Well- here it goes- my 2 cents worth:

gatorman- you are absolutely correct- there are multiple associations in our industry & all of them have a code of ethics. The question is- who abides by them? I have had several local franchised dealers- who have all the plaques in their showrooms of all the associations they belong to, have no ethics at all when dealing with customers. Ignorance on the end users part ends up being more profits for the dealer. And in the end, this behavior gives our industry a bad name.

I wanted to thank the admin for giving us a chance to post our thoughts on this issue- there are some of us out here who care about this industry & where it's headed. I've been giving this topic a lot of thought since admin started the thread.

I believe a check list is what's needed for end users to be able to make informed decisions on a used forklift purchase. If a signed form of the exact condition of the equipment along with the specifics of any warranty offered is given, then maybe a level playing field again may be possible.

Perhaps an association specifically for internet sales could be established- an association with a code of ethics specific to this type of transaction. I would think that membership to such an entity would hold value to end users & therefore make the lifts offered by members more valuable. Also then- conversely- violating the code would mean dismissal from the association. Just a thought- waiting to hear others views.

Any end users out there have anything to add?