Northern Tool + EquipmentReviews 280

My air compressor went down, and I was at first relieved to discover that Northern Tool in nearby Arnold, MO, serviced compressors. I took my compressor to them and ante'd up the $35 diagnostic fee. Eight days later, I got a call from Tim, the technician. Tim informed me that he had spoken with the Makita parts warehouse, and that the only part available for my tool was the complete compressor/electric motor assembly, which cost $400. (My compressor retails for $359 brand new.) I was skeptical, so I looked on the internet and found a bunch of companies which sold the individual parts necessary for rebuilding my compressor. I called Tim back and informed him of my discovery. His reaction was that he would have to charge me 60% more for the parts if he bought them on the internet. I asked him if I could buy the parts on the web so he could repair my compressor, and he told me that he could not guarantee the work if I did that. He also said, "Plus, it comes as a unit, and I would have to take it apart to fix it"! Really, Tim? Gee, I never expected that you would have to actually take it apart to repair it! I will let the reader draw their own conclusions from these facts. As for me, it cost me $35 to learn my lesson, and I still have a broken down compressor. I'm never going back to Northern Tool. You shouldn't either.

I ordered a set of electronic ear muffs. The specifications were confirmed with Northern Tool customer service prior to ordering. I specifically stated I was interested in Bluetooth compatible ones. They assured me that the info on their website was accurate. The price was good, so I went ahead and ordered.

After receiving my order it was pretty clear that the muffs did not have Bluetooth (no instructions in the manual for this feature). I talked to NT and they said I must be mistaken and basically threw me over the fence to the manufacturer. They insisted the manufacturer maintained this specific webpage in question. After going back and forth with the manufacturer it was confirmed that these were not BT ear muffs. The manufacturer also was not sure why NT was advertising them as such.

Back to NT. Customer service said I could exchange them for a set of muffs that had all the same specs +BT (basically what was advertised), but I now would have to pay them $20 more. So $20 more to get what they were advertising in the first place. I declined. They then offered to swap them for ear muffs that were $40 cheaper (with much less features). I declined this "solution" as well and opted for a refund.

Refund took several weeks.

I removed myself from their mailing list & took them off the approved vendor list at work.

Horrible to deal with. Ordered an axle which arrived 2 days later than they stated. Spring mounts were missing and neither threaded end of the axle was covered. Left in the dirt by the shipper. Ordered on June 24th arrived July 2nd. Customer service was notified about the missing pieces on July 2nd. Zero response when I called over and over for an update and notification that they received my pictures.
Finally after 15 phone calls and a complaint to the president of the company they called me back on July 11th and told me the axle manufacturer couldn't find any request from Nothern to send out the parts and they would be sent that day.
July 16th I received notice from the axle manufacturer Dexter that the part would arrive on the 18th. Thanks AL the president and the rest of the company for the worst purchasing experience I have ever had. I see how you have earned a 2.2 review on Google.

I've read some of the reviews and are similar experiences as I had recently. I ordered online some tool bits, order went through and got a confirmation email. Checked my credit card and there was a pending from NT. After ONE MONTH of not receiving my order, I contacted CS with my order number. They said they had cancelled it but never notified me. Also that I could buy it again, but paying more than TWICE than I had payed! I complained and they simply answered "we can modify our prices whenever we want". SO now they have all my information to SCAM me with their junk mail, also my address AND my CREDIT CARD information to sell to hackers. THIS JOINT SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN, STAY AWAY FROM NT LIKE THE PLAGUE!

After spending 5 weeks trying to fix a faulty starter button and failing at every turn, ordering the wrong part 3 different times. Then the repair staff said they didn't want to work on it anymore and they have returned it to me in pieces, charged me nearly 200 dollars in labor and gave me back a still not working generator that is in multiple pieces. When I advised them that I would file a grievance through my credit card company for their failures, they stated that they would not accept my credit card as a form of legal payment and are telling me that they will only accept cash.

Is this the type of business you really want to do business with? Stay away from them, they are cheats and have lied multiple times outright over the last 5 weeks.

Dishonest, incompetent and flat out thieves.

Consider yourself warned

I will never buy from Northern Tool again. They are totally incompetent and have absolutely no interest in solving the customer's problem, even when it is caused by them.

Save your money and shop elsewhere.

+++

I bought some items from Northern Tool through two orders placed in response to an email marketing message notifying me of a sale they were having.

The suggested delivery dates came and went so I emailed customer "care" asking if there was a revised delivery date.

Rather than just admitting that they'd overlooked my order, I was told that they had just cancelled my order. When I challenged why they had done this rather than just fulfill it they said that there was a problem with the delivery address.

I send them a screenshot of the order as placed showing that there was no error with the delivery address.

Customer "care" then changed their story do a different fictitious excuse - now it was allegedly due problem with my payment. Again I sent a screen shot showing the transaction as having been approved by PayPal with the funds still sitting available for them to complete the transaction.

Now the customer "care" excuse changed to that they couldn't see the status on their screens so there would not help me further and I would need to re-do the order.

