Complaint Review: Hull Porter Trailers - Braddyville IA

From BBB Complaint #300155201.

I live 334 miles or 6-hours driving time one-way from this problem business. Hull Porter Trailers has acknowledged their poor workmanship is the problem after reviewing the photos.

They have already offered to refund my $3160 price of the trailer...if I deliver the trailer to them. That means ANOTHER 12-hours (round trip) drive. I would also have the expenses of fuel and my time to return the item. They refuse to pickup the trailer themselves. They refuse to reimburse any of my other actual expenses. In addition to transportation costs, I have paid Missouri Sale Tax and titling fees of $247.11. Also, Missouri license fee of $56. These total $303.11. I have receipts.

Therefore, I seek resolution by (1) FULL restitution of ALL my actual expenses to-date due to their acknowledged poor workmanship. (2) Hull Trailer or their agent is to retrieve this trailer for return purposes in a timely manner, not me.

Summary:

$3,160.00 trailer and options

$247.11 sales tax and fees

$56.00 license

$96.83 fuel

$0 my HOURS dealing with this mess

$3,559.94 total actual expenses to-date

Seller: "I have not been allowed personal access to the trailer to ascertain how this 'damage' occurred."

Buyer: Okay, I hereby grant the seller or his agent to come onto my property to inspect and remove this poorly constructed Hull trailer. All he had to do was ask plus I'll put it in writing if needed. This sounds like one of his "standard lines" to me. Seller's Lie #1. There is NO damage. Just poor workmanship and materials sold by Huller Trailers. The seller has seen pictures of the defective areas. (Please see attached pictures.) He would not agree to take a new trailer back if I had damaged it...guarantee. Nor would I expect him to.

Seller: "The customer came to our location and spent nearly an hour inspecting the trailer before purchasing it."

Buyer: Seller's Lie #2. I was there maybe 45 minutes maximum. That includes a rest room break, paperwork and waiting for an optional wench tube. I measured the trailer, kicked the tires and assisted with the lights being hooked-up. I talked to an employee about how to mount the wench tube. The employee hitched it to my truck, which I did not check. He did not connect the safety chain correctly. Miles down the road, I checked to find this safety chain dragging on the pavement. Of course, the chain is damaged. Another very minor example of the sloppy workmanship by Hull. Being in the trailer business, you would think they could connect a trailer correctly. They even fail with a simple customer delivery.

I did not realize that I was a professional trailer inspector or that buying from Hull requires a professional to be present. I did not crawl under the trailer because I trusted (my huge error) the seller's website information bragging about their "Six-Stage" prep and paint process and quality steel. This painting process is another outright LIE that the public needs to know about, and I hope to inform them. Please read it for yourself under "Compare Us"..."The Biggest Lies in the Trailer Business!" They do not perform this process and my defective trailer more than proves it. It's only cheap talk on their part. On that same webpage, they brag about the quality of the steel used in their trailers. Well, simply look at the pictures of this "fine quality" steel after only SIX DAYS of my ownership. Just more lies from Hull. (The trailer has not been wet since I owned it.) Do you see the pattern here? Cut corners, lie and profit from their trusting customers.

Seller: "I have offered him 100% his money back upon returning the trailer here, where HE picked it up. He has refused to do so, up to this point."

Buyer: The truth from Mr. Hull for once. This purchase situation is different from a return at your local store. It is a product that has to be licensed. At your local store, they would also reimburse the sales tax paid. Plus, I am 334 miles away from Hull Trailer, that is a six hour one-way drive. I came to Hull once in good faith. Mr. Hull took my money and let me down. It is Hull's turn to come to me and retrieve this defective trailer. Plus, reimburse my sales tax, license fees and fuel.

The main issue is a steel frame corrosion problem. What if the frame breaks while pulling the trailer? This could be a dangerous situation. I don't want to be responsible for possible injury to other people or other's property when Hull Trailers let me leave their facility with a defective product. I don't want to visit a doctor myself. This is their responsibility now and their risk. I paid them for a factory-new non-defective product which I didn't get. Hull should come get it and make me whole financially.

Frankly, I have never, in the 25 years of building and supplying over 150,000 trailers have encountered a more resolutely dishonest person. I apologize, but this is nothing short of extortion and coercion. But, instead of a gun, or knife, he is attempting to sully by good name.

I am referring this matter to my attorneys and will be filing a slander suit upon this individual posthaste. I will also supply your office with the legally binding warranty agreement that Mr. Harris GLADLY signed.

My only advice to him at this point is to drop this matter or pay for his dishonesty in the court system. I apologize and am ashamed that you great people had to be a party to this con.

Sincerely,

Craig Hull

Owner and President

No worries here, it's not slander if it is the truth. I stand on every word that I have written. And the pictures were not altered in any way. I wonder just how quick a judge would throw-out this slander lawsuit? Mr. Hull just doesn't like negative feedback, which I understand.

I do appreciate his offer to reimburse the purchase price. But I have more invested.

The buying public needs to know that "it's Hull's way or the highway" with any problem. Plus, Mr. Hull is super quick to get his attorney involved when agreement could be easily reached.

What would be VERY interesting is to have a qualified chemist analyze the Hull steel for chemicals used in the bragged upon "Six-Stage" prep/paint process?

Again, Hull is being called out for the old trailer industry formula. Cut corners, lie about it and then profit. Any fair court could see what has happened here.