MATCO TOOLS Franchise Complaints
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.
Also read: FRANCHISE LAWSUIT Alleges Matco Tools Scam, TD Bank Fraud
We received the following franchise warning about the MATCO TOOLS franchise opportunity. According to commenter “TOMMY CHEUNG” :
“STAY AWAY FROM MATCO TOOLS. THEY WILL SELL YOU A BILL OF GOODS,WHICH IS NO GOOD.
“RUMOR HAS IT ,MATCO MAKES MORE MONEY SIGNING NEW FRANCHISES THAN THEY DO TAKING CARE OF THEIR CURRENT ONES.
“DARYL PRITCHETT AND MIKE RAMEY WORK TOGETHER TO SIGN YOU UP AND THEN KICK YOU TO THE CURB. I AM WORKING ON A LAWSUIT AGAINST MATCO, HOPING TO TURN IT INTO A CLASS ACTION SUIT. YOU MAY CONTACT JERRY MARKS AT MARKS AND KLEIN LAW FIRM AT [redacted], IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.
“I INVESTED ALOT OF MONEY IN MATCO AND AFTER 3.5 YEARS THEY SHUT ME DOWN. WHEN THE ECONOMY SLOWED IN 2008,THEY PUT ME OUT OF BUSINESS.
“I ALSO SPOKE TO A PREVIOUS EXECUTIVE, WHO CALLED ME, AND STATED THATS THE WAY MATCO DOES BUSINESS. STAY AWAY FROM MATCO TOOLS AND RUN LIKE HELL WHEN YOU SEE THEM. I REPEAT DO NOT BUY OR INVEST IN MATCO TOOLS…”
Marks & Klein is a legitimate franchise law firm that often represents franchisees in lawsuits against their franchisors, but we haven’t verified with them whether a lawsuit against Matco Tools is in the works or not.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? IS MATCO TOOLS A GOOD FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, A FAIR FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY OR A FRANCHISE SCAM?
If you’ve had dealings with Matco Tools, please share a comment below.
Matco Tools Franchise Posts & Discussions
MATCO TOOLS Franchise Complaints June 8, 2011 (1000+
comments)
MATCO TOOLS Franchise Defenders Speak Out December 7,
2011 (Comments defending Matco invited)
MATCO TOOLS Distributor Franchise December 7, 2011 (Overview with
links)
MATCO TOOLS Franchise Report Alleges Distributor Churning November 29,
2011
MATCO TOOLS 2011 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) & Other
Resources November 22, 2011
MATCO TOOLS Class Action Lawsuit, “Secret” Sales Projections November
22, 2011
FRANCHISE LAWSUIT Alleges Matco Tools Scam, TD Bank Fraud November 15,
2011
Failure Rates of the 10 Most Popular Franchises April 26, 2010
Other Mobile Tool Franchise Posts:
MAC TOOLS Guilty of Franchise Fraud? November 7, 2011
CORNWELL TOOLS Franchise Scam or No Scam? November 17, 2011
Not YET! Ihave more passengers. LOTS OF MORE PASSENGERS!!!
Not to worry Todd, this is going to be a REALLY BIG train. Plenty room for more.
I talked to and have Emails for 14 more train members just for today. Five of the new passengers have 58 YEARS with Matco before being FORCED out!
Tom Willis , Ernie Lauber, Frank DiCauddo and Mike Swanson should have listened to me when I tried to explain what kind of fraud and lies my District Manager and Regional Manager told me and performed against my Franchise. Judgement day is coming and LIES, FRAUD, FALSE Documents are in hand to prove that Matco can not just walk on the DEAD Franchises they leave behind.
All I asked was that Matco LOOK and LISTEN. Just like the OBC that have been on this web site defending Matco just DISMISSED and DETRACTED.
How bad has Matco been screwing Distributors?
Go to http://www.careerbuilder.com
Type in search window “Matco”
See for YOURSELF.
With 827 routes available I wonder how many soldiers they can lure in and slaughter with their FALSE ADVERTISING.
Thinking about it I am reminded of the movie “LOST BOYS” where the vampires devour their victims on the beach and the comment was made “You can live forever and never die but YOU MUST FEED.”
How does Matco destroy Franchises?
1) By selling unviable LOC’S which have inflated numbers and unviable customers which Matco will not approve for credit.
