Consumer rights on rejecting motorhome

[finder40]

Hello,

We purchased an '04 plate motorhome from a dealership 4 months ago. We found the add on eBay and checked out the dealer, paid £500 deposit and drove to the other side of the UK to pick it up. When we got there we noticed water marks on the internal roof, we raised our concerns and the dealer did a damp check that showed 50%+ reading. He believed it was from jet washing the vehicle and told us to wait a few hours and he will reseal the sky light and stop the leak. We agreed and let him fix it. We had 3 months warranty and within that time we reported how severe the new leak is its dripping down walls, gone into the electrics and we have mould spores and rotten wood (see photos).

We have asked to reject the vehicle as its not feasible of financially efficient for us to drive over 300 miles to give him another attempt to fix it. We asked if we could take it locally to be inspected and have the work carried out locally. He refused and refused the rejection. We have contacted consumer helpline and they have advised we are covered by the consumer rights. BUT my question is has anyone else been down this route and what was the remedy. He is now saying its our fault for having the motorhome outside whilst its leaking (the leak he told us was fixed the day we purchased).

 

[Abacist]

This is a fairly typical damp report from a habitation survey with a few small areas to be further investigated and corrective action taken:-

 

[Swifter]

Any dealer worth his salt would know you never jet wash a motorhome ......too many joints to leak.

Exactly. This proves it’s a total pack of lies .
The Motorhome had obviously been letting water in for a long time regardless of any jet washing but he wasn’t expecting anyone to notice the damp .

 

[Nanniemate]

I would get it back.onto their forecourt ASAP, they have made an offer to repair it , where you live is irrelevant, even if you get a lowloader to take it back . I would drive it down for you but I'm too far away to help.
do not give them the opportunity to wriggle out of their responsibilities. They have offered to repair it so becareful that they do not put the fault back on you.
Your house legal cover should be able to help you .remember Christmas closures and mail strikes may effect your timeliness. Send email backups scanned originals so there can be no denying .
Voice recording all calls is recommended but you must tell them your doing so.
Get someone to read over your letters to check spelling ,dates etc as often you don't see your own errors and may miss vital information.
Good luck I hope your legal cover helps

 

[TheBig1]

Please don't rely on recorded delivery, pay the £7.50 for special delivery, fully tracked and signed for

Legally speaking if you send an email and openly copy such email to yourself, it is deemed to be delivered. But don't rely on that, always put it in writing, sending a physical letter or parcel with tracked delivery. Dodgy car and van sales are a constant issue and many just go bankrupt and reopen under a new name. They know how to defeat the system and never sign for letters as it is probably bad news. The trick is sending a parcel with the letter in as it might be a part they ordered and they sign for them

As to the amount of damage, I am sorry but a bit of wet wood does not show the true extent of damage. It needs investigating first with a professional quality damp meter then opening up the damaged area. Best case it needs the skylight removing and refitting with all new sealant, treat the wet wood and dry out. Worst case is a new roof or part there of and renewing all interior wood and trim. The difference is a £200 job or £5000 but can't be determined based on the photos shown

An experienced eye will know based on the staining if this is a recent leak or typical of swift/bessacar poor build quality. And although it looks terrible, when dried out and cleaned properly it may not be too visible. Odds are that if you were successful in returning it for full refund, the dealer would bodge it and sell it on again quickly

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[Swifter]

Thick as two planks as well, where can most people store a Motorhome out of the weather.

Obviously he thinks a Motorhome should be stored inside and never used when it’s raining .
Trying to blame this poor family who paid a huge amount of money for a couple in their 30s , what a scumbag . I really hope this gets resolved. I agree the legal route is best but I worry they might lose even more money

 

[pelican]

Looking at photo of roof vent these are known to leak if there is excess water on the roof.
If you look carefully at vent frame you will notice corners have slots cut in that would allow water ingress when van is parked in certain conditions.
Got the tee shirt

 

[Fontie]

Did the van smell of damp when you first viewed it, I think you should give whoever you got the van from one last opportunity to to fix the water ingress. They could argue when trying to fix originally they disturbed something without realising allowing a new water ingress point and you refusing to take the van back for further inspection/work has made it a lot worse, and you possibly liable for repair costs. I know going back to the dealer will be difficult but to save legal problems down the road has to be done. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Bessy765]

Keep your ammo dry, do not name and shame the dealer aAt the moment, once you do you have used one of your advantages, did you pay any part of the purchase over £100 by credit card. If so the card company are jointly libel. Or with a debit card not as powerful but you can ask for charge back.

