horse trailer HORROR
chap...@earthlink.net
dreams, but it turned out to be a nightmare. Read our diary and view
our photos.
http://home.earthlink.net/~chaplady
Carl and Liz
Hayward
Barb
DryIceRulz
trailer i've ever had! no problems out of it, and it tows wonderfully! sorry to
hear about all your problems and frustrations!
--amy
Kris Anderson
You've convinced me. I'll stay far, far away from Hawks, and would
never consider another piece of junk Bison. We currently have a
Featherlite and a Sooner, and they've both been fine, so far.
Kris
--
Kris Anderson
Williamstown, MA
Wendy S
> You've convinced me. I'll stay far, far away from Hawks, and would
> never consider another piece of junk Bison. We currently have a
> Featherlite and a Sooner, and they've both been fine, so far.
There's probably a horror story out there about every brand... FWIW, they
always seem to be about custom work, not usually the stock models. I
figure the workers get enough practice on the stock models and have more
problems with one-off jobs.
For instance, here's one about a Featherlite:
http://www.axwoodfarm.com/SkyRanchFeatherlite.shtml
--
Wendy in Chandler, AZ
Texas rider
What a terrible story. I suggest you take out some ads in some horse
magazines like Western Horseman and Trail Rider Magazine (ones that do
a big business in LQ trailers advertising). They don't have to be big
ads, just classified ads that say something like "Read why you
shouldn't buy a Hawk trailer." Then the URL. Maybe take out a few ads
in program directories for various horse expos. Then mail these
peopple copies of the magazines with the ads in them. Ought to get
their attention. It's not liable if it's true. A reputable company
would get this fixed and reimburse you promptly.
CG
Heather Fair
<chap...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:f3cc9951.03011...@posting.google.com...
You've done a fine job logging your history with these companies. Sorry you
had so much trouble. I'd suggest adding a hit counter to your site and
mailing these companies the URL so that they can see just how many people
are reading about these incidents.
Better luck next time,
Heather Fair
Wasilla, AK
hoofinitnorth.com
HHamp5246
>magazines like Western Horseman and Trail Rider Magazine (ones that do
>a big business in LQ trailers advertising). They don't have to be big
>ads, just classified ads that say something like "Read why you
>shouldn't buy a Hawk trailer."
Be sure you have a good lawyer if you do that.....you'll need it. Oh, and tons
of money for the court costs and lawyer fees.
Hunter
Mary McHugh
> What a terrible story. I suggest you take out some ads in some horse
> magazines like Western Horseman and Trail Rider Magazine (ones that do
> a big business in LQ trailers advertising). They don't have to be big
> ads, just classified ads that say something like "Read why you
> shouldn't buy a Hawk trailer." Then the URL. Maybe take out a few ads
> in program directories for various horse expos. Then mail these
> peopple copies of the magazines with the ads in them. Ought to get
> their attention. It's not liable if it's true. A reputable company
> would get this fixed and reimburse you promptly.
>
> CG
Carol, suggesting this is going way over the top. Even if the story is
100% accurate, this person will most likely need a pile of money to
defend themselves in court. BTW, it's libel, not liable.
Secondly, we only have 1/2 the story. I'm not suggesting this person is
lying or hasn't accurately related the story but in this country we
usually like to hear both sides before we rush to judgement.
Mary
Kris Anderson
> Kris Anderson wrote:
>
> > You've convinced me. I'll stay far, far away from Hawks, and would
> > never consider another piece of junk Bison. We currently have a
> > Featherlite and a Sooner, and they've both been fine, so far.
>
> There's probably a horror story out there about every brand... FWIW, they
> always seem to be about custom work, not usually the stock models. I
> figure the workers get enough practice on the stock models and have more
> problems with one-off jobs.
That may be exactly it, since the piece of junk Bison we had was a
custom trailer. Two things weren't warrantied on it, the paint and
the jack. The paint peeled off within the first year and the jack
broke the first time we used it.
My theory was that they knew when they painted it that it was custom
so wouldn't be sitting on the lot long enough for the paint to peel
off. They never even primed it. Just slapped paint on over bare
metal
Course what really bothers me isn't so much the shoddy workmanship,
but companies' responses to the complaints.
