I have a disturbing situation regarding the purchase of a used RV 5th wheel trailer from Barber RV in Ventura, CA.
On October 11, 2016, I purchased a used 2004 Keystone Laredo 5th wheel trailer from Barber RV in Ventura. My intent was to remodel it, move it to Reno and live in it while I started a new business. The agreement was that Barber RV would store the trailer on their property until I was ready for it (around Jan. 1, 2017). Things changed, and I decided to begin the remodel in early December. I arranged for a "walk through" of the trailer, as I had not seen it since the initial purchase date. It was supposed to have been cleaned and all the carpet, furniture and bedding were supposed to have been removed. It was not clean nor demo’d when I arrived for my walk through on November 25, 2016. We completed the walk through anyway, and agreed that their employee (Baldo) would complete the demo, clean the trailer and deliver the trailer to my property for an additional $250.
The trailer was delivered to my home on December 1, 2016, but the carpet in the bedroom and the bedding was still in place. I asked that they (Baldo and Teresa) remove the bedding and take it with them. But, still didn’t understand why the carpet in the bedroom had not been removed. Baldo and Teresa removed the bedding and put it in their truck. I locked up the trailer without going back into it. I went back into the trailer on December 3, 2016. And discovered an excessive amount of blood on the plywood where the bedroom mattress had been. Horrified, I took a picture and texted it to the Salesperson, Patrick, and asked about disclosure laws. He took it as a joke and did not do anything more. I let it go for a few days, thinking that I would be able to deal with it and remove the plywood myself. But, I couldn't deal with it. I locked up the trailer again and didn’t return until December 18th.
On December 13th, I still had not received my registration and tags. I contacted Patrick, the salesperson and asked that he check on them. I never received them. I had to go to the DMV myself and get replacements.
December 17th, I requested Barber RV remove the bloody plywood and dispose of it elsewhere. On the 18th, I informed them that the roof was leaking (something Barber RV had guaranteed would not happen). Luckily for me I had not moved the trailer to Reno as planned. They sent the same employees out to seal up the skylight and remove the bloody plywood. On December 19th, the same employees, Baldo and Teresa came to my house and removed the plywood. At that time, Baldo told me that he and Teresa had worked for Barber RV for over 20 years. He told me that he does the handyman work and Teresa cleans the upholstery and carpets.
On December 20th, one day after the removal of the bloody plywood, I had an independent company (referred by Baldo) replace the floors with vinyl planks. It took two days. They had to remove the remaining carpet around the bed and remove a remaining (new) piece of plywood that was at the head of the bed up against the wall, so they could get all the way around the bed with the new flooring.
The next day, December 21, 2016, I entered the trailer to change out the cabinet hardware in the bedroom. I was down on my hands and knees and noticed blood splashes on the wall, under the bed frame, that had been hidden before the plywood on the bed frame had been removed. They appeared on both the left and the right side of the bed, on the wall at the head of the bed. There had been a "headboard" attached to that wall, but I had removed it earlier and thrown it away. It appeared that someone had attempted to clean up the blood, but could not reach all the way down the wall. I took a picture and then noticed that the carpet that remained under the bed had blood on it. This was both horrifying and disturbing. I took pictures and texted them to the Patrick and told him to call me. He did and then he elevated the situation to the Sales Manager, Steve. The following morning (December 22, 2016), I showed up at the dealership to speak with the Steve the sales manager. I had to wait as he had the two employees (Baldo and Teresa) that had come out to do all the repairs in his office. They left the office, and I was invited in. He said that there was nothing he could do, that he didn't know about any blood and that I was remodeling it any ways, so what did it matter. Unhappy with that response, I asked to speak to the General Manager (Michael Arrambide).
I was made to wait quite awhile, but eventually was allowed into the General Manager’s office. I sat down and he just looked at me, saying nothing, for an uncomfortable amount of time. Eventually, I began my story and asked him to take the trailer back and return all my money. He refused, saying I could not prove it. I asked him where the trailer came from, and he said he didn’t know. Again, he told me I could not prove it was blood unless I got a forensic scientist to test it. He refused to take the trailer back, told me that I could sell it back to him, but he wasn’t buying and told me to sell it to someone else. I told him I would not do that to someone.
I contacted a lawyer who wrote a letter to Michael Arrambide, the General Manager of Barber RV in Ventura, asking that he return my money stating, “Your actions and misrepresentations constitute fraud, unjust enrichment, breach of contract, breach of warranty, intentional misrepresentation, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, false advertising and violations of the Business and Professions Code § 17200, et seq. We received a reply from the attorney for Barber RV saying, “any further attempt to negotiate a settlement is a waste of time.”
I have since contacted the NBC I-team, the DMV, the police, the District Attorney, the BBB, the environmental health agency, and the state of California Department of Justice.
While waiting for everyone to finish their investigations, I have been hesitant to go back inside the trailer, but discovered that the new vinyl flooring was damaged. When I went back inside to show the subcontractors the floor, I removed a few more items, and discovered even more blood in other areas of the trailer.
This has been en extremely disturbing experience. The trailer was to be used as my home during my transition to another state. Luckily, the bloody plywood and leaking roof were discovered prior to my departure. I cannot spend any time in that trailer, let alone sleep in it, knowing that something horrible happened there. Barber RV and Mike Arrambide treated their customer unethically, unhonorably, and needless to say, terribly. Whether the general manager was informed of the condition of that trailer or not, his employees knew, and the right thing to do would have been to apologize, take it back and return their customer’s money in full. Instead, Mike Arrambide chose to be “little” deny everything, and refuse to stand behind the products he sells. Shame on you Mike Arranbide and Barber RV. Justice will be served.
