Hi Folks.... This may not be in the right place, so I'll rely on the Admin to put it where it belongs.
I bought a $40,000 caravan from a reputable dealer in Traralgon, Victoria recently. They were most friendly and helpful prior to takeover. They stated that the 'van had had a 40 point checkover, and that all was well. They were made aware that we were going on an Australia wide trip. They informed us that the van was covered by a 3 month, Australia wide warranty.
About 700 klms into our journey we discovered that we could not get television reception anywhere, even in large towns. We were also having problems with filling the water tanks, as they took over an hour to fill at a really slow pace. On our 3rd night out, attached to 240 volt power in a van park, we lost all electrical functions except those on direct 240 power. The van is fitted with 2 solar panels and an inverter, so we were at a loss to explain what was going on.
Contacted the dealer : was told to " bring it back to us and we'll fix it", with the inflection being that WE were doing something wrong. I replied that the town we were in had a registered caravan repair business, and that we could get the repairs done there . " NO " was the stern reply. Bring it back to us. I refused , stating that it had already cost us several $100 in fuel to get where we were, and turning back was not an option.
I sent them emails, and received a phone call back, again stating they wanted us to return the caravan. In the end I engaged the services of the caravan repair business, and this is what he found :
(1).. The 240 volt power leads to the inverter were lying on the floor of the boot under the batteries... disconnected.
(2) The Wingard television mast head was non functional ;no signal was being received.
(3).. ALL tthe non food grade water pipes under the van had at least a 70 % degree of crimping in them by being " saddled " too close to the metal beams underneath.
(4) The negative power lead from the solar panels to the batteries was also under the batteries on the floor, disconnected.
I got the repairer to write out a problem report on what he found, and engaged him to repair it. Since then, despite repeated efforts to get the dealer to pay our out of pocket expenses, NOTHING has been forthcoming.
So, when is a warranty NOT a warranty ? When you buy a caravan from a reputable ( ? ) dealer in Traralgon Victoria. I'm just wondering if I have any recourse through Consumer Affairs or any other Agency ?? We are currently around $ 450 out of pocket from all this mess, and don't feel they should get away with it. Anyone have any ideas please ??
I know of someone who had roof work done on their M/H in Tassie. Got up north and found a leak where there shouldn't have been one. Went to a repairer in Bundaberg, after ringing the Tassie company. They got the work done up here and paid for it. faxed the receipt down to the tassie company who paid the bill by putting the money into her account. She did have to ring them a couple of times to find out where the money was but was eventually paid. Have you tried sending the a copy of the receipt with details of exactly what was wrong and corrected, so they can see exactly why it would be their responsibility.
Hi Garrie, Welcome to the forum. I reckon it depends on what your written warranty says. Did they tell you exactly what 40 points they looked at during the check? If you think you had a 3 month Australia wide warranty AND its in writing you should take it further. However, it might have been wiser to have had a shakedown trip close to home so that any issues could have been dealt with before you left on the big adventure.
I went to the ACC website, and you might be interested in this www.accc.gov.au
Consumer guarantees - a guide for consumers Compensation for losses caused by problems When you incur costs or suffer losses due to failure of goods or services to meet a consumer guarantee, you may be able to claim compensation from the seller, manufacturer or service provider.You can only claim compensation where the loss can be reasonably attributed to the failure of the supplier to meet the guarantee. This could include paying for damage caused by a product, and the inspection and transportation costs you incurred when fixing the damage.
A warranty is excellent value until you leave the dealers driveway its then almost useless but as Rip&Rosie said consumer affairs will help as goods must be suitable and effective for the purpose which they were built for. Hope you win this one
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Thanks all for the replies.... Rip and Rosie : I have a copy of the check list, which claims the electrical wiring system ws checked and found working.... and Happy ... all they wanted to hear about was bringing it back the 700 klms to them... I included photos in the email, but they were not even referred to... guess I'll have to take out a civil action when we return to Victoria. Apart from all that, we are having a ball exploring this big brown land.....
If you've discussed the issues with the van dealer and they are refusing to pay for the repairs and any other related expenses, Consumer Affairs is your next point of order. Tell them the story, show them the list and the bill. By refusing to return to the dealer you may have voided your warranty, but you certainly have a list of safety issues to take up with them, no matter what else happened. Your safety was certainly at risk with all that wiring not connected or not connected correctly, so it was imperitive you had the repairs made right away. They are still liable to pay for your repairs. What would have happened if the van had burned to the chassis? It could still be a matter for the ACCC, but see what Consumer Affairs can advise first. You may or may not need a legal advisor. Hopefully it's much more simple than that. Good luck with resolving the problems.
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
I believe if you buy some thing and it wont do what it is supposed to do, You are entitled to a full refund, Thats under consumer law,
Its written on the front of most shops, Kmart, Target, Etc, Get in touch with consumer affairs immediately, before the 3 month warranty runs out,
Wish you luck,
Returning the van to the dealer was totally out of the question, Its was actually in a very dangerous condition, What would happen if you were asleep in the van and it caught fire from a short,
240 volt wires lying on the floor disconected, They might find them selves deep in the poop with that one, Ask an electrician, Even solar will kill you,
