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Topic: Anyone purchased from Kimberely caravans?

Shorn

10/9/2016 at 6:37pm
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Anyone purchased from Kimberely caravans? Looking to buy a new van at the NEC in October and spoke to them at the recent Lawns show (sales guy was very helpful) but any feedback would be appreciated.

Hairywol

10/9/2016 at 8:24pm
Location: Teesside
Outfit: Challenger Sport 524 + Volvo V90 D5

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I suppose if you buy their stuff they'll be ok but my experience was very negative. Two years ago I asked them, along with other dealers, for a price to buy a Swift caravan.

Their guy gave a price nearly a thousand pounds worse than my best price, but when I politely told him he was adrift he said I was free to buy the new caravan from another Swift dealer, but don't bother going to Kimberley for servicing or warranty work.

I took him at his word and will never visit them again.

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Claire

10/9/2016 at 8:25pm
Location: Suffolk
Outfit: Coachman Amera

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We bought our current van from them at the NEC 8 years ago and they serviced it for the first 5 years and were very helpful even letting us drop it off on a Sunday for a service and picking it up 3 weeks later on our way back up north.To be honest I cant fault them them, year 3 we couldnt get to them for a service as we was in Cornwall and they found us a list of approved service guys to contact so that we didn't lose the warrent with Coachman. The approved guy said that on the last service the wheel bearings had been fitted wrong and we needed new ones I called Kimberely caravans and they said they couldn't understand this as they are double checked but they knocked us the price that we paid for the new bearings off our next service so fairly good customer service I think. A couple of negatives: After one service they left black hand prints and foot marks in the van they cleaned it up but should have used boot covers and got rid of the hand prints before we picked it up. They also told us the water heater was karput and we needed a new one £300+ but we found it was only a switch that had gone which cost a couple of £ from ebay. But overall I'd say they are one of the better dealers from what I have read on here of others.

Claire

10/9/2016 at 8:29pm
Location: Suffolk
Outfit: Coachman Amera

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Forgot to say we paid a good price by playing 2 dealers off against each other

Shorn

10/9/2016 at 8:50pm
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To be honest hairywol I can sort of see their point.....

Hairywol

11/9/2016 at 9:20am
Location: Teesside
Outfit: Challenger Sport 524 + Volvo V90 D5

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Hi Shorn, I really need to challenge you on your statement.

You will see comments on here and elsewhere from caravan owners who have bought a new 'van and can't get it serviced by a main dealer or warranty work done. Or else they bought the 'van and have had it serviced by an independent approved mechanic (quite within their rights) and the selling dealer refuses warranty work. Some of these people have bought caravans and subsuquently moved house.

As customers and consumers, what opportunity do we have to seek out the best deal for us? I fully realise that buying a second hand caravan ties one to the selling dealer, but buying new should give access to the dealer network.

I bought by Mercedes new 200 miles away in Dundee: my wife's Fiat came from Coventry. Yet local dealers are required to treat the cars without fear or favours and they are happy to do so. It's the same with virtually any goods except caravans.

Kimberley's tactics (and not just them) are blatantly anti-competitive and allow them to sell to us with little or no discount. The manufacturers are complicit in this as are caravan magazines, who rely on access to new caravans for reviews so are unlikely to make waves on this or any other issue such as reliability or quality.

Fortunately some dealers are moving with the times, and I would point out Grantham Caravans as one of the best. But if customers don't push back and keep paying the sticker price to their local dealers, why would manufacturers or dealers ever kill the golden goose.

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misterg

11/9/2016 at 3:03pm
Location: East Midlands
Outfit: Coachman VIP 575.Santa Fe

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Dealers and manufacturers will tell you at the shows that the new van can have services and warranty work carried out by any approved workshop or dealer. Great in theory but in practice it does not work for warranty issues.been there, got the good price butt dealers are not compelled to do warranty as I think is the case with cars. The problem is that the manufacturers don't pay the dealers hourly rates . My mobile service man actually did some warranty work for me as a good will job. I asked him if he needed me to sign for the work. He just laughed and said that if he claimed for the hours work and minor parts he would have hours more paper work, they would not pay his rate and it would take months to get settled.

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Mister G

Claire

11/9/2016 at 5:14pm
Location: Suffolk
Outfit: Coachman Amera

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Well all I can say is Kimberely caravans were fine with us and if my hubbys friend had not become a registered Approved Service guy we would be still going to Kimberely caravans 400 + miles a year return for the service.

Ray Clayton

12/9/2016 at 3:48pm
Location: Ilkeston. Derbyshire
Outfit: Disco 4 Unicorn Barcelona 4

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well live about 5 miles if that from them.
my mates had 3 vans brand new from them to coachman and a compass.
They have always been ok with them.
But i know others that have bought from them and have been hell to deal with. so you take your chances with any dealer i think.

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Ray

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queensmessenger

12/9/2016 at 7:29pm
Location: Scottish Borders
Outfit: Elddis Whirlwind GT

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Quote: Originally posted by Claire on 10/9/2016
Forgot to say we paid a good price by playing 2 dealers off against each other

Dutch Auction tactics. Should be well known to dealers as this is often the tactic used by inexperienced buyers in the commercial world. Lucky to have been able to buy cheaper this way unless the dealers were either daft or desperate for a sale. Shows what large profits they must be making

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Doug

Claire

12/9/2016 at 8:56pm
Location: Suffolk
Outfit: Coachman Amera

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Inexperienced buyer I think not

just playing the game, I've spent the last 20 years getting the best price on cars so caravans are no different. Lets face it they have a good profit margin so if they break even on one they are still going to make their money on the others. If they want your money they will bend over backwards if they don't you can walk away. Simple really

PS Don't pay for your coffee at the NEC just get a few quotes and free coffee, Did I say I was from Yorkshire

queensmessenger

12/9/2016 at 9:40pm
Location: Scottish Borders
Outfit: Elddis Whirlwind GT

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Quote: Originally posted by Claire on 12/9/2016
Inexperienced buyer I think not just playing the game, I've spent the last 20 years getting the best price on cars so caravans are no different. Lets face it they have a good profit margin so if they break even on one they are still going to make their money on the others. If they want your money they will bend over backwards if they don't you can walk away. Simple really

PS Don't pay for your coffee at the NEC just get a few quotes and free coffee, Did I say I was from Yorkshire
I am from Scotland but I think you Yorkshire lads shame all of us!

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Doug

checkley1973

13/9/2016 at 8:03am
Location: Sheffield
Outfit: Sterling Eccles Sport 636

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When we purchased I gave 4 dealers the model I wanted and gave them one chance to quote with them knowing the lowest quote will get the order. Has always worked well for me with cars and did with van too.

Shorn

13/9/2016 at 8:09am
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Nice idea....

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