Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers - Buyer beware!

[jk96]

All stated by GeauxLSU

- Bought a tractor from them (basically new 15 hours) and it was raining like crazy that day so inspection was not practical.
- This was/is my first tractor. I wouldn't have known the difference by looking at them.
- I tried to get someone more knowledgeable than I to accompany me but during the week, it's a lot to ask, but being such a large company I assumed.....and of course I needn't say more.
- Now I guess I need to figure out if the warranty is actually still in effect, since again, it's what they posted....
- I'm assuming mine was a repo since the seat shows sun damage (meaning it's been sitting somewhere for a long while) and it's an '05 with those few hours but who knows.

Enough said for me. A whole lot of assumptions that make it kinda hard to come down too hard on RB. I've driven my tractor with no cab in 5 degree weather, sleet, snow, and even rain
Not too many people I know would let even a severe thunderstorm stop them from testing something they plan on paying $15K for.

"We're selling some stuff. Come figure out what it is and see if you'd like to buy it."

As for this - yes, this is how any auction I've been to works.

jk

[Iowachild]

GeauxLSU:

From the searching I have done, it seems the price you paid for a machine with such low hours was reasonable. IMHO it might just be your pride that got stung and not your wallet. Take it from someone who speaks from experience your pride heals a whole lot faster than your wallet when true truely get the short end of an action deal.

Enjoy your new machine. It sounds like a great machine!

[Croomrider]

I would also assume that whoever was bidding aginst GeauxLSU probably had more experience that he did and knew it was a gear tractor. That means that there was someone else who was willing to pay just a little less for the tractor he ended up with. That is also another reason that neither the original owner or RB is going to refund anything.

[GeauxLSU]

Some of you guys are flat out funny.

I won't type, yet again, I KNOW I was ignorant. And I won't type again that the POINT of this post was for others to perhaps not make the same stupid mistake since I'm apparently typing in Cajun or something else uninterpretable.

BleedGreen, the literature says "HYDROSTATIC DRIVE".

For those asking, the RB manager told me HIS employee inspected the tractor and made the error. I personally find that hard to believe (and think it was the original owner) given what they do for a living and the fact that their knowledge probably rivals some of the apparent knowledge here, but it is what he said, so who am I to question someone's admission.

Here's the listing (still out there) as shown in their 'auction results'. It's abbreviated now (no hours listed for example) and I don't have the book with me at this moment but don't think it used to say 'D', but you get the idea.

2005 Kubota L3130D 4X4 UTILITY TRACTOR 50000 Nov - 2006 USA-GA 15,000 USD

3 cyl diesel, 24 hp, hydrostatic drive, LA723 frt end loader, 3 pt hitch, 2 hyd outlets, PTO

Yeah it may be a 'fair deal' but is not what I personally would have paid for that piece of equipment. Since someone alluded to it, the previous bid was $14,500. I have no way to know what that person thought he was bidding on.

Kubotaman,
As far as "dragging their name in the mud", it is not. Though I would like to do that for the manager's attitude on the phone, he is simply ONE employee of a large multi-national and I don't make it a practice to disparage any group collectively on the actions of an individual. If that person selling me that muscle car TOLD ME it was a 396, or put it in his newspaper ad, yeah, I'd have an issue whether I looked or not. If he didn't say a thing and I just bought it without ANY representation on his part, then OF COURSE it's all on me. But that's not what we are talking about is it. I didn't buy this thing on the side of the road. It was ADVERTISED and DESCRIBED. Again, it's about expectations of somebody's word. I try to make mine worth something and expect the same of those I deal with. I'll continue working on that unrealistic expectation though.

Anyway, hopefully the point of this post has been served to those who can benefit. And no, the point is not to come on here and admit your mistakes for public flogging. Not that that also doesn't apparently benefit some...

[GIJOE]

I'm apparently typing in Cajun or something else uninterpretable.

HEY, What's wrong with Cajun??? I resemble that comment sometimes.

[rich_ncal]

One of the local auction outfits in my area has a special prep area where they select some of the equipment to repaint or detail. I was taken it into the prep building during one preview days. Some of the tractors get new decals. The decals are not always the right decal for the tractor.

I don't know how they select the equipment for new paint and decals. Most tractors are sold with the old rusty look, but a few are selected for new paint and decals. Perhaps the ones without too much rust that are easy to paint.

Some of the old blue pickup trucks from the local utility company get a very rough spay of white paint with very minor attempt to mask the paint.

Some of the low bid equipment shows up at the next auction.

I always assumed it is buyer beware at these, all sales as is, where is.

[PILOON]

I was involved a few years back with a Ritchie aircraft auction here in Montreal.
Was basically 'on the inside track', so to speak as I became the local 'contact man'.
Yes, they will contract a painter to do fast paint jobs on dozers etc, after all what's $1000. on a $50,000 item? especially when it will boost the price by 10-20%. BTW they, Ritchie, pay for that paint (on equipment that they don't own) Smart, actually.
They did the same with the aircraft.
On the plus side for them they were very careful to ban any shill bidders. (I witnessed a few examples).
I also witnessed the way they handled absentee bids and phone bids and saw definite signs of 'honesty and fairness'.
One item they actually corrected a bid downward due to an error.
I also was aware that on more than one proxy (absentee bid) that the proxy bidder won at prices much lower than he authorized them to go.
I was left with a very positive impression of their ethics.

[PILOON]

Just a note:
As I understand it most of the Ritchie auction items comes from dealers or contractors after a job wind up.

In all probability the Tractor in question was from a Kubota dealer who wanted to move old or slow stock or perhaps he had cash flow needs.
A dealer often can not advertise cut rate prices (and sometimes if he does he could lose his dearership) without hurting his other sales; ergo auction solution.

[charlesw]

I despise false advertisement, no matter what the pretense. But, I agree with all the rest that you should have inspected it further.

So... If you're using ebay or ironplanet how are you supposed to do that? You can't inspect ahead of time, eh? I was lucky enough that the ebay auction that I won was within driving distance - I went to pick up the tractor instead of having it delivered. And, oh, did the auctioneer ever know that it was grossly misrepresented! They're the ones with the cans of spray paint - making the tractors look good from certain angles and distances... Exactly as shown in their photos! But only from the distances and angles shown in their photos, oh, believe me!

[Podunkadunk]

2005 Kubota L3130D 4X4 UTILITY TRACTOR 50000 Nov - 2006 USA-GA 15,000 USD

3 cyl diesel, 24 hp, hydrostatic drive, LA723 frt end loader, 3 pt hitch, 2 hyd outlets, PTO

Hp rating is wrong too. The 3130's net hp is 31hp. Gross (according to my manual) is 32.1hp. I can't find a "24" hp number anywhere in any of my literature, except for Kw and that's 23.1???

Another mistake in the advertisement?

My .02 worth. See disclaimer before the flaming begins.