 

[Spriddler]

Keep your ammo dry, do not name and shame the dealer aAt the moment, once you do you have used one of your advantages, did you pay any part of the purchase over £100 by credit card. If so the card company are jointly libel. Or with a debit card not as powerful but you can ask for charge back.

Already explained by the OP in post #48.

I tried section 75 but as it was debit card and a bank transfer they class as 'bill payment' its not covered

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[Simon Select]

So I take it the van currently isnt in Devon? Its a shame as we could have got it in the workshop, and at least try to assess the damage.
Hopefully its just coming in from the roof light which shouldn't be too difficult to reseal. Try not to panic just yet, yes the dealer does not sound helpful but it could be that the damp isn't bad.
Remember all damp can be sorted. The dealer will have a right to put it right in a reasonable time frame. Try to stay calm with them and hopefully they will bend over backwards to help!

Simon

 

[StephandJohn]

H as any one suggested trying out the small claims court. You can do it online if this comes under their jurisdiction.
We had another sort of consumer problem years ago and had been messing about with the sellers for months and getting nowhere at all. Trading Standards told us to write to them and we'd go to the small claims court. Gave them two weeks to do it. They came back with an offer immediatley. I'd filled some of the forms in online and sent them copies to make them realise we meant it.
We'd wasted months and a lot of angst when we could have sorted it much earlier.
you could do that also by saying you've got a solicitors appt in two seeks and see if that works.

 

[The Wino]

I would point out to the dealer that you are unable to take it back at the moment due to your husband's health but they could collect it. If there's any debate about it being outside making it worse then you have offered a solution. Tbh I'd just try and reject it given their attitude.

 

[TonyEmm]

Hello,

We purchased an '04 plate motorhome from a dealership 4 months ago. We found the add on eBay and checked out the dealer, paid £500 deposit and drove to the other side of the UK to pick it up. When we got there we noticed water marks on the internal roof, we raised our concerns and the dealer did a damp check that showed 50%+ reading. He believed it was from jet washing the vehicle and told us to wait a few hours and he will reseal the sky light and stop the leak. We agreed and let him fix it. We had 3 months warranty and within that time we reported how severe the new leak is its dripping down walls, gone into the electrics and we have mould spores and rotten wood (see photos).

We have asked to reject the vehicle as its not feasible of financially efficient for us to drive over 300 miles to give him another attempt to fix it. We asked if we could take it locally to be inspected and have the work carried out locally. He refused and refused the rejection. We have contacted consumer helpline and they have advised we are covered by the consumer rights. BUT my question is has anyone else been down this route and what was the remedy. He is now saying its our fault for having the motorhome outside whilst its leaking (the leak he told us was fixed the day we purchased).

Where consumer rights are concerned, i’d consider signing up to Which? Legal Service. https://legalservice.which.co.uk/?rtcampaign=brand&msclkid=644f8c0c5563177be917efaf5b049e05
It’ll be the best value legal advice you can get…

 

[Clive Bishop]

Hello,

We purchased an '04 plate motorhome from a dealership 4 months ago. We found the add on eBay and checked out the dealer, paid £500 deposit and drove to the other side of the UK to pick it up. When we got there we noticed water marks on the internal roof, we raised our concerns and the dealer did a damp check that showed 50%+ reading. He believed it was from jet washing the vehicle and told us to wait a few hours and he will reseal the sky light and stop the leak. We agreed and let him fix it. We had 3 months warranty and within that time we reported how severe the new leak is its dripping down walls, gone into the electrics and we have mould spores and rotten wood (see photos).

We have asked to reject the vehicle as its not feasible of financially efficient for us to drive over 300 miles to give him another attempt to fix it. We asked if we could take it locally to be inspected and have the work carried out locally. He refused and refused the rejection. We have contacted consumer helpline and they have advised we are covered by the consumer rights. BUT my question is has anyone else been down this route and what was the remedy. He is now saying its our fault for having the motorhome outside whilst its leaking (the leak he told us was fixed the day we purchased).View attachment 698867View attachment 698865View attachment 698866

I purchased a motorhome and pointed out some of the faults on collection 3G-miles from home when I got home I found several other faults so I rejected the vehicle under not fit for purpose and requested the come and collect and refund the full amount that I paid.After rejecting the offer to fix the faults due to the distance we were away,they refunded the full amount and collected the vehicle.I must add as you pointed out the fault when you went to pick it up you are on solid ground.

