Buying a used Snap-On toolbox

[Mike007]

Can anyone provide a first hand story of a box being repossessed from a new owner at a different location then the shop it originally resided in? Seems really unlikely. Maybe, if it was spotted in another shop. And that's a big maybe. I can't see it ever happening at a private residence. How could the dealer gain access to look for it? Check the serial? Again. Seems really unlikely.

 

[SouthernIllinois]

Tractors and gators both come with a certificate of origin. I have bought both and received that certificate each time. If you got a loan, the lender would have used that for a title. You could do the same for the gator unless you lost it or the lender kept it.

I understand. I was referring to a title in the usual sense of the word.

I paid cash for the Gator and I only got a bill of sale. It doesn’t bother me and when it comes time to trade it in or sell it I guess I’ll find out if that’s an issue. I doubt it will. My neighbor just traded Gators at the JD dealer and he didn’t have a COO.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

FB Marketplace has some nice looking Snap-On toolboxes nearby. All seem to be from private owners. I've read online that some of these boxes for sale are actually still owed on to Snap-On and the mechanic is trying to sell it as if he owns it. I've also read that Snap-On can, and has, repoed boxes after a third party bought it from a mechanic that still owed to Snap-On. Obviously, I don't want to get mixed up in any of that. Do these boxes have serial numbers and anyway of proving they are owned outright and not still owed to Snap-On?

How many threads like this are you going to start?!

 

[AEAdam]

I feel like the repossession of used Snap On tool boxes is an urban myth first started by HF CEO Eric Smidt to sell more US General boxes.

The weird thing is, the “snap on boogie man is coming for your box” wasn’t his first attempt to boost sales. He originally floated the myth that women are attracted to middle aged men who have new shiny toolboxes. Turns out women just don’t give a **** about our toolboxes.

After a 20 year old university study, it was revealed that they also don’t give a **** what brand combination wrenches we have. Who knew?

 

[Junkman]

I have a Certificate of Origin for my Kubota tractor, but I had to request it from the dealer who sold it. I bought the tractor used, and Kubota Credit will not give out any information on a tractor except to a dealer if or if not it is financed. I bought mine from a private party, and he told me who the original selling dealer was. I contacted the dealership, and they verified that the tractor wasn't financed. They also serviced the tractor for me when I purchased it, and gave me the original COO signed in blank so I could put my name on the back if I wanted. My state doesn't register small tractors, but you can get a title and registration plates for a street-legal Kubota side-by-side if you have the COO.

 

[f121]

I feel like the repossession of used Snap On tool boxes is an urban myth first started by HF CEO Eric Smidt to sell more US General boxes.

I’ve been told the repossession myth by my snap on guy, about both boxes and scanners. I’m fairly sure he was trying to put me off buying them off marketplace. I actually called up SO UK with the serial no of a Zeus I was looking at to see if it had outstanding finance, they were not able to tell me. Maybe it would flag if they plugged it in to update and it had outstanding finance, but I suspect the reality is they factor in a few finance walk outs into the price of the products.

I have seen a few voluntary repossessions of boxes from the tech that bought it off the truck.

 

[AEAdam]

I’ve been told the repossession myth by my snap on guy, about both boxes and scanners. I’m fairly sure he was trying to put me off buying them off marketplace.

Exactly! By the way, if you buy a snap on ratchet off eBay, it sends a signal to corporate and it locks itself! Brilliant.

I have seen a few voluntary repossessions of boxes from the tech that bought it off the truck.

WAIT! What’s a ”voluntary repossession”? That sounds like a return. Or a divorce? “Hey we tried it, and it just didn’t work out. I think I need to go in a different direction. Please take this EPIQ back and if you come across a good looking roll cart…”

 

[f121]

WAIT! What’s a ”voluntary repossession”? That sounds like a return. Or a divorce? “Hey we tried it, and it just didn’t work out. I think I need to go in a different direction. Please take this EPIQ back and if you come across a good looking roll cart…”

It’s a lot like a divorce ‘let’s do this amicably so we don’t set the lawyers on you’. He did explain the process but it was a while back, and remember this is UK so it may be different in ‘murica. IIRC if the customer missed a couple of monthly payments on their box, SO finance will tell the franchisee to go talk to the customer and encourage them to start paying the finance company again. If they make a single payment, the process resets, if not they are invited to return the box rather than beginning legal proceedings. Occasionally some tech knows he’s getting in a mess and calls the driver to ask about returning it, but that’s rare apparently. My guy regarded the entire process as a pita that didn’t make him any money and took a bunch of time

 

[AEAdam]

It’s a lot like a divorce ‘let’s do this amicably so we don’t set the lawyers on you’. He did explain the process but it was a while back, and remember this is UK so it may be different in ‘murica.

Got it. So you mean a lot more words, way more adjectives, and no firearms. Phrases like "if you're happy..." and "to be honest, it's positively gargantuan, I mean, it's colossal. I shan't miss it, to be fair".

I miss living in the UK.

 

[rust in the eye]

I've have had a second hand SO box bought cheap from a down on his luck mechanic decades ago. Did he owe $ on it? Who knows, who cares, his problem not mine.
This is and remains a ridiculous, beaten to death topic.

 

[CoThG]

I've have had a second hand SO box bought cheap from a down on his luck mechanic decades ago. Did he owe $ on it? Who knows, who cares, his problem not mine.
This is and remains a ridiculous, beaten to death topic.

