The Bigger they are! (1 Viewer)

Longtemps

Free Member
Dec 12, 2008
13
0
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5,139
The bigger they are the harder they fall and nothing is more sure with the current recession/depression we are in now. Getting a decent aftersales service is essential but how many of you can see Brownhills being around say in 18 months time. In addition they have now changed their policy on overnight facilities. Unless you have had a recent service with them you cannot be guaranteed an overnight booking and have to wait for a possible place to be available nearer your travel dates. However if you pay their overpriced service charges and accept their appalling attitude towards keeping you waiting etc you are allowed to stay overnight. This incidently also applies to their "free" Xmas lunch!! No recent service history - no lunch! All this is clearly shown on their website now if you try to book. The old management now look like experts on customer relations compared to the present!</SPAN>
 

Stephen & Jeannie

Free Member
Aug 27, 2008
4,174
3,265
Gobowen near Oswestry !!
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3,842
MH
Sold and bought a Caravan
Exp
9 years !!!!
BROWNHILLS SUCKS !!! i wish that they read the comments on this site ! after writing this post i have e-mailed brownhills telling them of this site and inviting their comments.
 
Last edited:

Jim

Ringleader
Jul 19, 2007
36,191
128,630
Sutton on Sea, UK
Funster No
1
MH
Adria Panel Van.
Exp
Since 1988
Please do not make your first post a rant about a company, even if it is Brownhills. Thanks

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Apr 27, 2008
11,794
13,952
Eastbourne East Sussex
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2,327
MH
Hymer low profile
Exp
Since 1972
I haven't needed a service, but bought a £64k van from them in August and I haven't had a Christmas lunch invite:Sad:.

Obviusly I wouldn't go as they are a long way from Eastbourne, but it would have been nice to have been asked.:Angry:
 

peter t

Free Member
Feb 26, 2008
154
1
Sunny Croydon.
Funster No
1,610
MH
Coach built
Exp
nearly a year.
Not that I've dealt with Brownhills, did have a wander round their Swindon branch many moons ago when we first started looking.

But are they /where they that bad a dealership ???? I have read numerous posts where they take quite a pasting , did nobody ever have a trouble free purchase and backup or is it a case of we all know/heard of some body who had a bad deal with them, but we don't know/hear all the people who had a good deal from them.
we spent about two years looking before we bought our van and visited many dealers spoke to numerous people, and never heard their name mentioned once as a place to avoid.
Just curious. :Blush:
 

Peter JohnsCross MH

Funster
Deceased RIP
Jan 5, 2008
9,617
6,194
East Sussex
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1,134
MH
Autotrail
Exp
1995
I haven't needed a service, but bought a £64k van from them in August and I haven't had a Christmas lunch invite:Sad:.

Obviusly I wouldn't go as they are a long way from Eastbourne, but it would have been nice to have been asked.:Angry:

Never mind, your welcome to a cup of coffee, might even find the odd old biscuit for good measure:Smile:

Peter

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DuxDeluxe

LIFE MEMBER
Jul 10, 2008
14,628
72,241
Planet Zog
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3,243
MH
A woosh bang van
Exp
since 2008
If you sell one in four of the motorhomes purchased in UK there is bound to be more unsatisfied customers and no-one remembers the hundreds of good sales, only the bad ones. Still, it always helps to remember that the customer is always right......... and to be a bit diplomatic when dealing with them. The customer is the one with the ££££, after all. Some outfits just don't get it, do they?
 

Sweet Chariot

Free Member
Sep 30, 2007
572
5
Staffordshire Moorlands
Funster No
488
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
since 2006
Below is a email I received from Brownhills in the last few days entitled Customer Lovein:Eeek:
Quite ironic as they sent me one a few weeks ago and i replied they only had my details due to the fact I had purchased a Van private which was still under warranty and had asked them to carry out some work which they did not do. I then received a sarcastic reply back that my details had been removed and we do not carry out free work. Then I get this,quite interesting so Traders who do cheaper servicing they suggest do not do a proper job. ( I do not think so):winky:



We are contacting you with our Christmas messsage because you were kind enough to make a owners enquiry through our website in the last 90 days, or your details exist on our owners database. The category we hold your information under is owners. If you don't want us to contact you in this way - please reply to that effect and we will reluctantly erase your details.

