Why is getting work done under warranty such hard work (1 Viewer)

[oxoaps]

We bought a van - OK because of the offer the dealer wasn't exactly on our doorstep. As we've now discovered it seems that no other dealer wants to get involved in warranty work and they refer you back to the dealer the van was originally bought from. We recently had a problem and the nearest dealer to where we were located fixed the problem but said that we would have to pay and claim back through our supplying dealer/Auto-Trail.

The reason we buy motorhomes is to travel, so when we get something that needs fixing under warranty it would make sense to go to the nearest manufacturer appointed dealer to get the work done. Why isn't it that easy? - if I'd known the hassle getting things fixed under warranty was going to be I'd have handled my purchase differently.

I can't see any customer benefit in this sort of service or am I missing something?

 

[Cal54]

I understand your plight as a I had a similar issue when I bought my current van. The simple answer is that your contract is with the dealer and not the manufacturer. I believe also that the manufacturer have a set hourly rate they will pay to the dealer for warranty work and this is often less than the dealer would charge you - hence the lack of interest by other dealers.

 

[hilldweller]

am I missing something?

Yes, this is quite normal. The factories pay peanuts to the dealers for warranty work so they will not do it unless they sold it and then they are legally obliged to.

This crops up weekly on here.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

No problem with a Hymer just take it to our nearest dealer doesn't matter that we have bought it in Belgium.

 

[Nik]

I bought a Delaware in a private sale, so no previous dealer. Took it to Freeborn in Guildford (nearest Auto-Trail dealer to me) and they have serviced, MOT'd, Hab checked and done no quibble warranty work on it for the last 2 years.
Very good so far, although not used them this year as I took it back to Auto-Trail factory for this years Hab check as it was coming to the end of the warranty and I wanted a full and extensive last check done before it ran out.
I know Guildford is a bit of a journey from Oxford but Freeborn might be worth a call.
Cheers
Nik.

 

[olley]

With non existent way some of the dealers do a pdi, is it any wonder another dealer doesn't want to get paid peanuts, to put right faults that the original dealer should have sorted on the pdi.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Pausim]

I have argued before that you need both a good manufacturer and a good dealer if you want good after sales service. Now that Hymer has purchased the Explorer Group perhaps some UK operations will feel the need to review their after sales services.

 

[TerryL]

It's probably because they get paid peanuts for warranty work, whereas fixing their own stuff is much more remunerative................................

 

[AMK]

I got my motorhome from Glossops and Brownhills took it on for Waranty work, it was easy.

Going back to Glossops was to far to go every time and Brownhills was just down the road.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[MacroMad]

Our van is way out of warranty but i recently asked Autotrail who was my nearest dealer, they told me and this afternoon we drove the 25 minutes out to see them, they were based at a "Garden Center" and most of the vans they had in stock were not Autotrail, the Autotrail they had were mostly 2nd hand, i did'nt have a problem with that but thinking back to earlier, i dont think they had any workshop facilities at all ?
Do Autotrail not check these dealers out to make sure they meet certain criteria ? why do they allow them to use their name / be dealers if they wont do warranty work ?

 

[John Stanton]

Our van is way out of warranty but i recently asked Autotrail who was my nearest dealer, they told me and this afternoon we drove the 25 minutes out to see them, they were based at a "Garden Center"

Was this GMC (Go European) in Staffordshire by any chance ? If it was, then their service centre is away from the sales centre so you wouldn't have seen it. If it wasn't GMC then just ignore this

 

[MacroMad]

Was this GMC (Go European) in Staffordshire

Yes, Gailey Roundabout.
Ah, i did'nt ask them about service, it was just reading this thread that made me think "did they have a workshop".
Thank's

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[John Stanton]

Yes, Gailey Roundabout.
Ah, i did'nt ask them about service, it was just reading this thread that made me think "did they have a workshop".
Thank's

No problem ... when we had our beloved Auto Trail we used them ... the service centre is here http://www.goeuropean.co.uk/service-centre

 

[Allanm]

There's a lot to be said for buying as locally as you can. When we bought our new Autosleeper, the dealer was less than 10 miles away.
They sorted out any warranty work that needed doing and also arranged for the manufacturer to collect our van on a low loader ( and deliver it back) when it needed some work the manufacturer wanted to carry out.

 

[pappajohn]

Why can't warranty issues be sorted in the same way car warranty is.
My car was sold and registered elsewhere in the country but I got the remaining 3 years of the 5 year manufacturer warranty which I used yesterday at my local Hyundai dealers.
They never batted an eye when I requested warranty work....A throttle problem, roof rails coming away from the roof (common fault) and three new alloy wheels due to very slight corrosion.
Any factory authorised dealer can, and will, undertake warranty work.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Gellyneck]

Why can't warranty issues be sorted in the same way car warranty is.

Agreed. Our Hyundai registered in Birmingham with warranty work carried out at three different dealers (in Scotland) none of whom were the supplying dealer (obviously). Difference is car manufacturers pay dealer a workable hourly rate whereas motorhome manufacturers don't (directly from two local dealers and an independent repairer).

 

[Landyguy]

I bought a Delaware in a private sale, so no previous dealer. Took it to Freeborn in Guildford (nearest Auto-Trail dealer to me) and they have serviced, MOT'd, Hab checked and done no quibble warranty work on it for the last 2 years.
Very good so far, although not used them this year as I took it back to Auto-Trail factory for this years Hab check as it was coming to the end of the warranty and I wanted a full and extensive last check done before it ran out.
I know Guildford is a bit of a journey from Oxford but Freeborn might be worth a call.
Cheers
Nik.

 

[Landyguy]

How did you get Autotrail to do gab check etc
Have one and now moved away from dealer but nearer to Autotrail- where was there work shop?
Easy to contact?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Mrsambulancekidd]

Perhaps someone could start a pole that members can give a tick to the company's, like Hymer, who make things easy with the dealerships.....or points against......either or.

 

[CWH]

I think the warranty companies don't help either.
I needed a new alternator (7 year old van, dealer's warranty).
First of all the repairer said he wouldn't do warranty work for a particular company because they'd taken over 6 months to pay him on a number of previous occasions.
But he was a lovely bloke and was persuaded, against his better judgement, to look at it under the dealer's warranty which was from a different company.
The warranty company covering my van wanted to know WHY the alternator had failed - 28 detailed questions followed and then they said the repairer had to have the engine steam-cleaned but they'd only pay for the new part + fitting, not for the investigation. He simply couldn't afford to do that. He got paid cash.

 

[Nik]

Hi @Landyguy.
If you go on the Auto Trail website there is the service 'tag' on the page. Ring the phone number shown and book your date.
Best hab check I've had done. Excellent service and they found some damp which I had no indication of and are repairing it under warranty in Oct. I travelled from West London to have it done. Costly but money well spent.
Cheers
Nik

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}