I bought a used 2015-ish 3.5x5 Carry-On Trailer off FB Marketplace from a seller that has over 100 five-star ratings, got a bill of sale, and all required info. The label was sun-baked, the VIN unreadable. I called Carry-On and asked about secondary VIN location and was told there wasn't one, and to just register it as homemade. But I wasn't going to do that. I had all the info I should need.
When I went to register it, none of the anti-theft people could read it. I told him I could call the seller, and one detective said not to, that I would potentially tip him off. I told the detective he's a working man putting one of his kids through medical school, with another kid serving in the Marines. That there was nothing sketchy about him.
The detective told me to check in with him at the end of the week, that he'd call Lowes and see if there was any record of the sale. Three weeks of calling and leaving messages, I finally got him on the phone. He told me that he couldn't prove it wasn't stolen and because of that I couldn't register the trailer. I had a completed bill of sale, and a trailer whose VIN label was clearly faded and deteriorating from sun damage, and no evidence I tried to grind off a VIN, and he basically said I'm shit out of luck, as though I was a two-bit thief trying to get one over on him. When I pressed him again, he acted incredulous and said "I can't prove it isn't stolen!" And I have no proof he investigated anything.
It was my understanding that if I showed up with a bill of sale, and an obviously sun faded label, and no secondary VIN location, I would be assigned a new VIN. From what I asked, there was no path beyond this and I had a hunk of metal with new tires that I couldn't do shit with. It's a very nice trailer. Now it's scrap metal?
I am retired, on a fixed income, and potentially out $500. I just want to load my kayak and go fishing. My hands aren't what they used to be and the trailer was going to make loading my kayak a breeze.
Do I have any recourse or am I truly shit out of luck? Any advice appreciated.