Christmas is only days away now and we hope you have all your presents sorted out and all arrangements in place. We had our Christmas party for staff at Newark this week - it was a great turnout with over 200 people there! You might recognise some familiar faces on our banner image on the website.

Christmas lunches finish at the end of this week and so far we have entertained 273 families here at Newark Bistro - we kick off early next year with new menus and new opening hours following a minor re-fit with new led lighting and a mood wash to the interior. Our Chef, James Tucker, has already introduced several home made lines and we continue to progress toward local produce only and a majority of in-house prepared dishes. By Spring next year, we hope to have refined our Premier approach to supportive Brownhills Customers - prioritising long standing and supportive customers as well as fresh members new to the Club Brownhill's experience. We also plan to open overnight bookings at Newcastle and Swindon; to achieve 3 overnight locations down the length of the country.

The header image on our website includes a link to all the freebie giveaways and presentations we have made in the last couple of weeks - including a canon digital camera, top end mountain bike and 2 rucsack picnic hampers; take a look, there's a good chance you might see someone you know amongst the winners!!

Finally - in sales, we have a great 5 point newsflash around the Euro, interest rates, cost of cash, Euro 4 engines, depreciation and the prognosis for new motorhome prices this next 12 months - it is essential information and is all GOOD NEWS provided you are in the know. If you are interested and would like to know more - just ping me a reply to that effect and I will sort something out for you. In aftersales - we have out of season offers on mechanical and habitation servicing for £150.00. Please dont forget that we dont do a wipe over with an oily rag for £99 but our staff are factory trained and equipped with the latest gadgets to get the job done. When it comes to Habitation service, we don't just spend 10 minutes for £50 with a damp meter, which frankly you could do yourself for £9.99 at B&Q on a Wednesday - our team are factory trained, qualified gas fitters and mains electric certified; how long is it since the last story of someone passing away from carbon-monoxide poisoning? And everyone knows someone who has suffered power failures, heating failures etc because of faulty equipment - we have even heard of gas explosions ripping the side out of vans - do you really want a 10 minute service with no skill when from as little as £150 you could talk to us about covering all aspects from leak and gas testing to mains and charge current tests through to damp assessments and seam inspection - all in state of the art facilities by the most highly trained techs in their field? Go on, make it your present to your motorhome this year.
 

pappajohn

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 26, 2007
43,207
48,802
Dark side of the moon
Funster No
172
Exp
Since 2005
Never mind, your welcome to a cup of coffee, might even find the odd old biscuit for good measure:Smile:

Peter

hope those arent the ones off the m/home floors that you use to check for mice Peter......:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

run out of mulled wine and mince pies then :ROFLMAO:

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Peter JohnsCross MH

Funster
Deceased RIP
Jan 5, 2008
9,617
6,194
East Sussex
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1,134
MH
Autotrail
Exp
1995
hope those arent the ones off the m/home floors that you use to check for mice Peter......:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

run out of mulled wine and mince pies then :ROFLMAO:


No way, we bought in bulk and saving the leftovers for next year!:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

(PS the company cat does the mice checks, saves on cat food!:shout:)

Peter
 

Rose Royce

Free Member
Oct 3, 2007
80
1
EPSOM
Funster No
524
Like "Beatuy is in the eye of the beholder", so with this email. I am quite ambivalent when it comes to my thoughts about Brownhills. All I know about them is from the raft (should that be supertanker?) of negative comments on this and rival(?) sites.
As has been said a few times across the internet ether, if they sell one quarter of the motorhomes in the UK then there are bound to be some people who are dissatisfied with their experience.
If I read this email in isolation I would not immediately jump to negative conclusions, and in my experience you are just as likely to get bad service from a cheap supplier as from an overpriced (in someones opinion) one.
 

grumpy

Free Member
Jun 19, 2008
52
0
Llangollen, North Wales
Funster No
2,968
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
Over 25 years
Like you Sweet Chariot we received the Christmas message from Brownhills. I know I am grumpy, but in this case I think I had a right to be.

