Detachable Towbar Servicing

[JP11]

Hi,

I thought I would use this
as my first post as it could be quite a concern

I contacted the
supplier/manufacturer of my Towtrust detachable tow bar regarding a fault with
the fridge electrics whilst in motion, the fault turned out to be an adjustment
of the Smartcom relay, problem solved.

However they asked me how
many miles I had towed since having the tow bar fitted a year ago, having
toured southern England for a month and then Spain for 3 months we had covered
over 4000 miles, their reply was that I should have the tow bar serviced every
1000 miles to comply with the warranty conditions, this would involve at least
an hours work @ £50 an hour, I asked other than check for tightness of the
fittings what would the service entail, the answer was that other detachable
tow bar manufacturers require theirs to be serviced every 750 miles!

I have never heard or come
across this before and it is of concern with regards insurance should anything
untoward happen, has anyone ever come across this before?

Regards

John & Pam

 

[Lutz]

I have never heard of a servicing interval for towbars, whether detachable or not or factory-fitted or dealer-fitted. If a manufacturer does require such servicing it he must have stated this explictly in writing in the warranty conditions at the time of sale, but such action would certainly be very unusual.

 

[Surfer]

Never heard of it before and I have had both types of towbar in the past!

 

[ChrisUK]

I hav a Witter Quantum detachable towball, and below, cut and pasted (I hope) is what the booklet says.

This product warranty covers faulty materials and workmanship. During
the period this warranty is valid, the Detachable System you have purchased
will be repaired, replaced or have parts replaced free of charge provided
that:
a)


b)


c)


d)


e)


f)


g)

repairs to the Detachable System have not been attempted other than by
Witter Towbars.

And on maintenance

The detachable towball requires no special maintenance. A few useful tips are given below.
- The detachable towball and the towbar mounted receiver can be washed with warm water and
mild detergent in the installed position, or wipe with a dry cloth. Do not use liquid solvent for
cleaning purposes.
- It is recommended that a small amount of light lubricating oil is used in the key locking
mechanism only.
- Place the detachable towball inside the bag provided, and store, preferably in a dry place.

So nothing to do on a witter.the mechanism of the Detachable System has been operated only by
hand (as described in the Operation Manual) or in conjunction with a Witter
ZQR handle.it has not been used for any purpose other than towing a trailer or for use with
a cycle carrier and this does not exceed the towing limits of the towbarsthe Detachable System or its mechanism has not been damaged (unless
as a result of faulty materials or workmanship by Witter Towbars).the detachable System or Towbar has been used within the towing limits
specified by the vehicle manufacturer. (See vehicle handbook).the Detachable System has been installed and operated correctly.the Detachable System is returned to Witter Towbars with evidence of
the purchase date.

It lost its formatting in pasting, but I think you can read it.

 

[JP11]

Hi,
This is the guarantee conditions supplied by Tow-Trust, particular concern is item #5 with respect of a certificate being issued every 12 months confirming it is still fit for purpose,
I am particularly interested to know if anyone has got one of these certificates and would you need to produce it in the event of an accident?
Also item #9 regarding the 12 month guarantee, the literature that came with the tow bar states 3 years.
I have emailed the company on several occasions regarding the certificate and the alledged 1000 mile service but they are not responding to them, has anyone with a detachable tow bar heard of this before?

Tow-Trust Towbar Guarantee
All Tow-Trust Towbars that require ‘Type Approval’ are designed, tested and manufactured to conform to EC94/20 regulations. All standard fixed neck Tow-Trust Towbars carry a lifetime guarantee subject to the following conditions;
1) The towbar has been fitted correctly to the manufacturers specifications using all of the original Nuts, Bolts & Washers supplied with the kit. Please refer to general notes on the back of all fitting instructions for further details.
2) Correct torque settings have been adhered to when fitting the towbar.
3) The towbar is still fitted to the original vehicle.
4) The towbar has not been used to tow above the maximum towing capacity as stated by the vehicle manufacturer (See vehicle handbook).
5) A regular 12 month inspection has been carried out by an approved towing centre which provides a certificate confirming the towbar is still fit for purpose.
6) The towbar has in no way been modified from its original design and manufacture.
7) The vehicle the towbar has been fitted to has not been in a road traffic accident.
8) The paint finish is

not covered by the guarantee offered by Tow-Trust. This is due to the positioning of the towbar on the vehicle whereby it is subject to uncontrollable factors such as severe weather conditions etc. Therefore it is the responsibility of the customer to maintain the quality of the appearance of the towbar and re-coat / touch up as required to avoid corrosion.
9) Reference Detachable towbars sold by Tow-Trust, these are covered by a 12 month guarantee of the detachable mechanism.
Tow-Trust does not accept responsibility for damage to any equipment in which our products are used for the purpose other than those for which it was designed.
Any claim on the guarantee will need to be supported by the invoice that the towbar was originally purchased on. Failure to produce this will render the warranty invalid.
Furthermore, should any of the aforementioned conditions not be adhered to Tow-Trust Towbars have the right to withdraw the warranty that has previously been guaranteed.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello JP1.

I sorry if this answer is long, but the issues need carefull explination.

The issue you have is to do with the terms and conditions of the manufactures guarantee. This is actually a conditional contract you have with the manufacture, and even though it may be free of charge, it is as much a contract as any other. If you breach the T&C of a contract, then that allows the other party to invoke penalty clauses which in this case may include the cessation of the manufacture's guarantee.

Frankly it is irrelevant what other manufacturers require, as they have no influence of the contracts you entered into with your manufacture of the product you have.

Whilst above relates to the manufactures guarantee, you do have other statutory rights under the sellers warrantee through the Sale of Goods Act(SoGA).

SoGA only applies between the customer and the seller and it basically requires the seller to supply goods or services that are fit for purpose and free from defect. The actual wording is a little more complex, but the seller cannot avoid their liabilities under this legislation, and they cannot pass on any liability outside the contract.

Depending on the life expectancy of the product SoGA can be applied for up to about 6 years from the point of purchase. For problems demonstrated between 0 to 6 months SoGA assumes the fault is inherent in the product, and the seller must prove otherwise if they want to challenge it, however beyond 6 months, it is up to the customer to prove there is an underlying fault if the seller challenges the claim.

It is not clear from your post what the contractual arrangements are between you (the customer) the supplier (To whom you paid your money) the Manufacture (who made the product) and the fitters (Who actually fitted the product)

But depending on to whom you paid your money, you may have other avenues to pursue any claim for faulty goods or fitting. Even if you paid the manufacture directly, your statutory rights under SoGA are still fully functional, if this were the case the manufacture cannot evade any liability arising with a justified claim made through SoGA by applying any limiting T&C's from their manufactures guarantee.

If you want to challenge the manufacturer's guarantee T&C's, you would need to take it to Court under the unfair contracts legislation. See a solicitor for more information.

 

[ChrisUK]

This would seem to me a good reason for not fitting a Towtrust. Do they think that there could be problems after only 1000 miles? or are they keeping their fitters in work?

 

[Lutz]

The fact that they don't cover the paint finish at all and the detachable mechanism for only 12 months doesn't exactly inspire confidence in their products, either. A car manufacturer would certainly not get by without reasonable warranty coverage of underbody corrosion protection, even in the area where the towbar is fitted.