Barber RV Reviews
BARBER RV SELLS BLOODY TRAVEL TRAILER
I have a disturbing situation regarding the purchase of a used RV 5th wheel trailer from Barber RV in Ventura, CA.
On October 11, 2016, I purchased a used 2004 Keystone Laredo 5th wheel trailer from Barber RV in Ventura. My intent was to remodel it, move it to Reno and live in it while I started a new business. The agreement was that Barber RV would store the trailer on their property until I was ready for it (around Jan. 1, 2017). Things changed, and I decided to begin the remodel in early December. I arranged for a "walk through" of the trailer, as I had not seen it since the initial purchase date. It was supposed to have been cleaned and all the carpet, furniture and bedding were supposed to have been removed. It was not clean nor demo’d when I arrived for my walk through on November 25, 2016. We completed the walk through anyway, and agreed that their employee (Baldo) would complete the demo, clean the trailer and deliver the trailer to my property for an additional $250.
The trailer was delivered to my home on December 1, 2016, but the carpet in the bedroom and the bedding was still in place. I asked that they (Baldo and Teresa) remove the bedding and take it with them. But, still didn’t understand why the carpet in the bedroom had not been removed. Baldo and Teresa removed the bedding and put it in their truck. I locked up the trailer without going back into it. I went back into the trailer on December 3, 2016. And discovered an excessive amount of blood on the plywood where the bedroom mattress had been. Horrified, I took a picture and texted it to the Salesperson, Patrick, and asked about disclosure laws. He took it as a joke and did not do anything more. I let it go for a few days, thinking that I would be able to deal with it and remove the plywood myself. But, I couldn't deal with it. I locked up the trailer again and didn’t return until December 18th.
On December 13th, I still had not received my registration and tags. I contacted Patrick, the salesperson and asked that he check on them. I never received them. I had to go to the DMV myself and get replacements.
December 17th, I requested Barber RV remove the bloody plywood and dispose of it elsewhere. On the 18th, I informed them that the roof was leaking (something Barber RV had guaranteed would not happen). Luckily for me I had not moved the trailer to Reno as planned. They sent the same employees out to seal up the skylight and remove the bloody plywood. On December 19th, the same employees, Baldo and Teresa came to my house and removed the plywood. At that time, Baldo told me that he and Teresa had worked for Barber RV for over 20 years. He told me that he does the handyman work and Teresa cleans the upholstery and carpets.
On December 20th, one day after the removal of the bloody plywood, I had an independent company (referred by Baldo) replace the floors with vinyl planks. It took two days. They had to remove the remaining carpet around the bed and remove a remaining (new) piece of plywood that was at the head of the bed up against the wall, so they could get all the way around the bed with the new flooring.
The next day, December 21, 2016, I entered the trailer to change out the cabinet hardware in the bedroom. I was down on my hands and knees and noticed blood splashes on the wall, under the bed frame, that had been hidden before the plywood on the bed frame had been removed. They appeared on both the left and the right side of the bed, on the wall at the head of the bed. There had been a "headboard" attached to that wall, but I had removed it earlier and thrown it away. It appeared that someone had attempted to clean up the blood, but could not reach all the way down the wall. I took a picture and then noticed that the carpet that remained under the bed had blood on it. This was both horrifying and disturbing. I took pictures and texted them to the Patrick and told him to call me. He did and then he elevated the situation to the Sales Manager, Steve. The following morning (December 22, 2016), I showed up at the dealership to speak with the Steve the sales manager. I had to wait as he had the two employees (Baldo and Teresa) that had come out to do all the repairs in his office. They left the office, and I was invited in. He said that there was nothing he could do, that he didn't know about any blood and that I was remodeling it any ways, so what did it matter. Unhappy with that response, I asked to speak to the General Manager (Michael Arrambide).
I was made to wait quite awhile, but eventually was allowed into the General Manager’s office. I sat down and he just looked at me, saying nothing, for an uncomfortable amount of time. Eventually, I began my story and asked him to take the trailer back and return all my money. He refused, saying I could not prove it. I asked him where the trailer came from, and he said he didn’t know. Again, he told me I could not prove it was blood unless I got a forensic scientist to test it. He refused to take the trailer back, told me that I could sell it back to him, but he wasn’t buying and told me to sell it to someone else. I told him I would not do that to someone.
I contacted a lawyer who wrote a letter to Michael Arrambide, the General Manager of Barber RV in Ventura, asking that he return my money stating, “Your actions and misrepresentations constitute fraud, unjust enrichment, breach of contract, breach of warranty, intentional misrepresentation, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, false advertising and violations of the Business and Professions Code § 17200, et seq. We received a reply from the attorney for Barber RV saying, “any further attempt to negotiate a settlement is a waste of time.”
I have since contacted the NBC I-team, the DMV, the police, the District Attorney, the BBB, the environmental health agency, and the state of California Department of Justice.
While waiting for everyone to finish their investigations, I have been hesitant to go back inside the trailer, but discovered that the new vinyl flooring was damaged. When I went back inside to show the subcontractors the floor, I removed a few more items, and discovered even more blood in other areas of the trailer.
This has been en extremely disturbing experience. The trailer was to be used as my home during my transition to another state. Luckily, the bloody plywood and leaking roof were discovered prior to my departure. I cannot spend any time in that trailer, let alone sleep in it, knowing that something horrible happened there. Barber RV and Mike Arrambide treated their customer unethically, unhonorably, and needless to say, terribly. Whether the general manager was informed of the condition of that trailer or not, his employees knew, and the right thing to do would have been to apologize, take it back and return their customer’s money in full. Instead, Mike Arrambide chose to be “little” deny everything, and refuse to stand behind the products he sells. Shame on you Mike Arranbide and Barber RV. Justice will be served.