Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  10/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Lazy T Ranch denies responsibility for damages to RV as guests on their property. While they invite guests to camp for free, that shouldn't absolve them of responsibility for providing a safe environment for guests and their personal property. 110V grnd pwr supplied caused an electrical fire that burned out the RVs converter, TV, microwave oven and disabled air conditioners. The two owners initially admitted to electrical problem with receptacle - serviced by electrician BEFORE our arrival. They claimed three inspections found no fault; all performed AFTER our incident. This is contrary to their earlier admission. They denied such admission - without evidence. They claimed several RVs and food trucks used receptacle without issue after us. But had an add'l inspection (3rd) performed before adding an appliance to the circuit. They felt the circuit was sound enough to support other RV's and food trucks, but not comfortable with it being able to support an add'l appliance without being reinspected, yet again???? All within approx two weeks. Obviously, they still had concerns about the condition of the circuit. Our repair shop found no electrical faults in RV and diagnosed causal factor as faulty power input . New appliances installed in RV without issue. If RV elec system was the issue, the new appliances should have immediately failed as previous. We believe that the evidence supports the onsite 110V ground power source as the causal factor. As a result, we should not bear all the financial burden for the required repairs and assoc costs. They denied all liability, and responsibility, and perjured themselves in the process by claiming, as a minimum, that ALL THREE inspections occurred AFTER the incident, leaving us to question the genuineness of their previous statements. Converter, TV, Microwave replacement = $978.04. Motels, post-incident = $491.06 (no a/c in RV) Greatly appreciate your assistance.

  Business response

  10/26/2023

  The complainant made a reservation to stay at our farrm through Harvest Hosts. Harvest Hosts members can park their RVs at a farm for a night. They do not pay for being allowed to do so. We allow them to stay as a service, but we are not compensated. It was a hot day when these guests were here, and they asked if there was a place they could plug in their RV. This is not something usually done, but I told them that there is a building with an outside outlet which we use to plug in our food trailer and they could check it out, but that I didn't know if it would be the right thing for their RV, which is much larger than our food trailer.

  Later they said that some of their appliances had trouble when they plugged in to the outlet. After they left, I called an electrician to check it out. He found nothing wrong with it. After thinking more about it, I wondered if there could be an issue with the electrical capacity for the building or anything else. I called the electrician to come back and again, they found nothing wrong with any outlet or breakers or anything electrical in the building. I have since put a chest freezer in there, as well as continued to connect our food trailer to the outside outlet, with no problems.

  After I heard from the guests about their repairs and that the diagnosis of their repair shop was "dirty power," I researched that term and as a result called our electric power company. They came out and checked the electricity at the pole, the transformers and the building and found no problems, no interruptions, nothing related to dirty power.

  I have taken all the steps I have been able to determine that there was no negligence and no power problems on our end. I don't know what happened with them, but there have been no other problems before or since. I am sorry they had trouble but I can't find that anything that we did or the power source here resulted in the trouble they had.

  There has been no negligence, no intentional action on our part. They were here at their request and plugged in there at their request. We were not compensated in any way. There is no basis for our insurance company to approve a claim. We don't have income from the Harvest Host guests. We have spent several hundred dollars to have their claim investigated on our end. As a registered agritourism business in Kansas, there is a waiver of liability for guests,  under the Kansas statute, which is posted. We take every safety precaution we can to be sure our guests and their property are secure. All we can do is to make it further clear to guests that they are staying and using any facilities with that condition.

  Business response

  01/02/2024

  I have documentation from the electric company that I will be sending in that indicates that the power from our place was "clean."  Also, we have signs posted on the property that we have no liability for anyone who plugs in with us

   

   

  Someone from BBB visited with me about this complaint and suggested that I send to this email address:

   

  1. The report of our electric company, ******** ********. We asked them to inspect due to the complaint stating that their repair shop said the cause of the damage to RV appliances was “dirty power.” The complainant did not pay for any services, since they were here only to park their RV overnight as part of the Harvest Hosts program, which is a free service. They had an issue with no power and asked where they might plug in to get AC on in the RV. I said there is an outside outlet we use for ours, but I didn’t know how it would work with their large RV. They said they had an adapter and it would be no problem.

   

  When they reported the trouble they had, I had our electrical service company come to check out the outlet, breakers, system inside and out of the building. There was no problem found. I even asked them to come back a second time to be sure. When the complainant reported that their repair shop said it was “dirty power,” that would be on the electrical supplier side, so I had them come investigate. Their report is attached,  reporting that they found no evidence of “dirty power.”

   

   

  2. The Kansas law which limits agritourism liability for registered agritourism businesses, which requires that the agritourism businesses post a sign with statutory language regarding the immunity from liability for agritourism. Kansas is in the majority of states which provide limitations on liability for agritourism and states that there is an inherent risk taken on by the participant.

   

  Lazy T Ranch Adventures is a registered agritourism business in Kansas, and we display the required signage. The full law is at KSA Article 32, Sections 1430-1438. Relevant Section 1435 is attached.

   

  Thank you for your attention to this matter.

   

  ***** ******

  Lazy T Ranch Adventures

   

  Customer response

  01/17/2024

  I believe I did reply to this LTRA response.  And I believe I also indicted to BBB that I remain dissatisfied with LTRA's lack of positive response and I have taken the case to the Riley Country Small Claims Court.

  Greatly appreciate your help during this ordeal.  Your procedures operate very efficiently and the service has been exceptional.  Thank you.  J**** ********

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