MATCO TOOLS Franchise Complaints

4,850 thoughts on “MATCO TOOLS Franchise Complaints”

• Tommy:

  Scott Shane has done some important franchise research. It’s important to note to note that when Shane writes “71% of start-ups will have gone out of business by year ten” he is referring to start-up FRANCHISORS. So that means that not only the franchisors went out of business, but almost all of their franchisees went out of business too.

  Shane contends that buying a franchise may actually riskier since the high franchisor failure rate helps causes a high franchisee failure rate by dragging them down with them. Some franchisors don’t fail but are able to stay afloat by transferring risks and losses to their franchisees.

  There are also SBA studies in recent years that show that independents don’t have the extremely high failure rate many claim.

  FYI: I have updated this page with links to all Matco-related posts. Feel free to share this URL as a Matco article directory of sorts:

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

  Happy MLK day everyone!

• New post today by Matco on http://WWW.CAREERBUILDER.COM:

  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 Matco Tools
  OH – Aberdeen Today

• Sit back and get comfortable people, ie Matco –

  there is SO MUCH WRONG WITH THE AD ON CAREER BUILDER!!

  OK, Matco explain please…………..

  Currently you have 1400 active distributors – yes YOUR franchise documents state this

  Currently advertised on Career Builder you show Sales (748) Active Jobs
  ALL with the description:
  Outside Sales / Account Executive / Sales Representative
  Do you enjoy outside sales, interacting with people, and getting out from behind a desk? Then consider being a Matco Tool Distributor (Outside Sales…

  Riddle me this…………………
  HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE????

  Historically, Matco has only had at most 1500 distributors – could there possibly really be 748 distributor openings???

  A MERE week ago the SAME Career Builder site HAD 1100 ACTIVE JOBS
  Did you sign 300 distributors in one day?
  Why did the number SO drastically change??

• Matco offers industry-leading training

  Do the OTHER tool distributors NOT offer training??

  WHAT EXACTLY denotes Matco AS Industry Leading??

  I want to know……………

• on-going field support,——————————— they passed me over

• pre-identified customers,

  THIS may be the MOST egregious and offensive! THIS statement implies the customers will be ‘qualified’

  the ad specifically states “PRE IDENTIFIED”

  WHAT EXACTLY IS THE CRITERIA FOR THIS SO CALLED “PRE IDENTIFICATION”?

  in MY experience, this only meant those “customers’ were people with a pulse

• and in-house financing – everything one needs to launch a successful business.

  IN house financing…………………. that is UNDER INVESTIGATION for SBA loan fraud

  EVERYTHING ONE NEEDS TO LAUNCH A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS?????

  really??? Well by THAT statement – EVERYONE WOULD SUCCEED!

  WHY WHY WHY
  DO SOO SOOO SOO MANY FAIL????

  sorry boys, NOT just ME

  SOO many fail……………………….

  SHOULDN’T MATCO STEP UP AND FIGURE OUT WHY??
  SHOULDN’T MATCO STEP UP AND AT LEAST TRY TO FIX??

  Of course not, they are happy with Churning distributors…………….

• Those thriving in an innovative, supportive, energized organization where continuous learning is the norm will find themselves well rewarded. Matco Tools – the tools to change your life

  Find themselves rewarded????
  Tools to change my life????

  HOW MANY LIVES WERE CHANGED? HOW MANY LIVES WERE CHANGED AND IS WAS NOT GOOD.

  HUNDREDS

  HUNDREDS

  AND THEY ARE ALL TELLING THEIR STORIES

• Why do Matco managers have to result ot FRAUD and FALSIFYING documents to terminate Distributors?

• careerbulder.com 749 Franchises available

• Todd A. Peterson on January 16th, 2012 9:58 pm
  Why do Matco managers have to result ot FRAUD and FALSIFYING documents to terminate Distributors?

  WHY???

  BECAUSE THE DO NOT HAVE LEGITIMATE REASONS !!!!

  Matco would rather CHURN distributors

  NO concern for the lives they ruin

  NO concern for the people they destroy

• tlman on January 15th, 2012 10:50 pm
  Debbie,
  New career I see, telemarketer are you sure you can handel it ? and when are you moving to India

  Timmy didn’t get the memo

  Matco#1, #17, Kevin, Cary, Brandon, Jason, Junior – yada yada all got the memo

  they all went away

• i never got an explanation for careerbuilder having posts for 3 jobs in my area. i inly know of one route empty, mine. yet they show 3. all have the same info. are they trying to lure more people with bogus numbers. would that be classified as a lie. just asking. been told enough already.

