Extremely disappointing and dangerous experience with Expert Rentals.
My husband and I rented a trailer and Bobcat from Expert Rentals. While traveling approximately 60 mph on the highway while towing the Bobcat, one of the trailer tires catastrophically failed. As the photos show, the tire was completely shredded, while the remaining tire was also visibly very worn with very little tread. There was no spare tire and no emergency/roadside assistance number provided.
We were extremely fortunate that nobody was injured or that this didn't result in a serious accident. A tire failure at 60 mph while towing heavy equipment could have had much more serious consequences.
I went in to speak with the manager, Gary Hesskamp, expecting at least some concern or accountability. Instead, he was extremely rude and dismissive. He initially referred to it as "the tire you damaged," implying that we caused the failure. He repeatedly insisted that their equipment was not faulty and that the tires had plenty of tread and were not dry-rotted, despite what is clearly visible in the photos.
When I explained that we used a rental company for a reason and that it is their responsibility to properly maintain the equipment they own, his response was essentially, "If your car tire pops, are you going to take it back to the dealership?" I explained that I own my vehicle, so its maintenance is my responsibility. That's exactly why we RENT equipment--we expect the rental company to maintain the equipment they own and provide it in safe, roadworthy condition.
Despite all of this, they are still expecting us to pay for the fuel and additional Bobcat hours, even though the tire failure prevented us from completing the job we rented the equipment for.
The biggest issue isn't even the money. It's the complete lack of accountability and concern for customer safety. We rented equipment because we trusted Expert Rentals to provide safe, properly maintained equipment. After this experience and the way Gary Hesskamp handled the situation, we will absolutely not be renting from Expert Rentals again.
If you rent from this company, I strongly recommend thoroughly inspecting the equipment and especially the tires before leaving their property. read more