Just wondering if anyone has experience with the so called Minderwert ('reduced value') of a horse transporter? Is there any guidelines on how the value gets reduced over time and what effects an visual damage has on this value (the damage being on the inside of the transporter where only the horse stands and the owner might see it when s/he takes the horse in and out, otherwise no damage, just the visual one confirmed by garage). I dont really want to get an expert etc involved but if I could show some studies/guidelines etc at least I have something in my hands....Thanks for any help

just have a look at other ones for sale and see how much they go for.

a Bentley with some damage is still going to be much more expensive than an Opel with some damage....A trailer works in that exact same way.

if mechanics are good and no damage can actually injure the horse these things will last a very long time.
why dont you put up the add so some people can have a look at it

it s not an add ( I dont own a trailer), I got an invoice for 230 Fr which even my insurance says is rather on the high side (normally around 50-100Fr, even in a house not much higher). But they dont have any tables or so which they can provide me. Google hasnt given me anything either so I was hoping maybe somebody has experience here. I just feel like I am getting ripped off and I do not necessarily want to be put away as being so naive that I dont even check on this kind of things.

It seems to me that your insurance company are the ones with the most experience on this. If they say it's high then they should counter offer.

Is this damage you did to someone else's trailer? Who is providing the invoice? A mechanic? You could ask them to get a second opinion from a neutral mechanic. Is the insurance company going to pay? If so, it should be them doing the negotiation, not you.

Good luck.

there is no 'real' invoice...the owner of the trailer claims that through this visual damage she is entitled to 230 Fr of reduced value money (aka this means free money for her). The mechanic's cost is covered by the insurance, but this part is ' a bit special' so the insurance says I pay this myself or negotiate with the trailer owner. As I do not have any 'Rechtsschutz' and the trailer owner does, I m a bit weary how far I can go without having a lawyer knock on my door and susequently having to pay his fees plus any court fees plus the reduced value etc etc
It s a bit of a complicated situation and the trailer owner has threatened me twice already to take me to court over this (admittedly) very minor issue and amount of money.

First, I'll suggest that you get legal insurance if you don't have it. We get ours through the motor club: TSC (or is it TCS? can't remember now). It's something like 100 Francs a year.

Did your insurance say that was a normal thing or that the owner is "trying it on"? I don't know what Rechtsschutz means. So I can't comment on that. Has the owner told you how she came up with that figure?

If your insurance says it's "normal" and she just pulled the number out of her hat, then I would suggest negotiating with her. You could write a letter saying that the damage is inside the trailer not effecting the visual integrity of the trailer and that you are will to pay F180. Then you can settle on F200. Something like that.

Really, if you caused the damage it's not that much money and best to be done with the issue and move on before she gets crazy about it. But I"m not lawyer. If the insurance company can't give you a hint and you don't have legal insurance, I'd pay, but try to negotiate down. Contacting a lawyer will cost you a good F400.

As a horse trailer owner myself (horses too) I think 230.- fr is not very much to pay for damages to the interior. Our repairs have cost much more than that. We recently had to put up rubber paneling along the side walls of ours as one of our horses was scraping the wall with her hooves and digging into the polyester lining of the trailer wall. It is also possible to damage floor matting during travel when a horse moves around and scratches the floor with the metal shoes. Or, kicks to the back wall, etc. There is all kinds of damage that can be done.

Basically, when borrowing or renting a trailer it should be returned in exactly the same condition and cleanliness as when you received it. As a general rule of thumb, even in a borrowing situation, note the conditional faults in writing and record with images on your phone or camera to avoid problems.

Sounds like the simplest way to resolve it is to just pay and chalk it up to experience.

230 chf for a repair in Ch, sounds like a serious bargain to me.

Ah now i understand (i think) you borrowed/rented the trailer and your horse did some damage?

That is a load of crap, the thing is made for that purpose. transport horses. did you have a contract or anything?

I would not pay a dime to this person and walk away.

The issue is not the repairs, though. The OP said the insurance is covering those. This is some extra the owner wants for what I guess is the fact that the owner thinks because it was damaged and repaired it's now worth less.

Anyway, I do agree with the last sentence. Just lets make sure the owner isn't just "trying it on" considering the repairs were paid for.

Thanks for all you help. I guess I will just have to 'suck it up' and put it as a learning experience.
The trailer owner WAS a friend of mine and she transported both our horses at the same time to an event. There was no negligence on either part and it was exactly that rubber mat on the side that Dakota mentions that has a scrape in it (visual and does not affect the use of the trailer or security). The owner has been really mean to me since that happened and spreading rumors all over the place including claiming to my insurance that my horse 'is ill and cannot stand correctly in a trailer' (I had the vet check this out a week after the trailering and she could not determine anything).
@ miniMia, I dont have that legal insurance and you cannot sign up while a case is pending...and the owner has it (that s what I meant with Rechtsschutz)
My insurance is willing to pay for the garage repairs that the owner insisted on having (though they would not have been necessary), however the quote the garage gave was higher than what it turned out to be and now the owner is trying with this reduced value claim to get the remaining 230Fr as a bonus basically.
I guess I ll have to stop the thread here, as it will soon be turning into a complaint thread otherwise Thanks again though! I feel a bit better already.

Translating gives me Rechtsschutz = Property. This is not the same as legal insurance. And although I know you can't get it while a case is pending, you should consider getting it for the future. This insurance is for legal assistance. They have lawyers you call up in cases like this and they will advise you of your rights and write letters on your behalf if required.

Sounds like you are better off without this friend. Pay her & walk away, far away from her!

Good luck!

Just as FYI: I wrote the trailer owner an official (sounding) letter, drafted by my laywer-to-be brother. Answer came within 2 days! that she agrees with my offer of 80Fr. 'stress' compensation (as there are no grounds for any reduced value) So, the story is now officially finished, with the same amount I offered her before all this drama with insurance etc started and before all the messiness and name calling. I guess I only lost a (so called) friend during the whole process but learned that one needs to be and can be firm with these kind of people instead of just letting them have their way.

She was never a friend, you only really know who your friends are when things go wrong.