Dodgy Dealers - surely not?

[ukrv]

Hi Guys

During the summer I was staying and working at 2 campsites in Somerset.

Owning an RV myself, I always found myself chatting to any RVers who came to stay.

I was SHOCKED at some of the things I was told during the summer - here are a few of them (that I instantly remember) :-

1) One RV dealer who takes his consignment RVs to Spain for his holidays. Sellers expect a few miles on their RV for attending shows and/or test drives but this dealer has added 3,000 miles to several RVs.

2) The same RV dealer who removes items from consignment RVs and puts them on others as and when someone orders such - I know (personally) of one RVer who has lost a Dirt Guard and two fans from the front cab area.

3) The same RV dealer who offered an RVer a low price for his RV plus a part-exchange vehicle. He looked at the part-ex and it seemed nice so he accepted the deal. When this customer arrived to collect the part-ex he found lots of stuff missing from the inside. So, he challenged the dealer and was told those items were never in the vehicle and he must be mistaken. The guy then gets out his mobile phone and shows the dealer all the photos he took of the part-ex, including all the missing items. The dealer then manages to "find" these items and replaces them within 2 hrs.

4) Another RV dealer who sells a new RV confirming it had never been registered - only for the buyer to find it was 6 months old when he collected it - PLUS he has proof that the mileage had been reversed and is going to court.

5) The same dealer who was asked to find a replacement wing mirror for an RV. After 2 weeks, the customer called and was told "sorry, we couldnt find one". The customer rang the US manufacturer and was told "we have hundreds" and was given a price of £300+£50 shipping. Customer rings the dealer and tells them where to get the part. He asks how much to fit and was told 1/4hr labour. Imagine the owners surprise when they got the bill for £1,100, and when challenged the dealer stated "we have to add our 'bit' on top".

6) The same dealer who charged £9 labour to fill a brand new RV with water.

7) The same RV dealer who charged £25 for an LPG fill and then £14 labour for filling it.

I won't name the dealers as Im only passing on info I was told, so I have no way to authenticate them.

Surely, not all dealers are like this?

Paul

 

[Road Runner]

Sounds like old fashioned car dealers stunts

 

[Lindy-C]

Surely, not all dealers are like this?

Paul

No! :Angry:


Perhaps this is where I am going wrong oh:

 

[Road Runner]

Not that i ever was oneoh:


well not dodgy anyway


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added:- car dealeroh:

 

[ukrv]

Sorry Linda - I did think to add you to the "NO" camp but thought you would be along to do it anyway.

That way my post gets a reply, rather than talking to myself (did I say something?)

Paul

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[Lindy-C]

Who said that????????????

 

[Jim]

Dodgy practice is endemic in many industries but the motor trade is often singled out as one of the worst. Do they carry out sharp practise just to make more money to add to their vast piles of it? or are their margins so low that they are always looking at extras to make a living? I have no idea, but I am inclined to lean toward the latter. The vast majority of people have no idea how costly it is to run a business.

Who would want to sell motorhomes for a living? Not me, that's a fact

 

[Road Runner]

Take my word for it with a decent car dealers the profits are not what they used to be.

Look at Linda's stock, it's top class and comes from hand picked sources and she still has it while at the other end of the market they are churning em out. I know Linda would be my first port of call anytime.

Dodgy dealers if needs be here today gone tomorrow and is a hole new differing ball game.

 

[Road Runner]

Another point I would mention is when we had sold a car the minute it was sold tried not to use it at all just in case of damage (superstitious) they always tend to be venerable for some reasonoh:

I know time and time again seen other guys using sold car only to have mishap and even just using them because they had a full tank of fuel.

 

[eddie]

It's really easy, the dealers sell their vans! All this nonsense about voting with our feet, and that "time will tell" The bottom line, is that I am yet to see a RV dealer go bust because of crap service.

It is that the is a constant supply of "new blood" that go like lambs to the slaughter with some dealers, that keeps them making a fortune.

Having said that, some of the things that dealers do are no different to that which we do to them. I am part exchanging my van, and the dealer hasn't made mention on the paper work, so I'm keeping my solar panel, navigation system, new LCD telly taking out the alarm and tracking system swapping those nice new batteries as I still have the knackered old batteries that I took off etc etc..........

So let us not be too judgemental of the dealers as the general public, can be just as bad in some cases.

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[ukrv]

Hi Eddie,

I will read your statement as "the general public, can be just as bad".

I would NEVER dream of doing such a thing - whether Im selling to a private buyer or dealer.

Just because one or two private individuals have no morals doesn't give dealers a green flag to act the same way and rip people off.

TBH, Im amazed at the few comments which suggest it is OK (or accepted) for dealers to behave in such an apalling way - there is NO justification for it, full stop.

Paul

 

[Jim]

You don't like motorhome dealers do you Paul? Want to talk about it?

 

[ukrv]

LOL - to be totally upfront, I absolutely detest one of the 2 dealers I refered to in my original post and can fully understand what's being said about them.

Then, there are other dealers - like Linda, who spend time on forums such as this and you just know you can trust them (either that or she is dead bored and has nothing better to do ).

Just lately, Ive heard some equally good reports about Les at Ridgeset, and anyone who reads the ARVM forum is aware just how I like to keep him on his toes. (eh John?)

So, no not a total dislike of dealers.:beer: (just most of em).

Paul

 

[eddie]

Hi Paul, you are reading it right

So let us not be too judgemental of the dealers as the general public, can be just as bad in some cases

I did not suggest that everyone is. It is impossible to refer to everyone individually so I refer to dealers as "dealers" and non dealers as "us" I then say "some of us"

My people get asked almost on a daily basis to "reinstall bits" that people have taken from vans prior to selling them, so "some of us" quite clearly are!

TBH, Im amazed at the few comments which suggest it is OK (or accepted) for dealers to behave in such an apalling way - there is NO justification for it, full stop.

I agree, but still make the point that those of "us" that attempt to rip the dealers off are just as bad in my opinion. I think any form of rip off in wrong whether done by a dealer to a member of the pubic or the other way round.

I take it that you will not be selling space to any dealers at your show next year, given that the ones you have listed already have been subjected to bad press on motorhomefacts recently

 

[ukrv]

Hi

I'd go along with all that, but still maintain that dealers are acting in a professional capacity and should be above any suggestion of wrongdoing.

But, of course, there are crooks in every walk of life, sadly.

I take it that you will not be selling space to any dealers at your show next year, given that the ones you have listed already have been subjected to bad press on motorhomefacts recently

I don't do the other site (well OK I do read once a week or so). Though I will make use of my £10 when Im ready to put a plug in for the Show shortly

I did read some bad stuff about one dealer, but also noticed the dealership rose to the challenge and posted to the site. I don't know how things have progressed since then (Im gonna take a look now in case Ive missed something )

I haven't read any bad stuff about the others though?

Have you seen the trade rates yet? :thumb:

Paul

PS The website isn't quite ready yet as I'm waiting for some dealerships to send me their info and the camping websites arent live just yet (but you can book by phone now ).

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