Buyer beware when purchasing second hand expandable gates.
An example of a falsely advertised Trellidor
Expandable gates apparently come up for resale on a number of websites as people alter their homes or move. And it appears that they’re often listed as Trellidors whether or not they are genuine Trellidor expandable gates.
While we’re aware that just about everyone calls expandable security gates Trellidors, the concern is that the buyers are being mislead. They have no way of knowing whether or not they’re purchasing a genuine Trellidor security gate, and if that gate will perform in the way they expect, due to the reputation of its supposed brand name.
Trellidor Brand Manager Louise Morton has had to make contact with these buy and sell websites on a number of occasions when it was obvious that the security gates on offer were definitely not Trellidors.
Some of them are very good about pulling the advert off the website as they know in terms of the Consumer Protection Act that they could get into trouble for false advertising. Others, though, are slow to respond and I worry that buyers are not aware of what they are getting, Louise told me.
So whats the problem with second hand expandable gates?
There are several issues associated with purchasing used Trellidor expandable safety gates, online or otherwise.
- How do you know for sure that it’s a genuine Trellidor? The previous owner may insist that it is, but you would need some sort of written proof, or Trellidor franchise personnel to confirm this. Trellidor expandable gates have some distinguishing features that make them unique.
- The warranty falls away if the gate is second-hand. Trellidor warranties only apply if Trellidor technicians have installed the expandable gate or other Trellidor product.
- A second hand gate will not be best fit. Trellidor custom-make each expandable gate to fit the doorway properly, making it difficult for housebreakers to break through. Second hand gates will not fit as exactly as a customised one, leaving vulnerable gaps for criminals to exploit, weakening your security.
- Specialised expandable gate fixings are not available to the general public. Trellidor uses unique fixings that require specialised tools not freely available. These fixings contribute to the strength of a genuine Trellidor fitted by Trellidor franchises. Second hand gates won’t have these, compromising your security.
- You have no recourse to Trellidor for repairs. Trellidor franchises can only repair genuine Trellidor expandable gates. They can’t help you with repairs if the gate isn’t one of ours. They can, of course, sell you a new, genuine Trellidor expandable gate that will have a warranty and will fit properly.
- Trellidor locks are unique and patented. If you have purchased a second-hand genuine Trellidor, your local franchise could replace a damaged lock for you at a cost, but if it isn’t a real Trellidor, they won’t be able to help you. So let’s hope you don’t lose the keys or need to replace the lock after a security breach!
Take a look at what genuine Trellidor expandable gates look like here.
Contributor: Lindy Barry