• when i left i had 5 tool boxes. i called mike ramey about some other issues. he told me that he would help me move the tool boxes and get me the answers to my questions and that he would call me back in a week. no call, i gave him 3 weeks and i called him. he told me that he had forgot about me. still didnt have my answers nor had he done anything to help with the tool boxes. the same ol story just like so many on here have told. too many lies and too much bs.

• richard, it seems clear to me that Matco doesn’t care that they are violating the
  *********************LAW******************

  THEY DON’T CARE………

  IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR MATCO TO HAVE 748 ACTIVE OPENINGS IN SALES
  especially when just a few days ago they had 1100

  did they fill 300 distributor positions ———- NO

  THEY DON’T CARE THEY ARE BREAKING THE LAW AND THEY CONTINUE TO POST FRAUDULENT AND ILLEGAL ADS

  i personally would like to see a list of these 749 ACTIVE JOBS –

  they DON’T EXIST

  but, this wouldn’t be the first time Matco stated something that DIDN’T EXIST

  right Mr. Gilmore??

• anybody want to buy a tool box. got 2 brand new ones still in the box. i will even throw in the hardlines sales award that i got at the meeting for buying them. cough cough. just saying.
  trailers for sale or rent
  hows bout a tool box
  without a dent
  could be yours for 50 cents.

  join up and become a distributor today so that you can join the rest of us here and share your stories. we already know the opening line.
  they came to my house and told me, the lies vary from here on.

• all the job descriptions are the same on that site. all the routes must be the same too huh. so much vagueness , too many questions to ask till its too late or you never thought about it because you have never been there but you trusted the people that helped to sign you up.
  they should make a movie bsed on all this
  they could call it matco the mini government. we make all the money you just spend yours while we save ours.

• Matco seems to LIE a lot

• debbie you mwant matco to answer your questions, why not answer mine?!!!!!!!!!!!LIES!!!!!!!!! ALL LIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• somebody woke him up

• Now that is just CLASSIC……………

  distributor after distributor after distributor
  can invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in Matco franchises

  distributor after distributor can be recruited based on LIES
  “The Department of Commerce Study that stated franchises have a 91% success rate ~ A STUDY THAT NEVER EXISTED! Yet, a recruiting Video makes reference to the STUDY THAT NEVER EXISTED” …………….

  a Video that remained ON LINE until a lone disgruntled distributor called Matco out on their LIE

  distributor after distributor is terminated based on the use of an illegal National Purchase Average – and the practice continues
  distributor after distributor asks for answers……………………… and never receive

  no answers, no customers, nothing………..

  YET, some anonymous voice on a blog cries out demanding answers………………….

  IF DISTRIBUTORS CAN INVEST $100K IN A FRANCHISE AND MATCO DOESN’T FEEL THE NEED TO ANSWER ANY OF THEIR QUESTIONS

  ***WHY**???? would any distributor answer some antonymous voice in the dark???

• i don’t lie

  Matco made a recruiting video that referenced a study
  THAT NEVER EXISTED!!!!!!!!!

  MATCO LIES………..NO DENYING

• very well put debbie. i dont see where any one needs to prove a damn thing to any of them. i dont see any of them coming to help any of us. just name calling and belittling any chance they get.

• i can honestly say that i never lied to matco but i also can honestly say that matco did lie to me on numerous occasions and thats a fact

• debbie
  you spoke of 1100 jobes on careerbuilder , i saw 1067 one day and 760 the next. it makes you wonder who controls that site too. do you thihk they graduated that big of a class to fill some of the shortages in dbrs.

• i have several documented lies matco told me

  frustrating

• What’s wrong matcoman? Did you see that Tim Gilmore had his false advertisment YOUTUBE video retracted from the INTERNET and you are coming out of your shell to protest.

  Next will be your company’s false advertising of Matco Franchises as Employment opportunities on popular emploment media’s like careerbuilder.com. OUTSIDE SALES sounds like an employee to me.

  You know, my Grandpa always told me “If it looks like SHIT, tastes like SHIT and smells like SHIT” well matcoman you can guess the rest.

