Cornwell Tools - Locating a Dealer???

[gatewaysysop]

Been trying to purchase a few items from Cornwell, but hitting a wall trying to find anyone who wants to take my money.

I filled out their dealer locator form on the website, never heard back. I tried calling after that, as they have a number that they list for "immediate assistance" locating a dealer. Their idea of immediate assistance was to tell me that all they can do is give me a phone number for a district manager, and that only he could help me locate a dealer.

I called said district manager, call went straight to voicemail. His voicemail message suggested sending a text, so I did. He responds by calling me back and leaving a voicemail where he refers to me by the wrong name, saying he missed several calls (there was only one) and that the problem was they had the wrong address for my shop and that's why his dealer couldn't find my shop. I have no shop, and have no idea what he's rambling about. At the end of his voicemail he says that if I need contact info for a dealer, give him a call. So now we're full circle.

I texted him back that I'm in this zip code, just need to know what dealer I can work with and how to contact them, and that he must have confused me with someone else in that voicemail. His response was to ***** that he tried to call multiple times and keeps hitting Google Assistant (because -surprise- I'm at work!). Still no contact info for a dealer.

I have since asked him several times, what info do you need to connect me with a local dealer? No response.

Sorry to say but how are these people still in business?

Incidentally, if anyone on here is still a dealer, I'd welcome some insight on how to actually locate someone at your company that wants to take my money in exchange for tools. I know... what a concept right?

 

[DetroitDIESEL444]

I haven’t been on a cornwell truck for 15 years and If you’ve had that kind of support from Cornwell I’d consider going with a different brand or finding out if what you want is a rebrand.

I will say their impact sockets have held up better than my snap on, proto, mac, craftsman, and I’ve never had problems with anything I owned from them.

 

[Bubba Fett]

I just took a look at their website. The front page is descent, but the catalog is way out of date. I think I have only ever seen a Cornwell truck once, and it looked a little dirty and a little beat up.

 

[ChevyEFI]

You posted in another thread like this, in which I posted a picture of a truck with phone number. How did your contact of him go?

 

[matt_i]

I had similar issues. The zone guy was a bit tough to find but eventually he gave me two numbers. Took me a couple of months after the first dealer I got ghosted me repeatedly after allegedly taking my order.

Second dealer was super helpful, drop-shipped it to me so we didn't have to try to chase each other around and got it in 2 days on my doorstep. Now that the contact is established all I have to do is call or text but it took abit of work on my part to get the pathway "mowed".

 

[gatewaysysop]

You posted in another thread like this, in which I posted a picture of a truck with phone number. How did your contact of him go?

I honestly can't recall his name, but wouldn't be surprised if it was the same dealer I was talking about when I wrote this in that same thread:

Got a number from her, called several times and got no answer. Texted him at the same number and eventually heard back after nagging several times. "Not sure I have any of that, might have to special order and you'd have to pay for it up front." So... I need to pay up front to someone that is unreliable, unresponsive and difficult to get in contact with? As one of my former bosses used to say in these situations, "Yeah, that's a no."

 

[NUTTSGT]

Too bad you're in Arizona, there's a Cornwell that I spy in town every few weeks. I believe the guy is fairly local.

 

[sz0k30]

The only time I ever hear or heard of Cornwell Tools is on Stacy David's show "Gearz".

 

[rjacobs]

Is Cornwell like Snap-on that if you can figure out who their OEM is you can buy the same tools for 50% off or more?

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Is Cornwell like Snap-on that if you can figure out who their OEM is you can buy the same tools for 50% off or more?

Yes, unless you want a hardline product, or something under exclusivity contract for whatever time frame.


You can't buy a snap on or cornwell ratchet elsewhere. I recently bought the SP15000 shouldered crows foot set, rebadged as cornwell. No one had them in stock at the time, and the one vender that currently lists them is $25 more than cornwell had them on special. They're awesome BTW, use them with a small 3/8 breaker bar as a 12 point flare nut wrench.


