Brownhills disgruntled customer in court (1 Viewer)

Jan 26, 2010
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This appeared in The Nottingham Post recently

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NEW motorhome owner Michael Hayes caused £39,000 damage to 14 caravans in a revenge attack on a dealership.

The jobless 54-year-old claimed faults were not fixed after he spent a £51,000 inheritance on a posh home on wheels.

He returned to the Newark-based Brownhills and took out his frustration with a knife, a black marker pen, paint and spray.

Nottingham Crown Court heard he damaged 14 motorhomes – slashing seats, daubing them with graffiti and painting beds black.


He was caught by a sales assistant in July. Black paint had stained his fingers and he had a can of spray paint in one hand and a knife in a bag.

Yesterday, Hayes was jailed for a year after admitting criminal damage.

As well as the damage, the company says it lost £52,000 in revenue while the vehicles were off for repair.

Sentencing Hayes, of no fixed address, Recorder Shaun Smith said it was not for him to decide who was right or wrong.

"I accept you felt so strongly about the fact that you were right and the company was wrong but the way of going about it is completely unacceptable," he said.

Hayes claimed after buying his motorhome that there were ten faults and only one had been fixed, the court heard.

"He felt let down by Brownhills, where he bought a motorhome in January 2013," said prosecutor Lisa Hardy.

Clarkson Baptiste, in mitigation, said Hayes had let his anger get the better of him and had chosen not to take the matter to the civil court.

The money Hayes spent on his motorhome was inherited from his father, who died two years ago, and was the largest investment his client made with the cash.

Hayes asked for sympathetic understanding for the motivation behind what he did.

"He has suffered loss to himself," said Mr Baptiste.

"He is suffering from depression and sleep deprivation.

"He is living off £7,000 in his back account from the residue of the estate. He is unemployed.

"He part-exchanged the vehicle for £36,000. He lost £15,000 as a result of having to purchase another home."

Brownhills declined to comment on the case when contacted by the Post.

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Wildman

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Brownhills come true to form yet again, does not seem to matter who owns it the staff and attitude to customers and non customer service is the same. 12 months he got off light.

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cruiser

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you can beat up old ladies and get less than that.let him out.it costs more to keep him in.and fine Brownhills for not giving the service they promise.
 

Cal54

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Can't condone the approach but I do have some sympathy having made the mistake of buying my last van from Brownhills. I too got extremely frustrated with the servicing team who wouldn't admit there was a fault on my new van. Really lost my temper on the phone and only got some satisfaction when I got the salesman to refer to the MD. My advice, don't consider Brownhills for your next purchase!!
 

tambo

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I don't condone what he did but can see why he did it .....I've never bought a motorhome from a dealer before but my sisters liaka came from knowepark caravans who were a complete nightmare they basically offered no help or compensation for misselling her van had to involve trading standards in the end but still not a satisfactory result.

I'd never buy from any dealer as they promise the earth and deliver nowt

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Steve

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Brownhills declined to comment on the case when contacted by the Post.
I dont know if its possible but maybe he can now get a case put togeather and go through the courts the right way?
iam sure the tax man will pick up the bill.
 

Tootles

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I've got no sympathy for him at all. Prison is where he deserves to be. Cowardly criminal damage to private or company property is not the answer to anything. Same mentality as those who key cars.
Agreed Jim, but, I'm trying to see this from the guy's perspective a bit. Spent all his inheritance, bought a pup, feels really let down, nothing left to sue with, and probably 'taking a pop' not in his character. Must admit having a tad of sympathy with him :(. After all, object achieved, he got Brownhills where it hurts, in the wallet.
 

ukbill

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I've got no sympathy for him at all. Prison is where he deserves to be. Cowardly criminal damage to private or company property is not the answer to anything. Same mentality as those who key cars.

i disagree sometimes its the only way a large company like brownHILLS have the resources to say f**l you and tie you up in the courts this has given them the bad publicity they deserve SHOP AT BROWNHILLS AT YOUR OWN PERIL well done that man (y)(y)

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PJGWiltshire

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Sad really but I read somewhere that a disgruntled purchaser of either a car or motorhome had so many faults which it was said would not be repaired by the company. So the complainant sat outside the main showroom on a public road with the said faulty vehicle inviting prospective purchasers to the company to have a look round their vehicle and the dispute was outlined to those prospective customers. I am lead to understand that the company resolved the issue very quickly as the salesman had very little customers to deal with.
 

