MATCO TOOLS: More Franchise Complaints

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• First of all, when you buy a Matco franchise, Matco owns you and controls everything you do with respect to the business.

  I was a franchisee from 2005 to late 2008. In 2008 when the economy took a hit, Darryl Pritchett and Mike Ramey terminated my franchise for purchase average, in which half my district was not at average. Matco did nothing to assist or advise about what to do in this situation, they were supposed to be there for support, isn't that right, they have ongoing support, not.

  Matco does not care about their franchisees, they just want to sign you up and could care less what happens. Numerous times , I spoke to Darryl about riding with me and giving advice, and when the time came he was nowhere to be found, except one time, when he was riding with Jake, when he was supposed to meet with me and ride. Darryl is no district manager, he is an ass kisser to Mike Ramey and Matco, he could not even help me write my first contract for a box, his quote was "call another distributor".'This guy was trained by Matco".

  Matco has a failure rate that is astounding, they do not care if you succeed or not, they only want you to sign your life away and wait for you to be terminated, and they can sign someone else up and cut the route in half and give your territory away.

  Also check the repossession laws in your state before picking anything up for matco, they may have you breaking the law, some states require a repo license. Matco makes some very good products, but when it comes to Regional and District Managers and some Corporate Managers, they failed.

  Do not purchase a Matco franchise because they control everything you do, it is not your own business, RUN LIKE HELL WHEN YOU SEE MATCO COMING!!!!!!!!!! MATCO HAS YOU DO WARRANTY REPAIRS FOR FREE, SHIP THEM BACK FOR FREE, AND ON YOUR INITIAL INVENTORY, THEY GIVE YOU ALOT OF OUTDATED PRODUCTS THAT YOU CAN NOT RETURN.

  BOTTOM LINE, MATCO SUCKS WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR FRANCHISEES!!!!!!!!!!!

• If you are looking for a franchise opportunity - Matco Tools IS NOT a good choice!

  Several months ago I started the Matco Tools Distributor Association. Since then, I have received hundreds of calls and emails. ALL from distributors that were STRUGGLING, had already been terminated, had been FORCED OUT, gotten divorced, or BANKRUPT ---- ALL BECAUSE OF MATCO TOOLS.

  Please understand, Matco Tools simply CHURNS DISTRIBUTORS.

  They KNOWINGLY sell non viable routes to well intention and earnest folks that want to succeed and own their own business.

  However; within 2-3 years the ROUTE FAILS - simply because there is NO WAY it could survive, not enough customers, excessive expenses..........

  The loan the distributor had taken to PAY MATCO is Federally insured, Matco GETS their money. The distributor however is left with a mountain of debt and typically needs to file bankruptcy.

  MATCO DOESN'T CARE - the franchise fraud continues......... they simply dupe another unsuspecting person into believing Matco is a good franchise choice.

  I also receive emails on a regular basis from folk that HAVE READ ALL THE POSTS - they THANK me for saving them from making a bad choice. Saving them from financial ruin.

  Please heed the warnings!!!!!!!

• real happy today,found out my place will be paid for when im 68,cool.before i put my name on the dotted line it would have been payed off at 50.thanx to the tool nazis i look forward to a long painfull life of work,wasnt the dream i was told.still bitter,they fish for the poeple that done have buisiness expereince, but have credit and bank.lost both bank and credit,what a joke

• well here we are again. i wonder what all the obcs will have to say now.

  i hope that anyone even considering signing on with matco will at least read the warnings and do some homework before they do. some luck up every once in awhile but not many. the money is being made on the ones that fail. plus their credit gets ruined. matco will lie and tell you anything to get into your pockets.

  i had good credit and money in the bank. now i have neither. call jerry if you want to hear the truth.

• How can I be more truthful than the hundreds of posts I have made on the other thread?

  The truth is I took Matco by the reigns and made my own successful franchise in less than a year with a route that was unsuccessful and a previous franchisee that had 1/3 of the inventory required to be a franchise owner. It is the firing of the DM who started me in my franchise and the lies and deception of the NEW management team that lead to the demise of my franchise.

  You ask me if I have any blame? I tell you with COMPLETE confidence and proof that I had NOTHING to do with my failure. Matco controls and manipulates its franchisees to do as they see fit. Lying comes natural for their management teams and Matco's contract keeps good and honest people who have ambition and good credit from becoming successful and receiving due process when they commit CRIMINAL acts against their franchisees. The IFA is the organization spear heading this form of protection against the franchisees and is also buying off politicians to get the IFA members big tax breaks and tax incentives for churning americans as well as deceiving our veterans into buying franchising opportunities which can prove no means of supporting the franchisee.

  If you are thinking of being a Matco Distributor call 10 current distributors of a Matco Franchise and then call 10 of the terminated distributors of a Matco franchise. Judge your decision to be a franchisee on the success of current distributors and ask the terminated distributors why they were unsuccessful. Remember the requirements to be a Matco distributor and realize that the people failing at Matco franchises are just like you. They have GOOD CREDIT and SOMETHING TO LOSE in the way of property or working capital.

  Matco is a user and will do ANYTHING to terminate their franchise agreement with their franchisee including STEALING, LYING, CREATING FALSE DOCUMENTS, THREATENING and FALSELY TERMINATING while hiding behind the IFA and the contractual b/s that the IFA has its members put in its legal contracts to inhibit the franchisee from suing its franchisor. IT IS WRONG! IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL! AND SOMEBODY SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!

• To everyone who posts here- please get the word out about bad franchises to all your colleagues and prospective franchisees. We are the only ones who are going to bring change but it must be in great numbers if we are to stop the travesty of companies like Matco:

  http://www.wikidfranchise.org/20111115-td-bank

• That is an interesting website

• If you know of any veteran considering buying a franchise, PLEASE inform them of veterans franchise fraud. There are fraudulent business targeting military veterans, and it is very difficult to detect the fraud. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJLMvGVUhDU

• I strongly urge everyone considering franchising to watch this video and TAKE HEED of what it says. Veterans especially!

  Matco used fraud, lies, false documents, threats to falsely terminate me from my franchise.

  Matco is one company, whom I know and can prove, to be a fraudulent company who will BREAK THE LAW to terminate you from your franchise agreement.

• Does Matco Tools provide a software program for me to track sales?

  Each Matco Tools Franchisee is equipped with the Matco Distributor Business System. This specially designed software helps franchise owners keep track of sales, special orders, inventory levels, customer account balances, daily and monthly reports, and much more.
  ________________________________________________________________

  What they don't tell you is by using your MDBS system they can identify EVERY shop you add to your LOC (List of Calls) and that by communicating with Matco every day (which is required through your MDBS program you don't have a choice) they leverage YOU for your customers when they want to put a new franchisee in a route.

  http://www.matcotools.com/franchise/faq/#tax