First Motorhome Joy Turns To Nightmare (1 Viewer)

mickyb

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Mar 7, 2009
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We have been tuggers for the last 16yrs and having hired a couple of motorhomes, albeit before our first caravan (16yrs ago) decided at the end of last season to hang up the towing mirrors and go in search for a motorhome. At first we liked the end L shaped lounge design but on talking to different salesmen were advised to look for the centre lounge layout due to them having three point belted seats for our daughter to travel. Finally, at a well known large Dealer network we found the one we liked a 2003 Swirt Sundance 590RS & on inspecting it we found a nice clean van with a few minor things as expected + a cracked shower tray, which looked like could have been the result of the previous owners storing chairs or such like while in transit, when I pointed this out the salesman said he knew that the shower tray needed replacing and agreed to do that & all the other jobs we had found + cam belt etc,
We haggled got it down to a good price + the price we wanted for our caravan YIPEE GREAT!!! Our caravan was collected by a company arranged by the dealer a week later. Now a Month later no word from the dealer so i decided to give him a ring Saturday, his greeting was, I'm glad you phoned saved me a call, the motorhome is all done BUT the shower tray is on back order from Swifts no idea when it will be available but we can do a temp repair for you and you can take the motorhome and use it & we will have it back at a later date to fit the new tray:Blush: My awnser was NO THANK YOU!! you keep the motorhome until its repaired as agreed and i will keep the the outstanding payment until then. We are not happy and feel this has taken the edge off the purchace of owning our first motorhome.:shout:
 

haganap

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Well welcome to the world of motorhoming. Can't really help with the problem but I would of just got in writing and then taken the motorhome, and started using it.
Im sure all will be worked out eventually .:thumb:
 
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Peter JohnsCross MH

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We have been tuggers for the last 16yrs and having hired a couple of motorhomes, albeit before our first caravan (16yrs ago) decided at the end of last season to hang up the towing mirrors and go in search for a motorhome. At first we liked the end L shaped lounge design but on talking to different salesmen were advised to look for the centre lounge layout due to them having three point belted seats for our daughter to travel. Finally, at a well known large Dealer network we found the one we liked a 2003 Swirt Sundance 590RS & on inspecting it we found a nice clean van with a few minor things as expected + a cracked shower tray, which looked like could have been the result of the previous owners storing chairs or such like while in transit, when I pointed this out the salesman said he knew that the shower tray needed replacing and agreed to do that & all the other jobs we had found + cam belt etc,
We haggled got it down to a good price + the price we wanted for our caravan YIPEE GREAT!!! Our caravan was collected by a company arranged by the dealer a week later. Now a Month later no word from the dealer so i decided to give him a ring Saturday, his greeting was, I'm glad you phoned saved me a call, the motorhome is all done BUT the shower tray is on back order from Swifts no idea when it will be available but we can do a temp repair for you and you can take the motorhome and use it & we will have it back at a later date to fit the new tray:Blush: My awnser was NO THANK YOU!! you keep the motorhome until its repaired as agreed and i will keep the the outstanding payment until then. We are not happy and feel this has taken the edge off the purchace of owning our first motorhome.:shout:

Hi,

Havent a clue who the dealer is but in all fairness, its not his fault that they are waiting for a tray.

I would suggest you take delivery with a repair and if in any doubt withold £500 until the tray is replaced.

Peter

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Tony Santara

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Sounds like words of wisdom from Paul (Haganap) and Peter ( Johns Cross)
They've got your caravan and you have nothing at the moment. I too would take the motorhome with a letter of intent to do the repair at you will have something out of the deal
 
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pappajohn

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Hi,

Havent a clue who the dealer is but in all fairness, its not his fault that they are waiting for a tray.

I would suggest you take delivery with a repair and if in any doubt withold £500 until the tray is replaced.

Peter

excellent advise peter but i doubt many dealers, with the exception of yourselves of coarse, would agree to withholding £500.

and Swift do monitor the forum so if the dealer is pulling a fast one they may be able to help.
 
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Peter JohnsCross MH

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excellent advise peter but i doubt many dealers, with the exception of yourselves of coarse, would agree to withholding £500.

and Swift do monitor the forum so if the dealer is pulling a fast one they may be able to help.


Be daft if they didnt agree as (1) they would get a lot more dosh in the Bank:thumb:
and (2) If they would not agree, doesn't say much for their integrity does it.

