Tristate Forestry Equipment


Country United States
State Costa Rica
City Coatesville
Address 1115 W 11th Ave
Phone 877-519-5864
Website www.tristateforestryequipment.com/

Tristate Forestry Equipment Reviews

  • Oct 17, 2014

On December 31, 2013, I contacted Tristate Forestry Equipment through their advertisements in the Tree & Landscape Equipment Trader (http://www.treetrader.com/) and had my husband speak with Joe. During that conversation, my husband told Joe that he wanted an over center mounted boom truck. Joe told him he had a 2003 over center mount International in good shape and that it would be gone over in order to make it certified for use. He assured us that it would be in great working order and that we would be very pleased with the truck. As a result, we finalized the transaction using our American Express card because Joe said the full amount had to be in his hands by the end of day, December 31st, in order for it to be considered an expense for the year 2013. We took care of faxing the information to his wife that day and proceeded to wait to hear from them as to date of delivery.

On January 15, 2014, at 11:05 a.m., I called and spoke with Joe. He told me he was waiting to hear from the shipping company regarding scheduling delivery. "The truck is basically ready to go." He then said he'd call as soon as he heard from them, either he or his wife would call me.

On February 6, 2014, at 1:27 p.m., I called back and spoke to Joe. He told me that he'd been without power for four days and hadn't heard from the shipping company on our delivery as of yet due to the severe weather; that he would call me when he had a date.

On February 24, 2014, at 12:15 p.m., I called and spoke to Joe. He said they've had "the second snowiest winter on record and no trucks are going out." I told him mreally needs it because he's being called out to do trees in the snow and ice. He said he'd "call his delivery service and, if need be, call another," then he would get back to me in a couple of days. I told him I know he had said in the past he doesn't do this, but we'd be willing to take the $300 which was offered in the beginning for free shipping and come and get it ourselves. He said "I'm leaving that open as an option."

On March 10, 2014, at 8:39 a.m., I called Joe. After 3 rings, the call was answered and then I was hung up on. I called back immediately and eventually went to his voicemail. I left a message about being hung up on and that we need to get this truck either delivered or arrangements made for us to come out and get it. I told him I need to hear from him as soon as possible since it's now been well over two months since he got our $27,900. I ended the call at 8:45 a.m.

On March 10, 2014, at 9:27 a.m., I called Joe back. He answered the phone this time and I asked him about the status of the truck and delivery. He said "let me call my wife and see where we are with the delivery company, and I'll call you back." (I kept specific notes after EVERY phone call and this is specifically what he said.) I told him my husband's got lots of jobs going now and about his old bucket truck drifting while up in the air, that we really need it because his old one is unsafe. He said he'd "call his wife to check on it" and get back to us. I told him we really need to hear from him TODAY and reminded him of the call on the 24th of February when he said he'd call me back in a couple of days but did not. He said he'd call her and get back to me. I said thank you, I appreciated it, and "looked forward to hearing from you today." (I also mentioned that we had the next three weekends open so I'd like to make arrangements soon to get it then.")

On March 10, 2014, at 10:43 a.m., I called Joe's wife and asked if she'd send a bill of sale since we never had received one from them at that point. She apologized and sent one immediately via email. Also, I told her the situation of our truck's condition, jobs needing to be done, the next three weekends available to meet at the halfway point for their 300 mile free delivery as part of the sale, and Joe's comment about "leaving open" the option of giving us the $300 and we fly out and pick up the truck. She said she'd talk to Joe and call me back. I said I looked "forward to hearing from her today."

On March 11, 2014, at 12:22 p.m., I called Joe's wife and left a message for her to call back because we hadn't heard back from them yet. Then I called Joe. He said "his guys are out working on it right now and it should be ready soon." I was surprised because back on January 15, he told me it was basically ready for pickup and all they were waiting on was the delivery company. I said to him "Oh, so it actually isn't even ready yet for delivery?" He said they were just "checking a few things" on it and it would be ready soon; he "hasn't forgotten about us."

On March 26, 2014, at 10:14 a.m., my husband called and left a message on both Joe and his wife’s phones asking that he hear back from either one of them by the end of the day.

On March 26, 2014, at 12:02 p.m., my husband again called his wife's number, received her voicemail, but did not leave another message.

On March 27, 2014, at 9:10 a.m., I called Joe and, once again, received his voicemail. I left a message that we really needed to hear from him about the truck immediately; to return the call ASAP.

On March 27, 2014, at 9:11 a.m., I called his wife and left the same message; that we really needed to hear from someone immediately.

On March 27, 2014, at 9:35 a.m., I called his wife's number again. There was no answer - went to voicemail again - so I did not leave another message. This time I called from my Georgia cell phone number with has an area code of 770.

I then called Joe at 9:36 a.m., that same morning, from my Indiana number (area code 219) and the call went right to voicemail. I did not leave another message. Instead I called back on my Georgia cell phone (area code 770), and he answered. When I told him who was calling, he told me: "I'm so busy that I don't have tine to be bothered by your constant calls. We are working on the truck and as soon as it's done, we will call you." His tone of voice and attitude was VERY condescending, irritated with me and angry. I told him I keep calling because my husband needs his truck, he has our $27,900, and we've never once heard back from him after all the times he'd said he would call us back. I'm always the one doing the calling. He then said it needed new tires and a few more things before being ready. He "will call when it's done." I, once again, reiterated the importance of getting the truck ASAP.

