Posted 2022-01-31 3:33 PM (#185149) Subject: What do you expect a Dealer to disclose when purchasing a Trailer?
New User
Posts: 4
Location: Montana
Recently purchased a trailer from a dealer and due to distance could not get there to look at it myself. I had multiple photos and multiple conversations with the dealer on condition of trailer. They disclosed some minor scratches/dents which were expected given the year and assured me the trailer was solid and had gone through their shop to make sure everything was working . They are a reputable dealer and have great reveiws and given the market we decided to purchase and shipped the trailer home. When we got it, we discovered some extensive hail damage on the aluminum roof that was never disclosed to us. The dealer indicated it was in the photos but in looking at those photos again, it would be really hard to pick that up unless you knew it was there. I feel like they misrepresented the trailer , and the sales person admitted he didn't notice it . They aren't willing to do anything and I feel like they took advantage of the buying sight unseen thing, even though I asked all the questions about condition of the trailer , exept hail damage specficially) They are basically stating that in the midwest 80% of the trailers have hail damage and its costmetic so no one does anything about it. My feeling is they should have disclosed this and let the decision to purchase with hail damage be mine.
Posted 2022-02-01 7:11 AM (#185151 - in reply to #185149) Subject: RE: What do you expect a Dealer to disclose when purchasing a Trailer?
Veteran
Posts: 113 Location: Wi
IMO...In an ideal world, I would expect a dealer to disclose that there was hail damage. Only problem is we don't live in an ideal world and it has only gotten worse. My thoughts are that if you didn't buy it someone else would have (due to lack of inventory) so I wouldn't say they took advantage of you because you were out of state. It is more of a lack of details on the dealership side.
It seems like it hails everytime we are in SD. You don't mention the manufacturer of the trailer. Some have sheets of alumimum and some are one piece. I had a hail claim on a 4Star (one piece of aluminum) with a Trail Boss LQ. Both Trail Boss and 4Star said tha the LQ had to be removed to replace the roof. The cost to fix was close to the value of the trailer so we elected to take the settlement and not fix it. You can't see the dents in the LQ and the horses don't care.
Back to your trailer. Can you get a better trailer for the same price? If so, you can take them to court for mis-representation but that will cost you and you may not win. If not, sorry to say it was an expensive lesson. I would inspect the roof to make sure any coating/caulking hasn't been chipped off around seams and rivits.
One last thing. Does it have a clean title? Sometimes if there is a large payout from the insurance company they will do a salvage title. If it has a salvage title you have more ammunition to go back to the dealer.
Posted 2022-02-01 8:17 AM (#185152 - in reply to #185149) Subject: RE: What do you expect a Dealer to disclose when purchasing a Trailer?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 720
Well, if it was in the pictures, albeit maybe difficult to see, then it was disclosed. Sorry, that's just my opinion. But I buy from online auctions regularly, and know that the pictures are the best description.
But- I'm also in the southeast, and it seems that every trailer more than a few years old has some hail damage. The shop I go by often replaces a couple or three roofs every year for this (when really bad or the insurance co requires it), but they give out a ton of estimates for replacement that doesn't get done. Folks pocket the $$ and keep driving it. Like the OP said, You can't see from the LQ and the horses don't care. And then, there are folks who never knew it happened until someone else points it out. It is just considered normal to see some hail damage, so it doesn't get pointed out.
If yours isn't really bad, I personally wouldn't stress over it. But to each his own. Hopefully the trailer suits you in all the other ways. And given the market right now, other than delivery fees, you can likely get your money back out of it if you wish.
Posted 2022-02-01 8:46 AM (#185153 - in reply to #185151) Subject: RE: What do you expect a Dealer to disclose when purchasing a Trailer?
New User
Posts: 4
Location: Montana
@RustyScupper- Your right, not an ideal world. I guess my expectations might have been a bit hight. As far as I know title is clean. BUt I may do some more investigation on that end. The trailer is one piece , Exiss.. I do realize the cost of fixing a one piece is very high and unlikely to be done by most people. However, Most dealers will take a $3-4K off trade in value if someone is trying to trade something in with this sort of damage. It certainly wasn't at a price point to reflect that .
Posted 2022-02-01 9:04 AM (#185154 - in reply to #185152) Subject: RE: What do you expect a Dealer to disclose when purchasing a Trailer?
New User
Posts: 4
Location: Montana
Thanks for the response. Buying from auctions is a little different than buying from a dealer that has a trailer priced at full retail for the market right now. I guess hail damage is a common issue in many parts of the country .I also get that its cosmetic and the horses don't care , as long as it doesn't affect the usability of the unit. Unfortunately, unless you knew specifically that those were dents in the photos, its easily mistaken for odd lighting/shadows so I don't agree that by simply providing the photos is full disclosure. so for example the picture of the air conditioning unit or water heater could be provided and yet not be in working order at all. Is that full disclosure in that case? Aluminum is also hard to photograph as it reflects things .Lesson learned. Next time I purchase from any dealer I will request a live video walk through if its from afar. Seems like honesty and integrity are a thing of the past.
Posted 2022-02-01 10:25 AM (#185155 - in reply to #185149) Subject: RE: What do you expect a Dealer to disclose when purchasing a Trailer?
Veteran
Posts: 113 Location: Wi
ACER75 - you are correct honesty and integrity is a thing of the past. Pricing to reflect hail damage is subjective as prices of everything is so inflated right now. (ie: car dealers charging more than MSRP and adding a 2K fee on top for customer care package that you can't waive even if you are purchasing out of state).
I have lowered my expectations to a 5 out of a 1-10 scale. If I get over a 5 it is icing on the cake.
Best of luck what you deceide to do, go thru court system or keep the trailer. If you like the trailer might be easier to accept the situation and enjoy the trailer.
Posted 2022-02-05 11:12 AM (#185157 - in reply to #185149) Subject: RE: What do you expect a Dealer to disclose when purchasing a Trailer?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 720
You know what I find funny here is how it seems to be a one way street. I was at a trailer shop this week listening to a service guy complaining about the shape of a trade in trailer. It came from hundreds of miles away, so all done with pics and descriptions. Described as a "really nice like new trailer" had hail damage (but most do), an awning that needed a cloth, a refrigerator that wouldn't work on gas, the brakes were shot, and a soft spot in the floor of the LQ. The owner's only response was, "oh- yeah that's all been that way for a while. But I don't use the awning or run the fridge except on electric". But he/she still expected the same amount of trade in after they'd driven 400 miles. I hadn't really given it much thought before, but the Svc Mgr said they find obvious issues all the time on trade-ins- that had been represented as in great shape. So maybe no one needs to "buy" a trailer without seeing it first, a single user or a dealer.
What do you expect a Dealer to disclose when purchasing a Trailer?