Typically I will always look for the rebrand first, as I have a semi-limited tool budget, and thus saving money on one tool, means being able to spend it on others.

 

[Bubba Fett]

Is Cornwell like Snap-on that if you can figure out who their OEM is you can buy the same tools for 50% off or more?

Yeah. Their catalog has Irwin and Lisle tools, etc. But their core tools, that they make, are apparently really good.

 

[AJHD]

PM me with what part of AZ you're in. I'll find the name and number for the Cornwell guy I did business with a few times.

It's been awhile though. Cornwell trucks around this area are not common. Neither are MAC. But Snap On and Matco are everywhere.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Don’t feel bad we don’t have one around here either anymore. We used too then he passed away. He would not sell to the public though only shops once there was a younger guy who showed up to my shop to get on the truck and he run him off saying I’m not selling no tools to some weekend warrior or some construction workers these are professional tools. After that I never went on his truck again. Never have been able to locate another dealer the next closest one is like 200 miles away. I’ve pretty much wrote Cornwell off my list of tool companies.


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[1982fxr]

I see the truck in Tempe and Scottsdale from time to time. That's all I got though, sorry. I live by a lot of car dealerships.

 

[AJHD]

I see the truck in Tempe and Scottsdale from time to time. That's all I got though, sorry. I live by a lot of car dealerships.

Both the MAC and Cornwell trucks, from my experience, are not interested in the smaller shops. They seem to only care for the dealerships.

In fact, we had problems getting the Matco and/or Snap On guy to come by some of the shops I worked at. Most of the time if they did show up, it was for me.

 

[BiggityBen]

any Cornwell dealer can just ship to your house/shop if you give him your credit card info. my dealer lives 67 miles north of me and does this whenever i find a good flyer deal.

 

[gatewaysysop]

Don’t feel bad we don’t have one around here either anymore. We used too then he passed away. He would not sell to the public though only shops once there was a younger guy who showed up to my shop to get on the truck and he run him off saying I’m not selling no tools to some weekend warrior or some construction workers these are professional tools. After that I never went on his truck again. Never have been able to locate another dealer the next closest one is like 200 miles away. I’ve pretty much wrote Cornwell off my list of tool companies.

Wow. Sounds like a real *************, glad you didn't stand for that kind of ****. I never have understood people being allergic to money, but I suppose it made sense to the dealer.

 

[AJHD]

Wow. Sounds like a real *************, glad you didn't stand for that kind of ****. I never have understood people being allergic to money, but I suppose it made sense to the dealer.

I can see the pro's and con's of both sides. Mostly con's...

It's easier to rip someone off if you don't work in a shop and the dealer won't come by your place of employment every week. But that would also assume the dealer extends credit (truck account) to such a person instead of requiring payment upfront. Snap On, by the way, won't give out a credit card to anyone who does not work in a shop.

I've met and worked with guys who have run off with tools or boxes. I've seen dealers repo tools/boxes, and having to track people down constantly for payment is a time **** pain in the ***. I even had a Snap On dealer who just about refused to come to the shop I was working in at the time because he had been burned by so many people working there previously and they still owed him money.

Also, I could see the argument being made that the guy off the street who might only do business with the dealer once or twice, is buying something a tech might need at one of the shops the dealer frequents. I personally hate when my dealer has to order something he doesn't have. I've been waiting on a few things for 2+ weeks now, for example.

All that said, I've not worked in a shop since early 2019. But I originally met my dealer when I was still doing so. And I've continued to do business with him as he knows I'm good for the money and won't run off... but I do have to go to him.

Finally, I want to add that I've met about a dozen tool truck dealers over the years. Some of them have been assholes. I fixed that issue by not doing business with them and taking my business somewhere else.


(Sorry for the rant/thread hi-jack)

 

[skernv99]

I can see the pro's and con's of both sides. Mostly con's...

It's easier to rip someone off if you don't work in a shop and the dealer won't come by your place of employment every week. But that would also assume the dealer extends credit (truck account) to such a person instead of requiring payment upfront. Snap On, by the way, won't give out a credit card to anyone who does not work in a shop.

