Why can’t I buy Milwaukee Tools on Amazon or eBay?
Authorised Milwaukee Dealers – What are the benefits?
Milwaukee Tools have decided to globally implement a selective distribution system for their Milwaukee branded power tools, hand tools, accessories, safety products and consumable items. As an established manufacturer of high-quality products, Milwaukee will only and exclusively supply Authorised Milwaukee Distributors – Protrade being one of their largest and longest-standing in the UK. The world’s fastest growing professional power tool brand is committed to protecting the brand and the overall customer experience. The selective distribution system goes live in Europe at the start of February 2024.
This article investigates what this change means for Milwaukee customers and users in the UK. It will include:
- Milwaukee training to demonstrate expertise and problem-solving ability.
- Authorised Milwaukee depots, stores, and showrooms.
- Changes in Milwaukee warranty conditions.
- Who are Milwaukee approved service and repair agents?
- Can I buy Milwaukee tools from outside the UK?
- Why can’t I buy Milwaukee tools on Amazon or eBay?
- Which is the best place to purchase Milwaukee tools from?
Milwaukee training to demonstrate expertise and problem-solving ability
Authorised Milwaukee Dealers are obligated to receive regular and ongoing training to demonstrate expertise when discussing and selling Milwaukee tools and equipment to plumbers, electricians, installers, joiners, builders and other construction, automotive and engineering related trades. This must be good news for Milwaukee users, as their suppliers or merchants are duty-bound to up their game when it comes to knowledge of the products and ultimately recommend the ideal solutions.
Authorised Milwaukee depots, stores, and showrooms
Authorised Milwaukee Dealers must have a ‘bricks and mortar’ store, where Milwaukee users can see, touch and feel a large proportion of the Milwaukee range, including M12 and M18 cordless power tools, accessories, hand tools, storage and PPE. Protrade ticks this box with depots across the East Midlands with depots at Derby, Nottingham, Mansfield, Burton-on-Trent and Chesterfield, all bursting with Milwaukee stock. Dealers can also distribute Milwaukee products on their own online shops.
Changes in Milwaukee warranty conditions
So, what changes are there in the Milwaukee warranty conditions? Milwaukee will only honour warranty claims on tools and equipment that have been purchased from an Authorised Milwaukee Dealer. Milwaukee offers a comprehensive warranty period for their M12 and M18 power tools, once the tools are registered you get 3 years cover on the tools, 2 years on the batteries and a year on the chargers. Protrade exclusively offer 3 years cover on the tools, batteries and chargers as standard – with no need to register. This has proven popular with the professional trade as any problems tend to occur in the third year, this would still be under warranty as long as they remembered to register their tool that is. The benefit of purchasing your tool from Protrade and potentially requiring a warranty repair, is there would be no requirement to find proof of purchase details or invoices, and warranty certification documents, as we’ll already have it!
Who are Milwaukee approved service and repair agents?
In order to ensure Milwaukee tools are repaired to the highest standards, they have really trimmed down their authorised service partners, so not all Authorised Milwaukee Dealers will have an approved repair centre. As things stand, there are just two Milwaukee approved service agents in mainland UK – Protrade being one of them. Milwaukee power tools can be dropped in to any Protrade Depot for repair whether in Derby, Nottingham, Mansfield, Burton-on-Trent or Chesterfield – or a collection and redelivery service is also available, whether the tool is in or out of warranty. Our four full-time factory-trained fitters always provide excellent service levels, endorsed by Milwaukee themselves!
Can I buy Milwaukee tools from outside the UK?
Authorised Milwaukee Dealers, both in the UK and abroad, are prohibited from importing or exporting Milwaukee tools and equipment, meaning end-users in the UK can only purchase Milwaukee tools and accessories from UK-based dealers. The obvious benefit to Milwaukee users is that all items available to purchase will be guaranteed genuine and certified to the correct UK standards. The wholesale of Milwaukee items is also prohibited, which means that only Authorised Milwaukee Dealers will have access to buying and supplying Milwaukee products.
Why can’t I buy Milwaukee tools on Amazon or eBay?
As part of the selective distribution system, Authorised Milwaukee Dealers – the only companies with access to genuine Milwaukee items – are prohibited to sell Milwaukee branded products via third-party sellers or online marketplaces, such as Amazon, eBay, Mano Mano and Facebook to name just a few. The only place users will be able to buy brand new Milwaukee products online is via Authorised Milwaukee Dealer websites. How will this affect you? The convenience of going straight to your regular online marketplace will go, and Alexa will no longer provide you with updates on where your item is, so the existing Authorised Milwaukee Dealers will need to up their game, when it comes to the Milwaukee online experience, as there will still be competition amongst them. With the significant commission online marketplaces charge for selling items on their platforms, I believe end-users will certainly not pay any more, potentially paying even less.
