So mad, I feel took for $7k

[Daren]

I have only been sawing for less than a year. I started out with a homemade log lifter for putting logs on the mill (an old jeep trencher with a homemade crane on the front).  I really liked sawing and decided to do more of it and the jeep had to go. I started looking around and decided a skidsteer was what I needed, for loading logs, clean-up and for use at my future home I am building. I know a guy who works for a pretty big equipment company. He said they were getting a Bobcat in for trade on a new machine in a couple weeks, e-mailed me pics and it looked just right. I sold my jeep to a guy who had been asking about it (before he changed his mind).... Then waited and waited for the trade in, which took 1 1/2 months. I had to put people off and borrow other peoples tractors to run the mill. Finally the Bobcat showed up (April 26), the perfect machine for me. It is a smaller model, with filled tires (no flats) and grapple bucket that is great for my use. It was used at a corporate pig farm for feeding and clean-up, never used to dig. It was always inside (with pigs and smelled like it, but inside anyway) and factory serviced since new. It has 3500 hours, used enough, but for my few hours a week it should last a while. This dealer has 2 locations locally, my buddy works at one and I am in the other ones territory. The first week it died on me, kept blowing a fuse. I called my buddy, he is thier top mechanic, he stepped me through what to do. I found the problem, a solenoid in the fuel system. He said jump the fuse for a day or 2 and he would get the part. Well, Monday I am trying to use it and all of a sudden cracking and popping and I am running in circles. I flipped back the cab, it took me an hour to get the into part where the chains and drive gears are under the seat. As soon as I opened it up, I pulled a chunk of mangled steel out as big as my hand, it's broke bad. They were already closed by then. I called yesterday morning, the service manager said he would do some checking and call back. I tried to call him a couple times and got a message from the phone company. I called my buddy at the other store and he said the store near me someone had dug up the phone lines, and they were scrambling. My buddy said the service manager I have to deal with called him cell-cell (never called me, but with the phones and computers out he was probably busy) and said if I get it up to the dealership, he would try to "work with me on labor". Man am I pithed, I can't even get it on a trailer, it won't go straight and it won't drag. The only way is to lift it with a big forktruck. They have a fleet of field service guys (that is what my buddy did before he went to the office). I have only ran a 1/2 tank of fuel through it, the hours weren't on the sales slip, but I know I have put less than 20 hours on it and it is belly up. I know it was used with no warranty, but for cryin out loud, $7000 for a machine that needs MAJOR repairs in less time that it takes to burn 5 gallons diesel ! They are acting like they aren't going to make it right. I am really stuck, if I was making payments I know what I would do, but I paid cash, they have my money and I have thier junk. Once I got the machine and saw hom much I could do in a day with it's help, I put an add in the paper and now the phone is ringing and I'm back to no way to move logs.  I am going to call again today and try to get something worked out. How would you guys feel, and what would you do?

[Tom]

Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet.   

If you were intentionall duped then you might be able to take it to court.  I would think that your chances would be slim to none. 

I had it happen to me with the first backhoe that bought.  I went to previous owner and told him that I knew he had unloaded junk on me and it was help to get it fixed or we were going to court.  He paid half of the repair bill.  I was lucky because I don't think I had much of a case,  I just scared the beew-whilikers out of him.

Sometimes your "buddies" will shine.  Perhaps you will get more help than you think.  You have to give them  chance though.

Sorry about the broken skid steer.  Here's hoping that it isn't as major as it looks.  Sometimes used parts show up for those things.  There's a bunch of them out there.

I'm pulling for you, for what it's worth.

[southview]

I feel bad for you, it s--ks when this happens to people and you get the feeling the dealer doesn't even care.  In situations similar to yours I would call the store owner or general manager or better  yet go in and talk with him.  If you don't get any satifaction call the manufacturer and explain what happened and include that it was dealer serviced.  I have found that makers of equipment don't like their equipment to have a bad reputation.  None of this may help but sometimes it does.  Good luck!!

[Daren]

I got the thing for less than it is worth (in running order), because my buddy "backdoored it" . I just wanted to keep ahead of the game. I can make the repairs (I am hoping I can get the dealership to go close to half with me) and still not have too much in it. It is a big help. It just gives me a gut ache to think how it all went so sour.

