GP Inspection Reports, Buy with confidence or Buyer Beware? What is your experience?

[tomelroy]

When you click the Iron Clad Assurance Link you get a page that details what to expect with the Inspection Reports.


INSPECTION REPORTS
Buy with confidence knowing that our items have been given a FULL AND DETAILED inspection by an industry expert.

...Standardized, reliable and consistent method of evaluation......

RELIABLE REPORTS

....reports INCLUDE ratings and comments for key components and systems...

OR do you believe the expert called in sick and the NEW GUY/TEMP did your report? Worse yet did they fail to mention any thing in the comments about key components that are missing and not even bother to take a pic so you can figure it out yourself???

Lets hear some off the unpleasant surprises GP left out on your report!

Also anybody have any luck with collecting from GP from body damage sustained after your Inspection Report Pictures were posted....damage that is present on the load out photos??? Maybe from a forklift driver who drank one to many Red Bulls?? Did GP cover parts and labor for the repair or tell you to kick rocks???

 

[BKubu]

I think the information they provide is generally good and forthright, but I still adhere to caveat emptor. With that said, NOTHING beats an in-person inspection. I, too, most often cannot inspect in-person. I think you need to understand that the pictures and description are provided to give you some information to go by. However, there is no way they can really capture everything about an item. With that said, I'd be miffed if they excluded vital information (e.g., a hole in the block) either in pictures or their report. I have no experience with trying to get GP to compensate for damage to an item.

 

[blutow]

I was very happy with the condition of my 1123, but the inspection report was kind of a joke. They missed things that were wrong and pointed out some problems that were not problems. I thought about making a claim on a couple of the blatant mistakes, but they were pretty minor and I discovered that the "iron clad guarantee" doesn't cover the first $750 worth of problems. So, they can completely misrepresent something and you are still out the first $750. That said, I have seen reports of them making things right on major issues, so it looks like it's useful if you have a big mismatch with the reported condition.

One thing I did notice is that it doesn't take much on the inspection report to scare off buyers or reduce price. So, I think it's a good strategy to bid on trucks with problems that probably aren't big problems. When I was looking for mine, there were a bunch of 1123's with "serpentine belt routed incorrectly" noted on the inspection report. Basically, they had routed the belt over the idler pully instead of under it on a bunch of the 2009 rebuilds. 5 minute fix. Since many of these trucks were low mile units with very vew issues, this one issue seemed to knock the price down ~$2k compared to trucks with no listed issues. "Visible blow by" is another. Do we really think the GP guy is properly assessing blow by on a truck with no CDR valve installed? The next problem I'd look for is fuel leaks (from anywhere but injection pump). Replacing fuel lines is cheap/easy and probably needs to be done on most of these trucks whether there is a leak or not. My truck also said "weak parking brake" (30 second fix by twisting the adjuster on the lever). I assume all these trucks have issues, whether listed on the report or not. Trucks without issues on the report seem to go for a big premium over a truck with a few things on the report that are likely easy to fix.

 

[juanprado]

If inspected correctly or not, all purchases with Iron Clad Guarantee or without have a $750 deductible or threshold limit before anything happens with a claim.

See:

There is no gurantee whatsoever on GP for anything under $750

I just wanted to post for anyone unfamiliar with Gov Planet here, there is absolutely no warranty or recourse of action on any item $750 or below with or without the iron Clad Guarantee. For Example if the listing is for a barrel of apples and when you pick them up it is actually a barrel of...

www.steelsoldiers.com

 

[Hummer Guy]

When you click the Iron Clad Assurance Link you get a page that details what to expect with the Inspection Reports.


INSPECTION REPORTS
Buy with confidence knowing that our items have been given a FULL AND DETAILED inspection by an industry expert.

...Standardized, reliable and consistent method of evaluation......

RELIABLE REPORTS

....reports INCLUDE ratings and comments for key components and systems...

OR do you believe the expert called in sick and the NEW GUY/TEMP did your report? Worse yet did they fail to mention any thing in the comments about key components that are missing and not even bother to take a pic so you can figure it out yourself???

Lets hear some off the unpleasant surprises GP left out on your report!

Also anybody have any luck with collecting from GP from body damage sustained after your Inspection Report Pictures were posted....damage that is present on the load out photos??? Maybe from a forklift driver who drank one to many Red Bulls?? Did GP cover parts and labor for the repair or tell you to kick rocks???

Technically mines was inspected correctly but in a way not, so mines said it had no leaks, yea they was correct about it not leaking because it had no fluid in it. The whole internal wiring harness was destroyed and soon when you pour fluid in, it all leaked right out where the wiring harness was suppose to plug in.

