Machinery dealers

suffolksmallholder · Jun 9, 2018

If I'm buyin' I'm in there askin'. If I like the salesman I'll talk & ask Q's, if not I'll move on to someone who is up for a proper conversation. I'll also tell a salesman that he should be talking to me, loudly too. I'm not a loud person but I don't want to be messed about when I'm after machinery or anything for that matter. Buying a new Hi Cap LR in 2003 was a nightmare. The UK stock was poor, the dealers were poor but I eventually found one Lincolnshire & travelled up to fetch the thing back. Local JD folk were brilliant on the other hand.
SS

Farmer_Joe · Jun 10, 2018

i try buy simpler machinery from auction (with exception of tractors) last trailer i got from a well known dealer green in Yorkshire has rusty rams and sticking brakes, last one i got from auction worked spot on just needed a couple of hoses... i wont get into the new jd issues which had to be haggled under warranty

However i have had experiences with none franchised dealers seems to be far better (have to be careful of course) got a tractor and mower with out seeing them both times delivered and very honest and reasonably priced, little haggling and deals done.

smcapstick · Jun 10, 2018

Farmer_Joe said:
i try buy simpler machinery from auction (with exception of tractors) last trailer i got from a well known dealer green in Yorkshire has rusty rams and sticking brakes, last one i got from auction worked spot on just needed a couple of hoses... i wont get into the new jd issues which had to be haggled under warranty

However i have had experiences with none franchised dealers seems to be far better (have to be careful of course) got a tractor and mower with out seeing them both times delivered and very honest and reasonably priced, little haggling and deals done.

Was it a Case 785 with a Bomford loader and a Kverneland drum mower...?

Farmer_Joe · Jun 10, 2018

no separate purchases from gs browns and j e rees admittedly rees were there best accurate description videos on a tractor running and pics, would not hesitate to deal with rees again

mountfarm · Jun 10, 2018

Stevethemeat said:
How many of you find that when you ring about a price of machinary and are genuinely interested you find the dealer sells it from under you using an excuse I ring you back tomorrow with details and in the mean time sells it to another customer and then hasent got the manners to let you know they seam to have lost all idea that the customer could return another day

I along with many farming friends are getting fed up with our local trade. It was our local county show a couple of weeks ago so all the usual suspects were there dealer wise. We are due a tractor change for this autumn so it was the perfect chance to have a look. Prices have become silly but it appears you are not allowed to say so. I lost count of the times I was told use your subsidy or diversification income as the prices won’t drop. Seriously miffed me and I’m just a farm manager who has to report back to the powers that be.
What is it with dealers now as they offer bottom price for trade ins yet expect you to pay silly amounts for the new stuff. What was supposed to be a nice day out turned into quite a depressing day and I do wonder where this industry is going. Why should my employees get taken for a ride and I seriously think they are questioning the viability of a substantial business.

smcapstick · Jun 28, 2018

Ahoy, @Sid!

Cowabunga · Jun 29, 2018

mountfarm said:
I along with many farming friends are getting fed up with our local trade. It was our local county show a couple of weeks ago so all the usual suspects were there dealer wise. We are due a tractor change for this autumn so it was the perfect chance to have a look. Prices have become silly but it appears you are not allowed to say so. I lost count of the times I was told use your subsidy or diversification income as the prices won’t drop. Seriously miffed me and I’m just a farm manager who has to report back to the powers that be.
What is it with dealers now as they offer bottom price for trade ins yet expect you to pay silly amounts for the new stuff. What was supposed to be a nice day out turned into quite a depressing day and I do wonder where this industry is going. Why should my employees get taken for a ride and I seriously think they are questioning the viability of a substantial business.

If it's not viable, then it's not viable I'm afraid.
Personally I find that popular used tractors are commanding a premium at the moment and dealers are paying very high prices for ones they know they can easily resell. I remember selling a 5445 Speedshift basic model [about 15 of them in total actually] at near the end, before D4 came out, for £21500. That one recently was exchanged for a new one and was resold for £22500. Even MF390 are now selling for around £15,000 for low hour nice ones, where seven years ago they were selling for around £10,000. If that isn't cheap power, I don't know what is.

Unpopular and well used and rough models command far less money relative to new of course. And the newer they are, the worse the hit. Frankly though, if the tractor in the above quote is good but unpopular, it is worth keeping and running on in the business. If it is high hours, rough or a very unpopular brand or model, then it is probably worth more to the farm business than to anyone else. If it is trouble, then it may even be overvalued by some dealers, because the cost of major repairs as well as new tractors is out of sync with low farm returns. So is labour in many cases of course. Many farms are on the brink of being unviable, especially where they rely on employees.

Drillman · Jun 29, 2018

D14 said:
I think dealers in general need to sort their electronic side of things out. Very often I will of an evening if something like the Farmers Guide has arrived fire off a dozen odd requests for prices or more information about something. More regularly they are low value things like bale spikes or bale trailers but then at times things like a tractor or cultivator.

I would say 90% of the time we get no response. The reason we don’t ring for info because it would take at least an hour to speak to 12 odd people, some of which won’t answer, then you also need to write everything down but to be honest it’s rubbish info compared to an email with pictures. Then if they do ring back they ring when you can’t answer to emailing is brilliant for info requests.

