readytogo Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 I need a bit of advice. I bought a new Ace Milano motorhome in May 2008. However in June 2008 it became evident that it had a 'severe' condensation problem, with the condensate accumulating and pouring out of the speakers once on the move. Swift confirmed that it would have to be returned to the factory for extra insulation and repairs to the Luton pod. This happened in Nov 2008 (as we were assured by the sales centre where we bought the motorhome from that it was still useable, so we used it over the summer). The motorhome was duly fixed, but came back with sealent handprints on the laminate and sealent covering the handle of the cooker (which has stripped off the paint on the handle) and also on one of the seats. also they fixed a new piece of 'beading' where the bed pulls out in the dinette, but to allow the glue to set, they tacked it on with four nails which have now left noticeable holes. There is also minor damage to the laminate around the dinette with marks which have cracked the surface. The question is, do I accept this damage and try to put right the after effects of the luton rebuild, or do I have rights to quesry why my prized possession was left in such a state after the repair? We feel that these marks and lack of care will have an effect on its marketable value, should we want to sell or exchange for another motor home. Any advice would be greatly received! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike 202 Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Do not accept it under any circumstances. Try taking it to a dealer and pretend to be interested in changing it, see what comments are made by the dealer re its value and whether the problems that you have will effect its value. If it does then you will have an independant reason to expect Swift not only to put it right but also compensate you for the out of pocket expenses. Just another example of Swifts poor aftersales attitude and why more people on this forum would not touch Swift products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RupertGS Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 I would not advise going to another dealer and lying to him simply in order to get some free advice. This makes you no better than Swift, who you think has treated you badly.It also seems to me that we're talking about some incredibly minor things here: some sealant marks that will probably wipe off, some tiny marks in a length of beading where some nails were knocked in to hold it in place. Is this beading even visible in normal use, or only when you pull out the seat to make the bed?The other problems also seem to be easily fixed. You should return it to Swift, explain politely that you are not happy with the condition of your motorhome and ask them to put right any defects.Any sensible business, if approached correctly, should agree to put right any reasonable complaints. It is not good practise to start bullying tactics which will just antagonise them. Give them the opportunity to make things right before you even consider talking about how much your motorhome will be worth with these defects when you come to sell it.I'm also pretty convinced that such tiny problems will not affect the amount it will drop in a couple of years anyway as there'll be other forms of normal wear and tear by then, and presumably you'd clean off any sealant marks anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Hi Readytogo and welcome to the forum. I agree with Rupert that lying about or concealing the truth will probably not help in the long run. I disagree with Rupert in that these things are not 'incredibly minor' as he puts it and I wonder how he would react to the same treatment were it his van? I would be very angry at such treatment. I would get straight back on to the dealer and to Swift 'customer care' without delay and politely and calmly and without aggression point out the errors and damage that they have caused which is, in my view, wholly unacceptable on a new van of any age or indeed any van repaired by anyone purporting to be a tradesman. I don't know whether Swift would agree to you taking the van to them for repair, or if you have the time, or how far away you are, but I would certainly try to at least be present when Swift inspect the damage. PS. How's reverse gear - does rainwater leak all over your engine and is your habitation door OK as these are all established Fiat/Swift problem areas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeti Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 May I suggest that you post this on Motorhomefacts, as Swift are members on that site. You may receive a positive response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Hi readytogo - welcome to the mad house! It is such a shame that this had to be your first posting, hopefully you'll have 'happier' ones in the future. I wouldn't waste my time going to see a dealer about a possible reduction in value, it doesn't make any difference, you don't have to 'prove' this to be the case - Swift (and anyone else for that matter) did NOT have permission to damage your van in any way. Unfortunately I am not surprised by this, however, some dealers and manufacturers do not appreciate that it is not just a trivial thing. You should have received your 'van back in the state in which they received it. You are quite within your rights to expect the damaged items/areas to be repaired or replaced free of charge to your satisfaction. If there was likely to be any damage caused by the pod repair then this should've been pointed out to you before the work was started. They should be able to remove the sealant without leaving a trace, on all the hard surfaces but the seat may remained marked so this should be reupholstered to match the originals if necessary. As for the cooker handle which has been irreparably damaged, they should be able to replace this. The dinette beading - if it is visible then this should be replaced with another piece without the holes - there is simply no excuse for having to nail it on to keep it in place whilst the sealant dried! There are enough ways to secure it temporarily that will not do damage so this is extremely sloppy workmanship. As for the damage/cracks to the laminate around the dinette - I assume you mean the table - again this should be replaced by Swift. Yes, the damage will more than likely affect its resale value and to affect how willing a dealer is to take it as well - a damaged van is harder to sell. When you come to PX a dealer will definitely point out the flaws and reduce the value because of it. Much more importantly, though is, why should you accept not only any lesser value but also have to put up with something which you know full well you wouldn't have caused yourself. All that will happen is that it will annoy you as you will see it all the time - why should your enjoyment be marred by them for their shoddy work? I would take photographs of the damage and make a list of exactly what is wrong, with each (number each point clearly so that it matches the photos). Then prepare an email and attach the list and photos, make it polite and concise so that it is clear and does not give any excuse for confusion on their part or for them taking an 'unhelpful' attitude. Now get in touch with Swift customer care and ask them for the name and email address of their aftersales/repairs manager. Don't let them fob you off with a general email address, you need to know exactly who you are dealing with and it needs to be the manager, not the technicians who have worked on your van. If you can then speak to this person do so and explain what has happened and that you are sending him/her details (this is why it is best to prepare the photos/list/email etc first so you will have your thoughts straight and can read from it when speaking to him/her). Then send the email/photos/list to him/her as soon as you can, asking for automated delivery and read receipts, and an actual acknowledgement of receipt from him/her by return, and a response within the week. Hopefully the manager will be aghast at what has happened and will do all that he/she can to rectify it as soon as is possible. Do not, whatever you do, accept in anyway that the damage was to be expected/necessary during the luton repair, it definitely was not. As an aside, I assume the speakers etc still work okay or have they replaced them? If they are the originals, then I would check to see if they are showing signs of rust etc as you may then find they fail due to the water getting it, this also goes for anything else that could've been affected by this water. Give your van a good checking over again if you can and make sure there aren't any other 'nasties' waiting to jump out and bite you. I do hope you get your van sorted swiftly (sorry couldn't resist! :D) so you can enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshague Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 readytogo when your van came back from swift was it delivered to your home or to dealers.if dealer did they check van back in to them and see damage . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike 202 Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Ok so I got it wrong about going to another dealer - but at least it provided a much better solution. Sometimes even a poor posting can help trigger someone into a different thought pattern to get the right advice. I do not agree that these problems are minor, would Swift be happy to allow a customer to go and put sealant and nails through all of their new vans, because this minor damage would not effect the value - I dont think so !! Always remember without the customer providing money (buying the vehicle) the manufacturer cannot go and pluck it from a money tree. So he goes bust. Swift already have a poor reputation for quality and quality control so it is in their interest to minimise your dissatisfication and gat nice things said on this or other forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I've just remembered that you said you had this word done in November - did you report the damage when you got it back then to anyone? If not, you may have fun trying to get Swift to admit responsibility after such a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readytogo Posted March 22, 2009 Author Share Posted March 22, 2009 Thanks for all your positive responses. Swift did accept that they returned the van in an unfit state. we have to return it to the dealer (again) to get it fixed..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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