Autotrail Email Confusion (1 Viewer)

[Baden87]

This is a reply to some questions I sent Autotrail
This was meant for Dave Thomas MD , BUT HE MESSED UP AND SENT IT ME BY MISTAKE WOOPS
Hi Dave



I think he wants his Christmas dinner invite



For me I would force the issue to deal through the correct channels however happy if you want to jump in

 

[Jim]

Very careless, but mistakes like this happen in business every day, often causing acute embarrassment. In this case without your mail for context it's hard to judge his comment. Especially about Christmas dinner

But I don't see anything disgusting, it's just internal mail that wasn't meant for you, I'm sure they will be sorry you have seen it and even sorrier that you made their mistake public.

Had I been in your position I would have used this mistake to my advantage, to illicit some goodwill and get my questions answered one on one by the MD.

I think people are too quick these days to shout out on social media first, it gets a few likes but ruins what could have become a good business relationship.

 

[Baden87]

Thanks Jim
The point of my email was to point out there true feelings towards customers
After having at least 12 faults with the ( new 2019) van I’m very disappointed with my vehicle, it seems every time I go out with it there is another problem
I’m sure this amount of faults is excessive and I find it unacceptable

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[eddie]

For balance, why not publish your email to Autotrail, so we can all see how disgusting this really is?

As it stands, it looks like a humorous riposte, From a Managing Director, meant to a colleague, erroneously sent to you, saying ”Your call, either get involved or use the usual warranty channel”

 

[Baden87]

Eddievanbitz
I’m really disappointed with all the problems I have experienced
Surely that’s not acceptable ( at least 12 ) , I don’t really know how to handle the situation

 

[funflair]

You buy a new van you will have problems, we bought a new MORELO and we had problems but I knew we would si I wasn't disappointed actually I was quite happy that the list wasn't too big and the problems were quite trivial and fixable and I even did some myself, we then had a visit to the factory service department and all sorted

I don't think the number of problems is an issue it's the magnitude of the problem and wether they get fixed or not that matters.

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[Jim]

I don’t really know how to handle the situation

You should write to the MD, show him the email you received in error, tell him how disappointed you are with the attitude towards your complaints and spell out what you would like him to do about them.

If it were me, I'd be embarrassed that this internal mail was seen by you and I would be grateful you came directly to me with it. However, if I learned that you tried to embarrass me further on social media I certainly wouldn't be pre-disposed to helping you and would just point you to the official support channel. But that's me.

 

[chaser]

Eddievanbitz
I’m really disappointed with all the problems I have experienced
Surely that’s not acceptable ( at least 12 ) , I don’t really know how to handle the situation

Obviously

 

[jockaneezer]

Christmas dinner ? I bet their sprouts are watery.

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[Mickthemove]

At least you are sure he is aware of the problems, Having dealt with Lowdhams over problems with a new van for the last two yearsincluding emails to the owners, , i would rather stick hot pins in my eyes than buy from them ever again.............

I would reply to the mistaken email with a list of items you would like for Dinner at Xmas with a footnote saying "but most of all i would like my problems sorted". It will/should make him smile and more inclined to give his staff a nudge to get you sorted out.

 

[eddie]

Eddievanbitz
I’m really disappointed with all the problems I have experienced
Surely that’s not acceptable ( at least 12 ) , I don’t really know how to handle the situation

I have been very lucky in life and have been able to enjoy taking delivery of lots of new motorhomes over the last few years. I have never had 12 -18 months without faults manifesting.

The way that I look at it is that if I went to collect my brand new shiny camper and was assured that "Bob" the workshop manager had been away in my new camper for a week, with his wife and two Children to "test it all properly I wouldn't be too impressed

Consequently I accept that despite a PDI that snags may appear.

The Toilet tank gauge may work fine, till its full, the oven may light, but it may go out cooking temperature after 30 minutes, the shower tray may be fine with a "swish" around, but when 18' of me is dancing around in there it may leak, the bed may feel great, but it may creak when you start feeling amorous! These things plus loads more can't be tested unless used, and if I buy a new motorhome, I want a new motorhome, not a used one.

I suggested posting your email to Autotrail for balance, as you said that the MD's response was disgusting

If, your reported faults were life threatening, your brakes had catastrophically failed, a major gas leak had cause a fire, you'd suffered with Carbon Monoxide poisoning due to a fault gas appliance, making light of it would be "disgusting"

You said 2019, so again, we don't really know how old it is, it could be a 2018 build, which you viewed and asked to be on a 2019 plate collecting in the January 2019. So potentially two years old, and if so, if the 12 faults over that period were a mixture of chassis faults, out of Autotrail's hands, and things like leaky taps and squeaky blinks, and MD making an internal quip to a colleague and suggesting that the issues could either be dealt with through the normal channels IE the supplying dealer, or, the colleague "could" get involved doesn't seem unreasonable

I agree with Jim, I would have emailed the MD back suggesting that I don't really want to be invited for Christmas, but what I really want is my van issues fixed and how about as I'd been reasonable and not tried to make him look foolish or unprofessional, how about he reciprocates and personally gets involve to ensure my issues were addressed.

