Horse trailer website alleges Machias business location
by Sarah Craighead Dedmon
An alleged horse trailer business operating under the name Equine Station LLC lists its United States Inventory address as 36 Broadway, Machias, and responds to customer inquiries stating it ships from Machias zip code 04654. However, there is no such address, and the state of Maine has no record of a business by that name.
Employees at the Machias Town Office recently responded to one phone call and one office visit from people who came to Machias because they had purchased a trailer from Equine Station, but could not locate their address. The website lists no phone number. The customers had paid in advance.
Local horse enthusiast Jodi Norton reached out to the company posing as a customer.
“I tried to pretend I wanted to buy a trailer, so I inquired about it and they wrote me back and basically said they want you to buy the trailer without seeing it,” said Norton. She looked over the price catalog of trailers listed on their website, www.equine-station.us, and said the prices were too good to be true, leading Norton to conclude the company is operating a scam.
“You don’t get a fifth wheel horse trailer for $4,500,” said Norton. “If there were horse trailers that cheap I would have bought one yesterday.” Norton said trailers with living quarters rarely sell for less than $15,000, and can cost more than $100,000.
An email sent by this newspaper on Friday, Nov. 1 received a reply from Equine Station citing their shipping costs from zip code 04654, and stating that their Machias warehouse is only open once per month, and will next open Nov. 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Anyone concerned about a transaction with this business should contact the Maine Office of the State Auditor by calling (207) 624-6250, or by emailing [email protected], or by completing a web-based fraud report form at www.maine.gov/audit/fraud/form.html.
Equine Station LLC website states that their physical warehouse is at 36 Broadway Street in Machias. There is no such address.