Titan Industrial Equipment And Jim Pless Roving Salesman Lying about coming from a recent tradeshow!! Disingenuous Marketing ploy to unload his equipment and make a buck! Travelers Rest South Carolina

I myself as a company owner was approached by a man w equipment looking for the local name of an equipment rental company.  I was telling the man the names of a few and googling the #'s for him and in conversation I asked him what he needed them for?

He had the same story tradeshow from AL and had to pick up more equipment and didn't have room for the other equipment nor the time to transport this back so was going to try to sale it to the rental company.  I walked out with him and saw the equipment asked about price low and behold it was 5k...commercial pressure washer, diesel generator, gas generator and air compressor.  

I asked him did he have any paperwork on them and he gave me a warranty book on each and a bill of sale (not mine) that showed retail with name of company on top.  I asked who I would need to talk to (Wayne)and went in my office googled the equipment retail prices, the name of the company and called the company from the net not the bill of sale but didn't ask for Wayne just told them there was this guy here trying to sell me equipment did they know?  They then transferred me to someone else without answering my question... I was afraid he had stolen it actually.

Needless to say I bought it, I did this to flip it and make some money haha!!  My husband kept the pressure washer.  He has used it commercially and both my grown children have also, it works like a charm and has been used often.

I tried to sell the compressor and had to pull if off the swap n shop to save face due to 1 star ratings that everyone on the site made me very aware of.

I still have both generators I can't get enough info to see if they are going to work if I sell them.

This has been 3 yrs ago!!!

He approached an INSURANCE AGENCY full of women ....  I initiated the sale!!!!

Just had the same thing happen in Timonium MD on 6/27/14 - YEARS after this complaint I just found by googling. Same story, a trade show, boss doesnt want the stuff back. SAME EQUIPMENT.

I smelled something fishy so I said no thanks, and came in and hit google. Pages of this happening, though no recent reports that I saw.

They were in a dark blue/green dully pickup truck, PA license plate *DB-0900 (I forget the first digit). I called and reported it to the police who stated that it's not technically illegal, but they took a report. (I gave them the entire license plate number)

My company bought this exact equipment with all the stuff and trimmings and paid just under 6 grand for it all.  The Titan Industrial Air Compressor Model TAC-2T  first, the female nipple busted when placing the air hose in it, after fixing that, We started it and bolts started comming off the unit and then it just stopped working in 3 hours of use.  Couldn't get it started again, and then the pull cord wouldn't retract.  This equipment is pure junk.  We bought from the pick-up truck man for "such a good deal" but it was out of warrenty the day we got it from that guy, imagine that.  What a joke.  The geneators (2) of them, both will not start and the pressure washer, explodes.  My only advice, DO NOT BUY TITAN INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT.

I am a professional mechanic with over 20 years experience. I was recently asked by a customer to service a 5.5 h.p. Titan pressure washer, as it had developed an oil leak in the pump. Upon removing the pump housing from the engine, I was amazed to see a large quantity of metal shavings drop from inside the pump housing. Further inspection showed that the coupler which mated with the engine crank was almost completely destroyed, and the resulting vibration was what had damaged the pump seal.

The metal used in the coupler appeared to be highly substandard, due to the extraordinary wear present. Keep in mind, this pressure washer had been bought brand new, and used ONCE. For all practical purposes, this unit is not repairable and basically a pile of expensive junk. If this is representative of the quality of Titan products, I wouldnt buy something of theirs except perhaps to use as a practical joke. I have never seen such shoddy materials in my entire life.

Who's at the controls ?

Interesting... do you notice how most of these so called 'rebuttals', 'Titan Rocks' and other positive, but bogus reports seem to come out of Greenville, SC? Funny it would be so close to the factory? Perhaps workers who want to keep a job or relatives? You make the call, but the writing pattern and style are the same in most of the responses intended to refute or off-set the negative press.

As a side note, on the surface, we understand American FAB may be trying to resolve some of the field sales practices of their 'independent distributors'. We'll see - the level of future complaints will tell the tale. Personally, I'd not deal with anyone other than an American FAB employee and absolutely not some 'distributor' that has adopted deceptive methods. Before you purchase, comparative shop and don't count on trying to resale the stuff you don't need - A 'Trash Pump'?