Peter

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Caggsie

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I did just same when on collecting my van from a dealer, who'd faffed about, that I would withhold £500 for a concertina fly screen on the hab door(don't actually know how much they cost). Albeit 1 year later and the van going in for its first service with said dealer, i now have a door fly screen(which probaly should have come with the van) at no extra cost. Incidentally not the concertina type, but much better than tha Aldi net type stuff I'd bought for the Scotland midges last July

When you are collecting the van and find something amiss, choose to withhold money until it is put right. Unless they want to lose a sale then in my experience they will bide by your wishes. That said It was my first van and if they hadn't said OK, I was desperate to take the van there and then so would probaly have gone "ok then:Blush:" The other alternative is to walk away until it has been completed to your satisfaction. Given the same scenario again I would walk.

regards

Karen
 
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Hi,

Havent a clue who the dealer is but in all fairness, its not his fault that they are waiting for a tray.

I would suggest you take delivery with a repair and if in any doubt withold £500 until the tray is replaced.

Peter

did that when i bought mine with held £250 for shower tray (small chip)
when i phoned got the wrong salesman
and he didnt know what i was talking about
the repair was fairley well done so i have accepted it
i use facillites on site
i havent bothered to go back for some other work
i wanted doing at my expense
ie fit an access hatch in the rear
a propex heater to replace original heater in front of the access door their loss i suppose
 
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mickyb

mickyb

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Mar 7, 2009
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Thanks

Thanks to all who commented

I was thinking along the lines of with holding some money back with a letter of intent, still annoys us that dealers take these trade in's then try to pass a known defective vehicle onto the next poor buyer, some of the so called dealers we visited were trying to sell on late (04) motor homes with walls like sponges for top money.

Swift replied quickly to my e-mail (thank you swift) and said that shower tray is due in on 15/04/09 then its got to be delivered & fitted & then before we part with anymore money we want to check it over again to make sure were happy, we unfortunatly cannot get away over Easter anyway so we will leave it at dealers until the jos is complete, hopefully be done by the end of April as I don't want them to tax it half way through the Month, it may work out ok, hopefully !!!!!

Will keep you posted on it's progress.

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peter t

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Thanks to all who commented

I was thinking along the lines of with holding some money back with a letter of intent, still annoys us that dealers take these trade in's then try to pass a known defective vehicle onto the next poor buyer, some of the so called dealers we visited were trying to sell on late (04) motor homes with walls like sponges for top money.

Swift replied quickly to my e-mail (thank you swift) and said that shower tray is due in on 15/04/09 then its got to be delivered & fitted & then before we part with anymore money we want to check it over again to make sure were happy, we unfortunatly cannot get away over Easter anyway so we will leave it at dealers until the jos is complete, hopefully be done by the end of April as I don't want them to tax it half way through the Month, it may work out ok, hopefully !!!!!

Will keep you posted on it's progress.

Iffy service is freely available on new vans as well as trade ins...... does pose the question though , why put it on the fore court for sale with a cracked shower tray ?? did they think somebody wanted to buy it with a cracked tray... or maybe they had'nt spotted it themselves. that probably explains why they did'nt order it before they sold it....:Doh:


Good luck

Pete.
 
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Douglas

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Aug 22, 2008
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BUT the shower tray is on back order from Swifts no idea when it will be available

Done That; been there; got the tee shirts in several colours and sizes. Oh! and bit of info, if your nice friendly dealer, (Until he has your money that is) fit's the new shower tray the same way as the way that Swift fitted mine from new then you will be looking to fit another one in about 5 years if you are a full timer.

Take your shoes and socks off and stand on the tray and put your weight around the edges, not in extreme positions but were you would normally do when using the shower and if you can feel any give or flexing you have a problem waiting to happen.

The material that these trays are made from is so thin and weak that if the whole of the tray is not supported in some way underneath it will crack.

Doug
 
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mickyb

mickyb

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Mar 7, 2009
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Still waiting

Just a quick update,

I rang the dealer on Friday nearly 7 weeks after leaving our deposit & at last they have the shower tray in their mits !, dont hold your breath though!! all that needs to be done now is for them to book it in to the workshop to be fitted. this is where it all falls apart again, the salesman was supposed to ring me back Saturday to let me know when this would be, but as yet no phone call from him ( in fact I have not had one phone call from the dealer so far,at least they wont go bankcrupt due to high phone bills ! ). Hopefully looking on the bright side he will ring this week to say its all done, but i'm affraid I now have little faith.
Appaulling customer care due to no communication,i'm beginning to feel that i'm doing something wrong, not wanting to get the salesman into trouble but perhaps i should be stamping my feet a bit more.

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