- Report: #1088926
Complaint Review: Blains Fram and Fleet - ottawa Illinois
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Blains Fram and Fleet
ottawa, 60551 Illinois, USA
Phone:
1-800-210-2370
Web:
www.farmandfleet.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
Blains Fram and Fleet Unethical sales practices ottawa Illinois
Farm and Fleet put out a sales flier recently advertising various automotive services and parts at reduced rates. I called to get a quote (due to othr people experiences with them) on getting shocks for my truck. The sale listed Monroe shocks at $6 off per shock sale prices were $24.99 to $37.99. Installation was $24.99 per shock and they offered a buy three get one free. When I talked to the person at the service desk I was told that the cheaper shocks would not fit my truck (no mention was made as to that in the flier) the price on the shocks went up to $43 for the rear shocks and $57 dollars for the front shocks for the cheap ones! Then they tried to sell me the even MORE expensive shocks. In the various pieces of fine print on the flier you find out that the buy three get one free is actually buy four get a mail in reabte for one of the cheapest shocks and you get a pre-paid VISA. Doesn't say where or what the VISA is good for either. Then they lay the line of subject to store stock on hand, rainchecks etc PLUS even though the sale flier states the price they don't guarantee the price due to possible issues beyond their control. The following is a report I sent to yelp about them and will give some background about my experience with this store and others like it.
My family started shopping at Farm and Fleet in the 1970s. In those days you needed proof of being a farmer or having a commercial drivers license to shop there. At that time items such as shoes, clothing and tools were made in America. They even sold, heaven forbid guns because farmers usually have a use for them. That gradually changed and over the intervening years the quality of the merchandise and customer service has declined dramatically. The VAST majority of items including, tools, shoes, clothing and sporting goods are cheaply made in China. The customer service has gotten to the point where bait and switch, false advertising and other practices are the accepted norm. These things used to be illegal and have always been unethical. I have lived in several other states and as someone who has owned livestock and used farm supply stores regularly in North Dakota, Utah and Nebraska I can say with certainty that Farm and Fleet has become the WORST Farm supply store I have EVER been in! It seems like they are trying to become a "country Walmart" but the quality isn't even up to Walmart's shoddy standards!
Having worked, and shopped, in these "big box" retailers all I can say is avoid all of them like the plague. They will try to rip you off, use fine print to absolve themselves of legal issues you name it. Plus try to get you to get one of their store cards, which also gives them access to ALL of your personal information and sales data which they can then sell.
By the way my solution to this problem was to buy my shocks at NAPA for about the sale price of the shocks at Farm and Fleet and will have my small town mechanic put them on. It will save me almost a hundred dollars!
