Whoa!!!!! Obviously I stirred up a hornets nest. I did not realize that service for grey market tractors was so passionate a subject.
Everyone knows I am new here but I still have a viewpoint.
As a grey market buyer, I realize there are sellers with no service facilities. I respect their business but would probably steer clear for obvious reasons. What buyer wants to buy the orphan or red headed stepchild? (please realize I intend no insult to anyone who fits this description. In fact, my wife, who I love dearly, has both a step mother and a step father and RED HAIR!)/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.
Grey market tractors are generally less expensive than their fully accepted counterparts because we realize they have some facets that don't meet US standards.
BUT!!, If we see that the seller is, in fact a dealer, with service facilities, We expect that we will be allowed to use those facilities. WE do not see this as a charity case, We expect to pay for this service and we expect that this will be at a rate that will provide the service facility with a profit.
Yes, there are customers who ***** if the actual repair is more expensive than originally estimated but this is not something that is restricted to grey market tractor purchasers. This type of person exists with every service based business in America and perhaps the entire world. I think this excuse not to service the tractor purchased elsewhere is just a copout.
If you have a business where you sell a service to some, but not to others, you are guilty of discrimination. I know this may make business more complicated but,......... thats business.
If I know that my purchase of tractor is at a provider who is the only person in the world who will service my tractor, I am taking a risk by purchasing from that provider. We talked about buyers who move, How about providers who, for any number of reasons, go out of business. Maybe the owner gets seriously ill or (God forbid) he dies. My tractors value is seriously hurt because I now no longer have a facility which will provide necessary service?
I also believe a two tiered level of pricing for the same service is clearly discriminatory and probably illegal.
Please understand that I respect the difficulty of operating a business and realize you cannot possibly please every customer. but you also must follow the rules of the land.
I expect to be treated in a fair fashion at a reasonable price at any business I patronize. I also realize that the businessman must operate at a profit to stay in operation. Is that such a difficult concept??
I intend no insult to any of the fine folks on this board who obviously know volumes more about tractors than me, but if you desire, flame away. I also have been informed for years that I am a *******.
