Up-Rating The Hard Way

[Minxy]

I don't think you overpay when you obtain the service/product you expect. You can underpay when you choose to pay less and the service falls short of what you expect.

I paid SV Tech £312 and everything when like clockwork, had I paid half of this figure I may have expected a lesser service.

Going back to the OP, I think he did nothing wrong in Telling us of his experiences, and I think irrespective of what you pay, you can expect a supplier to admit their mistakes

Andrew

Most people have been more than happy with John's services ... on the other side of the fence some people have been unhappy with SVTech despite paying the higher figure.

SVTech £360 I believe, John £150 ... you can make your choice.

 

[Minxy]

I pay what I'm happy to pay.

When it's something where I get more than one quote i.e. insurance I'll look at levels of cover or whatever and then check out the various companies and their reputations for service. I can't remember the last time the cheapest quote was the one I went with.

Interesting, I do it a different way, I go ask for the cover I want and go from that, if more cover is included than I want/need then I still base it on my requirements ... if it meets my needs, regardless of whatever else is included, then that's what I'll go for (reputation has some bearing but they can all be good/bad at times).

I also don't have the time or interest to have to keep chasing people or breathe down their necks to make sure they're doing what they say they're going to do. If paying more lets me forget about it and go and do something else then I'll take that option every time.

... but not everyone has had to 'breathe' down John's neck to get what they want, that's the point, most people are more than happy so totally condemning him from the OP's single experience is unfair IMV.

 

[icantremember]

I don't think you overpay when you obtain the service/product you expect. You can underpay when you choose to pay less and the service falls short of what you expect.

I paid SV Tech £312 and everything when like clockwork, had I paid half of this figure I may have expected a lesser service.

Going back to the OP, I think he did nothing wrong in Telling us of his experiences, and I think irrespective of what you pay, you can expect a supplier to admit their mistakes

Andrew

I used JR and better service I could not have received anywhere, even at 100x the cost ... I did not go to John for price but due to SV being unable to do the job for me.

After the way many on here have now slated John quite unnecessarily and in most cases without any experience of him, I would no longer admit my connection to this forum when asking for his services in future.

 

[vwalan]

mind there is another way.

sell the one you have and buy a greater gvw camper.
convert your own . far cheaper and nicer than most of the factory converted ones .
and built to what you want /like .
really easy .

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Interesting, I do it a different way, I go ask for the cover I want and go from that, if more cover is included than I want/need then I still base it on my requirements ... if it meets my needs, regardless of whatever else is included, then that's what I'll go for (reputation has some bearing but they can all be good/bad at times).

Reputation has the biggest bearing IMO especially with insurance. Obviously we all buy insurance hoping we'll never need it but if we do need to make a claim we want to trust that it will be as smooth and painless as possible. When I get quotes the first thing I do is look at the reviews on somewhere like Trustpilot and I always, every single time, find that the companies offering the cheapest quotes have appalling reputations for service in the event of a claim. I can't be bothered, and don't have the time, to get into battles like that so those companies will never get my business regardless of how cheap they are. A couple of years ago, I think on a car but I can't remember exactly, I got so far down the list on Compare the Market that I think I ended up paying about 25% more than the cheapest quote before I found I company I was happy to deal with.

... but not everyone has had to 'breathe' down John's neck to get what they want, that's the point,

I wasn't thinking about John particularly in that example. It was more of a general thing, say if I had a builder doing something at home I'd happily pay more for someone I trusted and then go away for a week and let them get on with it rather go with a cheaper option and feel the need to be there all day every day to supervise. Being able to trust that someone will do exactly what I've asked them to do to the standard I want without constant, or ideally any, input from me is worth a premium to me.

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[Kingham]

........

... but not everyone has had to 'breathe' down John's neck to get what they want, that's the point, most people are more than happy so totally condemning him from the OP's single experience is unfair IMV.

I have not totally condemned him, nor have the other contributors, many of who have done the actual opposite and IMO I have not been unfair to him, I have factually reported the poor experience I had from him and if anything, it's his own actions that have condemned him and had the thread gone the usual way, with a perhaps only me reporting a negative experience and many others reporting their positive experiences, it would have run out of steam by now.

