Harbor Freight - Bait and Switch

[Koken]

After receiving a sales flyer in the mail three weeks ago, I drove (45-50 miles one-way) to my nearest Harbor Freight store to purchase the 20-ton Central Machinery Shop Press #60603, on sale for $154.99. The manager told me that they were out of the item, and to call back in a week. I asked for and received a rain check. I called back every week for the following two weeks. I called today and the manager told me that he only received a delivery of three of the older style orange ones. I asked if he could order the one I want and he said "no", and further advised that all orders for the store are created by the main office. Store managers are prohibited from determining or ordering what stock a store needs. I call customer service and speak with a manager and he confirms what the store manager said. Both told me that my only option is to purchase it online, forcing me to pay an overweight delivery charge of $90.00. When I asked to speak with the customer service supervisors supervisor, he said he would fill out a customer complaint form and an area supervisor would contact me with the next 24-48 hours.

Has anyone else experienced this? If they don't make good on it, I will be contacting the Department of Consumer Protection and the BBB.

 

[-Brent-]

That ***** but it doesn't sound like bait and switch.

 

[SALIV8]

can you order online and have it shipped to the store?

 

[ffjosh]

Not sure what the problem is

They sold out.

Tough luck

 

[Koken]

Brent: Bait-and-switch is a form of fraud used in retail sales but also employed in other contexts. First, customers are "baited" by merchants' advertising products or services at a low price, but when customers visit the store, they discover that the advertised goods are not available, or the customers are pressured by sales people to consider similar, but higher priced items ("switching").


Saliv8: I asked and the customer service manager said "no".

 

[paranoid56]

That ***** but it doesn't sound like bait and switch.

yep, not bait and switch. as that part is still the correct one. they are still selling the orange ones till they are all gone.

if you dont like it, buy online or used

Brent: Bait-and-switch is a form of fraud used in retail sales but also employed in other contexts. First, customers are "baited" by merchants' advertising products or services at a low price, but when customers visit the store, they discover that the advertised goods are not available, or the customers are pressured by sales people to consider similar, but higher priced items ("switching").


Saliv8: I asked and the customer service manager said "no".

its not a higher priced item, its the same price.

 

[fitz11]

Sounds completely normal to me, they have to sell out of the old ones before they get the new ones. Sometimes the stores will get mixes of old and new styles but the people at the store have no control over what they get, most of the time they don't know what is coming until the receive the delivery.

 

[mtmgtz]

Not to mention that you are talking about Harbor Freight. It's not like they are known for superior customer service. It's a bare bones, economy tool retailer.

 

[Koken]

ffJosh: Their is no evidence that they sold out. The store manager stated that he never received any for the sale.

For everyone else: The item advertised on sale by super coupon is the silver one, with a picture of it and the item number of it. The orange one has a different item number and is not on sale. Why would the manager issue me a rain check with the item number of the silver one on sale and not the orange one????

 

[ishiboo]

It's the same item #, just the revised model?

I doubt their ordering system allows them to put a comment like "dig through stock and find a silver new one", they can just say the item # and quantity I'm guessing. Keep your rain check until the new model shows up

 

[Koken]

ishiboo: You are wrong - http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=20+ton+shop+press.

The silver one is item #60603 and the orange one is item#32879.

 

[larry_g]

ffJosh: Their is no evidence that they sold out. The store manager stated that he never received any for the sale.

For everyone else: The item advertised on sale by super coupon is the silver one, with a picture of it and the item number of it. The orange one has a different item number and is not on sale. Why would the manager issue me a rain check with the item number of the silver one on sale and not the orange one????

Good luck with your fight. I'd suspect that you would have better luck pissin in a fan. You do realize that HF is chartered as a salvage dealer an will beat you on this.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[-Brent-]

I know what bait and switch is and, again, I don't think your situation is an example of it, here's why: those coupons are national. Both stores local to me have the item you want as I'm sure others do (or do not) too. The coupon will work for it where they have said item in stock. Your place, unfortunately doesn't and cannot order it for you. You can see why, right? They're not set-up the way you want. it's how they are. It ***** but I sincerely doubt they're trying (as a corporation) to bait you into the orange one (which some folks like better than the silver).

All that said, I am sorry I posted, Koken, it looks like you're just looking for agreement on this one.

 

[sublimate]

ishiboo: You are wrong - http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=20+ton+shop+press.