What's the serial number of your box and I'll contact my local Snap-On guy and check for you.

 

[rust in the eye]

What's the serial number of your box and I'll contact my local Snap-On guy and check for you.

2933919
Knock yourself out

 

[CoThG]

2933919
Knock yourself out

Are you prepared to do the right thing and surrender it if it comes back with a lien?

 

[rust in the eye]

Are you prepared to do the right thing and surrender it if it comes back with a lien?

So here is how this works. Snap-On, some 40+ years ago gave ownership of this tool box to it's original purchaser. If there was some financing in place this was between that buyer and S.O. If they figured the box for collateral and failed to secure it that is then their problem if the loan goes unpaid. It is of zero concern to me if that guy paid off SO or not, as I said, his problem, perhaps theirs.
The "right thing" is for me to possess what I paid for. I know it wasn't stolen and am pretty confident it had been paid for as it was already ten-ish years old when I bought it. Regardless of what the situation may be I have no agreement with SO so owe them zilch, they have no claim against me.
Should you care to insert yourself here be my guest. The number provided is real.

 

[Rinspeed]

Are you prepared to do the right thing and surrender it if it comes back with a lien?

Lol.

 

[Mike007]

2933919
Knock yourself out

He needs your address too so the Snap-On police can come get it.

 

[ColinWestcott]

I in house finance cars for a living so I know a few things about repossessions since I do this almost weekly. What people dont understand is the lender does not own the property legally they just have a financial interest in it. For example if one of my customers hides the vehicle behind a gate I can not report it stolen because they are the owners of the vehicle. In that case I would have have to get a court ordered repossession and then hope the residents open the gate when we get there with law enforcement. Legally the debtor has more rights to the property then the creditor.

Another thing I deal with as a car dealer is the rent a tire businesses. My customers finance out wheels and tires then get the vehicle repossessed I will get contacted by the company or they will show up demanding the wheels off the vehicle and it just tell them to leave. Like SO tools and boxes these loans are with the debtor and cant be taken from other people. Cars are different since there is a title of ownership i have all kinds of stories of people selling my vehicles on FBM for bottom dollar because they were out for repo and they are trying to get down-payment money for another vehicle.

Now would a SO franchise repo a tool box that was sold to someone else? Possibly if they serviced that shop and found it. Would it be legal? No.

As a car dealer if I sell cars using outside financing the customer is required to make a certain amount of payments and if they dont i have to buy the vehicle back (recourse buy back). I wonder if SO financial has similar rules on franchise dealers if so many might not have the liquid cash to buy back something like a fully loaded 84" Epiq box and would be doing everything possible to recover it.
Win casino Bangladesh online
Bottom line you cant break the piece during a repo, if someone were to show up you just tell them to leave. If they don't leave its trespassing and you call the police. When the police show up they will tell them to leave and they need to handle it in court.

That’s a really helpful breakdown — clears up a lot of the confusion around ownership vs. the lender’s interest.

 

[Lassen Forge]

40+ YEARS ago? If there was anything owed it was written off as a bad debt years, no, decades before. ESPECIALLY if it was a loan from SO Corporate. They have no inteest in reposessing this, as they've washed their hands of it to get it off their books. Thats how corporate tax law works....

It may be a shady gray area, but if they bought this written off box in good faith, I am pretty sure no one is going to "come after it"... it would be against their best interests to do so.

The main reason for the SN in this case is to show that you own it in case it is stolen or burns up in a fire, or to insure you have the right parts for that unit. Damned near EVERY thing I've bought over what, 50 bucks, has a serial number, like my DeWalt impact driver. If somehow I used it for immoral purposes, do you think whoever the parent company of DeWalt is going to have a warrant sworn out and send the Sheriff out to take it back, based on it having a Serial Number???

Honestly, the more I think about this, in all the times it's been brought up, it gets more and more ridiculous. And God knows, it sure seems to be brought up here a LOT...

I’ve been told the repossession myth by my snap on guy, about both boxes and scanners. I’m fairly sure he was trying to put me off buying them off marketplace.

Of course he was. Look at it from his point of view - this is a multi-thousand sale he can make, and if you buy one secondhand, he doesn't make that sale... so of COURSE he'll tell you the horror stories about stolen boxes and repossessions and whatnot so you'll instead buy a box from him.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

I feel like the repossession of used Snap On tool boxes is an urban myth first started by HF CEO Eric Smidt to sell more US General boxes.

The weird thing is, the “snap on boogie man is coming for your box” wasn’t his first attempt to boost sales. He originally floated the myth that women are attracted to middle aged men who have new shiny toolboxes. Turns out women just don’t give a **** about our toolboxes.

After a 20 year old university study, it was revealed that they also don’t give a **** what brand combination wrenches we have. Who knew?

I have never seen a used box bought third party get repossessed . I have seen four boxes get repossessed by my Snappy dealer. He always has them for an absolute steal on the truck after he gets them. My Matco guy has had numerous tools repossessed but never a box. But again those are all new tools and boxes. My first Matco guy used to go after dudes that owed him money but sold the tools before he could repossess them.

 

[cvcman]

I’ve seen on matco boxes the serial number is in multiple places
The label is printed , the additional spot is stamped into the frame
Pull out the lower drawer
It’s there