It's nice that John has a knight in shining armour on the forum, but the extent that has gone to has raised the profile of the thread way beyond where it would have naturally gone.

People are intelligent enough to read my one bad report amongst many good ones and realise this has been a one off for him, but at the same time, if his standards continue to fall then it's only correct that we are able to share such relevant experiences on the forum without our actions being branded as unfair and at some point someone has to make that first negative post.

Would it be fair to other members if I kept my experience to myself, then next month someone else has a similar experience, but keeps it to themselves, then the following week another couple of similar incidents... Of course it wouldn't.

 

[Kingham]

....

After the way many on here have now slated John quite unnecessarily and in most cases without any experience of him, I would no longer admit my connection to this forum when asking for his services in future.

From your post, I've just gone back to the start of this thread and counted up how many people have actually 'slated' John and I'm not finding the many, which is good !

 

[Allanm]

I've always thought speak as you find. If I hear from JC I will give them a go at uprating my van if it is possible to do, if I get good or bad service, I may post either on here, but would not expect someone to criticise my post or reason for posting because it does not equate with their experience.

 

[Minxy]

I have not totally condemned him, nor have the other contributors, many of who have done the actual opposite and IMO I have not been unfair to him, I have factually reported the poor experience I had from him and if anything, it's his own actions that have condemned him and had the thread gone the usual way, with a perhaps only me reporting a negative experience and many others reporting their positive experiences, it would have run out of steam by now.

It's nice that John has a knight in shining armour on the forum, but the extent that has gone to has raised the profile of the thread way beyond where it would have naturally gone.

Just because I don't like the way that John's reputation has been 'blighted' by those who have NEVER dealt with him, doesn't make me a knight in shining armour, if I have problems I will post them too (and have) and try to keep it in perspective.

People are intelligent enough to read my one bad report amongst many good ones and realise this has been a one off for him, but at the same time, if his standards continue to fall then it's only correct that we are able to share such relevant experiences on the forum without our actions being branded as unfair and at some point someone has to make that first negative post.

... from your ONE experience ... 'continue to fall'????? hmmm.

Would it be fair to other members if I kept my experience to myself, then next month someone else has a similar experience, but keeps it to themselves, then the following week another couple of similar incidents... Of course it wouldn't.

No issue at all with saying it as it happened BUT that's not exactly what you did, you added your own 'bias' to it (we all do to some extent) which made it seem like a MAJOR problem, which it isn't, then others slated him based on your comments who have NO knowledge of him or his service.

After what's gone on with another funster's van and the damage caused by screws being too long, this little hiccup, and that's what it is, is IMV miniscule.

Anyway, I've got better things to do that keep repeating why I think that some of the comments on this thread are wrong ... people hopefully will read this thread and realise that the little issue you've had is certainly no worse than anything that can happen with other companies occasionally ... you got what you wanted in the end after all.

 

[webby1]

Mel I know you put a lot of work into finding a contact for upplating other than Svtech and it's appreciated. We used them and service was great BUT I do not like monopolies as they almost inevitably exploit that position (ACSI being the other company I would like to ditch............but even using Vicarious means they still get the sale) It annoyed me when even the DVLA suggested I use them.
So new players in the field are always welcome. I do not agree that

The cheapest option is seldom the best option for anything ever.

This is why motorhomers are usually ripped of for specialist motorhome products when there are often similar/cheaper products available...................prices are set by what the market will bear and who will pay it and often have little to do with quality.
We all should shop around more (as you have done to find JR) and make judgements with price being ONE of the considerations.

Buy cheap.................................buy thrice..............................and still save money
SOMETIMES

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[Deleted member 29692]

This is why motorhomers are usually ripped of for specialist motorhome products when there are often similar/cheaper products available.................

Buy cheap.................................buy thrice..............................and still save money
SOMETIMES

Not talking about motorhome products specifically, more in general terms.

Add in the wasted time to the equation and it's different.

I'll be sticking with "buy it properly, buy it once, forget about it."