I've met and worked with guys who have run off with tools or boxes. I've seen dealers repo tools/boxes, and having to track people down constantly for payment is a time **** pain in the ***. I even had a Snap On dealer who just about refused to come to the shop I was working in at the time because he had been burned by so many people working there previously and they still owed him money.

Also, I could see the argument being made that the guy off the street who might only do business with the dealer once or twice, is buying something a tech might need at one of the shops the dealer frequents. I personally hate when my dealer has to order something he doesn't have. I've been waiting on a few things for 2+ weeks now, for example.

All that said, I've not worked in a shop since early 2019. But I originally met my dealer when I was still doing so. And I've continued to do business with him as he knows I'm good for the money and won't run off... but I do have to go to him.

Finally, I want to add that I've met about a dozen tool truck dealers over the years. Some of them have been assholes. I fixed that issue by not doing business with them and taking my business somewhere else.


(Sorry for the rant/thread hi-jack)

I found a local Matco dealer near me and he gladly accepted my cash and sold me stuff off his truck, as well ordered me stuff from promo flyers. I probably have spent close to $2000 now, in cash, buying stuff from this guy I also found a local Cornwell guy who has sold me stuff off his truck and I paid in cash. Both of them I found through Facebook by doing an initial google search for tool truck dealers near where I live. The coronavirus lockdown put a hurting on these guys so me coming on their truck with cash in hand was a no brainer for them to sell to me.

I can see where a tool truck dealer may have been burned by a “walk on” but a good dealer will know how to handle walk-ons: sell them stuff with cash in hand.

 

[Bubba Fett]

I totally get not wanting to tie money up with people who may not pay. I've been in that situation myself, which is why I don't tell people I work on computers anymore.

On the other hand, I feel like the tool truck business is much more vulnerable to competition from quality off-the-shelf/web-order brands. Not to mention similar or even identical tools can be found via sister brands (Williams, Proto, etc.) for a fraction of the cost. It may make more sense to order spares of commonly broken tools, and warranty the busted ones while using those spares. Smaller shops might benefit more from this that larger shops or dealerships. In fact, it seems like they may not have much of a choice.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Wow. Sounds like a real *************, glad you didn't stand for that kind of ****. I never have understood people being allergic to money, but I suppose it made sense to the dealer.

Yeah. Not the only tool dealer I’ve met like that. Our old Mac guy is the same way. We requested from Mac that our route get changed to the other Mac dealer in town they did change it and I buy from him a lot. Never from that other guy. The other Mac guy ran my dad off the truck who came over too look for a special socket so I wasn’t going to put up with him either. Some tool guys are gold some are just horrible.


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[wkndwarrior29]

I was able to find a local dealer for an item I wanted through Facebook searches. Also had issues with the website dealer locator.

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[BillK]

that he tried to call multiple times and keeps hitting Google Assistant (because -surprise- I'm at work!). Still no contact info for a dealer.

It sounds like you are just as hard to contact as he is ??? If I give somebody a phone number to reach me it will darn sure be a number that I will answer.

That being said, if you have your heart set on buying something how about going by a few local repair shops and asking them if they know the local dealer ? Any decent size shop has probably at least had a visit from the truck and might have a catalog with a business card attached ?

Where exactly in Arizona are you ? I am on several professional auto repair shop forums and could ask there but need to know where you are.

 

[RPH]

Last Cornwell truck I saw was in Ohio on US 30. He was heading west, out of Ohio like I was. Big rig though, would love to wander through it.

 

[gatewaysysop]

It sounds like you are just as hard to contact as he is ??? If I give somebody a phone number to reach me it will darn sure be a number that I will answer.

He didn't answer his own phone. His VM message suggested sending a text. I texted him asking for a dealer I can work with. He insisted on calling over and over and not responding via text until later. This has always baffled me - people ask you to text and then they don't respond via text but instead they try to call you at some random time in the middle of the work day and then act surprised/annoyed you were indisposed.