On April 2, 2014, at 1:45 p.m., I called Joe from the Georgia phone (area code 770) because we still had not heard from him. He told me it was done and they were contacting the shippers. When they have it scheduled, they'll contact us the day before they ship so we'd know how to plan.

On April 3, 2014, at 3:33 p.m., I called his wife to check the status on shipping using my Georgia 770 number. Ended up leaving another voicemail message.

On April 4, 2014, as 12:14 p.m., I called Joe from the 770 cell and he answered. He then told me he was still waiting on the shipping company; that there are only two in the entire country and they are so slammed from the long bad winter. They'll call when they get to it. I again offered to fly out, he pay for my ticket (because of his $300 deal of paying shipping), and then I'd drive it back. He said that was an option he was keeping open. He'd call me back.

On April 7, 2014, at 12:14 p.m., I called Joe again (from the 770 Georgia phone - because he keeps thinking we live in Indiana with a 219 area code) since we still had not heard from him. He said there was still no word fro the shippers. When I asked him the name of the shipping company, he said in a very rude and abrupt tone: "I WILL NOT GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU. THAT IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE IF YOU START CALLING THEM AND THAT WILL NOT BE DONE." I told him I would relay this to my husband, then ended the call.

On April 21, 2014, at 10:57 a.m., my husband called Joe from my Georgia 770 area code phone (only because he never picked up the Indiana 219 area code calls with the caller ID of C&E Tree). Joe answered and then talked for 10 minutes. He again told my husband he's waiting on the shippers. My husband told him his business was on the line because he had to have this truck. This went back and forth and ended with Joe promising to send us an email update by the end of the week (which we NEVER received) after contacting the shipper. My husband said "I'll give you another week but then I'm going to have to do something."

On April 28, 2014, at 9:22 a.m., since we never did hear back from Joe, I called Tree & Landscape Equipment Trader, the magazine where we saw Tristate's ad, and inquired n of them about Tristate, speaking to Jennifer. We have no recourse through them, but she did tell me that right off the top of her head she knew of three shippers and when they've used them, it's definitely no more than a two-week delivery from the time they are contacted.

May 6, 2014, at 2:14 p.m. - - By this time, we filed a dispute with American Express. Upon Joe receiving notice of the dispute, he called us for the FIRST time since December 31, 2013. I told him we had no other choice because it's been over four months since we gave him our money but had no truck. He told me another excuse about shippers -- only two he'd use -- and had recently fired one. He told me we could have called for pickup on our own or come and get it. I told him we'd offered that numerous times but that he had said he would ship it all the way because we had waited so long. I also told him I had called both the Trader -- who listed off three shippers off the top of her head that they use, but I didn't write down those shippers' names -- and then another shipper. He said "Why didn't you schedule it with them right then." I again reminded him because he was supposed to ship it as agreed upon December 31st when we bought the truck from him and again on January 15. Then when we talked in early March, his guys were working on it. I told him we'd be more than happy to remove the dispute once we received the truck. He said that's not how he operates. I told him we've waited almost 4 1/2 months for the truck and he's had our $27,900m but we have nothing. I told him I need proof that it's being shipped. He said he'd call the shipper and have him call me.

At 2:34 p.m. that same day, Chris Warn from Load 'Em Up called. He said he's planning on picking up the truck on Thursday late or Friday morning at the latest and was wondering if we'd be available to receive delivery over the weekend. I said absolutely. He said he'd just heard of our last Friday but Joe called him back today and asked if he could move us up as "this customer has been more than patient." We agreed that we would remove the dispute and Joe agreed and assured us that it was in great working order and nice and clean.

On May 9, 2014, at 7:00 p.m., the truck was delivered. It wasn't even working when delivered so had to be worked on while still on the truck to even get it running, it was leaking fluid, the covers are off the boom area, it IS NOT A CENTER BOOM as told to us and sold under that pretense, there are only two stabilizer legs and not four like represented to us at the time of sale, AND IT IS NOT A 2002 as we were told, but rather a 2001. Even the bill of sale states a different year than what was represented to us and what is on the Title. Also, when my husband went up in the boom, it drifted and did not hold its position, proof that it never could have been certified as he promised it would be. In additional to all of that, there were rags wrapped around the hydraulic valves to keep the hydraulic fluid from leaking.

On May 9, 2014, at 7:29 p.m., I called AMEX and reinstated the dispute process for the $25,000.

Joe has done nothing but lie to us throughout this entire ordeal and sending us a truck that was not what was represented to us. We have gone through another dispute process with American Express (they ruled in Tristate's favor), the Better Business Bureau in the Philly area, have contacted the Attorney General in Philadelphia and filed a complaint, have contacted the DA's office in Chester County, and all to no avail. During this process, we have also connected up with numerous others on www.treebuzz.com as well as www.arboristsite.com who have had similar complaints and dealings with Tristate. Unfortunately, we did not find out about his business practices before we purchased a truck from him; otherwise we NEVER would have done so and want to warn others so they do not experience this same fate.

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