2) By making new Franchises and old Franchises, who have entirely different agreements, compete for purchase average.
3) By trying to force 10 year Distributors to purchase NEW tool trucks in a bad economy.
4) By not SUPPORTING the Distributor when they request help due to MAJOR accounts being closed like Aircraft Manufacturers, Military Bases,Truck Shops, Car Dealerships,ETC. which drop them WELL below the minimum of 325.
5) By stretching Distributors route so wide that fuel costs make them unprofitable.
6) By terminating Distributor’s agreement when they left their route for a week to bury a loved one. Only to find out that the money they thought they were owed was on a pay back through their Account Manager.
7) By lying to their Distributors.
8 ) By creating false surveys to make Corporate think the Distributor is not meeting his Franchise obligation.
9) By DM’s NOT doing Distributor rides which would identify area’s which would help Distributor to be more successful. Your in business for yourself but not by yourself.
10) Rape your route for customers your DM told you to call on using SPY WARE to identify them through MDBS, Google Map, and Mapquest.
11) By pressuring Distributors to buy product at meetings.
There are 1072 opportunities to fail with matco according to career builder. I hope we can send a message to these people and help them make an informed decision.
If there are 1072 opportunities to fail with matco, how many routes are filled? I am only counting about maybe 400, thats based on a total count of about 1500.
Why are there so many opportunities for people to fail with matco, could there be a potential problem there?
Could danaher have them up for sale, possibly? Could the word be getting out on how people are treated with matco, you know, here today and gone tomorrow.
Go to http://www.careerbuilder.com
Matco Tools
1072 active jobs ——–DISTRIBUTOR OPENINGS LISTED IN MULTIPLE CITIES
nice to see MY route was advertised 3 weeks ago
Available Jobs at Matco ToolsSor by:
Sales (1,072)
California (105)
Florida (69)
New York (68)
Texas (62)
New Jersey (47)
Pennsylvania (46)
Ohio (43)
Wisconsin (38)
Louisiana (35)
Nebraska (33)
Iowa (32)
Georgia (31)
Colorado (29)
Michigan (28)
Mississippi (28)
specific listings in Colorado:
Longmont, CO – 2 days ago
Denver, CO – 2 days ago
Colorado Springs, CO – 2 days ago
Boulder, CO – 2 days ago
Longmont, CO – 14 days ago
Denver, CO – 3 weeks ago
The opposition has been SO vocal – wonder ‘why’ they would choose to be quiet now
Maybe, just maybe they didn’t “choose” to silence their objections,,, hmm
Maybe, they realized they were wrong and those Unhappy had legitimate reasons…………..no – probably not
My guess, is Richard is correct:
richard on January 9th, 2012 10:29 pm
im wondering if some people were told to keep their comments to their self or what. its getting close to party time in stow.
Tim Gilmore/now president of Matco tools made a promotional video to lure potential distributors into the web of failure back in 2010
At that time Tim Gilmore was Vice President
I found SEVERAL falsehoods with that video:
1. 1500 distributors servicing a half million customers
** 500,000/1500 = 333 hmm??? how can that be, 325 are guaranteed and some boasts publicly they have 400,500,650 customers
2. Proved business model
****Matco’s own documents show 37% failure rate
****MY district has a 57% failure rate
**********PROVED TO FAIL
3. Gilmore references a study stating 900,000 franchises in America with a 91% success rate
***********WHAT STUDY?? I COULDN’T FIND……………… 91% SUCCESS RATE??
****AT A MINIMUM VERY VERY VERY MISLEADING
**********IN REALITY – A FRAUDULENT STATEMENT!
4. Gilmore stated in a down economy a “good” option
*******Average American is making $46K/year, Average American is running a deficit of $700 month after paying his basic expenses
*********HOW could expecting the average mechanic to pay a tool distributor $25, $50, or $100 a week EVEN BE POSSIBLE???
5. Gilmore boasts a Matco distributor has Independence and is Self Reliant
***********FALSE – like a teenage kid with a curfew – the distributor has to report DAILY – can make NO decisions – goes WHERE HE IS TOLD, WHEN HE IS TOLD, CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY GROW HIS ROUTE
6. Exclusive “Territory” –
*********BS – there is NO “territory” – a distributor receives an inflated List of Calls and cannot operate outside of that list
