Approved Dealers Not Respecting Warranty

[andyelbac]

What is it with Approved Dealers not accepting warranty work if they did not sell the MH to you?
We have a 22 plate Burstner that we purchased from Choose Leisure near Canterbury last August. It only had 256 miles on it so preume it was a demonstrator? Choose Leisure are not a Burstner Approved Dealer. They purchased it from Moran Motorhomes in Ludlow. At the time of purchase I recall Choose Leisure advising that any recall work would need to be undertaken by the importing dealer. I mistakenly thought this was any Burstner Approved dealer. Fast forward 4 months later and I had an issue with a broken blind. As I live in North Kent my closest Burstner dealer is Cranhams at Romford (a 2 hour, 80 mile round trip). When I approached them to undertake the work they would only agree if I paid the difference between their hourly rate and Burstner's factory hourly rate (which they didn't know)! on the basis that they didn't sell the unit to me. I took this up with Burstner. Their initial response was 'take it to Morans where the work will be done under warranty'. So now we were facing an 8 hour, 420 mile round trip! For a faulty blind! Putting aside the impact on our time, we would have to take two days off to make the journey as Morans are not open on weekends. Eventually, after some nagging at Burstner, they arranged with Cranhan to provide 2 hours free labour to fix the fault, however by this time, Choose Leisure had kindly agreed to repair even though it had fallen outside their own three month warranty period. Are we being unreasonable in expecting any Approved Dealer to undertake the work? I have always assumed that warranty work work gets changed back to the manufacturer so I don't understand what Cranham's issue was?

 

[RobertJary]

I phoned a local Motorhome dealer to book an MOT for our 'pre owned' Frankia. I was asked, "did you buy it from us?". When I said no, I was informed that they wouldn't MOT it. Never mind, their loss. I've subsequently found a closer garage who does everything I ask.

 

[Brains]

Spriddler said:
Perhaps for demos they use trade plates?

I wonder what happens to all of the rejected motorhomes we read about?

Well that would explain a few odd things about our ex demonstrator motorhome.

The wingmirrors, the wiper arms and the loo cassette are all older that the motorhome.
We suspect the useless Zenec unit may also be a swap out.

We also found later that a body damage repair had (very skilfully) been done.
(Was spotted by a body repairer fixing something else)

Which makes me think that the van was side swiped.
We are down as the first owners though, so when we sell we have 'full' paperwork

 

[eddie]

I phoned a local Motorhome dealer to book an MOT for our 'pre owned' Frankia. I was asked, "did you buy it from us?". When I said no, I was informed that they wouldn't MOT it. Never mind, their loss. I've subsequently found a closer garage who does everything I ask.

Why is it their loss?

They turned you down first, so hardly going to feel remorse

 

[eddie]

I have 8 franchises and they are all franchised with proper terms and agreements. Not one manufacturer will enforce the warranty side and looking after other peoples warranty work. They are worried the dealers won't take the brand on.

I do other peoples warranty btw........

My Son is properly taught in customer service

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[RobertJary]

Why is it their loss?

Because I've taken my business elsewhere.

 

[eddie]

Eddie, is the reason why some motorhome dealers are l like this they are not franchise dealers like the car suppliers.

Yes, the manufacturers don't hold sufficient stocks of spares, short model runs means a myriad of potential spares, the manufacturers have no money so don't pay well or on time ( Remember Thor, buying out Hymer to 'bail' them out?)

I had had three Winnebagos, I can go on line and look at every drawing, diagram, fabric, part, every single component has a serial and part number and can be ordered, but not from a Winnebago dealer, they support their dealers and expect their dealers to be amazing Winnebago ambassadors for the brand, which they are.

 

[eddie]

Because I've taken my business elsewhere.

They didn't want it when you offered it

 

[Wizz]

I'm a Hymer owner and that is news to me.

We bought our ex demonstrator from Lowdhams up near Nottingham.
We got it from them as due to its age and 'high' milage
(14 months and 5,500m on the clock, it had been to every trade show in the country)

As it was substantially cheaper than a brand new vehicle (and also available 9 months earlier)
It had also been 'de-bugged' as every loose screw and squeaking door had been fixed.