[Doc]

Somehow Daren, after reading your other posts and the way you do business and handle your customers I think it will all work out in your favor in the end. Just keep your cool and step through it like every other business transaction you have done.

Take a deep breath, and relax man. You done good, and it will work out. Start hitting ebay for used parts for the thing just in case the dealer doesn't come in halfs with you.

Doc

[beenthere]

Daren, I am sure I would feel 'down' just like you do.

But, buying used is buying something that someone else has decided they don't want anymore, for a variety of reasons. That doesn't make it any better, but if you can get parts and some help from the dealer, and fix it yourself, maybe you will be able to have a workable machine for your mill. Sometimes 'backdoor' doesn't work out the best, and 'friends' can be trying. Hope you get it worked out.

What part broke?  Is this on the older Bobcat with the clutch's and chain drives? Or the hyd motors?

Keep cool as can be, so you are in a better position to either trade it back for 'another' one or get them to lean your way on this one. They may be hesitant to discuss repair until they can see for sure what happened.  They don't know that you didn't do something to it to break it, so understandable suspicion can come from both ends.  Wish you the best and hope you are back to milling soon.

[Daren]

Well it this is how it worked out. I called the service manager where I bought the Bobcat and his deal was. I bring it up and he will knock 15% off the labor. That ain't gonna work (they are 10% higher than anyone else around to start) and getting up there would cost me more than the difference. I stewed on it for awhile and called a few other places. Then I checked out thier website, they are pretty good sized, with many dealerships in 3 states. Well on the site they had the Pres., Vice Pres.... and company history. I figured out where the Pres. and owner should be and just called up there and asked for him. The secretary asked who I was with, I said I was just a customer. She said he would be glad to talk to me, but hates talking to salesmen. I introduced myself and explained my situation and thanked him for his time, he said he would call back in a few minutes. 15 minutes later he called back with another deal. They will come get it, if the repairs are too expensive they will give my money back. If they are only a few hundred bucks, they will fix it for nothing. If it is in the $1000-$1500 range and still make for a good machine, we would go halves. So it all worked out, that guy now has my respect. The service guy called and said he would get it in the morning. I told him I was not trying to get him in trouble, I was just not happy with his deal ( I never was rude to him, he was just doing a job). He said he was glad I did it that way, his hands are tied by the owner, and when he called him and told him to make it right he was glad. Me too, it all worked out

[submarinesailor]

Outstanding, glad it worked out for you.  8) 8) 8) 8)

subsailor

[gary]

glad to hear everything worked out alright for you

[Doc]

You did as you have posted you handle your other business in the past. You kept cool and approached it with a level head, and it all worked out in the end.

Now get back to sawing you grunt you! Break out a bigger cant hook and fling those logs on that mill! Hurry up! You have customers waiting...we can't have this.....hahahhaaha

GOOD FOR YOU DAREN! 8) 8) 8)

Doc

[SwampDonkey]

Glad to see it work out Darren. I'de be miffed if in the same boat. I have this MTD tiller that wouldn't have 4 hours of work on it in the last 4 years. The drive shaft has a cog that came unwelded and I lost drive. It cost me $120 to fix, but I figure it's pretty shotty workmanship for a $1500 machine.  : :

[Ernie]

Daren

Name the dealer and the Pres.  They did you right and positive publicity is all too rare these days.

[shopteacher]

Glad things worked out well for you.  I love my skidsteer and use it to do all kind of work that would be impossible by myself. Good luck on the repairs.

[Jeff]

Yep, that business deserves a mention and a link to thier website. Good for them and good for you!

[Daren]

http://www.martinequipment.com/
Bob Martin Jr. is the President I spoke with, honest guy who made things right. All the employees I talked to had nothing but good to say about the whole Martin family. I have already decided if the machine is a goner and they are going to give my money back, I am going to tell them to keep it as a downpayment on a bigger skidsteer. That is how you do business in my book.

[VA-Sawyer]

Daren,

It sounds like they are going to be fair with you.  Let us know how this turns out. I went and looked at their website, saw the email address listed for all the management people.  They aren't close to me, but I may have a friend up that direction that I would send their way if all goes well for you.

