Anyone else waiting on a van

[ORRC]

Fully Comprehensive and linked to the VIN Number. Once registered , communicate this to the relevant insurance provider.

 

[BikerDJ]

Well, the end of the month came and went. No attempt by my salesman at the dealership to chase and give me an update. The handover date is drawing very close and I have other bookings made based on that date.

I rang and listened to lame excuses and irrelevant observations with absolutely no empathy or understanding of the implications if things are delayed beyond the scheduled handover date. If I have to cancel my other bookings then it could be months before I can schedule a replacement not to mention the inconvenience or potential loss of earnings to third party installers I'm booked in with if I cancel at short notice. Losing the opportunity to make site bookings and enjoy what we can of this season is an added frustration.

I insisted on obtaining an update as to the current state of production / shipping. I received an email update saying that delivery should be next week. Depending on when this actually is if indeed it happens, it will be days before the planned handover date. There was no mention of whether there would still be time to fit the extras agreed or to complete the PDI. Surely there will be a workshop schedule that needs to be planned in advance?

I'm slowly gaining the impression from comments made that this is indeed the norm and maybe I have unrealistic expectations and should just chill out and wait for nature to take its course. I have to say that if that's true then it's high time that the motorhome sector had a major shake up. Given the amount of money being invested, if my experience is typical, customer service is disgraceful. I understand that the dealership probably has no ability to influence the outcome but that really is no excuse for not keeping the customer informed. I'm currently feeling very frustrated and in danger of 'cutting my nose off to spite my face'.

 

[bobnick]

I am fully expecting the same non service with our new one.
Pass the book, not our fault. I've got your deposit, i've got my quota in for this month so sod you.

 

[Tombola]

Perhas these posts are a lesson for any future prospective buyers (like me)
Pay the deposit and ask for a caveat that if it does not happen a full deposit refund is an option in the terms , just in case you do find another option can cancel and go elswhere.

If nothing else it could put us at the front of the queue so to speak.

 

[sitesurfer]

I am hoping that we strike lucky, we are booked to take delivery of a new van on May 21st with perhaps foolishly several trips out booked in the ensuing week. Experience so far so good, and i am wearing my best rose coloured spectacles.

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[BikerDJ]

I received a call today that our van is shipping today and should be delivered into the dealership tomorrow or Wednesday. I asked about certificate of conformity and got no info other than it must have been done otherwise they wouldn't be receiving the van in the next couple of days - I think that was the point of my question . I was so shocked to hear anything at all that I failed to ask about registration with DVLA so I guess that's going to be one of my next obstacles to overcome. I can ask when I visit to view the van once arrived. Handover was previously arranged for early next week and the advice is that they won't have time to fit everything that was ordered so I will need to consider deferring some or all of this. I expected to be told what the next steps are and what I needed to do and when but it seems that it's up to me to find out what I should and/or need to know and then I might get an answer if I ask the appropriate questions.

I have to say that this hasn't been a very pleasant experience so far but I am starting to feel the seeds of excitement beginning to bud.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

I am fully expecting the same non service with our new one.
Pass the book, not our fault. I've got your deposit, i've got my quota in for this month so sod you.

From where did you buy Bob?

 

[bobnick]

From where did you buy Bob?

Don Amott. They do have a good reputation, well from what i have read anyway.

 

[Jenka]

Don Amott. They do have a good reputation, well from what i have read anyway.

They do however never got a good deal from them Enjoy your new toy 1

 

[bobnick]

They do however never got a good deal from them Enjoy your new toy 1

I suppose it's how you define a good deal. I was happy with either £4k P/x more than i paid for mine 1 year ago OR £4k off the screen price on the new one.

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[Lynne Roy]

Don Amott. They do have a good reputation, well from what i have read anyway.

So what is arriving for you? Exciting

 

[bobnick]

So what is arriving for you? Exciting

A Bailey Autograph 79-4T.............................................i hope.

 

[Jenka]

Just changed from a 794 to a Deffleffs.

 

[Conal]

When we went to collect ours at Brownhills it was the last day of the month. We were about to drive it off when they explained that they had done us a favour and taxed it from the next day, so saving us a month‘s tax, but trapping us in their (very good) Brownhills Club for that night. We were actually quite grateful for their consideration but wish that this had been communicated as we had booked alternative accommodation which, luckily for us, we managed to push forward a day. The point of the story is check when your tax starts if the seller arranges it for you, and don’t buy at the end of the month!

 

[Jenka]

When we went to collect ours at Brownhills it was the last day of the month. We were about to drive it off when they explained that they had done us a favour and taxed it from the next day, so saving us a month‘s tax, but trapping us in their (very good) Brownhills Club for that night. We were actually quite grateful for their consideration but wish that this had been communicated as we had booked alternative accommodation which, luckily for us, we managed to push forward a day. The point of the story is check when your tax starts if the seller arranges it for you, and don’t buy at the end of the month!

