Complaint Review: Henderson Auctions - Livingston Louisiana

I trusted Henderson Auction Company to be truthful, honest and forthcoming with the advertising of their travel trailers so I bought one on Sept 11,2013 because it sounded like it was in excellent condition as advertised and without defects because none were listed.

Henderson Auction company is one of the biggest auction companies in the world and bought over 25,000 trailers from the government that were leftover from Katrina. So they paid dirt cheap prices for trailers that the tax payer had bought for Katrina victims.

Jeff McCon is in charge of the travel trailer division at Henderson Auctions, he takes the photos and writes the descriptions.

Through AuctionTime.com I bought a 2006 Thor Industries Dutchmen 29Q because the trailer looked like it was in excellent condition and I read their Detailed Description which stated- " Excellent Overall Interior Condition" which lead me to believe it was and so I bought it. The trailer was sold "as is" so I believe "as is" advertised in "Excellent Overall Interior Condition" and without defects because they didn't list any.

It also read-" We attempt to fully disclose but may not include all defects. We recommend viewing trailers prior to bidding." I live in California so its a little hard to drive all the way to Louisiana to view the trailer so I trusted that the company was being trustworthy, honest and forthcoming with their descriptions and advertisements. They didn't list any defects so it lead me to believe that it didn't have any or just minor ones. I sure didn't suspect any obvious ones or serious ones or they would have been listed. So it lead me to believe it didn't have any defects or at least serious and obvious ones so it lead me to buy it.

I bought the trailer and hired a trustworthy transporter to deliver the trailer to me in California. Before he got 100 miles from the auction site he had a blowout because all 4 tires were dry rotted. Something that was not listed as a defect on their description. I had to buy a rim and 5 new tires so the trailer could safely be towed on the road.

I received the trailer a couple of days later and started going through the trailer. Remember they advertised-"We attempt to fully disclose but description may not include all defects." Well there were all kinds of very obvious defects that they intentional did not attempt to disclose because they didn't list one defect. In fact they attempted to hide several defects which is very deceitful.

Some of the defects- Refrigerator door was broken but they had it taped up for the photos, tires were dry rotted, vents were broken, holes in floor, bedroom door was broken, locks were broken and missing, window screens were torn, window parts broken, stains on floor and cushions, stove wire broken and knob missing, mold and mildew, rusted frame, wood frame dry rotted, ceiling has water damage which they tried to cover up with panels, frame between ceiling and roof is dry rotted, they covered up dry rot, mold and mildew damage in storage compartment with panels, they covered up dry rot in the frame with panels, there are broken vents on the roof, roof covering is dry rotted and more.

So they didn't only intentional not list the defects but intentional covered them up. So their statement-" We attempt to fully disclose but descriptions may not include all defects" was a "LIE", very deceitful and dishonest because there were several major obvious defects they could have listed but didn't.

I paid $4700.00 plus a credit card fee of $141.00 which makes the total $4841.00. Plus Approximately $1900.00 for shipping and Approximately $708.00 for a rim and tires.

Basically the false advertising of this trailer has cost me approximately $7449.00 so far but thousands more would need to be put in it to get it in the condition that they advertised it, described it and repair all the defects that they did not list. And make it enjoyable to stay in.

I am a ex-Marine and Disabled Gulf War Vet that served my country honorable in war time so I can't afford to be ripped off by big companies like this. My income is limited and I have a wife and four kids to take care of.

We planned to use this trailer to get away once in a while, see the country, relax and releave some stress which helps with the wartime disabilities I suffer from.

Jeff McCon (Travel Trailer Sales Manager) offered to swap out trailers but he doesn't want to send me any photos of the trailer that he would swap out with me. It also sounded like they don't have a trailer that fits the description of what they advertised- "Excellent Overall Interior Condition" and  without defects because they didn't list any defects.

Plus I would be stuck with the expenses of driving to Louisana and back which adds to the cost of what I am really paying for the trailer.

I have filed a complaint with the Louisana Attorney General but I don't know if that will do much good because Louisana has a reputation in being very corrupt and not taking care of consumers. This is a simple case of false advertising and fraud which would be easy for the AG to prove if they investigated. I think they would discover there has been a lot of false advertising and fraud committed by Henderson Auctions in regards to these trailers. They simple need to get the records of each trailer, see what was adertised and compare it to what the actually trailer looks like and the actual defects listed or not listed to the defects the trailers actually have or do not have.

I have also disputed the charge with Chase Credit Card Company which has been very helpful. When I told Jeff McCon this he said, that if the payment doesn't go through, he will report the trailer stolen and that I am the thief.

Henderson Auctions and Jeff McCon must believe it is OK to false advertise, not be honest and forthcoming because if they did they could correct the wrong that they have committed and take full responsibilty by not fighting the dispute with the credit card company, reinburse me for the rim and tires and shipping cost for the trailer.