I'm sure it's nice to sit by the phone waiting with baited breath for someone to call me back all day, but I'd rather be making money.

That being said, if you have your heart set on buying something how about going by a few local repair shops and asking them if they know the local dealer ? Any decent size shop has probably at least had a visit from the truck and might have a catalog with a business card attached ?

Yeah that's a no. Falls under my general policy of not begging anyone to sell me their ****.

Where exactly in Arizona are you ? I am on several professional auto repair shop forums and could ask there but need to know where you are.

Appreciate it, but at this point I'm done. I let the regional guy know that I never heard back from the dealer he finally gave me a phone # for. Surprise, regional guy doesn't seem to give a **** and hasn't responded back since either.

I like their stuff, but I'll guess I'll have to give the money to their competitors or eBay.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Last Cornwell truck I saw was in Ohio on US 30. He was heading west, out of Ohio like I was. Big rig though, would love to wander through it.

Seen that truck on 30 a few times myself.


If a guy is going to pay cash or with plastic, its hard to fathom why a dealer would chase them off the truck.

Wasting a dealers time, being new to the driver and trying to get truck credit or paying by check is another matter. Granted, if the guy can debit the check immediately, that's different.

 

[nicks78camaro]

Any other tool trucks service your area? I'd bet one would appreciate your business (paid up front obviously if you don't work at one of their stops).

 

[gatewaysysop]

If a guy is going to pay cash or with plastic, its hard to fathom why a dealer would chase them off the truck.

Wasting a dealers time, being new to the driver and trying to get truck credit or paying by check is another matter. Granted, if the guy can debit the check immediately, that's different.

Worst part is I literally told them, cash in hand, part #s in hand, just need someone to sell or order me up what I need, and I'll meet at a place of your choosing, no inconvenience for the driver (hell, I don't want them coming here anyway).

I can sorta see why they're in the position they're in if this is how they operate. Refuse to sell direct, refuse to sell online, refuse to put you in touch with a dealer and neither district guy nor his dealers can operate a phone.

Oh well. Plenty of other outfits that actually want to sell their products.

 

[MarineScott]

Been trying to purchase a few items from Cornwell, but hitting a wall trying to find anyone who wants to take my money.

I filled out their dealer locator form on the website, never heard back. I tried calling after that, as they have a number that they list for "immediate assistance" locating a dealer. Their idea of immediate assistance was to tell me that all they can do is give me a phone number for a district manager, and that only he could help me locate a dealer.

I called said district manager, call went straight to voicemail. His voicemail message suggested sending a text, so I did. He responds by calling me back and leaving a voicemail where he refers to me by the wrong name, saying he missed several calls (there was only one) and that the problem was they had the wrong address for my shop and that's why his dealer couldn't find my shop. I have no shop, and have no idea what he's rambling about. At the end of his voicemail he says that if I need contact info for a dealer, give him a call. So now we're full circle.

I texted him back that I'm in this zip code, just need to know what dealer I can work with and how to contact them, and that he must have confused me with someone else in that voicemail. His response was to ***** that he tried to call multiple times and keeps hitting Google Assistant (because -surprise- I'm at work!). Still no contact info for a dealer.

I have since asked him several times, what info do you need to connect me with a local dealer? No response.

Sorry to say but how are these people still in business?

Incidentally, if anyone on here is still a dealer, I'd welcome some insight on how to actually locate someone at your company that wants to take my money in exchange for tools. I know... what a concept right?

I just did the same thing, and I went on Facebook messenger. I was told that if I didn't hear back, there were none in my area. I called a Cornwell dealer I used to have, to find out that he can service my area.
It seems like these tool companies don't want to "waste" their time with new customers.

 

[Taco Truck]

Are you in or able to get to South Phoenix? I've got the contact info for a driver from a buddy I worked with when I was turning wrenches in the valley. Let me know if that works, and I'll PM you.