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[Cat53]

Oh gosh! I can well understand you feeling swamped. You could probably chat to a solicitor for free for an hour. You only have to pay them when they write the letter.

 

[Lister]

Oh gosh! I can well understand you feeling swamped. You could probably chat to a solicitor for free for an hour. You only have to pay them when they write the letter.

Just a thought, if you or your husband are members of a union they usually have a free legal helpline.

 

[Simon Select]

If you haven’t got anywhere, PM me and I will try and liaise with them on your behalf and maybe dealer to dealer I can help and make them see sense!

 

[CJK]

Hello,

We purchased an '04 plate motorhome from a dealership 4 months ago. We found the add on eBay and checked out the dealer, paid £500 deposit and drove to the other side of the UK to pick it up. When we got there we noticed water marks on the internal roof, we raised our concerns and the dealer did a damp check that showed 50%+ reading. He believed it was from jet washing the vehicle and told us to wait a few hours and he will reseal the sky light and stop the leak. We agreed and let him fix it. We had 3 months warranty and within that time we reported how severe the new leak is its dripping down walls, gone into the electrics and we have mould spores and rotten wood (see photos).

We have asked to reject the vehicle as its not feasible of financially efficient for us to drive over 300 miles to give him another attempt to fix it. We asked if we could take it locally to be inspected and have the work carried out locally. He refused and refused the rejection. We have contacted consumer helpline and they have advised we are covered by the consumer rights. BUT my question is has anyone else been down this route and what was the remedy. He is now saying its our fault for having the motorhome outside whilst its leaking (the leak he told us was fixed the day we purchased).View attachment 698867View attachment 698865View attachment 698866

You totally have my sympathy. We have recently been going down a similar route with the deposit on a camper that turned out to be unsuitable - long story. Basically, we have won through by sticking to and quoting the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Start by accessing the Citizens Advice, also Which websites. Then download the Act from the government website. It looks a bit daunting but there should be something there for you. Then phone the Citizens Advice helpline on their website and stick exactly to their procedures. You’ll find template letters and all sorts on their site. It’s important to say exactly what is wrong, quoting and naming the section of the Act. Then be very what you want and give a reasonable time for a response. It sounds as these are historic damp issues and I wouldn’t want a bar of it. Don’t delay. Don’t argue with the seller (who must have realised it was damp). Keep everything in writing and keep copies. Make a time line of what has been going on. Good luck.

 

[Yorick]

I'm surprised that there isn't a company of lawyers who specialise in dodgy vehicle purchases.

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[Bleau’s]

I am an ex caravan dealer with 40 years in trade who kept there damp meter when they finished and if you would like me to come and have a look with there professional meter i would with pleasure to try and determine how far it has spread .

 

[Ken Kojak]

thank you judging by the quick replies and knowledge in our situation this form is worthwhile. We are first time motorhome owners and sadly purchased in our 30's to make family memories due to my husbands cancer this has just destroyed our short term dreams. We don't feel it's safe for him to stay in due to mould. The dealers responses are insulting and threatening its becoming too much to deal with at the moment

Hello,

We purchased an '04 plate motorhome from a dealership 4 months ago. We found the add on eBay and checked out the dealer, paid £500 deposit and drove to the other side of the UK to pick it up. When we got there we noticed water marks on the internal roof, we raised our concerns and the dealer did a damp check that showed 50%+ reading. He believed it was from jet washing the vehicle and told us to wait a few hours and he will reseal the sky light and stop the leak. We agreed and let him fix it. We had 3 months warranty and within that time we reported how severe the new leak is its dripping down walls, gone into the electrics and we have mould spores and rotten wood (see photos).