But we are all different I suppose.

 

[eddie]

Christmas dinner ? I bet their sprouts are watery.

I thought that they had "Leeks"

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[tonka]

 

[Carol]

Baden87 if it were me I would ask Jim to take this post off then do as he says, if after a month you have had no satisfactory answers then come back and let us know.
Personally my mind boggles at the cost of these vans and the faults they have, I'll stick with my 20year old Hymer 15 years trouble free Motorhoming.
(she says touching wood)

 

[Steve and Denise]

Back in 2010 we bought a new tag Autotrail very poor dealer service (Brownhills) and very little help from Autotrail them selves, after a long 18months we part exchanged it for a Rapido happy days.
Some years later we spotted our old van and got chatting to the owners and they never had any problems with it, I said well I’m glad we got everything fixed for you.

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[Minxy]

What are the 12 faults?

 

[Just smiffy]

I sometimes don’t get it....
when spending your hard earned cash or pension fund you would do some research on what your going to spend it on, with all the negative comments out there about Autotrail it would be hard to miss them on a search of the internet....

to buy one would be like buying a lottery ticket, yes there are winners but a lot more don’t win.....

 

[Minxy]

I sometimes don’t get it....
when spending your hard earned cash or pension fund you would do some research on what your going to spend it on, with all the negative comments out there about Autotrail it would be hard to miss them on a search of the internet....

to buy one would be like buying a lottery ticket, yes there are winners but a lot more don’t win.....

A little bird tells me you are looking for one as you like indoor water features!

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[Vanderek]

So here we are 10 hours later.. have we seen the list, has the OP contacted the MD at Autotrail.. or am I impatient?

What ever happened about the guy who made a video of his complaints and went to NEC to protest?

 

[eddie]

I sometimes don’t get it....
when spending your hard earned cash or pension fund you would do some research on what your going to spend it on, with all the negative comments out there about Autotrail it would be hard to miss them on a search of the internet....

to buy one would be like buying a lottery ticket, yes there are winners but a lot more don’t win.....

My Mother in Law has had two Autotrails, which obviously as a dutiful Son in Law and the owner of a motorhome business I have looked after (arranged )

Short of making some small adaptations for a single traveller of advancing years, and on going maintenance that I expect, neither had any issue's

I view motorhomes as a badly built house that you pick up and shake!

 

[Just smiffy]

A little bird tells me you are looking for one as you like indoor water features!

Me.... buy an Autotrail..... never..

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[Minxy]

Me.... buy an Autotrail..... never..

Ya gonna nick one then?

 

[Baden87]

vanderek lifes not a race so chill

 

[pelican]

vanderek lifes not a race so chill

Can we see your list of faults please

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[franknjan]

I don't know what it is with motorhome owners slaging off Autotrail. We've had two, the current Arapaho we've had for 9 years. Yes we've had issues but nothing major, currently no damp.
If you read through the various posts about any manufacturer they all have issues, even the " expensive German makes " damp included.
I think the problems are usually with the generic equipment. Fridges, heating or cooking equipment. Nothing to do with the converters but the manufacturers of the fittings/appliances.
What does annoy me, is that we put up with it. We spend a fortune and expect problems. You don't get constant issues with new cars.
Maybe we hear about issues with autotrail because there are more of them about?
Would I have another? Yes.
We've looked at other makes, haven't seen anything else that meets our requirements. Anyway that's my thoughts.

 

[Baden87]

hi
its the number of problems that's the issue.it seems excessive

I have had around 6 new cars and no problems at all zero ! and my 2 previous motorhomes were second hand Autotrail ( around 3 years old) when I bought them and nothing went wrong with either, and around 6 new caravans with only the odd problems .ill put the faults up later

 

[Littlewheels]

Personally l have never been attracted to Autotrail ,however,a friend had a Dakota a few years back and loved it and this leads me to the following conclusion.
Despite all the constant negative comment Autotrail get on this Forum the commentators are in an absolute minority and most have never even owned one but 1000’s of people have and they loved them,many still loyal to the brand including Funsters that dare not raise their head above the parapet for fear of being shot down or ridiculed.

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[Beltie]

It's sad, but comparing motorhomes with cars is pointless. Cars are produced in their millions in a highly structured automatic process. Motorhomes on the other hand are built by humans, some of whom will undoubtedly have the odd off day.
If you want a mh built to automotive standards you better be prepared to pay a great deal more money.

 

[Aerialmark]

What you need to do is report a different fault to the MD everyday for the 12 days before Christmas and call it the 12 faults of Christmas. Tell him you will inform him of the last fault when you are sat eating Christmas dinner with him on the 25th

 

[JohnJan]

Thanks Jim
The point of my email was to point out there true feelings towards customers
After having at least 12 faults with the ( new 2019) van I’m very disappointed with my vehicle, it seems every time I go out with it there is another problem
I’m sure this amount of faults is excessive and I find it unacceptable

Any chance we can see this list of 12 faults as others have also requested. It would be good to put this damning headline into perspective.

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