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Today is the day we were to pick up our van after a very long wait. Our salesman was unable to do the handover at the last minute. When we arrived I straight away checked that the shower tray had been replaced as promised (as I'd noticed a crack prior to doing the deal) It hadnt so the newman called salesman who denied all knowledge and even said he wouldnt have offered a replacement but a repair instead!

We were asked if we wanted to take the van and bring it back subsequently to sort it out. We didnt as we feel unable to trust them and plus it would mean two more long journeys, as oppossed to one if they sort it now and we do go back to complete the deal.

So whilst I am very disappointed my hubby is angry. We were paying a premium to do a deal with a dealer with a good reputation. We now have the choice of going ahead with the deal if they do the work as promised (and provide other stuff that was also promised but missing) or asking for our deposit back.

We honestly thought we were dealing with someone we could trust. It makes me wonder what else could be hidden because as complete novices it was just luck I saw the crack in the shower tray. Even if we hadnt arranged to have it replaced (and as new salesman pointed out we obviously did otherwise why would I go straight to look at it) then he was selling us a van with a defect - surely they would have picked it up in their check and were hoping we didnt notice.

Having read Savanne's post yesterday I am left thinking are there any honest dealers out there. Moderators - What is the policy on name and shaming? I would not say anything defamatory or inaccurate.

I feel sad and in a quandry as to the best way forward..what should of been an exciting day is rubbish

What a shame.  I'd be angry, disappointed & frustrated.  It's sounding like good, honest dealers are few & far between.  We're selling our van at the moment & after reading recent posts it's made me decide when we're ready to buy another we'll either go back to the dealer we got this one from & ask him to source one for us (he was/is brilliant) or we'll buy privately & have an inspection done.

Hope you can get things sorted quickly altho, like you say, you've now lost confidence in the dealer.  May be better to start again if you can get your deposit back.  Good luck with it.

Quote: Originally posted by Tentz on 12/6/2011

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Bit late now, but if the salesman agrees to to do any work or replace parts before delivery you really must get this written on the sales invoice. If you don't it won't get done. Simple as that.

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The reason it wasnt in writing was that it was part of a conversation when we were looking around the site and various vans. I spotted the damage and asked about it and his response was so automatic that it would be picked up in their check and replaced and that the van had only just been taken in in part exchange and not checked. It was his automatic professional response that persuaded us we were dealing with someone so professional that we would deal with him, it didnt cross our minds when we did the subsequest paperwork.

Having never bought a van before it is a steep learning curve and I can only compare it to buying a car of which I've bought many of various quality. I can honestly say every dealer has always kept their word and given me something as agreed.

It also wouldnt cross my mind to specify something so basic, why would anyone buy a relatively new van with a crack in the shower tray?

Write down the date you had the converstaion with the new salesman where he agreed you must have pointed out the damage to the shower tray & make a note of his name. Ask for your deposit back on the grounds that they haven't kept their side of the deal. If they refuse go & see your local trading standards people & see what rights you have to demand your deposit back. I certainly wouldn't want to deal with them again if they're not trustworthy enough to keep their promise to a customer. Point out to them that a bad reputation will get around much faster than a good one.

There are plenty of caravans out there waiting to be bought, I'm sure you'll soon find another you like.

We're very lucky here, we have a superb dealership just a few yards up the road & they're very good to deal with & have customers travelling miles to buy from them due to their reputation.

BB

I spent months looking for a caravan before I finally bought one and I am sorry to say that I wouldn't trust anyone selling a second hand caravan whether a dealer or private. There are so many problems which a second hand caravan can have, and so many sellers willing to sell you one without telling you what the problems are or, in my experience at least, blatently lying to you, that I lost all faith in sellers of caravans completely.

I am sure there are honest sellers out there somewhere but I didn't find one and even the caravan I bought wasn't in quite as good a condition as it was purported to be once I managed to get it home and check it out more thoroughly. 

If the shower tray is cracked, could there be water damage to the structure of the caravan below it? Could the floor be rotted? During my search for a caravan I found all sorts of awful damage/rot/damp etc which was undisclosed by the sellers. It taught me quite a bit and if I ever decided to buy another caravan I would walk away if there was any sign of damage other than fair wear and tear because you just don't know what you will find underneath.

Quote: Originally posted by Bob61 on 12/6/2011

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I spent months looking for a caravan before I finally bought one and I am sorry to say that I wouldn't trust anyone selling a second hand caravan whether a dealer or private. There are so many problems which a second hand caravan can have, and so many sellers willing to sell you one without telling you what the problems are or, in my experience at least, blatently lying to you, that I lost all faith in sellers of caravans completely.

If the shower tray is cracked, could there be water damage to the structure of the caravan below it? Could the floor be rotted? 

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Thats the quandry, if we walk away other dealers could be more unscrupulous and totally have hidden a problem. We really dont know what to do... surely they must of seen it on their checks?

Also the rail that runs round the caravan - the awning rail I assume as we are complete novices - had a black piece of runner in it and it was sticking out at the bottom about 6 inches lengthwise stuck out. Is that significant or nothing to worry about

Agree with DSB.  Compared to other industries the caravan after sales, service and maintenance industry seems to be very slow, with lots of follow up calls needed, but generally, eventually, the expected service does turn up.  Same with us, we've so far been lucky with companies we've dealt with, but all have been pretty slow, not I believe deliberately though.

I suspect the speed of service is directly affected by the time of year you trade aswell though.  I should imagine they are all rushed off of their feet at the moment.

Tony B

Quote: Originally posted by CatieB on 12/6/2011

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Thats the quandry, if we walk away other dealers could be more unscrupulous and totally have hidden a problem. We really dont know what to do... surely they must of seen it on their checks?

Also the rail that runs round the caravan - the awning rail I assume as we are complete novices - had a black piece of runner in it and it was sticking out at the bottom about 6 inches lengthwise stuck out. Is that significant or nothing to worry about

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My feelings are to walk away. I know that isn't easy to do once you have set your heart on a particular caravan and sometimes people accept a few 'minor' faults and then find out to their horror that the repairs are going to cost thousands. It's not worth the risk. You are quite right, they would have seen it and if they promised to repair it and haven't perhaps that is because the job could end up a lot more expensive than just a shower tray.

Alternatively, if they do replace the shower tray you should ask to be there when they remove the damaged one so you can see what is underneath for yourself. It could be that the shower wasn't used in which case there might not be a problem.

There is no simple answer to unscrupulous caravan sellers unfortunately. You just need to check and double check everything before you agree to buy and if there is anything that doesn't look right, it probably isn't. Damp is the main thing and you need to check every square inch of the panelling inside for softness especially around windows, under the seats, inside the toilet and wardrobe etc; and the roof panelling especially around the skylight. You need to check that the floor is solid and not spongy anywhere and that there is no rot underneath and the corner steadies are all firmly fixed and not bent or torn out of the floor by somebody trying to raise or level the caravan by using them like jacks...the list is endless - lol.

Without seeing the black 'runner' in the awning rail I can only guess that this is just an insert which hides the screws for decorative purposes or it could be an insert to keep the awning rail clean when not in use. These can stretch or become brittle etc; and are easily replaceable.

I am not trying to frighten you to death but you really do need to be ultra careful when buying a caravan because repairing them costs a fortune...often more than you paid for it. There are few legal safeguards in place when buying caravans like there are for second hand cars. If possible take someone with you who knows what to look for and if buying from a dealer certainly make sure you have everything in writing, and a warranty, and a certificate that the gas and electrics have been checked and are in good order and the chassis, suspension, hitch etc; have all been checked and serviced. Don't accept anything just verbally.