I REPLIED

To.. A Simpson
With regard to your e-mail of 15th December 2008.
It is nice to know that we are still on your database of customers and that you all had a nice Christmas staff party and that you entertained 273 families to Christmas dinner. But the fact remains that we where in dispute with you over a set of reversing sensors that where paid for and not on the vehicle when we had the so called hand over in Cannock.
We realise you are now regarded as a separate company from the original Brownhills and the reversing sensors are not now your responsibility, as someone stated in a telephone call to me and my wife. Quote"We have not inherited the goodwill of the previous Brownhills and therefore cannot be held responsible for the omission" unquote.
The reason for our answering your e-mail is 1) We are on your database BUT we did not receive an invitation to the Christmas meals. Why? 2) I can see no reason for us to be on your database if after spending several thousands of pounds over the years(at least six brand new vehicles), we are denied the reversing sensors. In fact for the price of a set of sensors your company as lost custom, of ourselves and of the people that we have told of our problems with yourselves. The facts are stated as we see them and they make up their own minds.
Therefore I would ask that you delete our names from your database and please do not contact us again, in any form. We are soon to be in the process of acquiring a new vehicle, probably a Autocruise Tempo. But we are sorry but the thousands of pounds we intend to spend will now go to one of your competitors. :Angry::Angry:
Yours Mr and Mrs P.D.Lloyd.
THEIR ANSWER
Hi Mr and Mrs Lloyd
We were gutted to receive your email - it appears that the only record we have of your concern is a general enquiry sent to our sales team some time ago - clearly, the sales team are the very people with whom you had your issue and true to form, they seem to have done nothing about it. The website has a contact form direct to the Board of Brownhills - it's on every page at top left - "Got a question - submit a ticket" - there you can correspond directly with the Board but in this case they were unaware. I have asked David Williams to contact you and see what can be done.
Regarding Christmas dinners - the invitation has been on there for some months now - we operate a web only booking service and the link was there, funnily enough, when you sent another general contact to sales on Dec 3rd. We will get sales department to contact you regarding that but it's close to close so it may be a struggle.
Best regards
Aimee Simpson

OUR REPLY
Dear Ms Simpson,
In reply to your answering e-mail. You say your records state that there was only one recorded statement concerning our problem, which was a general enquiry concerning the reversing sensors. Well we are not surprised that there are not more records of our having got in touch with your company, in its present state and before the buy out.
We started making many enquiry telephone calls at least twelve months ago; there were also e-mails and letters. Two of these letters where addressed to your managing director (before the take over). You also state that you will ask Mr. David Williams to look into the matter, with respect, we have had contact with Mr Williams over this matter and he stated that the goodwill had not been taken over and our problems where with the previous owners. So we don’t hold out any hopes of a satisfactory outcome from that quarter. :Angry::Angry:

THEIR ANSWER
Thanks. I get the drift - probably best to leave matters as they are then. We won't bother you again. Sorry.
Please enjoy your Christmas.
Kind regards
Aimee Simpson

I think it is now safe to say that’s the end of our involvement with Brownhills.
Right that’s our rant over. We hope you all have Hope to wave to you all somewhere on the road.
A MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Hope to wave to you all somewhere on the road.

:restmycase:::bigsmile:

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Peter JohnsCross MH

Funster
Deceased RIP
Jan 5, 2008
9,617
6,194
East Sussex
Funster No
1,134
MH
Autotrail
Exp
1995
Hi Grumpy,

What do you think of the Autocruise range as we are contemplating taking on the franchise to run alongside the Swift range?

Peter
 

Sweet Chariot

Free Member
Sep 30, 2007
572
5
Staffordshire Moorlands
Funster No
488
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
since 2006
Like you Sweet Chariot we received the Christmas message from Brownhills. I know I am grumpy, but in this case I think I had a right to be.

