Festool A Friend: Get a 10% rebate when you tell your friends about Festool

[TylerC]

The cat was briefly out of the bag about this last week, but I’m excited to officially launch this.

For a limited time, we’re giving Festool users in the US and Canada (excluding Quebec) the opportunity to get a 10% rebate on their next Festool order. All you need to do is what many FOG members are already doing: Tell your friends about Festool.

Here’s how it works:

1. A friend of yours, new to Festool, buys a new Festool power tool from an authorized Festool dealer during the month of December 2015.
2. You buy new Festool tools, consumables and accessories from an authorized Festool dealer from December 2015 thru January 31, 2016.
3. You then submit proofs of both purchases by February 29, 2016, and Festool will send you a rebate of 10%* of the entire amount of your purchase.

There’s more information and the rebate form here: http://festoolusa.com/friend/ (or http://festoolcanada.com/friend/ for our Canadian friends).

 

[stvrowe]

This "promo" leaves me scratching my head thinking; "just what Dilbert cartoon marketing department did this come from?"  ???While I encourage friends to consider Festool in their tool purchases, it would be crass for me to explain to any of my friends why I wanted their proof of purchase just so I could get a 10% rebate on my purchases.  Friends don't ask friends for their proof of purchase.  Needless to say, I will not be participating in this one.

Try turning the calendar back to Summer 2004 to see the best way to get users hooked on your product - that promo was 20% off for a first time Festool purchase.  That was enough to push me over the edge for a first time Festool purchase.

 

[Brandon]

Can't say I care for this "promo" either. Seems like a lot of effort just to get a discount. Would be nice if Festool would simply take 10% off some tools for the holidays.
Or, a little costumer appreciation would be nice. Perhaps offer a 10% coupon to some of us that have already spent thousands of dollars.

 

[Georgew]

I was actually insulted by this 'promotion'.  Insulted enough that I took the time to come here and create an account to express that.  I've also bought thousands of dollars in green tools and when i saw this thought, "Awesome, Festool is actually running a holiday promotion".  Instead, it's a bait and switch tactic, sure you get 10% off your 'next' order, but first you have to be a salesman and get somebody else to purchase a full priced tool.  Thanks for nothing.

Here's the subject of the first email I received for this:  "Save 10% on your next Festool order!".
Several others came in from different vendors worded the same way....

 

[TylerC]

I appreciate the feedback, guys. Seriously.

 

[Mort]

In my situation, anybody I know that would be in the market for a Festool already has them. If it were a DeWalt/Milwaukee thing where I know people that need a drill then yeah, but Festool is so specialized with no direct competition in the US that if people are in the market for high end tools then they already know about Festool.

Maybe I'm way off but that's just how I'm seeing my situation. I guess when I get enough saved up for an RO90 it'll be full price

 

[egmiii]

The marketing department really needs to revise the terms of this promotion before it damages the brand. Do you really want to welcome first time customers by making them pay full price while their "friend" got a discount? Seems like a good way to start fights between friends? The Euro is down significantly vs the dollar and with the annual price increases, I'm sure Festool has sufficient margins to run an all inclusive 10-20% once in a decade sale. I'm in for a CMS-GE and 1400 router when that happens. Otherwise I'll continue to surf craigslist...

 

[sanangelo]

I thought this was a joke at first.

All I can think of is Amway when I think of this promo.

I like the idea of Festool having promotions but this one just seems a little slimy.  This type of promotion usually gives both buyers a "reward" with other companies.  Seems like Festool is trying to say please make your friend feel like they got used.

Is this a normal thing to have happen in Europe?

Also it seems the slogan "Festool a friend" may turn out to not be a good thing in the end.

 

[Ironmantrev]

Wow Festool, looks like this promotion is having the total opposite effect as intended. FOG membership is at an all time high as newcomers have signed up just to show their distaste for this so called promotion. I am sure there are several here that have lots of money in their pockets ready to be spent on some nice Christmas presents for themselves, but instead they are content to leave it right where it is because their friendships cannot be bought for a lousy 10% off a tool. Guess that is what people will do, vote for their displeasure in this promotional stunt with their dollar. I guess I really do not need the router table, Kapex and stand right now. Time to start looking at a thickness planer and jointer.

 

[jeh]

It's a troubling promotion that will either insult your friends or create a situation where you pay a friend to buy you a tool that you keep and then cash in on the 10% off for more tools that you want/need. I believe a better deal might have been to offer rebates of $X on each tool purchased, which was done in the early 2000's.

 

[TylerC]

We hear you, guys. Please know that we take your feedback seriously.

 

[WastedP]

Also it seems the slogan "Festool a friend" may turn out to not be a good thing in the end.

Are you Festooling me?  When will marketers (pro or amateur) learn that verbing a proper noun seldom works out well once social media gets ahold of it.  Looking forward to the #festoolafriend pics.

 

[sanangelo]

We hear you, guys. Please know that we take your feedback seriously.

Thanks for letting us know.

I am sure everything with this promo had good intentions but unfortunately it may have been a bad idea.  Remember even Coke did it wrong before too.

 

[sandalot]

Festoolusa ,thank you for the rebate offer!

 

[TylerC]

We hear you, guys. Please know that we take your feedback seriously.

Remember even Coke did it wrong before too.

So you're saying that we should stop the launch of "New Domino"?

 

[sanangelo]

We hear you, guys. Please know that we take your feedback seriously.

Remember even Coke did it wrong before too.

So you're saying that we should stop the launch of "New Domino"?

Nope ..  Just saying even much larger companies get the marketing wrong too

 

[TylerC]

We hear you, guys. Please know that we take your feedback seriously.

Remember even Coke did it wrong before too.

So you're saying that we should stop the launch of "New Domino"?

Nope ..  Just saying even much larger companies get the marketing wrong too

Thanks. (And ... and, no, "New Domino" is not a real thing.

 

[TylerC]

We hear you, guys. Please know that we take your feedback seriously.

Remember even Coke did it wrong before too.

So you're saying that we should stop the launch of "New Domino"?

Nope ..  Just saying even much larger companies get the marketing wrong too

Thanks. (And ... and, no, "New Domino" is not a real thing.)

 

[bkharman]

While I don't think this was the best Festool promotion, it isn't horrible. I don't plan on participating but not because I don't want to ask my friends for proof of purchase... Not because I think 10% is too low and not "double sided". It is because I have no friends.

Maybe I can blame Festool for that as well, right?  It is a wonder why I come to the FOG lately... A lot of griping in the air late this year.

I will flip the bit...

Festool, thank you very much for making my woodworking live easier. I enjoy the quality tools you have provided to me over the years and some have changed the way I approach my hobby. In particular, I actually don't hate sanding so much anymore and the Domino has forever changed my joinery process. In this Christmas season, I hope you enjoy your time spent with your families as I will enjoy watching mine open gifts I made with your tools.

That's right... I said Christmas

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[sprior]

I thought this promotion was pretty lousy too.  Any of my friends that have ever spoken to me about woodworking already know I'm a Festool fan, and at least a couple now have fairly significant Festool investments themselves.  So for me to participate in this promotion I'd have to find someone I've never discussed woodworking with before, convince them I know what I'm talking about enough to make a recommendation, then bug them for an absurd amount of documentation about their purchase for lets face it not a huge discount in the first place.

Pass.