On the occasions I’ve followed a request up generally the response is what request or yes I saw that but haven’t had time to respond.

The industry in general is extremely poor at this stuff.

Very well said.

Any machinery dealers reading this need to take note and act upon this quote. Because at the moment a lot of them have a very shambolic attitude to potential enquiries.

JP1 · Jun 29, 2018

Drillman said:
Very well said.

Any machinery dealers reading this need to take note and act upon this quote. Because at the moment a lot of them have a very shambolic attitude to potential enquiries.

Or maybe the sales person is in a pincer between sales targets at the dealership and the whims of the manufacturer? I do share others' frustration with lack of professionalism. There is always another side looking at how some customers can act (or not as the case maybe) but you tend not to have reps putting that out on the Forum. I have a few favourites ............................

Drillman · Jun 29, 2018

I contacted 8 local and localism dealers back in November as i had 20-25k burning a hole in my pocket and wanted to buy a used tractor. 1/2 of the dealers still haven't got back to me to let me know what they have in stock/coming in. out of the others only one of them actually listened to what i was after and sold me a tractor the following day. It wasn't was i set out to buy either and was a touch over budget but the salesman had the intelligence to mention it anyway as it was ticking a lot of the requirements i outlined.

2wheels · Jun 29, 2018

smcapstick said:
Ahoy, @Sid!
View attachment 687420

bet you wear shades and smoke a cigar when driving that.

smcapstick · Jun 30, 2018

2wheels said:
bet you wear shades and smoke a cigar when driving that.

2wheels · Jun 30, 2018

smcapstick said:

seedman stains · Jun 30, 2018

Drillman said:
I contacted 8 local and localism dealers back in November as i had 20-25k burning a hole in my pocket and wanted to buy a used tractor. 1/2 of the dealers still haven't got back to me to let me know what they have in stock/coming in. out of the others only one of them actually listened to what i was after and sold me a tractor the following day. It wasn't was i set out to buy either and was a touch over budget but the salesman had the intelligence to mention it anyway as it was ticking a lot of the requirements i outlined.

I rang one massey dealer my local one about a month ago he rang me back within the hour I explained what I was after he said ill give you a ring next week 3 weeks later no reply as yet.
Another called around to see me!! he said he would have a look and see what was what that was about 3 weeks ago as well.
Fighting the New Holland reps off

Sid · Jun 30, 2018

I enquired about a s/h tedder at a dealers. Went and had a look. Rang rep to ask him to Pryce up my trade in and possible new.
Still no seen him yet.
I will ask him when I see him at a show...when stood beside his boss!

Logbrog · Jun 30, 2018

Sid said:
I enquired about a s/h tedder at a dealers. Went and had a look. Rang rep to ask him to Pryce up my trade in and possible new.
Still no seen him yet.
I will ask him when I see him at a show...when stood beside his boss!

Is that “Pryce” a deliberate keyboard slip!

D14 · Jul 2, 2018

Drillman said:
I contacted 8 local and localism dealers back in November as i had 20-25k burning a hole in my pocket and wanted to buy a used tractor. 1/2 of the dealers still haven't got back to me to let me know what they have in stock/coming in. out of the others only one of them actually listened to what i was after and sold me a tractor the following day. It wasn't was i set out to buy either and was a touch over budget but the salesman had the intelligence to mention it anyway as it was ticking a lot of the requirements i outlined.

What I don't understand though is that they clearly are like this across the board with everybody so how on earth are they busy and who are they selling to?

Flat 10 · Jul 2, 2018

Several have mentioned that some customers are a PITA , which I’m sure is very true. However there’s a big difference in that dealing with customers, PITA or not is the salesman’s job.And if I’m spending money surely I can be a bit of a PITA? (Please note I don’t mean rude, deceitful or anything unreasonable) more like if I want a 4m one I want a 4 not a 5 or a 3m one. I have to say though I spoke to a main dealer rep the other day about some low value trade in s that he could have easily not bothered with and he was very helpful.

D14 · Jul 4, 2018

Flat 10 said:
Several have mentioned that some customers are a PITA , which I’m sure is very true. However there’s a big difference in that dealing with customers, PITA or not is the salesman’s job.And if I’m spending money surely I can be a bit of a PITA? (Please note I don’t mean rude, deceitful or anything unreasonable) more like if I want a 4m one I want a 4 not a 5 or a 3m one. I have to say though I spoke to a main dealer rep the other day about some low value trade in s that he could have easily not bothered with and he was very helpful.

PITA customer are those that have multiple demo's and then buy it from somewhere else. I get that dealers don't want to deal with them. But that is a small minority and I can honestly say I don't think I know one. We rarely ask for a demo because we tend to buy used and are happy to get in the car and go and see existing customers of the dealer. We arnt set out to waste dealers time but when they can't be bothered to return calls or emails then what do they expect. They are forcing us to shop further a field then moan that customers don't buy locally off them.

Dave W · Jul 4, 2018

I’ve recently had 2 pita customers. Both rang about a different machine, agreed a price did the deal etc. Sent them an invoice then silence. Not a peep out of them in over a month. Won’t reply to messages or phone calls. Obviously haven’t paid.
I couldn’t care less if they changed their minds and don’t want it. Just be fecking honest!!!!

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