Merchants closing Accounts

[TomD]

Is it due to lack of use results in them losing credit insurance on a customer so its easier to close an account than let a customer use a account without insurance?

 

[Tarw Coch]

Countrywide are having a new store built in Oswestry, their reps were out in force around here in the autumn drumming up interest and signing farmers up for accounts ready for the store opening in March.

A couple of weeks ago the local Wynnstay store had a bit of a change around/rebranding, asked one of the counter staff and they said it was freshening things up ahead of countrywide opening............but they've pulled out and aren't coming now, so that's an empty new building looking for a tenant, there was some speculation that mole valley might be interested.

 

[MickMoor]

Went in to a supplier who I haven't used for about 8 years today, funnily enough. He saw my van outside with my name and and asked if I wanted to book it. My account was still open They were good to deal with, it is just that our business has changed so we don't need them as much! I will call in more often, I think, for stuff we usually get elsewhere.

 

[Jon.S]

We've dealt a fair bit with countrywide since they came round the oswestry area. Seemed to knock spots off the competition on price but as time has gone on every time we asked the rep when oswestry store is opening the date kept being put back until the last time I spoke to him he didn't know when it was opening.

He said something about it being a warehouse depot rather than it being a shop.

 

[David.]

Banbury Countrywide was probably only open 2 years.
Never set foot in it, since it was seemingly only for horse brushes and Puffa coats.

 

[GTB]

Never set foot in it, since it was seemingly only for horse brushes and Puffa coats.

Nearly every feed merchant and cooperative throughout the country are the same. Effing horsy stuff everywhere and when you nip in to get some urgent supplies you have to wait in the que whilst some bimbo decides which nuts would suit her horse best.

 

[Still Farming]

Farmer's co-op or it was surpost to be as share holders ?
Bound to be Farmer's on here on the board ?
Lots of small good customers better than one large bad one anyday ???

 

[D14]

Countrywide shut our account 2 weeks ago. All we use it for is dog food to be honest, but with 5 dogs to feed of varying sizes we are doing around 30kg of bagged dog food every week. I looked at the invoices and it means we are spending just under £2000/year with them. The manager came out and said as posted above its cash sales now I am afraid for small accounts. I've known him years and he is not happy as he thinks his depot is going loose £60,000 off its turnover from customer like us as he said I was about the 60th person to say business will go elsewhere because there has been no notification of this and quite frankly stood in a queue of people and your account is shut is embarrassing and thats how rumours start. We won't set foot in their again now.

 

[Jane Brooks]

We had a letter telling us our account was going to be closed at Countrywide because we don't use it enough.
So like a lot of their so called smaller account customers we will be going elsewhere.

 

[Bullring]

Sounds like they are going to lose a lot of customers, they have taken over all the branches of Cornwall farmers down here and if that's their attitude then I can't see them lasting long, they need to sharpen their pencils at the best of times to compete with mole valley so this could be the final nail in their coffin.

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

more profit in selling to horse people than farmers, and most horse stuff sold payment that day, most farmers want it on credit, and some pay when they feel like

 

[wr.]

I bought a machine from Tallis Amos a few days ago and they still have me on their books from Alexander & Duncan days. Fair play

Our vets are owed over 40k from one local farmer and 24k from another and that's from one of the partners. 40k from a big farmer and the 24k from a smaller farmer who enjoys criticising everyone else.

 

[milkloss]

I'm quite happy to pay with a card either over the phone or in person, it has the added benefit of paying more attention to prices at the time as well as limiting my paperwork through the office.

 

[dragonfly]

Went in to a supplier who I haven't used for about 8 years today, funnily enough. He saw my van outside with my name and and asked if I wanted to book it. My account was still open They were good to deal with, it is just that our business has changed so we don't need them as much! I will call in more often, I think, for stuff we usually get elsewhere.

We had our account closed by our local Claas dealer, Marsh's, because we hadn't used it for a few years and no longer had a Claas combine. We had previously traded with them for over 40 years! No letter, no email, nothing.
I only found out when we were maintaining our Claas Markant small baler and I sent a chap to pick up some parts. It was very embarrassing to receive a call from him to say that - we didn't have an account!
Ironically, I was in the market for a new combine at the time and WAS considering a Claas Tucana, but ended up with a New Holland!!

 

[AvonValleyFarmer]

Never mind them closing my account, they're closing my store

 

[Campbell]

Never mind them closing my account, they're closing my store

Looks like Leominster has closed.

 

[Still Farming]

I'm quite happy to pay with a card either over the phone or in person, it has the added benefit of paying more attention to prices at the time as well as limiting my paperwork through the office.

I'm quite happy to pay with a card either over the phone or in person, it has the added benefit of paying more attention to prices at the time as well as limiting my paperwork through the office.

That's fair enough but not always got card with you and all those slips nightmare to do vat etc.
Point being they never notified us .
They made most go paperfree with bills emailed out then pay by BACS so NO cost to them in printing or post ?

 

[GTB]

I don't see the logic of closing small accounts just because they aren't spending enough. It's fairly obvious that customers will go elsewhere, especially if accounts are closed without letting the customers know. It would be more understandable if they were closing dormant accounts but still think it would be common decency to let the account holder know.

 

[Princess Pooper]

We've been on dd for years with Countrywide anyway, why don't they just put small accounts on dd basis if it is chasing small payts that is costing them?

 

[llamedos]

Nearly every feed merchant and cooperative throughout the country are the same. Effing horsy stuff everywhere and when you nip in to get some urgent supplies you have to wait in the que whilst some bimbo decides which nuts would suit her horse best.

That bimbo is buying someones produced grain, someones hay/straw and probably does so with cash at the till, unlike a lot of farmers.