• on career builder
  Colorado (18) Active Jobs listed

  right there, not possible

  there are NOT 18 OPEN routes

  so what?? are these jobs??

  bet we could go through EACH stated listed, have active distributors in each state tell us how many OPEN routes they have

  Betting EACH state has numbers that are wrong

• how about anyone else out there who has had a bad experience with matco. it can even be with a dbr. let everyone know.

• WOW! It seems as though the comments by matcoman are being stricken and my comment is not warranted. Oh well, still truthful.

• it says 3 in my area but i only know of 1, mine . unless they are putting someone else out and splitting his route the matco way.

• LOL seems matcoman JUST got the memo!

  one and done!

• todd
  its nothing personal
  matcoman has been deleted for not meeting the npa here
  national posting average.
  it works for me

• Have you guys been to Ripoff report yet and told your story?

  Let’s be loud,
  Let’s be heard,
  Let’s all give MATCO the “install two syllable word here” BIRD.

• Employees who want to expose corruption may file a Ripoff Report. Any employees who do so should be protected by Federal Whistleblower Laws, and Ripoff Report treats all victims as a confidential source. Remember, we are a publication, just like a major newspaper, and we will never voluntarily reveal your identity. Instead we will protect our sources under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
  I think Ripoff Report should know:
  UnhappyFranchisee.com has recently received numerous complaints from failed and struggling Matco Tools franchised distributors who claim they were unfairly terminated or allowed to fail by the mobile tools company.
  Marks & Klein has an active class action lawsuit filed against Matco Tools and TD Bank on behalf of Matco franchisees.
  The Marks & Klein report on Matco Tools comes to some disturbing conclusions, and alleges that a “fundamental failure of its franchise system is taking place,” yet “MATCO Tools has, nonetheless, continued to offer and sell Distributorships despite the pattern of early failure.”
  “The information contained in the Disclosure Document paints a picture of failure on large scale, year after year, with MATCO seeking to replace Distributors whose tenure in its system is woefully short, and doing so within the calendar year in which a distributor fails,” the report alleges. “The conduct evidenced by the FDD demonstrates a pattern of churning.”
  As well as Matco Tools has 748 Active Jobs currently posted on Career Builder the FTC Prohibits Franchise Ads Masquerading as Job Ads

• send YOUR emails to
  editor@ripoffreport.com

• anyone looking here needs to take these postings serious. we are not here because we are failures. we are here because matco failed us, bottom line. you are the best when you start, but when they get through with you its over. want to get robbed, have your credit ruined. then join the matco team. they can do it for you.

• I love the way Matco is SOOOO! good at lying to people.

  Please comment at this web site as well.

  franchisechatter.com

  The Franchise Chatter Blog’s List of 29 Things Every Prospective Franchisee Needs to Know Before Investing in a Matco Tools Franchise in 2011

  Matco Tools Franchise Business Model

  1. Matco Tools is one of the leading players in the mobile tool franchise market. Matco sells a complete line of automotive equipment to professional users through its franchisee distributors, who take the product directly to customers at their place of business.

  2. Matco’s product line consists of 13,000 products, including hand tools, power tools, diagnostics, tool storage, heavy-duty tools, shop-equipment, to name a few.

  3. Franchisees make regular sales and service calls to customers in their territory in a custom designed Matco Tools truck. The Matco truck is a mobile showroom, warehouse, and office all rolled into one. This unique distribution system helps franchise owners reduce business costs and establish personal relationships with each of their customers, who are pre-identified and qualified by Matco.

  4. Each Matco franchisee has his own exclusive territory identified by the District Business Manager through surveys and customer interviews — the exact size of which varies depending on the number of potential customers in the area.

  5. Every franchise owner receives a protected “List of Calls,” which contains at least 325 potential customer names and contact information. This helps eliminate time-consuming cold calls, while increasing productivity and sales.

  6. The most unique aspect of this business model is that the franchisee pays no initial franchise fee, no ongoing royalty fees, and no ongoing advertising fees. In this franchise model, Matco Tools makes money solely from the sales of their products.

  Matco Tools Franchise History and Growth

  7. Matco Tools was founded in 1946 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Danaher Corporation, a Fortune 250 company and a key player in numerous industries, including tools and environmental process and controls.

  8. Matco distributors operate in all 50 states, as well as in Canada and Puerto Rico.

  Matco Tools Franchise Discovery Day

  9. All prospective franchisees are invited to attend a Discovery Day at Matco’s corporate headquarters in Stow, Ohio, before making their final decision.

