MAC Tools distributors are sold the idea that the MAC Tools franchise is their path to the American Dream: a way to be their own bosses, control their own destinies, gain financial independence and build stronger futures for their families.
However, two wives of MAC Tools distributors characterize their experience with MAC Tools as more of a nightmare than a dream.
Two MAC Tools wives sent UnhappyFranchisee.Com a revealing conversation (See the link to A Nice Conversation Between Two Mac Tools Wives at the bottom of this post).
In the dialogue, they describe the despair that results from devoting long hours to a business that not only doesn’t turn a profit, but is sinking them further and further into debt.
The MAC Tools wives describe the toll the business is taking on their husbands, who are caught between a franchisor that demands payment according to rigid terms, and their mechanic/customers who struggle to make their tool bill payments.
Many MAC Tools franchisees, it seems, end up in the unenviable position of selling high-priced tools to undercapitalized customers, then assuming their credit risk.
When a MAC Tools distributor struggles, it can take a devastating toll on the entire family.
MAC Tools distributors have told UnhappyFranchisee.Com they while their initial motivation was to create opportunities for their families, they find themselves not only battling for financial survival, but fighting to save their homes and keep their marriages intact as well.
MAC Tools franchise owners complain that they assume most of the risk (by putting their own money out “on the street”), work a grueling schedule and spend countless hours performing uncompensated warranty repair work.
MAC Tools distributors also complain that their franchisor sells the same tools to their competitors at deep discounts, enabling them to drastically undercut the MAC Tools franchisees in the marketplace.
In their dialogue, the two MAC Tools wives commiserate about the financial trap they’re in:
MAC Tools Wife #2: No wonder me and my husband get so frustrated when a mechanic can only pay $20.00 towards his account some weeks! I start wishing that he did not make a sale because of it. My husband and I end up losing money hand over fist in situations like this. And believe me- it happens a lot!
…But when it comes to paying your own tool bill to Mac Tools- we can’t get away with it! This week alone we dished out $2,000.00 one day and another $3,000.00 the following day. And it’s only Wednesday! Can’t wait to see what we owe them tomorrow!
MAC Tools Wife #1: I agree. The bank account is drained. Our line of credit is maxed out. Our credit cards are outrageous. Where did all the money go? Oh – Mac Tools has all our money because they get paid first. Our other money is out on the street not getting paid back to us. We certainly don’t get a pay cheque. All we wanted was to own our own business! How I regret that we ever got into doing this. My husband had a dream when he first got into this! The dream is now turning into a nightmare. This is only our first year in business.
While this dialogue is between two specific MAC Tools wives, it likely represents conversations in tool dealer’s households and tool trucks across the U.S. and Canada every day.
READ: A Nice Conversation Between Two Mac Tools Wives (WORD Doc)
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View Comments
You failed, get over it. Mac has been good to me I am successful period .
Where is the dramatic music?
This is so hokey that I have trouble believing that this conversation actually took place. It reads like a cheesy daytime drama. Actually, its worse than that, since my six year old can come with better dialogue than this. More frothy garbage for the lumpen, middle-aged proletariat.
" While this dialogue is between two specific MAC Tools wives, it likely represents conversations in tool dealer’s households and tool trucks across the U.S. and Canada every day."
Do you have numbers to back that up? Sounds dangerously close to speculation here. Generally, you have an informative site, tripe like this diminishes your credibility.
I do not agree with the way MAC tools runs their business. But it seems to me that I'm hearing a lot of "They told me", "He said I would...", "They promised", etc. Did you get this in writing? Or did all of you simply just hand over your money to smiling shyster in a polo shirt?
I find myself crying crocodile tears for many of the burned franchisees here. Sounds to me to like the sharks got eaten by the whale. You wanted to be a part of the oppressive bourgeoisie and instead the managerial classes swallowed you whole. What did you expect? Vacations in Monaco while you paid some poor clod minimum wage to drive your truck for you?
Go ahead with your "class action lawsuits", the lawyers are the only ones who make money in that venture. I'd be surprised if any of you made even a fraction of your investment back if you try that route.
Face it, the capitalist system that all of you hold so dear ate you alive and left you with nothing. Did you really need spend six figures to come to that conclusion?
All those tool franchise places called at one time in the past. Told em ah wait a minute - you provide truck, tools, replacements. I'll pay for gas and insurance only to see if I can make it work. They didn't respond to me very well. Said to those idiots I' aint tapping the equity in my paid off farm to fund that crap. They stopped calling. Gee I wonder why?
Shame on anyone that tries to live the "American Dream" as if it should be handed to them on a silver plate! This dream that you may think you deserve just because you wanted to try it is not something that you were "entitled" to just because you wanted to try it. Who ever told that it was easy? Who ever told you that it wouldn't require time and effort ? It's not a 40 hour a week job, it's a business! You were never lied to, you just didn't listen to what you were told. I have herd it for years, anyone that has ever failed at this business (either Mac Tools or any other company) always wants to point fingers and blame someone other than them selves. Suck it up and take responsibility for your own failure. It's ok if it didn't work out for you. It's ok if it really wasn't for you. Just don't slam a good company that I believe is the best one to be a part of if you want to be in the tool business. It's not their fault that you failed.
i to had a truck of tools drove 300 mile a week credit to mechanics killed me also the gas and insurance mac got there money before i got mind if you have a million laying around its ok don't forget the tires,and repairs with all that weight i made more money selling sees candy
I supervise a mechanic shop, we had a Matco dealer who dealt with us for years. Suddenly he said he was selling everything and getting out of the business, due to health-related issues. I thought the guy had been diagnosed with cancer or something and being a franchisee, I imagined he had no health insurance to pay for treatment. I later found out that his doctor had ordered him to get out of the business to basically save his health and family. The stress and anxiety was destroying him, not to mention his relationships with wife and child.
I've been a Mac Tools distributor for 21 years, and have seen many distributors come and go. You hear the same about all of the other tool companies as well. In my experience, Mac is one of the better options.