VA-Sawyer

[karl]

Daren;
There are good folks in all size businesses.
Had a similar experience a short time ago- bought a used tractor that kept breaking down, finally  I decided I couldn't afford it or the down time any more and had an honest discussion with the dealer about how someone else was going to own it and I was buying something else- did he want to be a part of the deal? He repaired the tractor ($3000.00!!!!), then bought it back from me for for what I had in it. (which was considerably more than any other dealer offered for trade)
Yes, I bought a new tractor and some other impliments from him, and have sold him lumber since.

Glad it worked out for you. Sounds like you're one of the good guys too. ;)

[Ernie]

Sounds like the Martin family should take a good hard look at staff loyalty and get rid of anyone who bad mouths them.

[Doc]

Well Daren, you pointed out that they have shops in several towns in the area. You don't do that by running your clients in the ground financially, and they are showing you how they did it. You done good, they done good, and the decision to deal with them on a bigger unit sounds advantageous on your part as well as wise. if they took care of you this well on a used machine I am thinking of how well they are goign to take care of you on a new one! You gonna be a happy dude either way by the sound of it.

I like reading about well managed small outfits. Big enterprise seems to be running the little guy out of business everywhere, and to see a little shop  that is doing right and making the grade is a great thing to me. Good business beats big business every time hands down.

Doc

[beenthere]

This business recovered well from your dilema, but seems they still will need to clear up the problem that started it, and that being that you bought for what you said was less than full used price through your friend that worked there. 
Hopefully this isn't a big embarrassment to your friend, or worse.

If someone within the business made a deal on the side, then the reaction of the shop foreman may have been pretty standard procedure. The fact that you took it beyond to the top, and they covered your dilema pretty well, is good for you. There still is a void here somewhere that needs to be filled, seems to me.

[Chris J]

Glad that you were able to get this sorted out; be sure to post some updates as things progress.

Gotta say that considering that you got a special deal thru an insider friend, & the company is still willing make things right, you got lucky.

Out of curosity, did it go any kind of inspection and/or tune-up before it was sold to you?

[Daren]

beenthere and Mucha, when I said backdoor it was nothing shady. It came from a pig plant like I said, I bought it dirty (very dirty). They were going to shine it up and sell it for more, I just saved money by buying it the day they picked it up and saved them extra labor getting it presentable to put on the lot . Like I said my buddy is the service manager at one location (not the one I bought it from). He looked it over, the problems I had were undetectable without a complete teardown, and probably a fluke to boot. My buddy will not get in trouble, first off he is a loyal employee, if I remember correctly he went to tech school just to work for the Martins, he is well liked and honest (and works like a dog). That is why I was so upset, I thought for sure I was stuck, cause no one could have know it would happen.
They picked it up this morning, hopefully I get my little machine back safe and sound, if not I will deal with them on another. Bob the owner treated me like I had just spent $70k with him, not 7, that meant alot to me.

[beenthere]

That's good to know, and glad it was that way so your friend wasn't in dutch within the organization. I misunderstood your 'backdoor' comment. Glad you are getting fixed up. It's the right way to do things. Now if you'd bought it direct from the pig farm, probably would be fixin it on your own completely. The chances we take. 

[Daren]

Well Bob Martin called me today, the news was not good (for him more than me for sure), he said his service manager that looked the Bobcat over said is was a lost cause. The thing is driven by hyd. motors the one was shot, and a list of other things he said he didn't really need to get into, the list was long enough it may have to be put down. He said he would have more in it to get it 100% that he could resell it for. (I know what they paid on trade, cause my buddy told me around $6500) Now I kinda feel sorry for him. I was on the road when he called and he said he had a copy of my invoice, he would sent me a check Monday. I told him I still needed a skidsteer, keep the money for a few days I would call the salesman in my area Monday and see if he could help me and I would use it as down on another. He said o.k., but if I found one somewhere else just call him and he would send my money right out.

[Chris J]

Daren:  My apologies if I sounded a bit callous.  The 'my friend who works there' kind of threw me.  It sounds like Bob Martin is a truly stand-up guy in a less than perfect world, & I hope that this thread brings him some much deserved business.  Hope that you & Bob work out something that benefits both of you.

I'll now go eat a big slice of humble pie.