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Thread: Woodcraft prices have increased

  1. #1

    Woodcraft prices have increased

    I went to my local woodcraft last Sunday to buy some blast gates, my wife had a 10% off birthday discount for February. I check the online prices on Saturday and the 4" aluminum were $12.99 each. In the store they rang up at $13.69, even though they were marked at $12.99. The clerk made the adjustment, then we paid for the purchase. BUT before leaving we noticed that the birthday discount was not taken off the blast gates. The computer considered the price adjustment a discount and would not allow a "double" discount. The clerk could not over ride the system. So we returned the blast gates and I bought them for less with free shipping and no sales tax from Rockler. I try to support local merchants, but I have to watch my pennies too. Woodworking is a costly hobby, as you all know.

    My point in this post is that consumers need to double check the pricing they get and merchants need to have systems to correct computer short comings. The product in the store was marked $12.99 and we did have a valid 10% discount.

    Just sayin'
    Hello, My name is John and I am a toolaholic

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Mansfield MA
    Posts
    1,372
    I had a similar situation, in that the price that rang up at the register was higher than marked. The clerk made the correction, but it made me wonder how often I have been overcharged. That's amazing to me that they could not override the system to also give the bday discount. Here in MA, there are penalties for discrepancies between marked and charged prices - there are some groups that go to great lengths to take some of the larger retailers to task in their price marking efforts.
    I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger....then it hit me.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Lewiston, Idaho
    Posts
    28,504
    John,

    I had just the opposite experience recently at the WoodCraft in Spokane, WA.

    We returned from 3 weeks of vacation and stopped in to pickup a Woodpecker drill press table I'd ordered. I had returned home 2 weeks earlier than my wife. She had been shown some scroll saw work and decided she wanted to learn and "Do you have a scroll saw? No? Don't you think you need one?" I had researched scroll saws for her and decided that the Excalibur EX-21 was a saw that met my requirements for her. I liked the fact the head tilts while the table remains flat. My wife attended the Lucille Ball school for advanced and extraordinary Klutz's. The cheapest I had seen that saw online was $819 with the stand and footswitch. This saw was marked at $699 and the owner's son said he'd throw in the stand and footswitch. It was at that point, I remarked it was a good deal and what I had seen it priced at other sites. I wasn't ready to buy it at that moment. The same guy checked the current WoodCraft catalogue and told me...if you buy it now, I'll sell it at the price we discussed but somebody has failed to mark it up properly. He showed me the catalogue....$819 without the stand or footswitch. He said once we left the store, it would be marked appropriately and we'd be disappointed when we returned. They accept plastic and I walked out the door with it on a hand cart. That was 2 weeks ago.

    Then last Saturday we were scheduled for their scroll saw class. It's 110 miles to Spokane. We climbed out of the valley and shortly there after found the worst whiteout conditions I've ever experienced. We turned around and came home. They refunded our tuition.
    Last edited by Ken Fitzgerald; 02-29-2012 at 4:35 PM.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Northern Colorado
    Posts
    1,884
    LOML is MUCH better than I am about ensuring that we are charged the correct amount, whether at the grocery store, the drive-thru burrito joint, or ... anywhere.

    It's rather alarming how often she finds out we were incorrectly charged, and ... coincidence of all coincidences ... I don't remember it, even once, being an undercharge....

    I agree: I want to support my local retailer, but ... not if they make it either ridiculously hard or ridiculously expensive.
    He's no fun. He fell right over !

  5. #5
    Yes Neil, I am busted, my wife saw the discount was incorrect. And I an not bashing Woodcraft. I would imagine that if the manager was on duty Sunday, he would have made the correction. And Woodcraft and other retailers, need to know that as a consumer, we are very cost aware. I bought the same thing at Rockler for much less.
    Hello, My name is John and I am a toolaholic

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Monroe, MI
    Posts
    11,896
    Just happened to me in Toledo a couple hours ago. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that computers have pricing pushed from corporate. I didn't push the issue on the screws I bought, but technically charging the higher price is illegal in Michigan and Ohio as far as I understand. And "refusing" to honor the discount would have been too.Fi
    Last edited by Matt Meiser; 02-29-2012 at 5:07 PM. Reason: fixed confusing grammar


  7. #7
    Update:

    I got an email from Woodcraft. here it is:
    First and foremost, we apologize for any inconvenience.
    Second, thank you for bringing this matter to our attention so we can learn how to better handle situations such as this.
    If you would be so kind as to provide information as to which store it was it would be appreciated. This may not be a systems issue, may be a training issue, or both!
    Even if it is a systems issue, we needed to do whatever it takes to make it right at the point of sale, which would include simply giving you the $1.29 for the 10% off, however, I am sure there was a way to make it work in the system. Regardless, we will investigate and use it as a training example, with the intention of being better to service our customers.
    Again, we apologize for any inconvenience and if you would help us with the requested information it is appreciated.