They told us right from the start that it came with no warranties, not Hymer or Mercedes.
Not even a habitation damp check.

Given that Lowdhams are 150 mile/3 hr each way drive for us we have no reason to go back that way

We have now found a very good local'ish garage that only do motorhomes.
They will do the scheduled Mercedes services and also fix all the Hymer related issues.

Brains,
Thats good to hear. Can you say what the 'local'ish' garage is please. It would be good to know just incase.
Cheers.
D

 

[RobertJary]

They didn't want it when you offered it

That's why I said 'their loss'. I've had our motorhome serviced elsewhere. In the last 4 years, in addition to regular servicing, it's needed a new turbo and a new ABS controller. They've missed out on my business. If that's their attitude, only wanting to MOT motorhomes that they've sold, it's very short sighted. I won't ever be contacting them again!

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[Brains]

Brains,
Thats good to hear. Can you say what the 'local'ish' garage is please. It would be good to know just incase.
Cheers.
D

You have mail

 

[eddie]

That's why I said 'their loss'. I've had our motorhome serviced elsewhere. In the last 4 years, in addition to regular servicing, it's needed a new turbo and a new ABS controller. They've missed out on my business. If that's their attitude, only wanting to MOT motorhomes that they've sold, it's very short sighted. I won't ever be contacting them again!

Well that’s you opinion

I think that we need to accept in this modern ‘gig’ economy, that just because some one wants something it doesn’t mean that people will jump through hoops to get the business

Before I retired I go sick and tired of people getting pissy because we’d turned their work down, often for completely different reasons, self builders wanting us to ”Just tidy the electrics up” when it needed ripping out and starting from scratch.

30 year old vans, who’s owners were wanting to live ‘off grid’ with absolutely no chance of us getting anywhere near their expectations garnered from You Tube.

Obnoxiously rude people who have alienated every body before a quote is even prepared, plus so many more, where we’d politely decline only to read what a bunch of twats we were on FaceBook lol

As an aside, recently a full time couple ‘remodelled their live in unit, and removed everything inside!

When it snowed the additional weight of the snow “popped” the seams with no internal support. Their unit is knackered, the wife apparently said not to do it, but Mr Google the expert went ahead and blamed everyone else and couldn’t understand why no one wanted to “sort it out for them”

 

[gus-lopez]

I phoned a local Motorhome dealer to book an MOT for our 'pre owned' Frankia. I was asked, "did you buy it from us?". When I said no, I was informed that they wouldn't MOT it. Never mind, their loss. I've subsequently found a closer garage who does everything I ask.

you should have asked for a VT30, refusal to test. the reason given is not a legally valid one.

 

[GaryMo]

What is it with Approved Dealers not accepting warranty work if they did not sell the MH to you?
We have a 22 plate Burstner that we purchased from Choose Leisure near Canterbury last August. It only had 256 miles on it so preume it was a demonstrator? Choose Leisure are not a Burstner Approved Dealer. They purchased it from Moran Motorhomes in Ludlow. At the time of purchase I recall Choose Leisure advising that any recall work would need to be undertaken by the importing dealer. I mistakenly thought this was any Burstner Approved dealer. Fast forward 4 months later and I had an issue with a broken blind. As I live in North Kent my closest Burstner dealer is Cranhams at Romford (a 2 hour, 80 mile round trip). When I approached them to undertake the work they would only agree if I paid the difference between their hourly rate and Burstner's factory hourly rate (which they didn't know)! on the basis that they didn't sell the unit to me. I took this up with Burstner. Their initial response was 'take it to Morans where the work will be done under warranty'. So now we were facing an 8 hour, 420 mile round trip! For a faulty blind! Putting aside the impact on our time, we would have to take two days off to make the journey as Morans are not open on weekends. Eventually, after some nagging at Burstner, they arranged with Cranhan to provide 2 hours free labour to fix the fault, however by this time, Choose Leisure had kindly agreed to repair even though it had fallen outside their own three month warranty period. Are we being unreasonable in expecting any Approved Dealer to undertake the work? I have always assumed that warranty work work gets changed back to the manufacturer so I don't understand what Cranham's issue was?