7. In house financing……….
**************well, as long as one can ignore a FEDERAL LAW SUIT alleging SBA LOAN FRAUD
8. 5 weeks of Training and ongoing training at Matco Tools University
************get out your checkbook, pay for 10 days in STOW OHIO, for 10 days of classroom lessons that won’t hardly cover anything
***********Matco Tools University – total JOKE – it is an on line class syllabus of the 10 day training, NOTHING ON GOING< NOTHING NEW
Here is a quote from one of the job openings:
Our purpose is twofold: To manufacture the best tools on the market and to ensure the success of our family of franchisees.
TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF OUR FAMILY OF FRANCHISEES, ANOTHER LIE.
WOW! In less than 24hrs the number of Distributor routes increased from 827 to over 1000 in less than 24 hrs. Must have had an update which would explain but shows the real reason why Matco is in trouble. We are tired of being abused by our FRANCHISOR.
LIES, FRAUD,SPY WARE, UNVIABLE ROUTES and FALSIFYING DOCUMENTS are all tools used by Matco to CHURN Distributors.
Matco’s GOAL is to put you in and and CHURN you out.
We need your stories on here!
Matco needs to be responsible for their Business Practices!
Matco needs to be responsible for their FALSE ADVERTISING to VETS and to FRANCHISEES!
Once again, matco must have told the obc club what to do, they have gone away, thanks matco, you are their boss.
Employee’s!
Examples:
SpyWare (Google Map, MapQuest, MDBS) CONTROL!!!
A Predefined “list of calls”. CONTROL!!!
We use this Tool Truck Company. CONTROL!!!
We advertise this in YOUR calanders you purchased to give away to your customers as advertising. WE didn’t ask if it was okay with your Franchise. CONTROL!!!
We’re taking these shops you worked hard to establish in your area, approved by your DM, because you violated your contract when it suites our needs to add more Distributors and get bonuses for doing so. Forget the fact you are servicing them all and they are HAPPY Matco customers. CONTROL!!! CONTROL!! CONTROL!!!
I forgot an important one:
“YES” you can lose your franchise if I don’t do as I COMMAND.
If you don’t do as I tell you . You’re FIRED!
SAME DIFFERENCE! CONTROL!!!
Sorry Mr Gilmore, I just really didn’t agree with your video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdHhwLaFuWA
Good morning everyone,
We need to remember to keep telling everyone, keep posting anywhere and everywhere, lets be loud and be heard.
We need everyone who has been terminated to post,tell everyone how you were treated as a distributor, so that we can show people how you get treated when you purchase a franchise.
WE MUST PUT A STOP TO THIS CHURNING BY MATCO. THEY MUST TREAT THEIR DISTRIBUTORS WITH MORE RESPECT.
Matco may have silenced the OBC club and told them to stop posting, but you will not silence your former distributors.
Geez, guys you are not defending anymore, I know you are watching and it is getting to you that you can not post, its getting under your skin.
Matco1, Cary Devitt, guest17, matcoman,tlman,all defenders,
We will be here when you fail, it is coming, so don’t forget to call Jerry, guys
it sure is nice to not have my inbox filled up with a bunch of emails filled with childish name calling and bragging.
i wonder if out of the 1072 job postings here how many might be rms and dbrs as a result of all the lies and such. there should be a major house cleaning.
CHANGE IS ON THE WAY.
Good morning!
What a beautiful day, the snow is falling, the defenders are apparently trapped under the avalanche of TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s right! They got nothing to say – because they got NOTHING!!
Wonder how they like that “independence” now?
Worse than the kid with a curfew – the defenders have been TOLD to SHUT UP and sit in the corner – HA :)
For their entertainment pleasure, another video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdHhwLaFuWA
Jerry Marks is making amazing progress with Matco. He currently has several suits and I think it is worth a phone call letting them know if you would be interested. It has certainly caused an uproar at Matco – I’m told it will be the talk at Expo :)
When and where is EXPO?
i found a votech catalog that matco gives to all the schools for students to order from. these are 08 prices but they are about our cost. 4225 for 1800.00, a msc4 for 455.00. they will sell to all the new guys and all you had to do was collect their money and get charged a credit card fee on top of that. it cant get any better than that can it. just kidding. then when you say something you are wrong. this guy goes out and gets a job at one of your shops and becomes part of your protected list of calls. he cant afford to buy anything from you because he has already bought all his tools from matco. what a way to screw the dbrs. if we had only known then what we know now we damn sure wouldnt be here.
i always thought that matco had their own tool line. i never realized that they just upped the price and put their name on so many things. my customers showed me some. at least snapon has their own tool line.