 

[macgee]

Having a machine machine shop does nothing for tool trucks. I have had to deal with getting tools from trucks and its a futile experience, at best. They would look at you as an undesirable trying to cross the border even though you've got a couple hundreds dollars to give them. I sort of get it, they get locked into the business model of selling to dealers with many mechanics on credit and that's where the money is, not the tools; you've got them locked in and all you have to do is take their name down and say thank you when they walk away with another tool or box. But, in todays environment I can't imagine you would turn away smaller shops and individuals wanting to buy your tools. Sure, you have to give them more time per dollar, more paper work and less profit (no interest profit) but I would imagine for a Cornwell truck dealer that orders are not falling off the tree's? Or am I missing something?

Being nice and helping out your community supplying tools comes around and would imagine help the overall life and success of the truck (their career).

Let be honest, now a days what type of person do you think gets into selling tools out of a truck? I'm not talking about the ones back in the old school days.

All I do now, is call up the company directly, put my order in and in a couple of days the tools are placed on my desk. No more driving around endlessly (because they don't answer your calls) looking for the truck and then jumping through flaming hoops like a chihuahua in hopes of making a truck seller feel good enough to take my money.

In short: Call Cornwell and put in your oder

 

[gatewaysysop]

In short: Call Cornwell and put in your oder

They don't sell around their dealers. Not even a ratchet gut kit, they literally will do no business outside their dealers. Doesn't matter how much you want to spend.

Anyone else that takes direct sales on their website or at least by phone, I can and have worked with and had zero issues (Snap On, Matco, etc.) but these clowns at Cornwell are just something else.

 

[macgee]

That *****

Then I guess its time to move on to other (better) tool sellers or brush up on your Chihauhua hoop jumping act.

 

[Davefr]

An entire portion of Cornwell's website it dedicated to online sales of baby bibs, toenail clippers, baseball hats and coffee mugs. But they won't sell tools. (except for pocket screwdrivers)

https://cornwellgear.promocheckout.com/baby-and-kids

 

[gatewaysysop]

An entire portion of Cornwell's website it dedicated to online sales of baby bibs, toenail clippers, baseball hats and coffee mugs. But they won't sell tools. (except for pocket screwdrivers)

https://cornwellgear.promocheckout.com/baby-and-kids

They certainly picked the right animal based on my experience with the dealer, district and regional guy.

 

[gatewaysysop]

The saga continues. I still have not been able to pick up any tools from Cornwell, even after all this time and trying THREE different dealers (kudos to the folks who sent me a PM with local dealer contact info).

Dealer #1 can't operate a phone, apparently, and doesn't return messages or calls.

Dealer #2 didn't respond to voicemail, email or text messages.

Dealer #3 responded immediately, then ghosted me for days. Finally tells me he's out of state on vacation, back next week. Still not responding to me for days after he's back, then tells me one of the three ratchets I want is discontinued and the rest he has to order because nothing is in stock. Minimum two week wait. For a couple of main line ratchets? Also the tool cart I want to buy is back ordered, possibly a 2-month wait.

Fast forward one week and he manages to get one ratchet in stock, not the other yet, and is apparently going on vacation again for a week out of state. That makes two weeks out of the last four I think. Also, when pressed, he tells me the cart is apparently discontinued too, due to them switching manufacturers. He says he has one in storage, still in the box, but not the color I want. I asked what color because I'd take that over nothing, he says he'll confirm and let me know.

Here's the excuses I got in one day for why he couldn't call me back:
"I've got customers, will call you in a bit." -totally understandable.
"Now I'm at my kid's karate practice." -uhm... okay...
"I'll call you in 15 minutes." -after an hour I gave up and stopped texting him.

What's more, I never did get a response from the regional honcho two levels above the dealers. Corporate directed me a week or so back to the voicemail of their national sales director, top sales manager in the country. Left him a pleasant and polite voicemail asking for a call back to help me find a way to buy their tools. Nothing from him either.