I have to read through the whole thread, but in essence I have a similar issue. I never realised the mh dealership warrantees are different from normal cars or commercial vans where you can take the vehicle to any approved dealer to get warrantee work done.

So at last year MH show at NEC we were on a manufactures stand and talking to a rep , he showed us what vans would be available later that year, we choose one, realising it was just the stock of one dealer, it just never dawned on us. It was only when back home we were committing to the deposit that we realised just how far the dealer was, but we liked the van and thought we just take it to a nearer dealer.

After that we never heard anything from the dealer unless we prompted for updates, we even got moaned at by the dealer as we couldn't attend a hand overdate, they had never communicated the date.

Anyway now we have had the van for a few months and noticed a few issues, doors and cupboards not fitting and warping, water leaks etc. Currently I'm know trying to get the manufacture (They are considered high quality make) to approve for us to take the van to a nearer dealer with hopefully better customer service. It's very slow going, we are constantly chasing them for progress, in the meantime the water leak means we can't use the van.

So if we have to the take van for warranty work and have to stay over night would you expect a curtesy MH?
For us it's a long round trip should, dealer or manufacture cover travel costs?

I was waiting for a positive reply by manufacture before taking the van to another dealer.

 

[Chris]

Well that’s you opinion

I think that we need to accept in this modern ‘gig’ economy, that just because some one wants something it doesn’t mean that people will jump through hoops to get the business

Before I retired I go sick and tired of people getting pissy because we’d turned their work down, often for completely different reasons, self builders wanting us to ”Just tidy the electrics up” when it needed ripping out and starting from scratch.

30 year old vans, who’s owners were wanting to live ‘off grid’ with absolutely no chance of us getting anywhere near their expectations garnered from You Tube.

Obnoxiously rude people who have alienated every body before a quote is even prepared, plus so many more, where we’d politely decline only to read what a bunch of twats we were on FaceBook lol

As an aside, recently a full time couple ‘remodelled their live in unit, and removed everything inside!

When it snowed the additional weight of the snow “popped” the seams with no internal support. Their unit is knackered, the wife apparently said not to do it, but Mr Google the expert went ahead and blamed everyone else and couldn’t understand why no one wanted to “sort it out for them”

Eddie do you still draft the T’s &C ‘s for your campsite?

Isabel and I once spent an evening reading them and having a right laugh

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[GaryMo]

Because your making comparisons between the car industry where well over two million new cars are sold each year, to the cottage industry that converts delivery vans to motorhomes, which racks up annual sales of about twelve thousand

Half the warranty is the chassis manufactures responsibility, half the converter with a grey line through the middle (Front side light Fiat back side light Swift for example)

Trying to get parts from the converter takes an age, again not like a car, and people who are frustrated because they have driven two hours to get to you, to be told that they can’t use their motorhome as the bit will take six weeks to get to fix it, tend to get frustrated and angry, and if their not your customer you tend to think to yourself ‘why am I doing this, it’s nothing to do with me”

As always, follow the money! You buy Swift from ABC Motorhomes, you are ABC Motorhomes customer, anything goes wrong, you sue ABC.

ABC are Swifts customer, your nothing to do with Swift legally. Your also have no connection with EFG Motorhomes or XYZ Motorhomes despite having a VW Golf you can take anywhere and get warranty assistance

Coke are one of the Worlds biggest companies, if I buy a bottle of Coke from Tesco and it’s flat I can take it back to Tesco, tell them and expect a replacement

I can’t take it back to Morrisons

I under stand this logic, but you have been in the industry for may years. This is my first ever MH and first ever new vehicle. I just assumed warrantee would be like other new vehicles you can taking it to any approved dealer. What compounds our issue, we was on a manufacture stand when we found the van we wanted. not really realising it was a dealer we were chatting to. At least I will know for the future, but it doesn't help in getting the current issues sorted.

 

[funflair]

That's why I said 'their loss'. I've had our motorhome serviced elsewhere. In the last 4 years, in addition to regular servicing, it's needed a new turbo and a new ABS controller. They've missed out on my business. If that's their attitude, only wanting to MOT motorhomes that they've sold, it's very short sighted. I won't ever be contacting them again!