Good Point Richard!
They don’t advertise that when you see Tim Gilmore’s AD do they?
EVERYONE READING THIS SITE!
PLEASE GO TO http://www.franchisechatter.com AND POST YOUR STORY AS WELL.
If your new to this site and have a story TELL IT!!!
PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT MATCO!!!
Matco’s 2012 National Business Conference and Tool Expo at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas February 25-29, 2012
The First Annual Matco Tools Distributor Association Conference is being held Feb. 25/26, 2012 at The Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas! An opportunity to meet other distributors. Scheduled to coincide with this year’s Matco Caesars Palace Expo so as to give all distributors the opportunity to be a part! Never doubt the power of dedicated individuals working to change an unfair franchise system. I am sure all members of the association will cause many positive changes to Matco in 2012.
I look forward to seeing you there!
Just to make everyone aware Matco has a FACEBOOK account. Time to spread the word.
Exactly Richard – great deal for students BUT THOSE SAME STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE COUNTED IN YOUR NUMBERS – THEY WILL NOT BUY FROM THE TOOL TRUCK!
In fact, my district manager TRIED to steal sales from me. When a dealership wanted to buy their newly hired technicians a ‘set’ of tools – they asked me for a quote. MY district manager told me to turn that over to him and he would handle.
HELL NO – I sold the dealership the items they needed for their new hires!
THIS DID NOT FALL UNDER THE VOTECH PROGRAM AND MY DM KNEW THAT!
Distributors CANNOT match prices that students get.
STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE COUNTED IN THE 325
SHOULD NOT!
but you know they are…………..
https://www.facebook.com/matcotools
BTW – Matco HATES when you post on their site, in fact, guaranteed – your comments will be removed
but post away!
Richard, e-mail debbie and get my number, I would like to talk to you.
Make a post on http://www.franchisechatter.com Copy and paste if you have to but let others know. Vets need to know who Matco really is.
If they are such a great company to do business with why are there 1,078 routes available RIGHT NOW?
Why do they have to lie about their rankings to get people to sign up?
The only thing Matco is #1 at is destroying peoples lives and credit.
Todd, I just sent them an e-mail, I will continue with my post everywhere, we need to send e-mails to tech websites also.
TIM GILMORE LIES!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prdw4CKSX7E&feature=email
Tommy,
I have been far to busy selling tools to respond to this broken record of how a few can’t make it.
Debbie,
Just where will all of you winners be at the Flamingo just curious?
Richard,
Most sudents get a discount from all tool company’s (tools are like drugs to techs and when they get hooked on the Matco brand that is good for me)
Debbie,
Name tag ideas for the flamingo—
Just didn’t pack the gear
Didn’t know I had to work
Business plan what is that
Feel sorry for me
Jerry’s kids (lol)
Sue happy make my day
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make ME drink
Can anyone tell me what a business plan is????
Tim Kullman, its not how a few cant make it, it is about how several hundred have been terminated by matco’s malicious lies, deceit and misleading practices that their regional and district managers practice, its called churning.
WHY IS THERE 1072 ROUTES AVAILIBLE PER MATCO, DID THEY ALL FAIL TOO? CHECK CAREER BUILDER.COM.
Matco has systematic fraud their are committing, not only against their distributors, but also against every tax paying American.
We will be here for you when matco terminates you, because it is coming, numbers prove that, I talked to a matco guy who started when it was MAC, before they seperated, he was with them 31 years and they terminated him for purchase average, way to go matco, dedicated to you fools and you terminate this man, this is the type of employer I would want to work for.
If any doubt remains, check out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdHhwLaFuWA&sns=em
And
TIM GILMORE LIES!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prdw4CKSX7E&feature=email
Unbelievable, that a multi million dollar corporation
would publically advertise and assume their
potential distributors are unintelligent and would
blindly accept any lie they told.
