Shop 2nd and marked tools question.
Shop 2nd and marked tools question.
Author
Discussion

zippy500

Original Poster:

1,883 posts

285 months

Friday 6th March 2009
quotequote all
Is anyone aware of this senario happening. It's just an idea, not naming and shaming.

Good quality tool makers putting slightly off quality items in to a set and selling them on at a reduced price. Mainly to avouid scrapping. They are quite useable, but may have small marks on the sockets etc.

I have been looking at some new sets and am amazed at the price differences, like more than half on some Britool, Facom and Draper Expert sets.

So I was wondering do the factories make up shop soiled sets to sell on, hoping that Joe public will not notice?

Personally I would have thought that the factory would have to state they are 2nd's.

Any thoughts?

shirt

24,451 posts

217 months

Friday 6th March 2009
quotequote all
i haven't seen these, but i'd imagine they aren't seconds as such, more like non-prime - still perfectly usable but with cosmetic issues.

have you got a link?


zippy500

Original Poster:

1,883 posts

285 months

Friday 6th March 2009
quotequote all
No links as such, it's just a general question. Many places seem to be selling them, ranging from Amazon, E Bay and proper online tool shops. Wether it's due to the credit crunch and they are desperate to shift good's I dont know.
But nearly half of the RRP seems a little suspicious to me.

phumy

5,798 posts

253 months

Friday 6th March 2009
quotequote all
Make sure they're not some "copied" crap from China

shirt

24,451 posts

217 months

Friday 6th March 2009
quotequote all
leave ebay, but if its amazon and reputable online shops then go for it.

i work in manufacturing, there's things we'll scrap and things that are borderline. this is offered at discount to the customers who usually rip out hands off at the price its offered.

i need a full socket set so will be checking out these deals, cheers thumbup

zippy500

Original Poster:

1,883 posts

285 months

Friday 6th March 2009
quotequote all
These are proper tool shops that have an E Bay shop also, they have very good feedback(in the 000's). So cant believe they are copied ste from the far east.

I suspect they are borderline cosmetic sets made up to sell cheap.

Ewan S

1,295 posts

243 months

Friday 6th March 2009
quotequote all
Hi, I work for a tools company and we occasionally have stuff come up that we sell as "ex demo" condition. The problem we had is that the company changed hands, moved premises, and somewhere during this period a lot of plated metal products got left in a lockup garage that leaked. Then our exhibition stand got left in the same place and then got knocked over and damaged last time it was used. So all the stock had to come off that too!

As a result there are some tools we have in stock which I have to personally check out before I sell them through a disty. If however the customer is buying direct then I have no issue with telling the truth and advising the customer that the tool is marked, but functions absolutely perfectly (which it does - I check this too!). We do of course give suitable discounts, for instance, I've just sold a brand new spring compressor with 4 sets of ex-demo jaws plus protective covers all of which were "grubby" and reduced the list price from about £2k down to £1350. Admittedly the customer is one of of our top customers, but where we have the stock we like to see it get sold so that its being used.

Also that was the top end suspension spring compressor we sold (usually purchased by the MOD for the Pinzgauer APC's!). If anyone needs special automotive tools we do other spring compressors which aren't so highly specced, plus other stuff:
www.klanntools.co.uk

And we sell direct to anyone, simply because it ensures our customers get the right tool for what they're doing!