I guess you won’t be buying a new one from them either

 

[Spriddler]

I under stand this logic, but you have been in the industry for may years. This is my first ever MH and first ever new vehicle. I just assumed warrantee would be like other new vehicles you can taking it to any approved dealer. What compounds our issue, we was on a manufacture stand when we found the van we wanted. not really realising it was a dealer we were chatting to. At least I will know for the future, but it doesn't help in getting the current issues sorted.

It's easily done as unfortunately few people new to something know all the ins and outs of e.g. buying a motorhome, never mind the running of it or operating the domestics . They simply don't know the questions that they should be asking. It wasn't until I'd been subscribed to Fun for a few months after buying my first m/home that I became aware of things I'd not previously thought about in my hitherto ignorant bliss. E.g. payload limit, no Calor exchange abroad, risk of body leaks, damp etc., and a host of other issues until they were mentioned (usually mistakes and misfortunes) in posts by others.
To paraphrase Rumsfeld: There are known unknowns but there are also unknown unknowns............

 

[Westbarn1]

As with Lenny, my last Hymer I bought from Germany, 2nd hand 6 months old (personal import, just before Brexit) , I had some warranty issues, which where dealt with by Southdowns, at the same time as a yearly damp check service, afterwards, whilst touring in Germany, I raised some further warranty issues with the Hymer dealer at Bad Waldsee, which they dealt with. I also had it serviced and a recall issue sorted by a Mercedes dealer whilst over there. My current Hymer, bought new from Southdowns, is fault free, so far!

 

[Basildog]

On the last van when I queried something with Hymer I got an email from them stating the two dealers responsible for warranty work were and gave me the address of the dealer I bought from and my local dealer.
Also I've called in on dealers in Germany without a problem.

My first import was a Hobby caravan I bought in Germany no problem getting UK agent to sort out warranty work.

I do know some dealers can be awkward perhaps I've been lucky.

I would say very lucky

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[gus-lopez]

What is the foreigner travelling in the Uk & having a problem supposed to do when he hasn't bought the vehicle there? Nonsensical situation that should be sorted out .

 

[pelican]

I wonder what happens to all of the rejected motorhomes we read about?

Straight in the crusher.

 

[rod_vw]

OK what most people with 'solutions' don't understand is that for a very long time it was a "buyers" market for the motorhome dealers, the converters (there are no motorhome manufacturers [yes there are, Volkswagen make three models in their own factories.]) would sell their motorhomes to 'Fanny's Aunt) so long as Fanny's Aunt had the money and customers

 

[Basildog]

Straight in the crusher.

More like , Straight to the next unsuspecting victim . Oooops I mean customer

 

[RobertJary]

I think that we need to accept in this modern ‘gig’ economy, that just because some one wants something it doesn’t mean that people will jump through hoops to get the business

When I phoned up to ask about booking our motorhome in for a MOT test, I was somewhat surprised to be asked 'did you buy your motorhome from us?' I'm not asking people to 'jump through hoops' to get my business. I wasn't asking for rewires or any of the other examples you mention. All I asked about was booking our motorhome in for an MOT.
But as your say, it's my opinion (by the way I'm the one paying their wages).

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[eddie]

Eddie do you still draft the T’s &C ‘s for your campsite?

Isabel and I once spent an evening reading them and having a right laugh

When I wrote them one of my staff laughed and said “you’d never be allowed to stay here with these rules”

Ex Poachers make the best game keepers

When I phoned up to ask about booking our motorhome in for a MOT test, I was somewhat surprised to be asked 'did you buy your motorhome from us?' I'm not asking people to 'jump through hoops' to get my business. I wasn't asking for rewires or any of the other examples you mention. All I asked about was booking our motorhome in for an MOT.
But as your say, it's my opinion (by the way I'm the one paying their wages).

That’s the problem people think that their cash makes them ‘special’

An MOT done properly takes about 45 minutes and costs about fifty quid, well below what it costs to run a profitable workshop. Consider it a loss leader

”Hello, do you do MOT’s”

”Yes Sir, we offer it as a service to our customers, I assume you purchased the motorhome from us?”