Tootles

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Sad really but I read somewhere that a disgruntled purchaser of either a car or motorhome had so many faults which it was said would not be repaired by the company. So the complainant sat outside the main showroom on a public road with the said faulty vehicle inviting prospective purchasers to the company to have a look round their vehicle and the dispute was outlined to those prospective customers. I am lead to understand that the company resolved the issue very quickly as the salesman had very little customers to deal with.
Brownhills had a depot/showroom just outside Preston. There 'prestige' and reputation went very quickly down the pan, and they closed down, (whatever the official reason was).
Personally, I have bought bits off fleabay from them, only because every now and again they get rid of stuff that fits my ancient Hymer.
 
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I have a massive amount of sympathy for the guy. What he did was totally wrong, obviously, but in all honesty how many otherwise good people have been driven to total desperation by the kind of customer service that has become the norm these days.

If you have a bad experience once it isn't too bad, even the second and third times are manageable with some patience, but when it keeps happening time and time again it is enough to make even Mother Theresa go postal.

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paulmold

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Sad really but I read somewhere that a disgruntled purchaser of either a car or motorhome had so many faults which it was said would not be repaired by the company. So the complainant sat outside the main showroom on a public road with the said faulty vehicle inviting prospective purchasers to the company to have a look round their vehicle and the dispute was outlined to those prospective customers. I am lead to understand that the company resolved the issue very quickly as the salesman had very little customers to deal with.

A more sensible approach which does work. There has been a couple of such protests, one report on Facts was locked (but you can still find reference to it and who the dealer was) and withdrawn but one in Daily Mail is here to see..

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ide-cardealership-sold-faulty-motor-home.html
 

Tootles

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Same old story. They grab the cash, then fob you off. If you buy something new that is faulty, you be offered a full refund, plus any out of pocket expenses..........
Problems seem to arise because the PDI inspections are either non existent, or just a joke.
 

scotjimland

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Same old story. They grab the cash, then fob you off. If you buy something new that is faulty, you be offered a full refund, plus any out of pocket expenses..........
Problems seem to arise because the PDI inspections are either non existent, or just a joke.

Don't just blame the dealers.. they are not paid to snag major faults that should be put right at the factory.. I'm sure they are just as peed off selling vans that are frankly not fit for purpose as those who buy them.. why they still do is a puzzle.

A PDI will not pick up a badly built van that will leak as soon as it drives though a puddle.. A PDI Is to give everything the once over and rectify small faults or make minor adjustments..

It's down to piss poor production methods , it's also down to us Brits who don't complain enough and don't vote with our feet..
It reminds me of the car industry in the 60s and 70s .. it took the Japs to sort it out.. When I buy a PVC next year it won't be made by a British company.

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Tootles

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I'm still not convinced, Jim. The PDI should be recorded onto a pre-printed list, then signed off by the person carrying out the checks. A copy SHOULD then be passed on to the customer. I don't think that's happening these days If the guy in question is right about the seat belt, well, another ball game comes into play here, which includes the Vehicle Inspectorate, who can levy HUGE fines on those supplying faulty safety equipment.
 

haganap

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sorry, no way to behave in a dispute. Regardless of how bad you feel you have been treated taking the law in to your own hands in this way will only ever result in prosecution.

