Advice for vetting a dealer or handling a bad dealer after bad experience?

Hi all,

I wanted to ask how you vet a dealer and what your advice would be if you've made purchase from a dealer that refuses to support you after the fact.

I confess my reason for asking is self serving. I recently made a $7,000 purchase for a ZT and a bunch of other equipment. (chainsaw, weedeater, blower, hedgetrimmer etc.) This was all for home use so none of it was super high end but I was told all of it was commercial grade. The employees at the dealer seemed very helpful and nice before I made the purchase, but were the exact opposite when I needed help.

From the get go and to this day I have problems getting the chainsaw to start. Sometimes it will start fine and sometimes I will follow "normal" procedure and can pull until my arm gets tired and nothing.

I noticed this the first day I got home with the equipment (and was hoping to chop up some old trees that had been dragged out the way from storms). I couldn't get it to start so I took it back to the dealer. I told them my problem and asked if they could help. The folks working there were very condescending about it. The guy strutted over, said the equipment was fine, and I must be doing it wrong. He then went through the motions and it wouldn't start for him either.(I confess the look on his face was priceless). He said "that's odd", took it to the back and a few minutes later came out with it running. (no idea what he did). He said it was good to go, turned it off, restarted it, let me restart it, and away I went.

When I got back home, I went to start it again, and it wouldn't start.

This back and forth happened two to three more times and each time I took it back to the dealer, they treated me like a dumb ***. The fourth time I drove there (they are the closest dealer, and it's 45 minute drive one way), I asked if they could just swap my chainsaw for a new one. I was told I'd have to speak with the owner.

So I talked to him and he flat out refused. He said since they could get it working at the shop, the problem must be me. I explained that I've had no problems starting any other gear, including other chainsaws, but he simply did not care. He said the best he could do is hold it for a while and check it out. When I asked him why he couldn't just give me a new one, he said he couldn't risk that one having the same problem and being stuck with one. That's right..the guy I just gave $7,000 to can't "risk" a $400 chainsaw. I explained if I'd bought it at Lowes, it would have been stupid simple to just do an exchange.

He said since they were a warranty dealer, their job was to Fix problems, not give out free chainsaws. They couldn't just do an exchange. He did offer to keep it a while to see if he could replicate the problem and repair it. I left it with him and a week later he calls back and says they can't find anything wrong with it. I went and picked it up (fifth trip) and took it back home. I still frequently have problems with it, but at this point I gave up.

I can't help but regret that I didn't just buy the extras from a big box store and gotten the mower from somewhere else. I did find another dealer about an additional 20 minutes away so I am going to try them or just figure out the best way to service this stuff myself. For the chainsaw I'm trying to decide if I should pay another shop to look at it, see if another warranty place can look at it, or maybe try calling the MFG. In the meantime I have just been borrowing my neighbors when needed (which I admit is rare). I'm honestly just tired of the hassle, and think I might just go buy one from big box store which is what I feel like I should have done to begin with now.

My questions are as follows

1. Any advice for handling a dealer in a situation like mine? Is there something I should have done different? Any options for now? (I have decided to cut all contact from the dealer and deter anyone else who will listen. The whole point of going through a local dealer was I thought I'd have better support than a big box store. In this case I was wrong).

2. I assume the warranty is not dealer specific right? I can get warranty service from other authorized dealers, right?

3. Any advice for vetting dealer before sale? Anything to look out for or certain things to ask to determine if there will be zero support after?

4. Were my expectations too high? I was assuming that since most people aren't lawn care operators or small engine mechanics, the whole point of a dealer was to help you find something that will meet your needs and also support you and repair / replace equipment during the warranty if you have problems.

I just thought I'd share my experience and ask a few questions. Hope this doesn't come off as too whiny.
Thanks for reading,
Pond
Pond

Got to be a reason the chainsaw wouldn't start. It sounds to me like the dealer doesn't know how to repair chain saws? A 400 dollar chain saw isn't a bottom of the line saw. Do you have a small engine repair shop around where you live. I would say have them fix it and then take the dealer to small claims court for the bill. It gets to a point where that is what has to be done. I hate to say this but other then that, buy another saw.

I would contact the manufacturer of the saw and ask them if you should go to the other dealer to solve yourproblemor if they would replace your saw. You don't give us any brand names, but if it was a Stihl or Echo, I know here the district reps would be talking to that dealer. We've had a dealer lose his line for the same reasons you listed. To me it sounds like a dealer who sells, but cannot do service. Finally, any dealership will honor your warranty.

People are slowly but surely discovering why so many frequent the box stores where you never ( or seldom ) get talked down to and get the same service whether you are Joe citizen or the Mayor.

I have a snapper - echo and yada yada yada dealer that every time I take a piece of equipment in for repair an item is always added I didn't ask for. Example - snapper rer - gears in rear fell apart, went to pick it up and a new blade had been added to the 200 + dollar charge. I had just bought a new blade from them the previous week. Wait for them to remove.

Echo trimmer - new carb dealer installed. Picking it up a new head had been installed. Had purchased a new head from them two weeks previous when I dropped the trimmer off. Mine still in my pick - um -up truck. Please change it out and put yours back on the shelf or in your ear.

So much for dealers remembering their customers. It shouldn't be such a mystery since all that information is in front of them on the computer when my name comes up.

Having worked in this industry too longer, I am asking that you do not think all dealers are the same, due to your bad experience. Are they out there, YES, everything has their 5% of bad apples. We have one less than ten miles down the road. Every week we will gain a new customer who has had a horrible experience with this guy. Two weeks ago one of his former customers came to us with this five year old snowblower problem. Start the unit, engage the auger and it will start to rattle and shake. Other dealer replaced the belt, idler pulley, auger outside bearings. Total bill with two hours labor, $213.65. When he ask about the problem still being there, told that they all shake like that. Asked for the old part, told they were already in the junk. Brought it in to us and 30 seconds of running told us that the primary auger bearing was out. 45 minutes later the unit was runnig properly, at the cost of $77.14.

How do you find and vet these guys out there? Best way is ask as many people as you can and ask them where they go. Also ask where they would not go and why. Good dealerships use the ratio of 20 satisfied customers are needed to over come one bad experience. There are a lot more good guys than bad guys, it is too bad that some areas cause people to waste too much money and time weeding out the bad guys.

That ratio of 20:1 applies to all aspect of service based businesses.

I would report them to the manufacturer a strongly worded email and a strongly worded email via Facebook (they all have one and have people on them often)

Last but not least find a new dealer even if they are 20 mins extra away maybe you don't have to make 5 trips
Oh also if they have yelp or angies list make some reviews on them