”No? Ah well then, sorry we only offer the service to our customers for their convenience“

”I’ll take my non profitable business elsewhere then, It’s a loss to you”

“It really isn’t a loss Sir, and we’ll live”

 

[RobertJary]

When I wrote them one of my staff laughed and said “you’d never be allowed to stay here with these rules”

Ex Poachers make the best game keepers

That’s the problem people think that their cash makes them ‘special’

An MOT done properly takes about 45 minutes and costs about fifty quid, well below what it costs to run a profitable workshop. Consider it a loss leader

”Hello, do you do MOT’s”

”Yes Sir, we offer it as a service to our customers, I assume you purchased the motorhome from us?”

”No? Ah well then, sorry we only offer the service to our customers for their convenience“

”I’ll take my non profitable business elsewhere then, It’s a loss to you”

“It really isn’t a loss Sir, and we’ll live”

When I book our car in for an MOT, I don't get asked 'did you buy it from us'. Have you never heard of 'the customer is always right' (even when they're wrong) or 'from small acorns, large oaks grow'? Probably best that you've retired; with that attitude you wouldn't get my business.

I now get my servicing done by a small independent HGV specialist. When I originally phoned to book it in for a MOT, the only question I was asked was 'when would you like to book in for?". Subsequently they've carried out all my MOTs and servicing (including the replacement turbo and ABS controller).

FYI, I worked supporting customers throughout the UK and Ireland for over 34 years, so I understand about looking after customers.

 

[Minxy]

When I book our car in for an MOT, I don't get asked 'did you buy it from us'. Have you never heard of 'the customer is always right' (even when they're wrong) or 'from small acorns, large oaks grow'?

There's nothing wrong with his attitude, his business was run the way it was/is otherwise it may not have been able to continue.

No business has to take on work because a potential customer wants them to, why take on something that is going to cause a lot of hassle for the sake of it especially when the first thing would be to try to rip out the pig's ear of what they are presented with first.

Probably best that you've retired; with that attitude you wouldn't get my business.

As for him retiring... I think his lads said something along those lines too so they can ensure he doesn't raid the biscuits!

 

[eddie]

When I book our car in for an MOT, I don't get asked 'did you buy it from us'. Have you never heard of 'the customer is always right' (even when they're wrong) or 'from small acorns, large oaks grow'?

But you weren’t the dealers customer, we’ve established that do try to keep up your a member of the general public, if you had of been the dealers customer they would of MOT’d your motorhome and you wouldn’t be moaning.

Probably best that you've retired; with that attitude you wouldn't get my business.

Thank you, I do agree, however we wouldn’t need it

I now get my servicing done by a small independent HGV specialist. When I originally phoned to book it in for a MOT, the only question I was asked was 'when would you like to book in for?". Subsequently they've carried out all my MOTs and servicing (including the replacement turbo and ABS controller).

A garage, not a motorhom franchise

FYI, I worked supporting customers throughout the UK and Ireland for over 34 years, so I understand about looking after customers.

I built an extremely successful business up over the same period and you’d struggle to find a single complain’t about our custome service

As I say, part of that is being selective about who you allow to be customers

 

[BikerGraham]

There's nothing wrong with his attitude, his business was run the way it was/is otherwise it may not have been able to continue.

No business has to take on work because a potential customer wants them to, why take on something that is going to cause a lot of hassle for the sake of it especially when the first thing would be to try to rip out the pig's ear of what they are presented with first.


As for him retiring... I think his lads said something along those lines too so they can ensure he doesn't raid the biscuits!

totally agree with you there Minxy. I have turned down new clients due to their attitude on a number of occasions.

Also if they are late payers I put them on a pro-forma basis, or go somewhere else and mess them around.

Business diary is still full and healthy though. I don't advertise, all work is repeat business and recommendation.

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[RobertJary]

But you weren’t the dealers customer

But I might have come a customer.

”I’ll take my non profitable business elsewhere then, It’s a loss to you”

How come there are establishments that only carry out MOT inspections?