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Don't just blame the dealers.. they are not paid to snag major faults that should be put right at the factory.. I'm sure they are just as peed off selling vans that are frankly not fit for purpose as those who buy them.. why they still do is a puzzle.

A PDI will not pick up a badly built van that will leak as soon as it drives though a puddle.. A PDI Is to give everything the once over and rectify small faults or make minor adjustments..

It's down to piss poor production methods , it's also down to us Brits who don't complain enough and don't vote with our feet..
It reminds me of the car industry in the 60s and 70s .. it took the Japs to sort it out.. When I buy a PVC next year it won't be made by a British company.

Whoever the manufacturer , the customers contract is with the dealer he purchased from and the dealer has the responsibility under that contract to provide a product that is fit for the purpose intended.
It seems that Brownhills have little idea what customer service and satisfaction is and unfortunately this guy was at the end of his tether, but still the wrong action.
 

scotjimland

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Whoever the manufacturer , the customers contract is with the dealer he purchased from and the dealer has the responsibility under that contract to provide a product that is fit for the purpose intended.
It seems that Brownhills have little idea what customer service and satisfaction is and unfortunately this guy was at the end of his tether, but still the wrong action.

no question that is correct.. but if a dealer is overwhelmed with bad vans or faults that take a lot of time and money to rectify is it all the dealers fault ?

I'm not siding with Brownhills .. I have no personal knowledge or them, but have read enough to avoid.. however I try to see it from both angles. If other dealers can 'get it right' so too also should Brownhills
 
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Tootles

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no question that is correct.. but if a dealer is overwhelmed with bad vans or faults that take a lot of time and money to rectify is it all the dealers fault ?

I'm not siding with Brownhills .. I have no personal knowledge or them, but have read enough to avoid.. however I try to see it from both angles. If other dealers can 'get it right' so too also should Browhills
Well, maybe they should become agents for a decent manufacturer then?????

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no question that is correct.. but if a dealer is overwhelmed with bad vans or faults that take a lot of time and money to rectify is it all the dealers fault ?

I'm not siding with Brownhills .. I have no personal knowledge or them, but have read enough to avoid.. however I try to see it from both angles. If other dealers can 'get it right' so too also should Brownhills


Jim , if the dealer gets little or no support from the manufacturer then he should withdraw from selling that product.
The dealer always carries the can for sub standard products and if this is too costly he should pull the plug.
There are plenty of manufacturers out there.
 

normanandsue

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This thread only involves one man who said his complaints about faults on his new mh were not rectified when he asked. Unless I have failed to read the newspaper account properly the unrectified faults have not been stated and so we cannot judge what the faults were, leading to his unlawful behavior.

In defense of Brownhills from whom we bought our motorhome in April of this year I have found nothing to complain about. When certain faults were mentioned to them they arranged to have them fixed immediately whilst we were still on the premises.
I make this comment, not in support of Brownhills, but so anyone who reads this thread may have a more balanced view of a dealer who I am sure does have some satisfied customers.

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tambo

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no question that is correct.. but if a dealer is overwhelmed with bad vans or faults that take a lot of time and money to rectify is it all the dealers fault ?

I'm not siding with Brownhills .. I have no personal knowledge or them, but have read enough to avoid.. however I try to see it from both angles. If other dealers can 'get it right' so too also should Brownhills
Yes to be honest it is ......because if they get repeated problems they are the ones to put the pressure on the manufacturer to sort it out.

As most buyers have no idea of the technical side they trust the dealer to know and back up what they are selling and if a problem help them to deal with it.

It's certainly not the buyers responsibility

When you buy something new you expect it to be 100% right ..anything else just isn't good enough and to be honest British service is shit .....maybe if more acted this way things would change.
Personally I'd have parked outside their showroom with a huge banner and a megaphone made sure every potential customer knew the probs I'd had with them
 
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send the guy a Funster sticker, this should assist with his anger management if he logs on. lets see how he feels.:whistle2:

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