Amazing guys at Carbatec

**Charleville** · 25th July 2012, 07:24 PM

I have recently written elsewhere in these forums of my frustrations with shopping at Carba-Tec... https://www.woodworkforums.com/f28/ca...roller-155769/

What I cannot understand is why they have such regular stock-outs of commonly used consumables that every woodworker will be wanting ( eg Titebond glue, T track) or stockouts of consumables that are designed for the products that they sell and run sales promotions for (eg Kreg pocket hole screws).

I want them to succeed but they have to want that as well and that is not immediately obvious to me.

Last Friday week, I went their Brisbane store with $45 in my hand to buy a Kreg shelf pin jig. There were none on the shelf and on asking the helpful staffer (Yup! The counter staff are always great!) if they had any in the warehouse, he looked at the computer and advised that none were arriving until mid August at least.

Hey! That is not the end of the world, I guess. However, my level of frustration with them over recent stock-outs had irritated me so much that by the following Tuesday I decided to have a look at overseas sources just to see what the offer would be from them.

The bottom line is that on Tuesday last week (today is Wednesday of this week) I ordered the Kreg Shelf pin jig for AUD$35.27 including delivery. It was delivered to my letterbox today.

So let's compare..... The product from Amazon was $35.27 and was delivered today; the very same imported product ( ie not Aussie in any way other than the sales channel selling it) is $45 and I would need to wait at least another three weeks from now to get it.

Perhaps it is time for generational change in Carba-Tec's financial controller, or their inventory manager, or their business mindset. It is no good crying about a lack of patriotism or any of their advocates' expressing some similar guilt-laced wimper meant to employ psychological blackmail to buy from them. These are American made products that I would be pleased to pay a not-outrageous mark-up on to be able to buy at a Carba-Tec store if only they were prepared to try hard enough, at a management level, to want to sell it to me in a timely manner.

....but what is my opinion worth? I am only a customer.

**jamarpa** · 25th July 2012, 08:17 PM

Having come from a supply background, I know how hard the battle is to be able to have a good DIFOT result (Delivery In Full - On Time) when the bean counters like to be-leave they run the warehouse. BUT the part I struggle with when purchasing from either Carbatec or Hare & Forbes (or any company that does not followup) is the followup communication on orders and back-orders.

I do not always mind when the item is out of stock/ in the container etc but having to ring/email after the ETA has come and gone to see what the new ETA is, annoys me.

IF you find out that a order/back-order is delayed or passes the advised ETA, a communication to advise that, to the customer is a small token that will assist in keeping the customer coming back.

**JasonBF** · 29th July 2012, 09:27 PM

I will have a gripe now

I went to the Sydney Wood Show on Saturday, excited to go to the Carbatec stand and receive my 10% discount on standard items.

Went straight to the counter (First thing on Saturday Morning) and started my order
Colt Pro Brad Point drills (7)
Fuller Countersink Set
Hand Drill Jig

To my surprise they did not stock any of the above items. I stated I would go online that afternoon and order them (Normally in line with wood show), and the staff said there is no online store sale, and would need to pay full price, or go to the shop and tell them I went to the show or pay for the items there and then and go pick up later. The risk is they did not have them in stock and I would have paid for it.

I understand that exhibitors cannot stock everything, but was a little disheartened.

Need to wait for the August Sale, lets hope they have the stock

**johnredl** · 30th July 2012, 09:50 AM

I have the same gripes about carbatec as everyone else. Especially after my last visit to Adelaide store where, not surprisingly, they didn't have any basic supplies.

So, quite grumpy, I simply went across the road to Macwood (car didn't even leave the carbatec carpark!) & got nearly everything that I wanted with a 10% wood group SA discount

After cooling down I called the carbatec acting CEO in Brisbane. He was very nice, helpful, & seemed genuinely surprised that Adelaide didn't even have a space on the shelf for the out of stock item. I explained that we understand if something is out of stock, but at least have space on the shelf to prove that it is normally stocked!

The result is that he posted the items that I was after freight free. I'm happy to go back, but only after web ordering & making sure the order is in store before I make the 30 min drive.

I think that they are forgetting that the world is not as small as it used to be...it's easier for me to order internationally than locally. Sad but true!

**SAISAY** · 30th July 2012, 08:03 PM

I was in Adelaide 3 years ago, shortly after CT opened there. They told me they are actually a franchise, not fully part of CT.
Whether that makes a difference, I don't know but there were hardly anything on the shelves then and very little machinery.
Mind you, the shop was that small, they wouldn't have room for it anyway.
Cheers
Wolffie

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