> For instance, here's one about a Featherlite:
> http://www.axwoodfarm.com/SkyRanchFeatherlite.shtml
And if I had read this before I bought the Featherlite I never would
have bought one.
Texas rider
Yes, I know you're right, but he has already put it on the internet.
However, he hasn't coded it well enough that anyone is actually going
to be able to find it, most likely, which is a shame because somebody
else is going to have the same thing happen to them. He's been lucky
so far that they and their horses haven't been killed.
He can certainly do a couple of things. One is sue someone in small
claims court for the repair work. Probably easiest to sue the repair
shop since it is nearby, but he'd need to check with the lawyer. The
amount is small enough to do that and it is very inexpensive _ in
Texas it costs only $35 to file a claim. Even if they do not want to
pay him, a lien will be placed on their property and they will
eventually be forced to pay him.
The other thing I would not hesitate to do if this happened to me, is
call Seven on your Side, a local t.v. station that has this segment.
When someone is screwed by a local business, they will run a story.
They expose these jerks for what they are. Usually the people are
shamed into refunding money, performing the service, etc. It is also
free and very damaging to a business. Possibly he has something like
that in his area.
Or, if he doesn't like that idea, he could pitch story to a horse
magazine with a slant on what can go wrong in trailer buying. I'm not
sure they'd bite since they all advertise trailers, but he could
certainly discuss it with an editor and see if they want to do a story
on deceptive trailer sales. It would actually be of interest to a lot
of people. In that story he'd probably be mentioned, but someone else
would be assigned to write it.
CG
R&SB
While I have had rust problems with my CornPro, it's very stoutly
built, unlike the Bisons I've seen which are flimsy in comparison.
BTW, I just scraped, primed and painted my CornPro last fall.
It looks like a new trailer!
Doing a home painting job isn't difficult, just time consuming and
tedious. I painted it with a brush since I didn't care about the brush
marks, I just wanted to get rid of the rust. I used oil based tractor
paint and it looks just fine.
Sue
"Kris Anderson" <kan...@ephs.org> wrote in message
news:90870af.03011...@posting.google.com...
Claudia Wheatley
> news:90870af.03011...@posting.google.com...
> > Wendy S <wend...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:<efJU9.25402$hE3.1...@news1.west.cox.net>...
> > Course what really bothers me isn't so much the shoddy workmanship,
> > but companies' responses to the complaints.
This is a make-or-break factor in my decision to go back to a
manufacturer. For example:
Case history #1: I returned a shirt for a larger size to Drysdale's, a
Western wear catalog. The shirt in question was out of stock, and I had
to call to tell them what to do next. Spent 15 minutes on a busy weekday
night listening to a recording assuring me that my call WAS important.
Hung up and fired off an angry email to the company. Four business days
later, I got a nice email apologizing and acknowledging that their
staffing levels weren't up to the volume of calls they receive. Feathers
smoothed. I shall return.
Case history #2: Deeply unhappy with the condition of my new-last-summer
Circle Y show saddle, I wrote a letter of complaint to the company. That
was six weeks ago. Haven't heard from them yet. I am looking into other
saddle makers for a replacement and have counseled two people thus far
against buying a new Circle Y.
C
Claudia Wheatley, Ithaca, NY
"Paradise is exactly like/where you are right now
Only much, much better." --Laurie Anderson
JJ
Geez...this place is in my neck of the woods. Not planning to
purchase a trailer real soon but when I do...I'll avoid these folks!
Thx for sharing, JJ
DryIceRulz
>purchase a trailer real soon but when I do...I'll avoid these folks!
>Thx for sharing, JJ
well....this is just one case! of all the trailers these companies produce,
they can't all be perfect! i'm sure people have had the same problems with
sundowner! i have a hawk (2 horse, ramp load with separate tack room) and i
love it. had it 2 years now and no probs. after seeing my trailer, lots of
other people here have also gotten hawks. they pull great, look nice, and
think that they are built well. i'm VERY happy with mine. don't base your
decisions on one problem! just do your own research before you purchase a horse
trailer.
Kris Anderson
Right, and part of that research will include avoiding the dealers,
and the brands of trailers with the poorest customer service records.