 

[gus-lopez]

with the benefit of hindsight, I would happily pay more than twice the price for a first class, right first time, hassle free service.

But how would you know that is what you were going to get ?

I pay what I'm happy to pay.

When it's something where I get more than one quote i.e. insurance I'll look at levels of cover or whatever and then check out the various companies and their reputations for service. I can't remember the last time the cheapest quote was the one I went with.

When it's something where I don't feel the need for more than one quote then I'll go with someone I know and trust or someone with a good reputation or occasionally on recommendation. If that company isn't the cheapest option I don't care. I'm happy to pay more for decent service. I also don't have the time or interest to have to keep chasing people or breathe down their necks to make sure they're doing what they say they're going to do. If paying more lets me forget about it and go and do something else then I'll take that option every time.

How does 'paying more ' equate to a good service ? regardless of how many write ups praise them it can always go wrong. as has happened here & before with the higher priced firm.

Not being an Engineer, or being aware of which plates supersede others, I gave John exactly what he asked for and to be honest, as I said at the beginning, cheap is not always best and yes, with the benefit of hindsight, I would happily pay more than twice the price for a first class, right first time, hassle free service.

& how do any of us know that we are going to get that regardless of who they are ?

Not talking about motorhome products specifically, more in general terms.

Add in the wasted time to the equation and it's different.

I'll be sticking with "buy it properly, buy it once, forget about it."

But if you add in time spent assessing all the companies then a possible lower priced one would have been cheaper , whilst offering the same benefits?

 

[Deleted member 29692]

How does 'paying more ' equate to a good service ?

Of course it doesn't always, it does more often than not though.

My point is selecting a product or service for no other reason than it's the cheapest possible option is asking for trouble and you shouldn't be surprised or complain if everything isn't what you expected or wanted.

If you can do whatever research you feel is necessary and it turns out the cheapest choice is also the best one then fine go for it but that doesn't happen often.

But if you add in time spent assessing all the companies then a possible lower priced one would have been cheaper , whilst offering the same benefits?

Not when the cheap product turns out to be not what you want or fails almost immediately so you've got to waste a load of time sorting it out.

We used to get loads of customers complaining that we were too expensive and they wanted us to match some cheaper quote they'd had. We always refused and told them to use the cheaper option. I quickly lost count of the number of people who then came back to us later to do the job because their cheap person had either made a mess of the job, couldn't do it after all or simply didn't turn up. It ended up costing those people a lot more than if they'd just used us in the first place without taking into account the amount of wasted time and inconvenience they were caused.

 

[suavecarve]

Well, I had a lovely afternoon at Frensham Ponds today !

 

[Minxy]

Well, I had a lovely afternoon at Frensham Ponds today !

Any frogs?

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[JockandRita]

I too am of the opinion that cheap isn't always best, but I refuse to pay double for a service, which comes well recommended by many others, for half the price.

I used J R Services, and was pleased with the level of communication as well as the assurance that my request could be fulfilled. The fee was £175, and the correct documents arrived forthwith. As a bonus, our MH also had an uplating of the GTW, as well as the GVW, something SVTech said wasn't achievable. A DVLA appointed engineering consultant (such as SVTech is) managed it.

On the other side of the coin, the service I received from DVLA, a Government Agency (and another of their "difficult to contact" departments), was absolutely abysmal. That's where my time, both online and on the phone was wasted.

Regards,

Jock.

 

[suavecarve]

Any frogs?

No French invited

 

[sdc77]

I still can't see anything wrong with the OPs original post tbh....
But I have seen repeated slating of him for daring to post ...
Is that what it's come to ..

 

[Minxy]

I still can't see anything wrong with the OPs original post tbh....
But I have seen repeated slating of him for daring to post ...
Is that what it's come to ..

If that's what you think then you need to re-read the thread as I'm not aware that any one has been 'slating' the OP at all.

 

[sdc77]

If that's what you think then you need to re-read the thread as I'm not aware that any one has been 'slating' the OP at all.

Actually ... I have and he has ..
Members shouldn't have to be concerned that friends of businesses will take issue with a critical post.
Reviews are important.