Seems strange me contacting Grumpyman as that has been my nickname for the past 30 years even letters come addressed to me as Grumpy.:ROFLMAO:
 
May 23, 2008
2,480
3,481
Near Durham City
Funster No
2,787
MH
Carthago
Exp
Since 1984
Now Now

Please do not make your first post a rant about a company, even if it is Brownhills. Thanks

Now Jim, let's not have dummies lying everywhere.
If members cannot have an opinion we may as well close the site, after all it is for EVERYONE and not the member with the most posts.
Wiljoy

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May 23, 2008
2,480
3,481
Near Durham City
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2,787
MH
Carthago
Exp
Since 1984
Caution

Hi Grumpy,

What do you think of the Autocruise range as we are contemplating taking on the franchise to run alongside the Swift range?

Peter

Hi Peter,
Please be very careful about taking Autocruise as another franchise. They USED to have a good product but the build quality has gone back a little. The aftersales in DISGUSTING TO SAY THE LEAST. i was lucky and only waited 6 months for a table which didn't come with the vehicle. As far as problems i have had the Alde heating dump itself all over the floor £720 the insurance offered me £120, side and rear panel cracking £540 and small faults which my local repairer looked after.
I have a friend who has been waiting for a new Dometic door, which i may add are nearly all faulty, for 4 months. He is now having trouble with the control panel and Autocruise will not even speak to him. The icing on the cake is the fact that they are just ignoring customer complaints and warranty work.
Yes take them on as you may be the only dealer offering them in 6 months. Everyone else will have put them into touch as i know of one large company who are fed up with them and having a big re-think for 2009. Don'tj ust take my word for it ask around other dealers with Autocruise and they will probably agree with me.
Wiljoy
 

Peter JohnsCross MH

Funster
Deceased RIP
Jan 5, 2008
9,617
6,194
East Sussex
Funster No
1,134
MH
Autotrail
Exp
1995
Hi Wil,

Are you sure you are not talking about the pre Swift vans.

Swift bought Autocruise when they went bust but not the liabilities of the old company, I know they tried helping people but as another party bought all the spares, they didnt succeed very well and stopped doing it.

As far as back up is concerned, Swift is the best in the business and I would have thought that all the current new Autocruises built by Swift would have the same back up.

As far as the 'big boys' are concerned, that could be sour grapes from the information I have received!!

Peter
 

dshague

Free Member
Aug 22, 2007
996
302
Funster No
150
MH
VAN CONVERSION
Exp
20 years
have noticed some autocruise dealers will be stocking swift next year .
that also applies to swift dealers.
the swift autocruises are not a patch on the old ones.
if you want a autocruise buy a swift believe they could be in business longer if there are any problems with crunch.

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iceni

Free Member
Dec 3, 2007
300
117
Birmingham
Funster No
961
MH
Lowline Coachbuilt
Exp
27yrs
If it helps JCM i own a late 2001 wentworth and I am very pleased with it. One or 2 small things have gone wrong but nothing i couldnt do myself. I think the earlier build quality was (as is the case with a lot of todays motorhomes) better than it is today.

I have never had any delings with autocruise direct. We would like to upgrade to a starblazer or Oakmont but an holding back due to the current stability situation and am now considering an American RV.

There are always a certain percantage of problems with bought vehicles but it depends on how effecively these are put right. It wouldnt matter if there were problems with vans if the dealer didnt wash their hands so much as Brownhills have with so many people. Thats why they get slated on this and other forums.

If the experiances of us all were that "i had a problem and brownhills put it right within a few days" their reputation would be very different irrespective of how many that may be.

Phill
 

grumpy

Free Member
Jun 19, 2008
52
0
Llangollen, North Wales
Funster No
2,968
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
Over 25 years
Hi Peter.
You ask how we find the Autocruise? Well we go to the compound where it is kept and usually there it is..........SORRY.......
Seiously. This Starspirit is quite good. Had no problems since we had it(except that company). Everything as stayed in the right place, nothing as come loose,no other troubles ,interior as we want it and all in all nothing bad to report about it. It is the first we have bought but if the ones being built by Swift are as good as the one we have then I would not hesitate to buy another.
Our problem at the moment is in this climate as it is at present we could do with downsizing again. We have to transport five grandchildren about and keeping two vehicles with storage is a little expensive. So we are looking towards a vehicle that is a 7 seater and also a 'van.(murvi morello comes to mind but Brenda doesn't like the carpet interior on the roof etc.
So still looking. Grumpy (Peter really)
 

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