You can tax up

When we went to collect ours at Brownhills it was the last day of the month. We were about to drive it off when they explained that they had done us a favour and taxed it from the next day, so saving us a month‘s tax, but trapping us in their (very good) Brownhills Club for that night. We were actually quite grateful for their consideration but wish that this had been communicated as we had booked alternative accommodation which, luckily for us, we managed to push forward a day. The point of the story is check when your tax starts if the seller arranges it for you, and don’t buy at the end of the month!

We picked our van up on the 20 April and tax due 1st May 2022 you can tax i believe up to two weeks before end of month .

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[Conal]

Jenka But can you legally drive it on public roads if the tax is not current?

 

[rod_vw]

BikerDJ please name the dealer and the supplying manufacturer, these folks get away with absolutely disgraceful behaviour when such stories as yours keep them anonymous!

Naming them may improve their practices, although I doubt it but it will give the rest of us a heads up about them.

 

[BikerDJ]

BikerDJ please name the dealer and the supplying manufacturer

Good point. TBH, I don't think the manufacturer is necessarily at fault given that I think the dealer is the customer. From what I can gather, the manufacturer has answered queries quite promptly when raised by other sales staff at my dealership. It's primarily the lack of communication from my salesman and the apparent lack of effort to find out and supply information by same that I have found to be the most frustrating. It's not clear to me that the same is true of other sales staff at the dealership. Others posting on here have echoed similar issues elsewhere.

I didn't set out in my original post to bash the dealer per se, it was more an effort to understand whether my experience was generally poor or typical and to find out from others on here what I really ought to be expecting. I would like to thank everyone who has posted thus far and for sharing their experiences and offering advice.

As someone else mentioned in an earlier post, hopefully my experience will provide useful information to others who might purchase in the future.

I will try to spend some time in due course writing a review of my overall experience with the dealership.

 

[BikerDJ]

The wait is over! It didn't turn up until today but it's finally here! We fought our way through the monsoon and thankfully it stopped raining just before we arrived at the dealership. First inspection is good and all the main boxes have ticks in them. The boss saw it for the first time today and is very pleased so looking good.

We ordered the van with the heavy chassis and it was so long ago that I'd forgotten that this meant that it came with air suspension so that was a really pleasant surprise to see that. I have no experience of the difference but I'm reliably informed that the ride quality is significantly improved by this which of course is the point. I'm looking forward to trying this out.

It was mentioned several times that we're so lucky to have received our van as they are a popular choice and there is no supply now for quite some time. I think the dealer could sell it several times over if only they had the chance. It was beginning to feel like it would never arrive so I do feel lucky as it happens. Another week to handover and then the journey can really begin..

I'm planning to have a Gaslow fitment anyway but I was surprised to hear that there is now a severe shortage of gas cylinders and Calor are no longer signing any new contracts. Customers are being restricted to a single cylinder only (ours is a two cylinder locker) and the price is the same as if you were signing a hire contract but there is no contract agreement. I don't know but I'm guessing this would cause problems for any attempt to exchange an empty cylinder anywhere other than where you bought it from.

 

[bobnick]

The wait is over! It didn't turn up until today but it's finally here! We fought our way through the monsoon and thankfully it stopped raining just before we arrived at the dealership. First inspection is good and all the main boxes have ticks in them. The boss saw it for the first time today and is very pleased so looking good.

We ordered the van with the heavy chassis and it was so long ago that I'd forgotten that this meant that it came with air suspension so that was a really pleasant surprise to see that. I have no experience of the difference but I'm reliably informed that the ride quality is significantly improved by this which of course is the point. I'm looking forward to trying this out.

It was mentioned several times that we're so lucky to have received our van as they are a popular choice and there is no supply now for quite some time. I think the dealer could sell it several times over if only they had the chance. It was beginning to feel like it would never arrive so I do feel lucky as it happens. Another week to handover and then the journey can really begin..

I'm planning to have a Gaslow fitment anyway but I was surprised to hear that there is now a severe shortage of gas cylinders and Calor are no longer signing any new contracts. Customers are being restricted to a single cylinder only (ours is a two cylinder locker) and the price is the same as if you were signing a hire contract but there is no contract agreement. I don't know but I'm guessing this would cause problems for any attempt to exchange an empty cylinder anywhere other than where you bought it from.

Could you remind us if it was delivered on time? if not how many weeks late from original delivery date was it?

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[BikerDJ]

It wasn't on time no. Delivery date was April 10th. Revised to end of April after chasing. Revised to w/c 03/05 when it didn't turn up. Revised to 11th or 12th May when it didn't turn up. Arrived on low loader today.

 

[Simon Select]

I want to reply to this thread in the morning when sober as this thread needs a dealers perspective!

 

[BikerDJ]

I want to reply to this thread in the morning when sober as this thread needs a dealers perspective!

I'll look forward to it Simon, it would be great to get some balance. I would however say don't just take my summary comment about all of the delays out of context. I was just answering the question. My frustration expressed throughout the thread is more about communication not the delays per se.