Not really confident that I'll be getting any tools even when dealer #3 returns from being out of state on vacation for the second time in the last 4 weeks. I'm glad he's doing well enough that he can spend more time not working than working, but hell of a way to run a business. I feel sorry for his regular customers at the shops on his route. Guy doesn't stock even the basics and apparently spends more time out of state than on his route.

How on Earth are these people still in business?

 

[LXCam]

I was gonna say I see the great white whale from time to time in Avondale and just jumped in line here to catch a spot so the next time I can get his info to ya. But apparently there’s no feeding allowed in the great state of Arizona as you’re too small a fish.

 

[pi_guy]

Seen that truck on 30 a few times myself.


If a guy is going to pay cash or with plastic, its hard to fathom why a dealer would chase them off the truck.

Wasting a dealers time, being new to the driver and trying to get truck credit or paying by check is another matter. Granted, if the guy can debit the check immediately, that's different.

My dealer always took my checks.

In the scheme of things spending a hour to make 50 or 60$ does not pay. Getting on a truck once or twice a year to spend a couple of hundred is a waste of time for the dealer. I can think of numerous companies that will not sell direct it is not worth there time.

Keeping a dealer 30 minutes off his time table my ruin his day, as regulars are expecting him. The dealers that I have met over the years are normally busy from 9 to 6 or 7pm. It not like they are MacDonalds waiting for people to come in.
I know when I did field service I got a pile of job orders and off I went. Didn't have time to take on extra work. Those with service contacts got first priority, call ins or otherwise waited. Should I treat the guy with a 100$ issue the same way as a client who pays 10k a month for service?

It would be nice for every one to be treated equally but it is not reality. Plus if a dealer is functioning and having a normal work load why should you overload him. It is a personal choice how much you work.

 

[gatewaysysop]

My dealer always took my checks.

He was good at math and realized a trusted check pays better than losing several percent to the card companies.

In the scheme of things spending a hour to make 50 or 60$ does not pay. Getting on a truck once or twice a year to spend a couple of hundred is a waste of time for the dealer. I can think of numerous companies that will not sell direct it is not worth there time.

I get your point, but I can also think of at least 3 of their competitors who have no problem selling direct. You can't even get Cornwell to sell you a gut kit over the phone for a ratchet, they are absolutely unyielding about having to go through a dealer, even for those.

Keeping a dealer 30 minutes off his time table my ruin his day, as regulars are expecting him. The dealers that I have met over the years are normally busy from 9 to 6 or 7pm. It not like they are MacDonalds waiting for people to come in.

No argument here.

That said, I told each of these clowns up front that I was paying cash, had a specific list of part numbers for what I was looking for, and would meet them anywhere they were already going to be on their route to pick it up. If spending an extra 5 minutes at a regular stop to make a $500 sale isn't deemed to be worth their time, so be it. They have every right to be bad at math and choose not to service "home gamers" like me. Unfortunately I'm not in the business of fixing stupid or curing allergies to money, so I can't help them.

I'm happy to spend the funds with their competitors and buy off eBay instead. I don't have any problem working for my money, but I have very little appetite for working to spend it.

 

[pi_guy]

He was good at math and realized a trusted check pays better than losing several percent to the card companies.



I get your point, but I can also think of at least 3 of their competitors who have no problem selling direct. You can't even get Cornwell to sell you a gut kit over the phone for a ratchet, they are absolutely unyielding about having to go through a dealer, even for those.



No argument here.

That said, I told each of these clowns up front that I was paying cash, had a specific list of part numbers for what I was looking for, and would meet them anywhere they were already going to be on their route to pick it up. If spending an extra 5 minutes at a regular stop to make a $500 sale isn't deemed to be worth their time, so be it. They have every right to be bad at math and choose not to service "home gamers" like me. Unfortunately I'm not in the business of fixing stupid or curing allergies to money, so I can't help them.

I'm happy to spend the funds with their competitors and buy off eBay instead. I don't have any problem working for my money, but I have very little appetite for working to spend it.

Nothing ever takes five minutes.

If you spend 500 he does not make 500.....