Caravan industry slammed by ACCC - customers treated 'like garbage'

dorian · Guru

Caravan industry slammed by ACCC - customers treated 'like garbage'

Whenarewethere · Guru

It seems to be so many things in pretty much every industry are not built to ISO & AS (International Organisation for Standards & Australian Standards). Currently having issues with really basic AS3500 & AS3740 work in our building.

86GTS · Guru

Not really surprising when any "bodgy brothers" handyman with very little experience can order a chassis from ALKO, call himself a caravan manufacturer & build a box on top of it.

Screenshot_20220724-091627_Samsung Internet.jpg

yobarr · Guru

86GTS wrote:
Not really surprising when any "bodgy brothers" handyman with very little experience can order a chassis from ALKO, call himself a caravan manufacturer & build a box on top of it.

Aaah! Seems the caravan manufacturer you refer to has pulled the AGE OLD trick of changing his trading name to avoid warranty work? His trading name now is "Bodgy Bros" when originally he traded as the slightly more honest "Dodgy Bros". Beware! Cheers

Whenarewethere · Guru

Looks like if one were to sneeze & fart both ends of some chassis would fall off!

yobarr · Guru

Whenarewethere wrote:
Looks like if one were to sneeze & fart both ends of some chassis would fall off!

You said it Jonathan! Cheers

86GTS · Guru

He didn't even serve an apprenticeship either, no qualification needed. Cheers

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

Most of the issues are about warranties, quality of workmanship & repairs - hopefully the ACCC will take action on those who build a shonky van, do even more shonky repairs & fob off the customer.

I for one am happy to have bought two second hand units.

Mike Harding · Guru

After almost four years of daily living in this Snowy River caravan I am pleased to say I have had no issues of significant concern; however I was disturbed when at 18 months I contacted the dealer from who I bought it, Springvale Caravans, to receive an immediate reply from the company owner that it was "out of warranty" - fortunately the terrific warranty officer (AJH) from Snowy River overturned that one but I think it indicates the dealers need to get their act together too: caravans sold in Australia *do not* have a 12 month warranty! They have a "reasonable" warranty.

And yes, sadly, I think the caravan industry in this country needs regulating because it seems they won't do it themselves.

StewG · Senior Member

I bought a new JB caravan in 2017 and although a few things broke on our first lap in 2017, there was no hesitation by JB in honouring the warranty and repairing all items. This also included reimbursement for expensive repairs carried out by others in a remote location. No complaints here.

deverall11 · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:
...SNIP.
And yes, sadly, I think the caravan industry in this country needs regulating because it seems they won't do it themselves.

Profit first and foremost and customers keep coming back. Why fix it?

Long overdue. Hope this does not give them the excuse of putting their prices up because they will

have to 'abide' by certain standards.

Cassie63 · Senior Member

ACCC all puff and no wind same as QBCC

Hitting the road · Senior Member

What I think is a scam is that many caravan manufacturer warranties are not transferable. I have a 4 year old Jayco with a 5 year manufacturer's structural warranty...except being i am not the original owner that warranty is worthless.
So if my van did suffer some major structural failure Jayco can just turn their back...there are many other manufacturers who share the same approach.

I'd like to see a car manufacturer try to pull that one, explain that their new car warranty is not transferable!