Why so many Planex sanders on Recon?

[Crazyraceguy]

Are people abusing the 30 day return thing? Buy it for one job on your own house and then return it. That would be like a free rental, but it certainly seems dishonest to me. Now that company is stuck with a used tool that performed exactly as intended, but the customer "used" them for their warranty, knowing that they weren't going to keep it?
I assume that they take it back to the dealer where they bought it, then it ends up back to headquarters because the dealer doesn't want a used tool either. The warranty is through the FUSA, not the individual dealer, so he doesn't get stuck with it. That's how it gets to Recon?

 

[usernumber1]

hard to say possibly there's some competition from mirka/hilti which are major brands better represented in the commercial world out here in the pnw anyway. they are definitely lighter and closer to regular pole sanders so people may just be disliking the festool

 

[Bencan]

Are people abusing the 30 return thing? Buy it for one job on your own house and then return it. That would be like a free rental, but it certainly seems dishonest to me. Now that company is stuck with a used tool that performed exactly as intended, but the customer "used" them for their warranty, knowing that they weren't going to keep it?
I assume that they take it back to the dealer where they bought it, then it ends up back to headquarters because the dealer doesn't want a used tool either. The warranty is through the FUSA, not the individual dealer, so he doesn't get stuck with it. That's how it gets to Recon?

I had been told people do this often with the planex specifically. I have the planex 2 which I bought to remove the stipple in my house and have since added that service into my business. That took while it’s nice I can see why people would be disappointed, it’s a really heavy tool and I think there are probably better options on the market

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[gharel]

I think it might be the demand that's low, they're expensive and specialized so they stay up on recon for a long time

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[peter halle]

Are people abusing the 30 return thing? Buy it for one job on your own house and then return it. That would be like a free rental, but it certainly seems dishonest to me. Now that company is stuck with a used tool that performed exactly as intended, but the customer "used" them for their warranty, knowing that they weren't going to keep it?
I assume that they take it back to the dealer where they bought it, then it ends up back to headquarters because the dealer doesn't want a used tool either. The warranty is through the FUSA, not the individual dealer, so he doesn't get stuck with it. That's how it gets to Recon?

I wouldn't be surprised if the use it for one job and return it isn't part of the reason for what we see as many on Recon.  However without knowing the actual sales volume we can't know if the actual percentages are out of line with other tool sales / returns.

Many of us are in the same camp of finding the "use it happily and then return" as being less than honest, but at the end of the day Festool must have figured that into their equations and it is an acceptable risk.

One thing that works against those who participate in such practices is that any accessories are not automatically covered in the 30 day trial period.  So, those sandpaper packs, harnesses, etc become part of the "rental" fee.

Obviously there are also the others who try it and really don't care for it and the inevitable tool failures.

Peter

 

[squall_line]

A little of column A, a little of column B.

My understanding of the dealership model that Festool runs is that the individual store CANNOT re-sell a returned tool, used or not.  It goes back to FUSA HQ, where it will eventually end up on Recon.

The only caveats on the 30-day guarantee are: "The tool may be "lightly used" but must not be damaged and must be returned in its original packaging and complete with all items included.

In justified cases where the machine has been subject to above-average wear, the Festool dealer is entitled to refuse a reimbursement until the case has been reviewed and approved by us."

The wording of the 30-day Money Back Guarantee isn't the same as the Shaper Origin, which explicitly says "try it risk-free for 30 days", but the theory is similar.

And, as others have said, it's not exactly the kind of tool that you might need "around the house" to just snap one up from Recon.  I'd say it's one of those types of tools that, as a tradesperson, if you need it, you buy it new with the warranty and go back about your work.  A homeowner is more likely to grab it for a project and return it when they're done.

I have a few things going against me for doing things that way:

a. I was raised not to be intentionally dishonest like that.
2. My hackles are already high enough dealing with the often less-than-pleasant staff at the local Acme that I'd rather not have to deal with any of them on a return, even if it was legitimate.
iii. I rarely use a tool that I purchased within 30 days because it takes me forever to get a project started, even once I have the tools to work on it.

YMMV

Also, Recon seems to shuffle their tool list when something isn't selling quickly enough, so it may occasionally seem like there are more of a certain tool than there really are; sometimes it's the same bad penny over and over again.

 

[guybo]

Hi, maybe it is just me but i bought mine with the extractor. Which used to be to norm.Mine came with paper and extra interface pads,so i think it was a one and done mine cost a few $$$ more than the extractor alone,I waited a while for it to appear.Also they used to sell as a set with discount,that does not happen any more.All that to say it was once more attractive to buy.

