We have evidence that at least part of our caravan service was not done even though the tick box was ticked. This led us to question the rest of the documentation.
I have spoken to, emailed twice, and sent a recorded delivery letter to the dealer asking originally for a mobile service engineer to come and re-do the service (we are sited for the summer and don't want to have to put everything away). This was agreed but has not happened. I then sent a letter asking for a refund so I could find someone myself. I gave 14 days for a response which hasn't happened.
I was thinking of making a small claim but this is going to cost more money.
Does anyone know if there is a body that I can report the dealer to for making false claims?
------------- Started with a motorbike and tent.......my gallery, my life.
It may be best to used an AWS mobile technician to do the service as that keeps the warranty intact. If the AWS technician finds that something has nbot been serviced then you can claim refund and costs from the dealership in a court of law. At the moment you have no proof except an assumption so cannot really proceed with any claim.
Thanks, but we have proof that things weren't done and the dealer saw and accepted that things hadn't been done but checked.
We had arranged the service prior to taking the van to the seasonal pitch. The dealer is an hour away from us, on the way to the seasonal pitch which is another hour from the dealer. By 3pm on a February, Friday afternoon, when nothing was getting done we decided we needed to get on the move, so the dealer said he would send someone to the site to repeat the service.
Now having been unable to get through to a person on the phone we have sent two emails and a recorded delivery letter asking for a response within 14 days, either a date for the engineer or a refund. The 14 days is up tomorrow.
As far as the warranty is concerned, the service has been done, all boxes checked and signed!!!!!!
I'm annoyed that no one will respond to us and I want to give the dealer a wake up call!
------------- Started with a motorbike and tent.......my gallery, my life.
Small claims shouldn't cost you money: your upfront costs will be awarded to you and be borne by the dealer.
I'd write, giving details of the timeline to date and listing each time the dealer has failed to act, giving him 14 days notice before you do take him to court.
You might also copy this in to the manufacturer, since they may not be happy shelling our for avoidable warranty work due to shoddy servicing.
------------- Camping Gear expands so as to fill the space available for its transportation.
We have a draft from the microwave cupboard so put cling film at the front but inside the cupboard when we were away at Christmas. It was still intact but the damp check had apparently been done in that cupboard. All the damp checks were better than the end of summer when we had them checked due to a previous abnormal reading. All of the damp checks, bearing in mind that we'd been towing during the winter, were less than what they were at the end of the summer, they'd dropped from 15 to 10. The manager agreed that with the cling film situation it was likely that the others may not have been done.
Not part of the service but we'd paid for a wash, again it was on the service sheet and checked. It was so obvious that it hadn't been done, green algae doesn't re grow that quickly!!!!! It was this that put doubts into our minds which the manager/dealer was in agreement with.
------------- Started with a motorbike and tent.......my gallery, my life.
We also have a draught coming in via the microwave cupboard - I figured it was just a "Lunar thing" and another example of caravan design not actually being half as clever as it claims to be
I was planning on fixing it myself at some point . . .
You do not have to remove cling film to do a damp check if using a protimeter as that does not use pins. If you were using the caravan during the winter, the heating was probably helping to keep the caravan dry.
BTW the microwave does require circulation of air to keep it cool when operating which is probably why there is a draught as there is probably a vent somewhere.
TBH I am not siding with the dealer, but if you proceed with a small claim it is unlikely you will succeed at this point and will be out of pocket as you will have to pay any costs if you start a claim and then do nto follow it through. What the dealer said is heresay and unless you have it in writing, it may not be accepted by any court.
BTW do you have a non invasive protimeter which you can use to do a damp check? If not, get an AWS person in to do a damp check. At about £60 for a damp check cheaper than buying a protimeter which most dealerships use.
Iank01, thanks for your reply and I appreciate your objectivity.
I'm definitely not going down the claims route, I'm just annoyed that no-one will reply. And also if the work wasn't done how safe is my van? In my job if I signed for something I didn't do I could end up with a prison sentence as it could affect someone's life. Surely saying my brakes are good but not checking them puts my life at risk. I get it, the work may have been done, but the lack of communication is making me more and more suspect that it wasn't.