    Gary J. Lombard
    Vice President - Retail/Franchise Development
    Woodcraft Franchise, LLC
    1177 Rosemar Road

    P.O. Box 1686
    Parkersburg, WV 26102-1686
    304-422-5412 ext. 2169
    gary_lombard@woodcraft.com

    Here is my reply

    Thanks Gary,
    It is the only store in Utah. Scott was the clerk. And I will still shop at Woodcraft, I like to support local merchants when I can. But of course I have to stretch my hobby dollars as far as I can. So I try to balance things. I don't consider this a bad experience at Woodcraft. Probably just a training issue as you said. I am very appreciative that we have a local Woodcraft store with great people staffing it. No need to send me the $3.87 ( was buying three of them )
    And thanks for supporting woodworking shows. I appreciate that too.

    Hello, My name is John and I am a toolaholic

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Northern Colorado
    Posts
    1,884
    I think it was very good of you to take the time to write to corporate. Sincerely.

    Lots of people come to the WW forums and vent, where [wait for it] we really can't do much about it.

    Good effort. Good result. On behalf of ... well ... at least ME ... thanks !
    He's no fun. He fell right over !

  9. #9
    Thanks Neil. I really do appreciate having a local woodworking store. And will support it whenever it makes sense for me financially. And I am not going to bicker over pennies. Customer service is important too. So it is about balancing all of the aspects of our hobby.
    Hello, My name is John and I am a toolaholic

  10. #10
    John, in the Woodcraft I work at part time, I would have simply calculated the 12.99 - 10% and typed it in by hand. It's just a training issue. If it were a high dollar purchase and we really wanted to track it perfectly for some reason, we could simply change the price for the whole store, ring you up, and then change the price back to normal when it's done. Or I could just give you $1.29 out of the register and worry about it later.

    Price changes do come in, quite often actually, and they don't always go up, either. We try to go around and at least blacken out all of the prices on changed products while we physically replace all of the tags, but we typically honor whatever it's tagged at if we didn't get to changing it or blackening it out yet unless it's just a mistake or some other bizarre thing. For instance, sometimes the product is labelled with a flat out incorrect tag, and I'm not going to sell you a Sawstop for $1.99 because it happens to have a tag that says "Flashlight" stuck to it

  11. #11
    My woodcraft in Jacksonville FL has been really great helping me with price issues. The have given me sale price adjustments on days before and after sale periods. The magical price game is EVERYWHERE and if you don't watch it, you will be taken.

  12. #12
    My local Woodcraft has on more than one occasion unlocked the doors after hours when I was in a pinch. Only a local business can do these types of things. Do you think you could have gone back and got an adjustment when someone who could do it was there? Or were they simply not going to go that extra mile?

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Colorado Springs, CO
    Posts
    81
    I called my woodcraft today to see when the rikon 14" bs was going on sale they told me they could honor that price today. The bs is in the back of my van and I am about to have dinner with the family to celebrate at a nice pizza joint. Woodcraft Co springs is great!


    Having more tools than I know how to use - Priceless!!!

  14. #14
    Interesting thread.

    My perspective is that running a Woodcraft franchise is probably a lot of work.

    My Milwaukee-area store is owned by a great couple and staffed by people that are helpful and responsive.

    The pricing differences I've run into there were corrected w/o me even mentioning it, so they are obviously sensitive to charging one price when the item is marked with another.

    And the reason I really like the place is...

    I got a check for my birthday from my mom. It was only like $150. I wanted a DWP611PK and had this check and mentioned I'd get the router as soon as I had a chance to cash the check. So the owner says "just sign-over the check, I'll take it."

    Interestingly enough, I had tried to cash the check at MY bank and they refused. Well, they didn't refuse, but they wanted me to deposit the check into my account and then do a separate draw. But my personal account only had $100 because my daughter's tuition check had just cleared. So the lady said I couldn't use that account. So the bank told me to deposit my birthday check into my business account and take a draw on that. Which I didn't want to do.

    So I told them to transfer money from the business account to the personal account, and then cash the check against the personal account. But again, she refused and said the funds wouldn't be available immediately. I didn't understand why not, I think she was just giving me a hard time. But I got pretty upset, picked up the check, and walked out.

    So I was pretty happy when my Woodcraft said "we'll take that check."

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Grottoes, VA.
    Posts
    905
    Phil, sounds like time for a new bank..... Banks just don't get the idea that they need you more than you need them, as there's always another bank on the next corner. If you've had an account there for any length of time, service like that is just uncalled for.

    The one and only time I've ever bounced a check, my bank payed it anyway. Your account history should be considered when making descisions on small amounts like that.

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