 

[eschumac]

Have they been selling the Planex LHS 2 on recon? I've seen the lesser models on there and thought to myself..."drat, now it's going to be forever until the next tool".

I have the Planex LHS 2. It's amazing. Really. So nice to use that I offer to remove stipple from ceilings for free for my buddies. The other Planex models are useless in comparison.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the returns are due to upgrading. But, I'd take a Mirka over anything lesser than the LHS 2. So maybe that's happening. The Mirka is better on walls.

I can absolutely see someone using one for one job and abusing the return policy. Sad but true. Even for a busy company the need for this tool is probably occasional.

 

[Alanbach]

I can’t say so for a fact but I’m pretty sure that when Festool Planex 2 came out they had a large inventory of the old style tools in the US market. They have been selling them on the Recon site ever since. It happened with the corded Vecturo and a number of discontinued/ replaced tools.

 

[4nthony]

Have they been selling the Planex LHS 2 on recon? I've seen the lesser models on there and thought to myself..."drat, now it's going to be forever until the next tool".

I'll check my database later to see how many LHS 2s have been listed, but doing a quick Slack search showed it was listed twice back in Nov & Dec.

 

[squall_line]

I keep forgetting that another source of tools for Recon is dealer buybacks, dealer closures, and stale warehouse inventory that never even went to a dealer.  I can't claim to know how Festool's dealership program works in that regard, of course, but when the Planex 2 came out, that was a potential source for Recon influx as well.

See also: Sys-ORG screwdriver sets.

 

[WastedP]

This is one of the few tools that they carry at Sherwin-Williams around here, which is serving a different clientele than the full-line Festool dealer.  The threshold to enter the tape & texture profession is low in this area, and people new to the world of contracting may buy a lot of expensive tools that their workload and pricing can't support.  Not to stereotype, but that clientele spends a solid portion of their month buying their own stuff back from local pawn shops that seem to be fully stocked with a full range of nice tape & texture tools.  There's no vig on a Planex "rental" from S-W.  Conditions may be different elsewhere around the country, but that's what I've seen where I am.

 

[eschumac]

Have they been selling the Planex LHS 2 on recon? I've seen the lesser models on there and thought to myself..."drat, now it's going to be forever until the next tool".

I'll check my database later to see how many LHS 2s have been listed, but doing a quick Slack search showed it was listed twice back in Nov & Dec.

$1036 is a good price. The other thing to look for is there are two sku's for the LHS 2. The difference is the systainer.

Totally worth the $1036. If you can find a buddy with grit. Get a few from a friend. They last a long time.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I can’t say so for a fact but I’m pretty sure that when Festool Planex 2 came out they had a large inventory of the old style tools in the US market. They have been selling them on the Recon site ever since. It happened with the corded Vecturo and a number of discontinued/ replaced tools.

I wasn't aware that the corded Vecturo was like that too?
I missed it, sure would like to get ahold of one now.

 

[bwehman]

I can’t say so for a fact but I’m pretty sure that when Festool Planex 2 came out they had a large inventory of the old style tools in the US market. They have been selling them on the Recon site ever since. It happened with the corded Vecturo and a number of discontinued/ replaced tools.

I wasn't aware that the corded Vecturo was like that too?
I missed it, sure would like to get ahold of one now.

Every time I use my corded Vecturo, I wish it had the dust collection gadgets, but it's quickly offset by my appreciation of having a Plug-It cord.

 

[4nthony]

I'll check my database later to see how many LHS 2s have been listed, but doing a quick Slack search showed it was listed twice back in Nov & Dec.

$1036 is a good price. The other thing to look for is there are two sku's for the LHS 2. The difference is the systainer.

Totally worth the $1036. If you can find a buddy with grit. Get a few from a friend. They last a long time.

I found the LHS 2 was live on Recon 9 times in 2022 starting back in July. Estimated units sold per listing is in the "updates" column.

 

[Alanbach]

[member=75283]4nthony[/member] - I’d be curious how many of the previous models of Planex sold on Recon during that same time period. I bet that it is a lot more older models.

 

[4nthony]

[member=75283]4nthony[/member] - I’d be curious how many of the previous models of Planex sold on Recon during that same time period. I bet that it is a lot more older models.

Here's a quick query for all Planex:

 

[gharel]

I get the vibe that they interrupt some of the hard to move items when they get new stock. Usually happens during the day etc.

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[Alanbach]

As I suspected, it looks like there are twice as many older Planex’s being sold on Recon as the newer models and I would suspect that all of those older models are long past the 90 day window for return.