  10. Prospective franchise owners have the opportunity to meet members of the different departments, including: Credit/Finance, Training, Technical Services, Customer Service, Marketing, and more. All meetings are private, one-on-one sessions with Matco team members.

  11. All prospective distributors — especially those who cannot travel to Ohio to attend a Discovery Day — are encouraged to call current and former Matco franchise owners, schedule on-truck orientation rides with a couple different Matco franchisees, attend district sales meetings, and seek advice from qualified advisors.

  Matco Tools Franchisee Training

  12. All new Matco distributors take the Matco Tools New Distributor Training Program, an 8-week program comprised of several phases. This comprehensive training consists of both hands-on field training and interactive classroom instruction.

  13. Preparation Week (1 week) – After signing all business documents, new franchisees will ride with an experienced Matco franchise owner, be assigned to a designated Regional Trainer or District Manager, receive their “List of Calls,” and begin making initial sales contacts to pre-identified potential customers.

  14. Classroom Training at Corporate Headquarters (9 Days) – New franchisees receive nine days of interactive classroom training at the Matco Tools corporate headquarters. These classes consist of computer simulations, computer-based training, role-playing, and class discussions. A full-sized Matco Tools truck located inside the corporate headquarters is used to facilitate real world customer interaction simulations.

  15. Initial Field Training (5 days – conducted Monday through Friday) – New franchise owners will be directly assisted by their Regional Trainer or District Manager to learn about every aspect of the business, including customer relations, inventory management, financial management, sales and collections, among others.

  16. Field Training (10 days – conducted Monday through Friday) – The District Manager gives franchise owners one-on-one training on the daily and weekly requirements of the business, including sales effectiveness, collection techniques, and route management.

  17. Refresher Course (scheduled six weeks after the start of business) – This training serves as a refresher course on all aspects of the Matco franchise business.

  18. Ongoing Training – All Matco franchisees can take advantage of additional training in the form of in-field diagnostic training, district and regional sales meetings, newsletters, seminars, on-truck demonstrations, and online continuous training through Matco University.

  Matco Tools Franchisee Support

  19. Matco helps franchise owners provide customer support — available 16 hours a day — by assisting with daily business activity and product questions, warranty claims support and administration, shipment tracking, and special order assistance. Matco also provides technical support and helps tackle troubleshooting questions.

  20. Matco rolls out hundreds of new and exclusive products annually, educates the franchisee on these new product introductions, and markets these products through a national promo flyer program. Franchise owners receive new products as soon as they are released and have the opportunity to introduce these to their customers first.

  21. Each Matco distributor is equipped with the Matco Distributor Business System. This proprietary software helps franchisees keep track of sales, special orders, inventory levels, customer account balances, daily and monthly reports, and much more.

  22. All franchise owners are invited to attend the annual Matco National Business Conference & Tools Expo, where they can attend training seminars, see new products, receive discounts on special products, and meet with other franchisees to share information and best practices.

  Matco Tools Marketing Assistance for Franchisees

  23. Matco Tools sends out national flyers and email blasts 13 times per year, and also sends out special promotional flyers to technicians. The company helps distributors boost sales through special toolbox promotions and rewards programs for technicians.

  24. Matco has a strong Internet presence through its website, an online catalog of all its products, and social media (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube).

  25. In addition, the company spends for motorsports sponsorships and national trade advertising (TV and magazines), and reaches out to various media organizations to introduce new products and promotions.

  26. Matco supplies its franchisees with yearly and supplemental catalogs and price lists, as well as truck signs and merchandising to highlight new products and competitive advantages.

  Matco Tools Franchise Cost

  27. As mentioned previously, the Matco Tools franchise system is unique for having no initial franchise fee, no ongoing royalty fees, no ongoing advertising fees, and no expensive real estate costs.

  28. Typically, a prospective franchisee needs $20,000 to $30,000 in start-up capital to start his or her own Matco franchise business — the exact amount will vary depending on personal budget needs, amount financed, and equipment needs.

  29. Prospective franchisees have a variety of options (based on their credit history) to finance the initial investment. Some of these options are: financing through Matco Tools, commercial banks, credit unions, savings and loan institutions, and loans guaranteed through the Small Business Administration (SBA). Others may choose to utilize their 401K funds.

  I specifically like 13. Where they actually tell the truth about the order of things even on their own ad. You sign first then they let you ride with a Distributor and receive your pre-defined List Of Calls.

• go to http://www.ripoffreport.com then file complaint.