Let's hope AF does clean it up and harness the folks playing the games. In any event, always ask to see LOCAL identification and a business license if required in your city - which is normally the case.

Obviously you don't know good quality equipment or a deal when it slaps you in the face. I am an aircraft mechanic and have been using Titan industrial equipment since 1982 and their products have out performed and outlasted all the other name brands i have used. You guys should really get off your lazy butts and do your research before slamming these guys. I am a repeat customer of Titan Industrial full price and the deal you were offered. You all know since 9-11 it's made things tough on shipping. So they offer you a deal to recover parts and labor basically, and you call that a rip-off? You all just have too much time on your hands and don"t know how to use it wisely (research). For a bunch of so called liars, their story sure is consistent. And don't you think that disgruntled employees that have been terminated for pure laziness have written most of these reports? And not just for this company, but every other innocent company you can think of. The bank i bank with is even on here! Duh!!

I was also offered the same or identical equipment from a driver (female), today from NSC. Exact same circumstances as was previously described.
My question is where is the rip-off? They will accept cash,check or credit card & the equipment is there in front of me to unload! I turned her down for an immediate purchase as I wanted to research the matter further. One of my concerns on this type of transaction is that I will never purchase anything that might be stolen. I have been on the other side to many times.
One of the parts of this deal that puzzle me is the fact that she said she just loaded the equipment this am from a storage yard yet the diesel generator that she started for me had been setting in the same spot in the truck bed with worn spots in the floor mat???
A very polished approach, hmmmmmmmm.........

I am the Driver in question, & deeply resent being slandered by the Mr Kerber when I did everything possible to help him & the Fire Dept.

#1: There was a Titan equipment show in Tucson on November 22nd
#2: The Diesel Generator did have fuel in it from being demonstrated at the the show, and could not be shipped in that condition.
#3: As a Truck Driver I do not have a business card. (How many truck drivers have cards)
#4: I did call my boss for answers to the Mr. Kerbers questions that I am not qualified to answer; Will this Generator perform while it is raining? etc.


In speaking with Mr. Kerber I learned that the Fire Dept, which covers & serves a wide area of rural Arizona is a nonprofit that depends on Government Grants etc., & from Mr Kerbers statements believed that the fire Department had need for the equipment but was strapped for money until their Grants became available.

Once again, As a driver, I don't know anything about Grants or anything like that.
So I called my boss to see how he could help Mr. Kerber & the Fire Dept. Unfortunately The Fire Departments Grants would not be funded for a period of aprox. 60 days & my boss was unwilling to accept a Purchase Order for that great length of time. Nowit seemsthat Mr. Kerber is angry because he was unable to get the equipment is intent on slandering & defaming both Titan Industrial & me.

I am the Driver in question, & deeply resent being slandered by the Mr Kerber when I did everything possible to help him & the Fire Dept.

#1: There was a Titan equipment show in Tucson on November 22nd
#2: The Diesel Generator did have fuel in it from being demonstrated at the the show, and could not be shipped in that condition.
#3: As a Truck Driver I do not have a business card. (How many truck drivers have cards)
#4: I did call my boss for answers to the Mr. Kerbers questions that I am not qualified to answer; Will this Generator perform while it is raining? etc.


In speaking with Mr. Kerber I learned that the Fire Dept, which covers & serves a wide area of rural Arizona is a nonprofit that depends on Government Grants etc., & from Mr Kerbers statements believed that the fire Department had need for the equipment but was strapped for money until their Grants became available.

Once again, As a driver, I don't know anything about Grants or anything like that.
So I called my boss to see how he could help Mr. Kerber & the Fire Dept. Unfortunately The Fire Departments Grants would not be funded for a period of aprox. 60 days & my boss was unwilling to accept a Purchase Order for that great length of time. Nowit seemsthat Mr. Kerber is angry because he was unable to get the equipment is intent on slandering & defaming both Titan Industrial & me.