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[JockandRita]

Is that what it's come to ..

Not for me @sdc77, and I'm sorry, I don't agree.

@Kingham posted about his experiences of using JR Services, and I have posted about mine.

Regards,

Jock.

 

[Minxy]

Actually ... I have and he has ..
Members shouldn't have to be concerned that friends of businesses will take issue with a critical post.
Reviews are important.

I give up!

 

[Bart]

Another +1 for JR Consultancy , He did the uprating on our MH , and going on prices quoted here for SV Tech , then I recon that I saved myself £175

 

[Dafydd 2]

Found JR Consultancy brilliant in handling the uprate of my vehicle. I also found the DVLA very helpful and can only speak well of them.

Now then, while it's early days (new vehicle) and although I thought I had researched dealerships quite thoroughly, I am quickly coming to the conclusion that the dealer I opted for was only interested in my cash. Disappointed, as I thought they appreciated my support. Thankfully, nothing wrong with the vehicle, but they were not very helpful when I sought their assistance on a not unrelated matter.

There we go, we live and learn!

 

[Adbt]

I still can't see anything wrong with the OPs original post tbh....
But I have seen repeated slating of him for daring to post ...
Is that what it's come to ..

Its the cult of " not causing offence " , its a disease.

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[Teuchter]

If that's what you think then you need to re-read the thread as I'm not aware that any one has been 'slating' the OP at all.

You obviously have a high opinion of the supplier which is fair comment and it is your absolute right to recommend him for any work he carried out for you or for anyone you know and whose opinion you trust

I have very carefully reread all the threads and in my honest opinion it seems that the OP has definitely has faced more than a modicum of hostility for posting his version of events in his dealings with said supplier led in fact by your good self

Sorry no offence meant I just find it hard to draw any other conclusion from the content of this thread

 

[Minxy]

You obviously have a high opinion of the supplier which is fair comment and it is your absolute right to recommend him for any work he carried out for you or for anyone you know and whose opinion you trust

I have very carefully reread all the threads and in my honest opinion it seems that the OP has definitely has faced more than a modicum of hostility for posting his version of events in his dealings with said supplier led in fact by your good self

Sorry no offence meant I just find it hard to draw any other conclusion from the content of this thread

Hostility? That's very unfair ... I have MY opinion just as others have theirs, I have no control over what they say, so to then imply that I have led them IS offensive to me, whether you mean it to be or not.

What about the OP and the subsequent IMV 'bashing' by some of JRC on the back of it, simply because of what he said? They've commented afterwards but he certainly didn't make them, no more than I have ... very surprise at you T for your comments.

 

[sdc77]

I give up

 

[Minxy]

I give up

Oi, that's my line!

 

[Parapilot]

@Kingham - your saga has gone way more smoothly than mine !

4 months on and I am still sending back emails, with PDF scans of documents highlighting all the errors and omissions that are utterly unacceptable and inexplicable (even for a cheaper service than SV Tech). Still waiting for something I can actually send to DVLA before I start on any messing around from them.

From the start I was told my vehicle couldn't be uprated, then after showing him an email from SVTech stating that they had done several of them, it was suddenly fine and he thought I meant something completely different ....

Emails kept going 'missing', as did photographs and other documents I sent. When they were referenced in replies it was blamed on 'his clerk' misplacing them or not putting them on his desk.

Eventually I received documents with incorrect weights recorded.

Then a design certificate unsigned and not dated (like yours).

Then a digit missing from the VIN number.

Registration numbers changed on the covering letter, making it different to the invoice and other docs.

Often 2 weeks or more between sending emails and getting any form of reply.


I'm sure others have had positive experiences and maybe there are personal or other reasons for the current difficulties. Yes it is less than half the cost of alternative providers, but still no excuse for a professional service - typing a few numbers and printing them out on 3 pages !
No excuse for so many errors or delays of 4 months for what is essentially 10 minutes work.

Not condemning anyone, just recounting my experience (which seems to match Ken's). I'll be happy when it is finally resolved but others may wish to consider paying more from elsewhere - particularly if they need correct documents issued quickly.

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