of my franchise forcing me to turn over approx. $3,000 a week in TP accounts and over $100,000 in contracts to a new franchisee. That is $156,00 per year. on TP alone with an undisclosed amount for contract potential.

  These damages as well as reducing my route by half and then leaving me with shops another franchise distributor refused to service is what destroyed my business. Matco and its parent company Danaher are nothing more than THUGS! Criminals stealing from Americans and selling a dream to those who aspire to be more.

  If you want to be on this site or creating your own new site to warn others just buy a Matco franchise.

  Even past defenders of Matco Tools in these prior remarks are no longer Matco franchisees.

• Well how is all that Chinese junk hardline working out for ya Matco??
  Lots of complaints about the quality and price HUH!!

• Probably working out just like those routes they sell. Routes which a District Manager goes out and surveys asking the shop owner if they want service and how many employees he has. Half the time it is just a phone call. The District Manager does not ask how many full time techs that use their tools 40 hours a week to perform there job. Which is what Matco will need to give the customer credit. The District Manager does not ask if the employees are American and here legally. I think a potential customer to a Matco District Manager is anyone that has a pulse and is at the shop. I take that back because when a false survey of my route was performed after I received a separation notice from Matco and demanded a survey be performed which had been promised for over a year my shops were not surveyed in person because the person doing a survey would have known that some shops on his list were out of business and reduced in head count. I guess he wanted to make me out a liar to management so he inflated the shops head count with false numbers to get the number he desired. I am pretty sure that is committing an "artifice to defraud" but good look finding an attorney who wants to pursue honesty in a business relationship. There are no merits in law when it comes to franchising. Arkansas Franchise Practices Act says Matco committed a felony against my franchise but the Attorney General says its a federal matter. My Senator says its not a federal matter but a state matter. In fact he told me to contact the Attorney General. The only thing I know to be the truth is that in franchising "NO ONE" will hold a franchisor accountable for the actions of a franchisor. Even when they are using older NON FRANCHISEE distributors to churn the newer franchisee distributors to the tune of 1000 to 1200 of their less than 1500 franchisees over a five year period. My graduation class of franchisees had 10 in it. Out of 10 there is only one left. In Arkansas, there have been more franchisees churned over a five year period than the number of routes that are available for franchisees. Around 150% churn in Arkansas alone over a 7 year period. This is the standard for Matco! CHURN! CHURN! CHURN!

• im pissed the the inbread people that work for this company. ive spent thousands with matco as well as my shop. they have poor communication, lack of intelligence, their automated phone system is a joke. theyll lie to your face and hang up on your calls. I warn you to not buy or support this mickey mouse tools company. you will be sorry.

• Got screwed fast & hard by Matco Tools Corp. as a new franchisee August 2013.
  After only 11 weeks of being in business, Matco Tools shut my operation down claiming I was not producing enough sales! Funny I thought this was MY business & I was completely happy with the way things were going so far. So after a mountain of debt & my business being stolen from me after 11 weeks, I'm left wondering what I am going to do. The distric manager, trainer, & distric manager's son (distributor) all conspired together to end my business, which they did! My business was located in Ontario Canada and I am sorry I ever became a franchisee in Canada, I'm out over $130,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good bye retirement.

• I don't know if this post will make it but I want to tell you guys I appreciate you posting the facts about Matco on here and I encourage you to do it more and get your friends who feel as you do to do it. I am one of those churned franchisees and had complete fraud imposed on my business. I searched the internet for (still kind of new in 2004) information in 2004 which might give me some insight but there was none. If I would have read what was posted about Matco now I would have never made that mistake. Thank You!

• If you are a new franchisee who got churned in 2013 you will be reached soon.

• I was a distributor for 11 years all I got to say is when they want something they get it you take all the Risk do countless hours of warranty repair for nothing god forbid you get sick for a week and dont pay the tool bill you go on hold and it will take you at least a month to get out of that jam and than when its time to check out and you have a large inventory to send back it will cost a couple grand in shipping and matco charges 15 percent than sends most of it back saying deleted tool our truck wear and than after all that its months before you get a check

• Mark Ficher out of Mobile, Al sold my husband a tool ($280) and husband returned the tool after a week after receipt. At no time was husband told how much the restocking fee would be (I have no problem with paying one, I just want to know how much it will be) However, husband made two payments of $30 towards the fee. Today (4Apr14) Matco Man called my phone and tried to bully a $50 payment out of me. I demanded to know what the total restock fee is, he said 'Well, as a payment in Sept was rejected...bottom line is he owes $50' I looked up said payment and saw it had, in fact, gone through. However, the total due did not decrease by $50. I demanded an invoice. 'Well, there is no invoice, as he returned the tool' (thinking to myself, if there is no invoice, there is nothing owed) 'but regardless he owes $50,...or he can buy the tool.' I stated without an invoice there would be no payment. He said he would get on it. Then he immediately calls my husband and bullies him into an immediate payment ($10, bringing total paid to $70), failing to mention my demand for an invoice. Matco's site states a 35% (max) restock fee (being a specialty tool, I'm assuming the max), which would be $98. Meaning a balance due of $28. All I desired was a bill after the amount due did not change after a payment was proven paid. It began to get sketchy. The local Mac Man never gave me problems with bills (he printed them out on site when requested). I understand the company can screw truck men over, however truck owners like this Matco guy give the rest a bad name.

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