We have asked to reject the vehicle as its not feasible of financially efficient for us to drive over 300 miles to give him another attempt to fix it. We asked if we could take it locally to be inspected and have the work carried out locally. He refused and refused the rejection. We have contacted consumer helpline and they have advised we are covered by the consumer rights. BUT my question is has anyone else been down this route and what was the remedy. He is now saying it’s our fault for having the motorhome outside whilst its leaking (the leak he told us was fixed the day we purchased).View attachment 698867View attachment 698865View attachment 698866

Hello,

We purchased an '04 plate motorhome from a dealership 4 months ago. We found the add on eBay and checked out the dealer, paid £500 deposit and drove to the other side of the UK to pick it up. When we got there we noticed water marks on the internal roof, we raised our concerns and the dealer did a damp check that showed 50%+ reading. He believed it was from jet washing the vehicle and told us to wait a few hours and he will reseal the sky light and stop the leak. We agreed and let him fix it. We had 3 months warranty and within that time we reported how severe the new leak is its dripping down walls, gone into the electrics and we have mould spores and rotten wood (see photos).

We have asked to reject the vehicle as its not feasible of financially efficient for us to drive over 300 miles to give him another attempt to fix it. We asked if we could take it locally to be inspected and have the work carried out locally. He refused and refused the rejection. We have contacted consumer helpline and they have advised we are covered by the consumer rights. BUT my question is has anyone else been down this route and what was the remedy. He is now saying its our fault for having the motorhome outside whilst its leaking (the leak he told us was fixed the day we purchased).View attachment 698867View attachment 698865View attachment 698866

Hi, sorry to hear about this. I have had similar problems in the past. I suggest you join Which Legal Services (I think it’s about £7 a month).
I found them very helpful and I did get my money back.

 

[TonyEmm]

Hi, sorry to hear about this. I have had similar problems in the past. I suggest you join Which Legal Services (I think it’s about £7 a month).
I found them very helpful and I did get my money back.

Exactly what I suggested in comment #73. I gave a link to Which?Legal.

 

[Al Leister]

Once this is resolved, regardless of how, and, even if, eventually, to the customers satisfaction, this "outfit" should be named.
Clearly, the owner of the "outfit" should not be conducting business of any kind.

If, come next spring, we hear of another unsuspecting, decent human being having the terrible misfortune of purchasing a vehicle, unfit for purpose, from a motorhome "outfit" and it transpires it is the same "outfit" we are discussing, then..........
Shame on us!

 

[madkoka]

IMO they should be named as a warning to anyone out there thinking of buy a used MoHo as I am, I would be gutted if I got one from the same place and didn’t know

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[stevewagner]

Once this is resolved, regardless of how, and, even if, eventually, to the customers satisfaction, this "outfit" should be named.
Clearly, the owner of the "outfit" should not be conducting business of any kind.

If, come next spring, we hear of another unsuspecting, decent human being having the terrible misfortune of purchasing a vehicle, unfit for purpose, from a motorhome "outfit" and it transpires it is the same "outfit" we are discussing, then..........
Shame on us!

Why would it be shame on us? It’s down to the OP whether he wishes to name them or not.

 

[Ingwe]

I hope the OP gets this sorted. I and others have posted this before but I do so again in case it helps.
Have a great Christmas everyone.

 

[Nanniemate]

IMO they should be named as a warning to anyone out there thinking of buy a used MoHo as I am, I would be gutted if I got one from the same place and didn’t know

The OP clearly states it was bought from a dealer in Devon, so just avoid buying from Devon untll we know the outcome

 

[Al Leister]

Why would it be shame on us? It’s down to the OP whether he wishes to name them or not.

Yes, of course, Steve.

Do you believe, once the matter is closed, the Motorhome "Outfit" should be named to ensure potential future motorhome purchasers are forewarned?

 

[stevewagner]

Yes, of course, Steve.

Do you believe, once the matter is closed, the Motorhome "Outfit" should be named to ensure potential future motorhome purchasers are forewarned?

I do, just like we should praise good service. However should the OP decide no too I wont be responsible I’d someone else has a bad experience.
Back when the Autotrail water ingress debacle with their new models started support groups were set up on FB. It wasn’t long before the Autotrail lawyers popped up with threats to sue anyone they felt were posting libellous comments.
Name and shame by all means but be 100% confident in your facts and evidence.

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[3crispies]

A good option is to take Kerrs up on their offer but you still have logistics. Your dealer will know the cost of transportation too. Did you buy through ebay open a case there too as this will affect dealer where it hurts....