• Sounds like you guys just need to be put out of your misery, the big bad world is just to much for you to handle. And now all you have is this worthless web site for your circle jerk and pivot man tommy to waste your meaningless lives on. Quite humorous though, that you think Matco actually gives a shit about what we post on this cesspool. Debbie, did it ever occur to you that some of us have a life and a business to run and don’t make you or the rest of Jerry’s kids a priority?? Heres a FACT for you…Did you know that you people are the laughing stock of the tool business right now?? Of course not what am I thinking!! You’re being heard! You’re standing up for all Dbrs! Yeah right I think all you want is someone to notice poor ol mistreated Debbie, cause your customers sure didn’t.. You failed and now it’s someone else’s fault. I would bet if a new dbr with some initiative were to take over your route, they would succeed! It’s too late for you now, otherwise I’d tell you to quit wasting your time on retarded YouTube videos and get to work.. But then again you haven’t taken ANYONE’S advise so far so why would you now, right?? You won’t answer any of these questions, and that’s what we’ve come to expect..
  Maybe if I get enough time from Expo I’ll stop over, I’m always up for a good laugh!
  Cheers!

• Ah, such a classy and elegant soliloquy ~
  everything I’ve come to expect from Matco

  Apparently despite crude observations of one,
  MATCO IS LISTENING!

  They HEARD and WATCHED and REALIZED
  they had been caught in a LIE

  Matco took down their video

  BECAUSE they were listening…

  Who is laughing now?

• 1. Matco Tools is one of the leading players in the mobile tool franchise market. Matco sells a complete line of automotive equipment to professional users through its franchisee distributors, who take the product directly to customers at their place of business.

  One of leading players

  In a whopping field of FOUR

  Snap On Matco Cornwell Mac
  Technically whomever was THIRD would be
  “leading” whomever was fourth…,

• 3. Franchisees make regular sales and service calls to customers in their territory in a custom designed Matco Tools truck. The Matco truck is a mobile showroom, warehouse, and office all rolled into one. This unique distribution system helps franchise owners reduce business costs and establish personal relationships with each of their customers, who are pre-identified and qualified by Matco.

  Reduced business cost? $1147 monthly lease, $257 monthly insurance,
  $1400 monthly fuel, $200 monthly maintenance ( oil changes, replacing water pump
  twice in 2 years, windshield, tires…) $75 monthly accounting fee, $30 monthly office
  Supplies…..

  customers, who are pre-identified and qualified by Matco.
  Helpers, detail techs, lot boys, illegal immigrants are NOT
  “qualified”

• Matco is more worried about sales numbers than customer service, when they terminate their distributors they are only hurting the customer, which they don’t give a damn about.

  How does a tech get warranty handled when the distributor is gone, they don’t.

  They are more concerned about the almighty dollar, than really taking care of their customers, it is not always about the dollar, you retain customers by great CUSTOMER service and terminating distributors IS NOT GREAT SERVICE.

  TECHS WILL RETURN TO GREAT SERVICE AND MATCO IS NOT PROVIDING THAT TO THE CUSTOMER.

• Thank you Todd for setting up 29

  Everyone can join in and bat them down
  One By One

• Guest17, where have you been, did you receive your letter to cure for not meeting THE NATIONAL POSTING AVERAGE?

  Guest, did matco come in and shut you soon to be former distributors up, I see JASON NEAL, DON QUEEN(JUNIOR), BRANDON AND THE REST WENT AWAY.

  The truth hurts sometimes and your wounds will heal, and what we speak about matco is the truth.

  LIES, MISLEADING AND DECEIT, THE MATCO WAY.

• anybody ever have your dm tell you he would give you a field credit and not do it even after being reminded repeatedly. even the rm was not interested. all lies

• did i say that matco would lie to you just to get your money. i think you can figure it out from here

• 5. Every franchise owner receives a protected “List of Calls,” which contains at least 325 potential customer names and contact information. This helps eliminate time-consuming cold calls, while increasing productivity and sales.

  i never got one of them. i got a list of shops but not a list of 325 names

• 27. As mentioned previously, the Matco Tools franchise system is unique for having no initial franchise fee, no ongoing royalty fees, no ongoing advertising fees, and no expensive real estate costs.

  what do they classify the yearly fee we paid for mdbs. i believe it was 1200.00 a year times how many dbrs equals alot o0n top of all the other things you are not reimbursed for.