Re the microvave, we didn't block the vent, we put cling film across the cupboard door opening, the microvave vent and the outside vent are both in the cupboard so were still able to do what they were supposed to do. It was because it was too windy to put the awning up that we got the draft, 60mph gusts straight through the cupboard into my van!!!!! Not something I would normally do!!!!
------------- Started with a motorbike and tent.......my gallery, my life.
Quote: Originally posted by iank01 on 17/4/2016
BTW the microwave does require circulation of air to keep it cool when operating which is probably why there is a draught as there is probably a vent somewhere.
You're absolutely right Ian, there is a large external vent behind the m/wave.
I'd just prefer that there was not also a gap all around the front of the microwave. Depending upon how the van is pitched, if prevailing wind is hitting the nearside of the van then that 'breeze' can come straight through the vent and inside. Whilst I am all for fresh air and having windows open whenever possible, this particular draught can be a tad nippy!
We removed our microwave and use it on a cupboard top (non awning) or on a table in awning. Cupboard now used for extra storage with outside vent blocked off. No more draughts. Stupid place to put microwave and who makes full use of them. Use an oven and keep microwave for porridge am and coffees later
Can you prove that the damp checks were not carried out? It now appears it's possible they were. From the gist of your posts it appears to be that the dealer has listened to your complaints then investigated further & found that the service was carried out correctly.
If you were just basing your complaint on the fact that the damp check could not have been carried out with the cling film in place & as Iank suggests it appears the damp check could still have been done with cling film in place then it's possible your complaint is based on a misunderstanding & the service was in fact carried out correctly, yes?
If the wash was paid for & not carried out then you should be refunded for this obviously but green algae needs hand scrubbing with a brush bit by bit to remove it completely. Commercial washing with pressure washer will not remove it except by close up blasting of seams & a responsible operative knows not to wash a caravan like that.
A perfect exterior clean of a caravan requires rather more careful hand work than just the wash & brush up a dealer might give it after a service. Algae can reappear quite quickly if caravan is parked on grass.
The important thing here is that you are happy that the service was carried out properly so do you think now it's possible you were mistaken?
Opensauce, yes, it is possible the service was done, although the van was filthy, not just algae so it definitely wasn't washed. As to the damp, I see it may have been done. This is why I'm not pursuing a claim to have it re-done as I can't say either way. My gripe is we were promised a phone call on 7th March to arrange the mobile engineer. Everything we have done since is to try and speak to someone. If the service engineer was spoken to and confirmed he'd done the service and assumed the van was going to be washed then fine, I just want someone to tell me.
When we booked the van in for the service a few minor things were supposed to be repaired under warranty. They knew in advance and had the van for two weeks as we were away, so they agreed to do the service and repairs in that one visit. When we picked the van up the repairs weren't done, the excuse, they didn't have time!!!!
I guess I'm just nit picking because I feel they are taking me for a ride!!!!!
------------- Started with a motorbike and tent.......my gallery, my life.
It's better to visit the dealer & speak face to face. It's too easy to fob you off in a phone call & ignore letters. If you still have warranty jobs that need doing then usually you are stuck with the supplying dealer so it might be a good idea to visit them to repair relationships & at least get a refund for the wash that was not done.
Quote: Originally posted by issym on 17/4/2016
Iank01, thanks for your reply and I appreciate your objectivity.
I'm definitely not going down the claims route, I'm just annoyed that no-one will reply. And also if the work wasn't done how safe is my van? In my job if I signed for something I didn't do I could end up with a prison sentence as it could affect someone's life. Surely saying my brakes are good but not checking them puts my life at risk. I get it, the work may have been done, but the lack of communication is making me more and more suspect that it wasn't.
Re the microvave, we didn't block the vent, we put cling film across the cupboard door opening, the microvave vent and the outside vent are both in the cupboard so were still able to do what they were supposed to do. It was because it was too windy to put the awning up that we got the draft, 60mph gusts straight through the cupboard into my van!!!!! Not something I would normally do!!!!
If the caravan is on HP get onto the finance company to sort it out. Dealer will soon jump around then.
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Topic: Lost trust in caravan dealer, need help
