</font><font color="blue" class="small">( See this is why threads like this can cause us (Kioti dealers) much anger. The WHOLE problem here folks is not Kioti itself, it is the DEALER! )</font>
I can really see your point here. Really. It would tick me off big time if I were a Kioti dealer. I just think the point that "indebt" (know that feeling) is making, and I mentioned earlier, is that in a way it actually is a problem for Kioti. I still have to completely disagree with "wallace" when he says that it is not Kioti's problem. That sounds like the answer the original poster is getting from his dealer. I'd definitely not bother to patronize a dealer like that. Afterall, don't most people here advise to pick a dealer above a particular brand of tractor? I actually had a dealer tell me something similar this last year. And, no, it wasn't a Kioti dealer. It just so happened that once I called the tractor manufacturer and explained in detail what happened, the problem was solved almost immediately. The manufacturer made it clear to the dealer that they were not to be represented in such a fashion. That manufacturer most certainly did not tell me that it wasn't their problem.
This thread and thoughts such as "indebt" expressed prove that whether it's their fault on a particular issue or not, it ultimately is a Kioti problem. If they do not exert any pressure on dealers to take care of their (Kioti's) customers, Kioti will be the ultimate recipient of the black eye. I think that readers like "indebt" become concerned when they see dealers on here stating that it is not any problem of the manufacturer's. I'm personally not concerned about Kioti because I definitely believe that Kioti would see this as a problem for them and they would take appropriate action if only the right person at Kioti is contacted. I honestly do not believe that Kioti has no concerns about how their dealers treat their customers. I believe Kioti is above that.
I understand quite well about warranty work and flat rate pay, I have been in that business for 20 years. Where it appears that Kioti dropped the ball is not in what they apparently paid, but in telling the customer to basically go bark up another tree. Someone else correctly said that it really is an issue between Kioti and their dealer. That is why I said that if the owner of the Kioti tractor contacted a Kioti regional or national sales rep, I'd just bet my shorts that the Kioti sales rep wouldn't simply tell the customer that it isn't his problem. I would think that the Kioti sales manager would see it for what it is; not a $75 issue, but an issue with a dealer giving Kioti a bad reputation. Then, I'd bet the sales manager would contact the dealer in question and get to the bottom of it one way or another. As far as I know, since I wasn't there and I haven't seen any of the paperwork, the additional amount could be for an oil change or something else that is totally unrelated and should not be paid.
In general, I see most manufacturers go way above and beyond the call of duty for their customer. I really doubt that Kioti is not paying for something that they should pay. The problem, and the reputation damage, comes when a dealer creates an adversarial position between himself and a customer and the manufacturer doesn't do anything to remedy that situation.
