warranty

[Guest julie blackburn]

we have put a deposit down on a 1year old german built m/home. the salesman told us that the warranty would be transferable we asked again about this when we payed our deposit and then we were told that this might not be the case. after numerous telephone calls from us to the dealer we have now been told that yes it will be transfered. we our due to pick this m/home up on friday. how can we be sure about the warranty.advice please. julie.

[Guest Brian Kirby]

Julie You do not say what make the motorhome is, but all the warranty details should be among the paperwork that accompanies it (log book, manuals etc). Don't panic, you should get warranties on both base vehicle and conversion. Check and read these before you pay the balance and take the vehicle away. If the dealer can't produce them, just don't pay the balance, or accept delivery of the 'van, until you get them. Don't accept return of your deposit either. Just tell them, gently but firmly, that they have undertaken to supply the benefit of the warranty with the van, and they just have to deliver. If you take the deposit back, you'll void your contract with them. You may, eventually, have to do that or, if you still like the van but they can't supply any warranty, you could offer them a lower price to reflect the value of the warranty you have lost. However, that is risky if there are subsequent problems. If there is a problem, make sure you confirm everything in writing from now on. Verbal agreements are almost impossible to uphold since they depend on both parties having the same recall of what was, actually, said. Provided the base vehicle has been properly registered when it was originally sold, it should appear on the manufacturer's database (Fiat or whoever, not the converter) and you should automatically benefit from whatever warranty remains, even in the absence of paperwork. This can be checked by 'phoning the base vehicle manufacturer. Phone the dealer and get the chassis number or VIN, and ask for the converter's serial number, then phone the warranty department of whoever's base vehicle it is. To check that the conversion warranty is transferable, contact the converter's UK office and give them the serial number. I'm assuming the 'van is not left hand drive, nor a personal import, having been originally supplied in the UK. If this is the case you should have no difficulty contacting the original UK supplier, or the UK end of the manufacturer (often the same thing). If the van was imported privately, provided it is of a reputable make that is available in UK, you should have a European warranty that will transfer to you, although you may find the base vehicle warranty is two years from first registration and not the three frequently provided with UK supply vehicles. If the vehicle is of a make not available in UK, probably best to stay clear. As the dealer has promised a warranty, get him to prove to your satisfaction how this will work. If he can't, you can withdraw from the contract on the basis that he has failed to deliver what he undertook to supply. Hope this helps Brian