At Megatyre Towbars, we always advise our customers that second hand towbars are a false economy and that fitting a brand new towbar is always a better choice.
Recently I have had a lot of phone calls from people wanting us to install second hand towbars for them. These are towbars they have bought on trademe, had given to them or have taken off wrecked cars etc.
Its pretty ugly!
Basically, second hand towbars are an unknown quantity; they may be accident or corrosion damaged, they may have parts missing, it is highly likely they do not fit properly or are actually for an entirely different model or chassis number, the customer may not be accepting of the need to completely replace all nuts, bolts and washers, original fitting instructions will be missing. Then there is the issue of what to charge; most towbars are not fitted in 10 minutes, one to two hours is much more realistic. And then there is the issue of public liability if something goes wrong with the secondhand towbar after fitting.
Following is a case study showing how things can go wrong. Years ago an old guy got Megatyre towbars to fit a towbar to his car; he left us a very happy customer. He came back 3 months later saying he had sold that car because he could no longer drive a manual and had bought an automatic car. Both cars were exactly the same, same year, model, even the same colour! But one was manual, the other automatic. He asked us to swap his towbar from the old car to the newly purchased automatic. In the circumstances, I had to agree but I warned him there might be differences in the cars; basically the customer told me I was nuts because they were identical cars!
So the customer and his wife brought both cars in, we took the rear bumpers off and proceeded to change the towbar to the new vehicle. Believe it or not, but the automatic vehicle had a different exhaust system to the manual vehicle meaning we had to do extra work to shift the exhaust system so the towbar could fit.
And lastly, and probably most relevant, in many instances we can supply and fit a brand new towbar for less than the cost of a second-hand towbar plus fitting charges. And one should remember that there are many instances of people buying towbars that are claimed to fit their vehicle but never will, often this becomes money down the drain.
Also, there is no sense trying to fit a second-hand towbar, which has no history or guarantee, when you can fit a Megatyre brand new towbar, with a lifetime guarantee, for not much more than the price of a second-hand towbar. So contact us at Megatyre for a free quote on a safe quality towbar with a lifetime guarantee.
Megatyre Towbars, Browns Bay, North Shore, Auckland. www.megatyre.co.nz
I bought a second hand towbar off trademe, it was a disaster. It did not fit my car and i could not get a refund
Yeah, you make your points clear. Why bother buying second hand when you can buy new for just a few extra bucks.
you’re right!
Terrific work! This is the kind of information that are supposed to be shared across the internet.
A few days ago a guy came in for a wof with a car he had fitted a secondhand towbar to. There were bolts missing and it did not fit properly. What a B mess.
Yup I used to fit bars for a franchise dealership. We refused to fit second hand bars too. Its just a nightmare, and even if they do fit its a liability minefield. i have seen a few home fitted bars since that i wouldn’t attach a wheel barrow too! As Jakes Workshop above says. What a B mess.
thanks for your feedback tim
brian
I can see why people do it, have been looking for prices for towbar installation all the last hour.
If your businesses were upfront and told people what kind of prices they can fit I think you’d eliminate certain types of rash behaviour out of the industry, it’s a bit too cloak and dagger.
Hi Bruce
I regret it is not practical to publish all our towbar prices; there are too many variables. Our towbar prices are not hard to get, tell me the model, year and registration number and I will quote you a towbar in minutes! (after seeing the inquiry)
Hey there need a quote in a 2005 Mazda axela BK towbar pls
Hello Chris
we can fit a very nice towbar for $495.00 inc gst and electrics.
Peter
please give me a quote of towbar to fit puegeot 207 year 2006 Hdi
Hi Guy
thanks for your inquiry. I am pretty sure I have already replied to you by email but just in case, I can confirm we could fit a towbar to your vehicle for $639.00 all up. n.b. subject to confirmation of chassis number
Brian
Hi,
I’m looking for a towbar for my Toyota Isis 2005 – Rego HWW22, used prefered as its an old car.
Do you have these, if yes at what cost including installation.
Thanks.
We do not sell second hand towbars. We could fit and wire a towbar on your vehicle for $475.00 inc gst
Brian
My insurance company is trying to get me to accept them putting a second hand tow bar on the back of my car after a rear end impact. I am livid – reading this article i know that they shouldn’t but do you know if this is normal practice?
Hello Rachael
my first thought is this is best referred to your insurance broker if you have one. In my experience, insurance companies tend to fit new towbars though there may be a tendency towards second hand bars for old, low value vehicles. Certainly I do not resile from what is written in the post you mention. If you find that you can not avoid a second hand towbar, it would be a good idea to insist the insurance company confirm in writing that such second hand towbar was not involved in an accident, that it is certified to NZDS standards (New Zealand Domestic Standards) and/or ADR (Australian Design Rules) and that it has a lifetime guarantee like we place on all our towbars.
I note you are employed by a large national retailer; just imagine the furore if you started replacing faulty items with second hand merchandise!
Brian
Price for new towbar to fit a 2016 Nissan pulssar st Salone without electrics thanks reg jyb34 tks
Hello Larry
we can fit a towbar to your vehicle for $450.00 inc gst.
Brian
Tow bar for 2011 Nissan Tiida 1800 hatch fitted. What is the price please
Hi Jack
we can supply and fit a towbar for $475.00 inc wiring and gst
Brian