ComplaintsforBotten's Equipment Rental Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  06/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My husband rented an equipment trailer from ******** on Sat, 6/3. When he reserved the trailer with the owner's wife, he let her know that he'd be driving 3-4 hours to pick up an excavator.On Saturday, he picked up the trailer from the owner, *****. *****, did the paperwork and then an employee helped him to hitch the trailer. While hitching the trailer, my husband again told him that he was driving a long distance and picking up a heavy piece of equipment. My husband made the incorrect assumption that the spare tire was attached somewhere on the trailer and if not, that the employees would have let him know and provided him with a spare.On Sunday night, as my husband was driving the trailer (now loaded with the excavator) home on the freeway, a tire completely blew out. He discovered quickly that there was no spare on the trailer. We desperately tried to connect with Bottens to get a spare tire and assistance and by a stroke of luck, a mutual connection on ******** sent us the owners wifes phone number.Despite my husband being stranded on the side of the road with a 20+ foot trailer loaded with an excavator in the pouring rain, her recommendation was to try ******* No tire shops were open so after many dead end calls, I demanded that the owners wife help us in some way. She offered that I come to the McMinnville location to pick up a spare tire, an offer which I immediately accepted. I picked up the spares from the owner himself, *****, and drove them to my husband. We then payed $210 for a towing company to replace it since with the excavator loaded, we needed a special jack.Today we returned the trailer and the owner, *****, showed no responsibility or remorse for the incredible danger he put my husband in with his poorly maintained equipment. ***** did not give us any credits for the rental, nor contribute to the cost of changing the tire.

  Business response

  06/12/2024

  This is an unfortunate situation with a tire( which with any rental company would not be covered). In trying to figure out a solution for you guys it did take time and, in the moment, it always seems like forever. We did get you replacement tires and that did take time, because I'm not a tire guy and wanted to make sure they would work for you. I also suggested after talking with your husband to unload the machine or use the machine to lift the trailer off the ground and was told that the machine was not that operable, this could have eliminated someone that you would have to pay to help you and I would have, if needed sent tools to change the tire if you didn't have them. I did stop what I was doing, to help take care of our most important thing, which is our customer, even on a Sunday evening(at no charge). It is not standard practice to have a spare on the trailer mainly because of theft and tires just not coming back.
  In sending out the reservation nothing was said to me about the distance, or a spare tire, or this could have been addressed at that time, this experience could have been different. Knowing he was not talking to the person who made the reservation this information would have been very helpful. Especially having had an issue before with a tire with one of our trailers, I would have been looking the trailer up and down to make sure I was prepared for a long trip knowing exactly where I was headed and what machine weight I was dealing with.
  When asked were he had gone the only answer was "a small town" which doesn't tell me much, also I asked what size machine he had got, and again "a smaller excavator" doesn't help trying to figure out things. Being broke down on I84 on a Sunday is not the most enjoyable thing anyone wants to do. I don't know if he went to ******* or if the machine was too heavy for the trailer. Just don't know.
  Tire's are a ware item and road debris, use in general or a faulty tire can be a problem. We have a tire company come through weekly and our guys check tires and tire pressure's as trailers come and go. This is what we have set up so that we help eliminate tire issues from arising. Obviously this is preventative maintenance but not a 100% cure because of the variables that *** arise. Most rentals are more local trips not long distance and if asked we will always supply a spare. I would rather grab a spare than respond to someone that feels we did nothing. Some things are out of our control but asking when getting a trailer is the time to get a spare, and make sure before leaving it is with you.
  We got you helped out (besides going to ********* and changing the tire). We charged you for one day on the trailer not three, which doesn't even cover the cost of the blown tire. We got you two spare tires to take on Sunday evening and didn't charge anything extra, yet you still wanted to be compensated with money. I think it's an unfortunate situation, a tire blew and a spare was not taken. I am sorry for you guys having to feel stranded but that is not just OUR responsibility, Taking the tire could have saved everyone time and money in the end. To me it seems like an honest mistake in not taking a tire and I feel like we truly helped the best we could given the situation. I'm glad that everyone is home safe.

  Since a refund of $180.00 was the disputed amount, the customer paid $174.87 (one day of use as disclosed at time of rental). Customer used the trailer and returned it after three days this should have totaled $524.61, emergency after hours call to get spare tires $182 for one hour. One tire replacement cost $240. Tires are not covered in the rental contract, these are the customers responsibility. The ********************** would cost $946.61 at a typical rental company, ******** charged one day of use at $174.87. Thank you for the opportunity to share the businesses side of this unfortunate situation

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