The silver one is item #60603 and the orange one is item#32879.

Doesn't that show both the silver and orange ones on sale? Or am I looking at the wrong item?

 

[lotsoftools]

Just wait for it to go on sale again, when they have stock.

 

[Radix2]

I guess I am surprised by the store not ordering it in... I've bought items that they did not have in stock (3pt log splitter comes to mind) - using a 20% coupon, and they simply ordered it in and I then picked it up.

I wonder if it has to do with the 155 price (current sale is 199) being limited to in-stock only - which means they never should have issued a rain check... but they should still at least order it in for 199 which is still less than a $90 truck fee.

 

[Koken]

Doesn't that show both the silver and orange ones on sale? Or am I looking at the wrong item?

The sale price listed on the flyer for the silver one is $154.99. Not the $199.99 listed on their webpage.

 

[4xdog]

Isn't there some line about being able to have any two, but not all three, from the list of good, fast, and cheap?

Pick your two favorites and then struggle with the third, I guess. Especially where HF is concerned it seems.

 

[Zeke]

The BBB won't do **** for you. They are not there to help anyone, businesses or consumers, they are there to help themselves to extortion money.

 

[Kny21]

get the manager to discount the orange one another 20% off your raincheck price and be done with it... they can and maybe will depending on your attitude.

 

[capturedlive]

I had the same issue trying to get a tool cabinet. Long story short, HF's Facebook person told me to email "Jack" at [email protected]. I did and I got a call the same day. They had a box sent to and held at the store.

 

[carterbeauford]

BBB.

try Santa and the Easter Bunny while you're at it.

 

[BD1]

The orange one is welded and the silver/gray is bolted. I like my old orange one. Used it a lot for bending steel in a homemade brake. Still holding up. Just take the orange.

 

[monomach]

After receiving a sales flyer in the mail three weeks ago, I drove (45-50 miles one-way) to my nearest Harbor Freight store to purchase the 20-ton Central Machinery Shop Press #60603, on sale for $154.99. The manager told me that they were out of the item, and to call back in a week. I asked for and received a rain check. I called back every week for the following two weeks. I called today and the manager told me that he only received a delivery of three of the older style orange ones. I asked if he could order the one I want and he said "no", and further advised that all orders for the store are created by the main office. Store managers are prohibited from determining or ordering what stock a store needs. I call customer service and speak with a manager and he confirms what the store manager said. Both told me that my only option is to purchase it online, forcing me to pay an overweight delivery charge of $90.00. When I asked to speak with the customer service supervisors supervisor, he said he would fill out a customer complaint form and an area supervisor would contact me with the next 24-48 hours.

Has anyone else experienced this? If they don't make good on it, I will be contacting the Department of Consumer Protection and the BBB.

All you have to do is wait for them to get the new one in stock. A rain check doesn't require them to get it to you whenever you want it...it's pretty much the opposite of that.

You're getting yourself worked up over nothing at all. There's no bait and switch here. At all. 0%. The BBB would laugh off your complaint.

 

[nicksnothereman]

I thought the orange ones were better made...?

I won't defend the practice but you can see it in the ads "item xxxxx pictured" (I think it's 5 numbers for the sku) but the price applies to "comparable" items typically from a different provider or possibly a re-design. Which is why some people find something ****, other people don't. Comes with the territory. Usually comparable items are comparable but on power tools it can be vastly different.

150 bucks (plus the gas!) is a decent chunk of money but I don't think you can do much better elsewhere, honestly...if you need it. Might find something better used, depends on where you live. Check the reviews online for the older model and make a decision, worst case scenario with that one is you can just spray paint the damn thing if you don't want to look at the orange.

 

[sloppy]

I thought the orange ones were better made...?

.

Orange one is welded. I dont know why that makes it better but some people think it does.. The chicoms cant weld for **** so I would prefer the bolted one which is what I have, also the orange one had the cast iron arbor plates which explode not a bonus.. The new grey one has steel arbor plates..

for the OP.. charging you shipping is not bait in switch its you being picky about floor stock, tuff luck..

 

[BellyUpFish]

I had a hard time finding one of these in stock as well. My HF is also almost an hour away, one way.

That said, I pretty much call anytime I'm heading more than about 10 minutes out of my way to verify they have the item I want sitting in the store.

"Did you call them?" are some words my wife hates to hear, but it's given me the opportunity to do the "toldja so dance" more than once..