I asked if Northern Tool would honor the sale pricing as the error was clearly on their side. Customer "care"s response that it was my problem that they had messed up my orders and that I would need to re-purchase my items at the non-sale price. Despite several messages suggesting that in the circumstances it would be reasonable to ask that they take my order on the original terms, they flatly refused to do this. Their position was that the cost of their mistake was going to be my responsibility.

I told them that they had lost a customer for life and that I had no interest in doing business with them.

These people simply don't care about the buyer and just invent bogus reasons for their own incompetence.

It would have been simple matter just to admit that there had been a glitch and that they'd get things back on track and I would have been perfectly happy.

But their approach to taking care of the customer is to blame the buyer for their incompetence and expect the consumer to cover the cost of their mistakes.

You would be well advised to AVOID this company and shop somewhere that handles service issues professionally, and which does not invent false excuses for their own inadequacies.

This year I have purchased over $1200 in merchandise from Northern Tool. Recently, I ordered work bench on December 2,2018 to be delivered to store on December 11,2018 for a project to be completed buy December 16. Called store on 11th, order not in. Store said call back the next day, order still not come in. Store said check back in on 15th, I also called Customer Service and store with no satisfaction, order not come in. Store said check back in another 2 days, called Customer Service and store, order still not come in. I called customer service, they said to wait another day and that the order had been delivered to a warehouse (7 miles) near me on December 7, but it still did not come into store. By this time it's a week past delivery date of December 11. No offer or satisfaction received from Customer Service or the store to resolve this matter of late delivery. Eventually I received a notice on December 23,2018 that my order was at store. This is way past the December 11 delivery date. The work bench had been on pallets from December 7 to December 23!

On December 27,2018 I had not picked up order. Extremely upset. Called Customer Service the would not let me talk to someone in management. Customer Service offers $7 dollars of order or $10 off next order. I said I will not be ordering anything else from Northern Tool because of how Customer Service handled my order. Customer Service seemed not to care if they lost a customer. I felt offended with their offer and being refused to be able to talk with a manager. I'M THROUGH WITH NORTHERN TOOL

Do not order from this company! We placed an order for tool boxes over $1800. 00 worth on 12/14/18 to be delivered on 12/20/18. On 12/21/18 with no show we contacted the company customer service only to be told they had no idea where it was, who it was shipped by or what the tracking number was. I was told she would call me back. Never did. I made several more calls only to be transferred to customer service over and over again because the phone number for customer service on my receipt is apparently not customer service. Each time being placed on hold for over 20 min. Because of the Christmas holiday I had to wait till the next business opened date. I called again. Same story. I emailed Alan in Customer Service, same story. I called again the next day and was told the Manufacture company that was suppose to have "shipped" my order was canceled and again they did not know where it was, no shipping company name and no tracking number. I was also told they would not charge my card until it was "shipped" the card was charged before Christmas. I contacted them again on 12/26/18 still same story. By 12/27/18 I am fed up and requested my funds be returned as I was able to located the boxes I need from a much more reliable Company. Now I am told I cannot get my money back and if I refuse the shipment they will charge me 15% for refusal of something they don't even know where it is!
Now as of 12/27/18 at 2:11pm I am told it was shipped on 12/26/18 - and may or may not be delivered on 1-3-2019. Imagine that! Yesterday they knew nothing. The people in customer service I have spoke with are Lisa, Hattie, and Alan, Requested a manager but they would not give me that information. Trust me - Stay away from this Company, there are many others out there that want your business.

DO NOT SHOP AT NORTHERN TOOL! If you have any last minute Christmas shopping to do, DO NOT shop at Northern Tool & Equipment! I bought a brand new 3300 psi pressure washer 9 days ago and the pump leaked water into the pump oil reservoir causing it to leak oil onto the ground and most likely ruining the pump! Same thing as having water in your engine oil! Now it has a warranty and I even bit on the extended warranty up-sale they push so hard for, bring it back expecting they would swap it for a new one, hey it's just NINE days old! Nope! They want to look it over and most likely just replace the seal and then I have a pump that most likely will not last because of water in the oil! I have spent THOUSANDS of dollars with this company over the years but that won't happen again! Home Depot, Lowe's, Stein's even Walmart would have exchanged it! Spend your money where you get service, not at Northern Tool! Especially not the one on Ambassador Caffery in Lafayette La.

After a few more emails to northern tool they did make things right and I am happy with the out come. Thanks northern tool and the one customer service women that I finally got that wanted to help me out, they have at lease one good person there.

Purchased a air compressor for home use received a e-rebate 6/28/18 for $200.00 made 1 purchase, balance $163.00, went to local store 11/15/ to purchase item; told date on form 10/31/18 was a expiration date, no reference to what date is. Called customer service told date would be extended till 11/21/18 but store would haft to call to process. Returned 11/16/18 to complete purchase customer supervisor denied claim. Reason for delay in use wife sick for 3 months than passed. Order # was *******