Quote: Originally posted by beezers on 16/2/2008
I see OH posted earlier on this subject and he`s right, we have returned THREE faulty Outwells to Yeomans and NEVER had a problem. Twice we returned a tent and collected a new one there and then. The last time we returned one, August 2007, we told them we weren`t sure we wanted another Nebraska XXL. We were offered a full refund, a new Nebraska XXL or any other tent we wanted. We said we would wait and think about it as we had our Monty 6 so weren`t in a rush to get a new one.
I contacted Mark from Yeomans (at Hayes Garden World Ambleside) a couple of weeks ago and told him we wanted the Vermont XL. No problem at all, they will even courier it to the house for us.
I actually work in retail and you have a 12 MONTH GUARANTEE with your tent, so I suggest you take it back, tell them you are still in your guarantee period and you want it dealt with NOW! DO NOT back down! Ask to speak to the Manager and demand he deals with your faulty tent. Tell him under the Sales of Goods act that tent should be fit for the purpose it is sold for and if it is faulty, it isn`t fit for that purpose. If he waffles, tell him you want the address of his Head Office as you will be writing them as well as contacting trading standards the minute you leave the shop. Tell him if neccesary you will sue them in the small claims court.
The more people there are in the shop when you speak to him the better, so don`t accept any offers to talk it over in his office, he won`t want dirty washing aired in public so is more likely to sort your problem out. Tell him you are a member of UKCS, one of the biggest, if not THE biggest website for campers in the UK and you will be posting on there the results of your `chat`. Tell him thousands of campers will read of his company`s bad service and it is NOT a good advertisement for them. Basically give him hell. It might even help to say you will go to the local paper...."Local (?) man left with no holidays due to faulty tent" etc etc.
I returned my first tent in June 2006, the second in August 2006 and the third in August 2007 and never had one problem. With each new tent I started again with a new 12 month guarantee, as you will with your new tent if that is replaced.