Totally Frustrating Dealers

[tiralie]

My only complaint about Atlas is Shawn. Several times when I've gone into the store, Shawn has talked me into buying some new tool costing me hundreds of dollars. Now my cat has no food and I've cashed in all my retirement savings.   ;D

Ya, I have the same complaint. Shawn keeps making come into the store and then he twists my arm into buying a whole bunch of new Festool stuff... [big grin]
Tim

 

[Frank Pellow]

I guess that it's a good thing for my wallet that I have only talked to Shawn from Atlas Machinery Supply on the phone and have never visited the store.  [unsure]

 

[GAKnothead]

By "parts", do you mean consumables or "repair parts"?  I might find some consumable parts (e.g., abrasives, blades) at the local dealer, but I was told by a very active dealer to order "repair parts" from Festool USA, so I looked up the part number online and rang up the Festool head office repair line.  Quite helpful folk!  Nobody laughed when I mentioned the new 45 bevel in my 1080 fence.

Do you have a different experience?

 

[Bob Marino]

By "parts", do you mean consumables or "repair parts"?  I might find some consumable parts (e.g., abrasives, blades) at the local dealer, but I was told by a very active dealer to order "repair parts" from Festool USA, so I looked up the part number online and rang up the Festool head office repair line.  Quite helpful folk!  Nobody laughed when I mentioned the new 45 bevel in my 1080 fence.

Do you have a different experience?

  Yes, just to clarify; "parts" - the non-catalog items - screws, springs, nuts, bolts, knobs, replacement brushes, MFT profiles, etc.etc., can be ordered directly from Festool if a customer so chooses.

Bob

 

[Jesse Cloud]

Funny - talking about parts.  In the old (before Festool) days, I thought I should buy DeWalt because they had a repair shop right in town.  So sure enough, a gear on my DeWally planer broke, I took it down to the shop.  They said no problem, we will call you when its ready.  It took them two weeks to get a part from their own company! [eek]  Never had much luck finding Bosch parts either, always wound up calling their "regional repair center" and spending half an hour educating the tech about their product, then getting the wrong part a week later.

The few times I have called Festool, they have been remarkable.  I remember calling one time to order a part, Lester asked why I thought I needed that part.  He asked if I could open up the tool while at the phone.  Sure enough, he talked me through an adjustment and no part was needed.  No charge either!  When I have ordered parts, they have always came very promptly.

 

[adubeau]

Yeah well I was disappointed to find out that can take upto an extra 3 days before my OF 1400 will ship since it has to come from Festool wharehouse in Indiana...

Not happy at all....

Update:

Looks like I whined like a pretty little gril to soon.. My OF 1400 showed up today!!!!

So I am now a very happy camper..... I will order from this dealer again.....

Like to apologize... for a useless and senseless post....

 

[PaulMarcel]

Funny - talking about parts.  In the old (before Festool) days, I thought I should buy DeWalt because they had a repair shop right in town.  So sure enough, a gear on my DeWally planer broke, I took it down to the shop.  They said no problem, we will call you when its ready.  It took them two weeks to get a part from their own company! [eek]  Never had much luck finding Bosch parts either, always wound up calling their "regional repair center" and spending half an hour educating the tech about their product, then getting the wrong part a week later.

The few times I have called Festool, they have been remarkable.  I remember calling one time to order a part, Lester asked why I thought I needed that part.  He asked if I could open up the tool while at the phone.  Sure enough, he talked me through an adjustment and no part was needed.  No charge either!  When I have ordered parts, they have always came very promptly.

I agree there.  BF (Before Festool), I had a Bosch router.  Naturally the switch died from dust; apparently they did not realize routers make that stuff and don't have a sealed switch in the BOM.  Anyway, there's a Bosch service center rather far from me, but in town.  As soon as I walked in the door, the guy said "ah, power switch not working?" because it is so common.  But it still took 2 weeks to get it back.  I like the router; it's in my table.  But I dislike that it was designed with statistics in mind; I got this stat from an industry report, but can't recall which: "on average, 60% of new routers are run at most once".  This means many people who buy one don't even power it up.  Naturally not the pros, but there are lots of guys with oodles of tools in their garage that look like they are Armour All'ed.  With that stat, they can put a cheap switch in and 60% of the machines won't come back.  There's likely a stat for how many of the rest come back under warranty.

With Festool, my first parts request of FestoolUSA sold me on their service.  I saw my friend's boom arm and it had an aluminum pivot point.  Mine was nylon and sagged over time, which also means it wouldn't stay where you put it.  I emailed FestoolUSA to locate the part number so I could buy that part.  The next day I had a voice mail at home that (paraphrased) said: "this is Mr Green from Festool USA; you asked about the aluminum pivot point part number; we changed to the aluminum from the nylon shortly after releasing the boom arm.  I have you address as blahblah on file and have mailed you the replacement part free of charge.  If by chance that is not your address currently, please call me and I'll send out another to the correct address".  The guy never even waited on the correct address.  Sold!  I bought a few more since.  [embarassed]

 

[Dan Clermont]

I need to put in a good word for Glenn Wing Powertools in Birmingham,MI. they rep the line very well, carry a lot of inventory in tools and abrasives and are great folks to boot.

And, along the same lines, I'm very happy with the service I've received from Atlas Machinery Supply in Toronto. I don't know if it was me or just a coincidence, but the first time I went to buy a Festool product at Atlas, I could only get partially into the store because of the narrow isles. (I use a wheelchair). When I came back a week later, the entire store shelving had been rearranged and most of the store was accessible.

My only complaint about Atlas is Shawn. Several times when I've gone into the store, Shawn has talked me into buying some new tool costing me hundreds of dollars. Now my cat has no food and I've cashed in all my retirement savings.   ;D

I have met Shawn and he is a very nice guy. When he isn't selling Festool he is selling ice to Eskimo's  ;D