 

[Milcommoguy]

Here's a little tid bit to think about when biding. Copy and save the photos to the one you have your eye on or won. Lately sold item photos are taken down and one m i g h t have a problem stating it was there when won. Just sayin... cover your bases. Sure, it could have fallen out on the way home or ???

Now you see it, Now you don't. CAMO

 

[Mogman]

Technically mines was inspected correctly but in a way not, so mines said it had no leaks, yea they was correct about it not leaking because it had no fluid in it. The whole internal wiring harness was destroyed and soon when you pour fluid in, it all leaked right out where the wiring harness was suppose to plug in.

Curious, I am assuming you are talking about the transmission, was this a running truck when sold?
I think it is a bunch of ho ha, just a marketing ploy and anyone would play hell trying to collect any discrepancy.
You must realize it is just some camera monkey doing the inspection and it is in no way a technical inspection, does it run? is there a big puddle under it? these are just casual observations at best.

 

[juanprado]

Here's a little tid bit to think about when biding. Copy and save the photos to the one you have your eye on or won. Lately sold item photos are taken down and one m i g h t have a problem stating it was there when won. Just sayin... cover your bases. Sure, it could have fallen out on the way home or ???

Now you see it, Now you don't. CAMO

Still does not change 1st $750 is your learning fee with GP.....

 

[Hummer Guy]

Curious, I am assuming you are talking about the transmission, was this a running truck when sold?
I think it is a bunch of ho ha, just a marketing ploy and anyone would play hell trying to collect any discrepancy.
You must realize it is just some camera monkey doing the inspection and it is in no way a technical inspection, does it run? is there a big puddle under it? these are just casual observations at best.

Yea, the transmission, and about running, it was a running truck when it was sold. When I got it, the truck didn't run till I undone the fuel lines and went through them, and no, there's no puddle seen underneath it but the shift linkage wasn't screwed in which is something you wouldn't even know until you look very closely

 

[fuzzytoaster]

I can provide some insight as to the quality and thoroughness of the GP/IP inspection process. Most inspectors are average people with no military history and gain experience with repeat inspections. Given the nature of surplus it's feast or famine so effective training is hard to retain unless the inspector is focused at a single source location.

They are given an ipad and an app which tries to fit everything into a box or photo that the main office has dictated as essential info. Additional info can be shared and added but it's all "additional info". All pictures, details, etc are subject to be modified or omitted by the internal departments as they don't want to be liable for an assumptive comment an inspector makes on an item. They'd rather down rate the condition and be incorrect in the buyer's favor or say "we don't know, sold as-is" so it absolves them of liability. Think of it as "assume the worst but hope for the best so you'll never be disappointed" but that's where the Iron Clad guarantee comes in and has very much become an advertising point than any actual backing of the product. You must remember we are buying from "GovPlanet a Ritchie Bro's affiliate" not the independent GovPlanet of the early days. It's all corporate.

I've had diamonds in the rough and gold plated turds. It's a gamble on each machine with each auction. Frankly its been nearly 6 months since I've bought from GP and I haven't looked back.

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

The “inspector “ and I use the term quite loosely, have no business being called an inspector, they are picture takers, and picture takers that IMO go out of the way to NOT Take pics of actual serious deficientcies of the trucks.

 

[Maxjeep1]

I think my reports were pretty good description of what I got. Only disappointment I had was they didn’t have a picture of the battery compartment on either of my trucks. When I got it I was expecting the hawker batteries and I had some small batteries on both trucks. I’m thinking they might remove the hawker batteries as part of the de mil process. I say that because when I ordered my hawker batteries from the manufacturer they had me to do a EUC for them. My m1165 was described as non runner and they were spot on! M1123 has been perfect and needed fluids changed and I don’t know for sure if it needed it. I’m happy with both of them. I think GP does a pretty good job with descriptions! EUC’s and sf97 not so much… lol

 

[Mogman]

Here is just one example, half the fan blades are missing, minor yes but even a casual inspection should have mentioned it.

AM General HMMWV 2 Door Soft Top w/Truck Body

6.5 L Diesel Engine, Automatic Transmission, 4x4, 2 Door, Soft Top, 37x12.50R16.5 Tires

www.govplanet.com

 

[Sigi]

My truck was pretty much as described in the listing "running and driving". And the truck did just that once I got the batteries charged.. It took a while for the EUC to clear and I was traveling and could not take delivery when it finally did. They were ok with keeping the truck in Barstow for another month. They refunded the CA sales tax (I'm in OR) after the truck was shipped out of CA. All in all a good experience assuming the title shows up one of these days.