Caveat emptor

Buyers of used cranes should check the authenticity of what they are being offered prior to handing over payment. This notice is given in response to at least two recent instances of crawler cranes being labelled (literally) as Liebherr LR 1280 crawler cranes and offered for sale when neither crane was built by Liebherr.

Scott Moreland, VP sales at Liebherr Nenzing Crane Co in the US, related to IC the story of the first of the two cranes (pictured). It was described as a Liebherr LR 1280 and sold as such to a customer in India who paid for it and had it shipped from the seller in China: When it arrived in India the Liebherr technician, who had been called to inspect it and recommend any necessary repairs, broke the news to the customer that it was not -as it had been described - a Liebherr.

Somewhere along the line a serial number plate from a Liebherr LR 1280 had either been stolen or forged and screwed to a crawler crane built by Chinese manufacturer XCMG, Moreland said. The serial number on the plate suggested it was an LR 1280 sold to a company in China in 2003, Moreland continued. As can be seen in the photos, a grey, yellow and white paint scheme has been applied, including "Liebherr" lettering.

The second used crane, the same Chinese model also disguised as a Liebherr LR 1280, was offered for sale on a used machinery internet site. It is pictured painted yellow with red stripes and yellow "Liebherr" lettering and a sticker price of US$1.4 million.

Caveat emptor is Latin for buyer beware.