 

[laser3kw]

After receiving a sales flyer in the mail three weeks ago, I drove (45-50 miles one-way) to my nearest Harbor Freight store to purchase the 20-ton Central Machinery Shop Press #60603, on sale for $154.99. The manager told me that they were out of the item, and to call back in a week. I asked for and received a rain check. I called back every week for the following two weeks. I called today and the manager told me that he only received a delivery of three of the older style orange ones. I asked if he could order the one I want and he said "no", and further advised that all orders for the store are created by the main office. Store managers are prohibited from determining or ordering what stock a store needs. I call customer service and speak with a manager and he confirms what the store manager said. Both told me that my only option is to purchase it online, forcing me to pay an overweight delivery charge of $90.00. When I asked to speak with the customer service supervisors supervisor, he said he would fill out a customer complaint form and an area supervisor would contact me with the next 24-48 hours.

If you substitute " welding table - sku 61369 sale price $56.99" for "20-ton Central Machinery Shop Press #60603on sale for $154.99 " you will have my experience.
I had a sales flyer in April for one, went in, none in stock, got a rain check, checked back every week. The June flyer came out with the same item - - on sale for $74.99 - none in stock. The store finally got on June 14th - I got it and they honored my rain check for $56.99!
Felt the same way, Lost leader situation. But I dug in and waited it out. People in the store were good enough about it, even checked shipping schedules - "the boat" and let me know when the big shipment would come in. They said the same about stocking levels, they do not control them.

 

[txbonds]

I have the orange one. Has worked well so far but I would like some steel plates. Anywhere sell just the arbor plates made in steel?

 

[Frank Dukes]

the problem is the coupons always have multiple part#s on them spanning old versions and new.

 

[shopnut]

I just bought the 60603 press two weeks ago for the $154 price. Both item numbers for the orange and silver ones were listed on the coupon, with the silver one shown in the coupon picture. I called the local store to verify they had the silver one in stock because I personnally preferred that one, and they said they had 15 available.

When I got to the store and showed them the coupon, they asked which one I wanted. I'm not sure if they actually had the orange one in stock to sell me, but they did still have one on display in the store.

It went together easy and silver paint looks pretty nice. I haven't put it to a real test yet so I can't comment on its operation.

EDIT:
BTW, I just added some info on putting this press together and it can be found HERE if you are interested.

 

[Garage Junky]

The BBB won't do **** for you. They are not there to help anyone, businesses or consumers, they are there to help themselves to extortion money.

Agreed. The BBB itself is a business, kinda like Angie's List, except they are annoying and call me every day to get me to pay them protection money, like the mob.

How do I give the BBB a negative rating on the BBB?

 

[rice rocket]

BBB is a non-profit.

I suppose you can theorize their industry leanings, but I haven't seen any proof that they've "been bought".

 

[rick carpenter]

Just wait for it to go on sale again, when they have stock.

This may be what you'll have to do but be sure you buy it over the phone before you drive over. Your saving grace might be the rain check but only if they remember it when more go on sale. Not sure how you'll need to work that but a nice phone call or calls to the manager might be a start. Good luck.

 

[srmofo]

I have the orange one. Has worked well so far but I would like some steel plates. Anywhere sell just the arbor plates made in steel?

Swag of road, but you will pay nearly the same price as you did for the press.several sizes available.

 

[srmofo]

BBB is a non-profit.

I suppose you can theorize their industry leanings, but I haven't seen any proof that they've "been bought".

Just because they're nonprofit doesn't mean their management/leadership are working for free.

 

[rice rocket]

Just because they're nonprofit doesn't mean their management/leadership are working for free.

Okay... still not sure how that makes them a non-reliable source for business ratings.

 

[2drx4]

OP was probably upset that the laser guided paintbrush, 16" manual chainsaw, and the 50' garden hose/extension cord combo weren't in stock either, but he just didn't want to admit that he really went there to buy those things.

 

[jsice78]

Buy the one they have and paint it the color you want

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

I'd use the rain check and difficulties you've had to experience with the corporate headquarters to discuss with the store manager on the possibility of a discount on the available model instead. They could probably knock a bit more off the price to make you happy.

Go in on a Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon when it's not busy and ask to chat with the manager, asking them if they can help you out. Don't go in making complaints or demands. You'll go a lot further with the manager that wants to help you versus one that feels that they have to help you and resent you for it.