Which is the best place to purchase Milwaukee tools from?
There is a good selection of Milwaukee distributors in the UK, many of whom have secured Authorised Milwaukee Dealer status, but which one is the best place to purchase Milwaukee tools from? You’re visiting the Protrade website, so it’s no surprise that I’m going to recommend Protrade, but why is this? What does Protrade offer that other Authorised Milwaukee Dealers do not?
Longer Warranty: as stated earlier, Protrade provide a three-year warranty on all component parts of M12 and M18 cordless power tools as standard, which includes the actual tool, the batteries and the charger. The standard ‘extended’ warranty for Milwaukee power tools in the UK, when the tool has been registered, is three years on the tool, two years on the batteries and just one year on the charger, that means you’re getting an extra 50% warranty period on the batteries and an extra 200% on the charger – a UK exclusive when Milwaukee items are purchased from Protrade.
Protrade register the tools on your behalf, to guarantee the warranty extension is applied, and we also hold all purchase information and warranty certification for easy recall. Should the tool fail during the three-year warranty period, there’s no concerns over whether you remembered to extend the warranty when the tool was originally purchased, there’s no requirement to dig out old proof of purchase invoices, and you also don’t need to find any warranty certification either. Simply contact us, and we’ll sort it!
Service & Repair Centre: Protrade are only one of two authorised warranty service agents in mainland UK, and the only Authorised Milwaukee Dealer with an online store for Milwaukee power tools. With a significant choice of where to purchase your Milwaukee tools from in the UK, we feel that the ability to fix and solve problems directly and in-house, gives our customers peace of mind, we’ll support your Milwaukee tool from the cradle to the grave! Nowadays, companies are all too pleased to take your order and hard-earned cash, but when a problem arises, retreat and point you in the direction of someone else to sort it. Providing excellent customer service has been the lifeblood of Protrade since the company was established in 1973, and passing on our customers problems to a third-party is not something we would be comfortable doing, hence investing in a state-of-the-art service and repair facility.
Milwaukee power tools in need of repair or service, can be dropped in to any Protrade Depot. Depots are located around the East Midlands in Derby, Nottingham, Mansfield, Burton-on-Trent and Chesterfield. If you’re not local to any of the Protrade Depots, a collection and redelivery service is also available, whether the tool is in or out of warranty.
Extended Credit: Protrade offer extended credit online, making quality power tools and equipment more affordable by spreading the cost. Klarna’s buy now, pay later finance packages start with order values of just £99 including VAT, all the way up to £8000 including VAT. Application is online, and the decision is instant, enabling orders the be completed for immediate despatch. There is zero interest or hidden charges when spreading payments for up to 6 months, plus there are options to spread the cost for up to three years with an additional APR or Annual Percentage Rate. Visit our Klarna Finance page for more details about buy now, pay later with Klarna.
Klarna cannot be utilised by limited companies, so Protrade also offer extended credit to businesses, with HireBuy. Simply open a trade credit account, and large power tool orders can be spread over an agreed period with no extra cost for up to 6 months. Not only is the capital investment staggered to ease cash flow, at the end of the ‘hire’ period, you keep the tools!
HireBuy+ Fleet Agreement: Protrade offer a contract agreement, which is perfect for larger organisations with fleet requirements. HireBuy+ is a complete tool management and maintenance programme that enables companies to use the latest professional tools and equipment, without a large upfront cash investment and for a fixed budget cost. Comparable to the Hilti Fleet Management proposition, HireBuy+ also offers unique benefits that overcome pitfalls of other fleet arrangements including:
- No upfront cash investment or deposit required.
- Fixed monthly cost for the entire HireBuy+ period.
- Two-year agreement as opposed to three years.
- Option for on-site emergency back-up fleet for immediate exchange.
- Option to bolt-on additional tools to the original agreement, with the same end-date.
- Option to terminate the agreement early or reduce the number of tools.
- Option to return the tools, or keep the tools, at the end of the period.
HireBuy+ has proven popular with companies that want to eliminate unpredictable costs, time consuming tool administration and downtimes. The option to keep the tools at the end of the contract period, at no extra cost, has also been a hugely positive differential when compared to other fleet management agreements that are available in the UK.
For more details about Protrade’s HireBuy and HireBuy+ power tool propositions, please fill out your details below.
Joint Managing Director, Protrade
Craig has over 30 years of experience at Protrade, working in various departments including sales, procurement, and marketing, and ultimately becoming Managing Director in 2008. Following the merger of Protrade and Joinery Fit-Out Supplies in 2018, Craig is now the joint MD of the company.