Matco knowingly lied and they didn’t care.
Much like their continued practice of churning!
tlman:
Didn’t you get the memo? The Old Boys Club has been ordered not to post here any more cuz some Colorado gal was kicking their azzes all over the internet. Better check with the OBC so you don’t get in trouble.
But hey, I’ll play. Taglines for Matco Expo in Vegas:
Matco Expo in Vegas: Biggest gathering of tools this side of Ohio.
Matco Expo in Vegas: If you like Craps, wait til you hear our execs!
Matco Expo in Vegas: Where Matco gets the gold, and dbrs get the shaft!
Matco Expo in Vegas: Even Roulette’s a safer bet than our franchise
Matco Expo in Vegas: Lance Burton couldn’t make your money disappear this fast
OBC club has been told by matco to shut up and go away, matco is their employer by the way, they are biting their tongue and their fingers are getting wrinkled from not being able to post, watch out you may get writers cramp.
Hey Guest, right on! Just about my personal favorite post,
I just can’t decide which quote to print on a T shirt ;).
They are all SO true!
Maybe EACH deserves it’s own shirt, we got plenty of
former distributors to wear !!!
According to career builder.com, there were 1072 jobs availible as of yesterday, and now today there are only 747 jobs now.
Is it possible for matco to screw 325 people in one day, yes, did they fill these positions, hell no.
Oh my, looks like Matco Damage control kicked
in to HIGH GEAR!
Apparently Tim has the memo now LOL
The Internet Sweep Squad cleaned out Career Builder!
;)
FYI the FTC frowns on franchisors using employment sites for franchise recruitment. That might be why they cleared out the listings. Check out this article:
http://www.franchisepublicity.com/liberty-tax-deceptive-franchise-ads/
“The FTC Prohibits Franchise Ads Masquerading as Job Ads
On January 30, 2006, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued Informal Staff Advisory Opinion 06-1, which addressed whether a franchisor “may seek leads by posting an offer for employment on an employment website, such as Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com.”
The FTC Advisory Opinion was issued in response to a franchisor’s complaint that a competitor was placing recurring franchise sales ads designed to entice job seekers into purchasing their franchise opportunity. In the Advisory Opinion, the FTC states:
“…Section 5 of the FTC Act prohibits franchisors – and other business opportunity sellers – from engaging in deceptive practices in obtaining leads. Accordingly, a false offer of employment where no bona fide job exists that is made for the purpose of luring consumers into purchasing a franchise or other opportunity is a deceptive practice in violation of Section 5.”
So Tommy I get a phone call this morning saying that you posted something on here and used my name???? I Don’t know who you are and I don’t care. I won’t have anything to do with you or your pity party. I have never posted here and won’t again so leave me out of it. I am a solid DBR and won’t bother with slander. You and Debbie should be more carefull what you say and do. You are pissing off a lot of good people. Tim
debbie
you know that they just graduated a big class to get that purchase average up and rolling for the new year. we go, we go, its off to stow we go.
admin
looks like more of matcos deception tactics to me. i know that they are not hiring that many for customer service. that would give them a 2 to 1 on dbrs.
there is too much corporate greed and deception. then these leaders pas this along to their young and the cycle never ends. just gets worse. look at our congress and leaders.
bring back jobs to America so we can all be free again.
What about using their Distributors UNWILLINGLY to advertise their Franchise Recruitment Program in OUR calenders we paid for as OUR advertisement with our phone numbers and incorporated name on them. Isn’t that a violation of sorts.
They still have job postings on career builder that read:
Job type: Full-Time
consider being a Matco Tool Distributor (Outside Sales Rep and Franchise Business Owner.) You put tools and … ability to drive a larger…
View full job description Save to MyCareerBuilder Saved Job (View Saved Jobs) Email to a friend Matco Tools
OH – Youngstown
HERE IS THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION PHONE NUMBER TO FILE A COMPLAINT.
(202) 326-2222
Wow! In less than 4 days careerbuilder.com went from 827 to 1,072 to 751 routes being available. Talk about CHURN and BURN. Whew it’s getting HOT in here.
Someone eluded to it in earlier posts Bernie Madoff and have alot in COMMON.
GO ON TO http://WWW.FTC.GOV AND FILE A COMPLAINT. ITS VERY EASY TO DO.