Grizzly's prices on some machines going up 25%

[Andrew Hughes]

The answer is a Lie Neilson foreplane. There’s plenty to go around

[Simon MacGowen]

I ordered a Grizzly jointer in November 2017. I have been kicked down the road by Grizzly CSR FIVE times, and the latest kick says that I should not expect to receive a shipment before December 2018. I have been very patient with Grizzly, but these delays are incredible - and being told I will have to pay an additional 25% for the jointer after waiting over a year for Grizzly to get its act together just doesn't sit very well with me. Is there anything you can do to fix this?

You sure you still need one...if you could afford not having it for so long?

Five times? You have been unbelievably patient as a woodworker or as a customer!

Simon

[Richard T Weil]

But I haven't been waiting a year. I've been waiting 4 months, then 1 month, then another 1 month, then 2 months, and now another 5 months. Shiraz now says that there are twenty containers due in, but Grizzly CSR says that they don't have any and aren't expecting any until December. Clearly someone is misinformed. And, yes, David, I should just spit the hook out and swim away, but the bait tastes so good... In any case, it's always good to know that others on the Internet think I'm being foolish. Really.

[David Kumm]

I understand the carrot on a string thing and meant no offense. Dave

[Richard T Weil]

I do enjoy using a well-tuned hand plane, and have lots of them. I also enjoy using a power planer. I don't see why I shouldn't have both.

[Richard T Weil]

Cute, but I haven't been sitting around muttering "wish I had a planer" into my beard for 12 months. I built a second workshop, did a lot of bowl turning, developed and delivered a few woodturning courses, learned to weld and work with metal, and did some laser engraving. I also took 6 weeks off to ski. I do have access to one at a local makerspace where I teach - it's a little inconvenient to haul wood back and forth but it's ok. But in general I do agree with you, I have been way too patient. That's part of the reason why the makerspace just bought a nice Nova Galaxi lathe - I thought about Grizzly but decided I couldn't depend upon them to deliver the goods and recommended the Nova.

[Richard T Weil]

None taken. I am in reactive mode today after Grizzly told me its going to be another 5 months and 25% more cost. Your advise was sound if not in fact what I wanted to hear at this moment. I have access to a complete wood and metal shop now - didn't when I placed the order - so if the beatings from Grizzly continue I will probably cancel my order.

[Simon MacGowen]

B but the bait tastes so good... In any case, it's always good to know that others on the Internet think I'm being foolish. Really.

"Fool me once..." is my motto of dealing with vendors. When a very good friend of mine told me that he had been fooled by the same person (his ex-wife) on some financial dealings -- SIX times, I did not get mad at her, but at HIM. I refused to listen to any more stories between him and her, and have always changed the subject when he tries....

Simon

[Van Huskey]

"Fool me once..." is my motto of dealing with vendors. When a very good friend of mine told me that he had been fooled by the same person (his ex-wife) on some financial dealings -- SIX times, I did not get mad at her, but at HIM. I refused to listen to any more stories between him and her, and have always changed the subject when he tries....

Simon

In general people aren't really "fooled" as much as continually making a cost/benefit analysis. It is well documented that over the last year or so Grizzly has had significant supply chain problems with their high demand "mid-level" machines. Most people that spend any time on forums knew the wait was there and possibly would be extended more than once BUT the price was a high enough benefit to cause them to endure the uncertain wait. Where the consternation really comes into play is I expect most people "thought" their price was locked in. I admit to never having read the fine print on a backorder but I have also never seen the price go up, I viewed them as a "rain-check" and it always worked that way. I doubt, however, any item I have backordered has been impacted by a subsequent tariff, at least of the magnitude.

Just because you or I (or even 99.9% of people) wouldn't wait doesn't mean it isn't the prudent choice for someone else. That said to use the previous analogy there is a point that the great taste of bait has to be seen for what it is, bait. It is still, however, a personal choice for each to decide how close they want to get to a gaff and tail rope before they want to spit out the ballyhoo and pursue another meal.

[Simon MacGowen]

In general people aren't really "fooled" as much as continually making a cost/benefit analysis. It is still, however, a personal choice for each to decide how close they want to get to a gaff and tail rope before they want to spit out the ballyhoo and pursue another meal.

Your analysis is valid, so is the notion that when one makes a choice to be "fooled" (like my friend), one should not complain about being the victim. If waiting is a price to be paid for some bargain deal to be had, the waiting is not an issue, as long as the willingness to wait is there.

However, I do think back orders should be treated like rain-checks and the agreed prices should stay. Of course, "should" is one thing, and the fine print will dictate if prices are free to go up during the waiting period (whether due to tariffs or annual price changes).

Simon

[Van Huskey]

Your analysis is valid, so is the notion that when one makes a choice to be "fooled" (like my friend), one should not complain about being the victim. If waiting is a price to be paid for some bargain deal to be had, the waiting is not an issue, as long as the willingness to wait is there.

However, I do think back orders should be treated like rain-checks and the agreed prices should stay. Of course, "should" is one thing, and the fine print will dictate if prices are free to go up during the waiting period (whether due to tariffs or annual price changes).


Simon

I agree on both counts. You are a victim when someone takes the first bite of your apple, a willing participant when they take the second, excluding force/blackmail or the like. The backorder situation is just my feeling, likely trumped by the "contractual agreement" here. I see Grizzly's POV in that they agree to hold the place in line (not the price) but the buyer is not held to buying nor paying money upfront. I think most of us are used to the common practice of paying the price set when a backorder is placed but when the wholesale price of the good jumps 25% plus an increase in raw materials price it is hard to expect the price to be held (unless contractually obligated and even then there are situations it could be broken). However, I understand if a consumer blacklists a vendor for this, I know I have for less substantive reasons. The good news is that those that are in a backorder situation may have to wait long enough that the tariffs no longer in place...

[julian abram]

Weird. I was setting here reading this thread and noticed an email popped up from Grizzly that my G0490X jointer has shipped. Order date was 12/27/2017. I guess with the tariff deal enough of you fellows cancelled out that I made top of the list. I've certainly thought about cancelling dozens of times but even with the tariff it's still the least expensive 8" spiral parallelogram jointer I can find.

[Van Huskey]

I've certainly thought about cancelling dozens of times but even with the tariff it's still the least expensive 8" spiral parallelogram jointer I can find.

You are correct, even with the tariff the closest pricewise 8" parallelogram jointer with a spiral head is a good bit more more.

[Shiraz Balolia]

Update - we were able to clear about 11 containers of mostly backordered items like planers and jointers just a few hours before the tariffs went into effect last Friday.

Even though some of those containers have still not reached our facility (train, truck from port and so on) we will be charging the customers that are in line the old prices. Some of these products have shipped and others are shipping as we speak, and some will ship next week, all at the old prices. Those customers will not be called unless there is an issue with their payment method (like cards expiring etc.)

More tariffs have been announced on products from China and those are supposed to go into effect in September. No-one knows if the tariffs are here to stay or not, but we have also been receiving price increases from "big name" vendors whose products come from China.

[julian abram]

Shiraz, thank you for the explanation on the tariff & shipments. After receiving the shipping notice last night I was pleasantly surprised to see the invoice amount was still the Dec. order price with no tariff charge. Glad I hadn't told the wife about the tariff.