duetto owner Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 since getting my new motorhome I had to drive 140 round trip to get a leaking water tank fixed which should have been picked up at the factory or the PDI or both. since then today I did a 45 mile round trip to eberspacher to get a noisy heater fixed. on its first wash n wax at the weekend I saw the paint was cracked along most of the hitop roof ridge and the sealant peeling away from a roof vent. the dealer says it will have to go back to autosleepers for fixing so another long trip at my expense to sort out as a result of poor quality checking. Now if it can not be fixed in one day where do i stand for a courtesy car as a hitop is our only transport? awaiting to hear back from dealer who is arranging repairs with autosleeper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapido-lass Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 If the dealer is making you keep going back have you asked to be reimbursed for the diesel? I know we've done that before and if it's their fault they do pay up but only if you ask or insist as a goodwill gesture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel wood Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Hi, You have my sympathy - and understanding. We bought a brand new Auto-Sleepers Symbol ES in November 2008, specially ordered from our local dealer (from whom we had bought a new Auto- Sleepers Trident six years previously). During the first four months of ownership of the Symbol we were back at the dealers each month and sometimes more than once in a month. we had so many problems with the conversion that we began to question the quality of Auto-Sleepers' build quality and quality control. Some of the problems were: total habitation closedown on our first night of use (2nd day of ownership) despite being on mains electricity. Electronic contol unit was immediately placed by the dealer (from a vehicle in stock) This second ECU failed within a few weeks. (The third one seems to be fine) Drawers shooting open while travelling Door trim on washroom coming adrift as it was too long Washroom door would not always open from inside Many creaks and rattles, most infuriating being a persistent squeaking from the sliding door trim. (The dealer removed the interior panel and I believe made an internal adjustment.) Some of the creaks could not be identified by the dealer so we spent a lot of time trying to sort them Most are now acceptable although the door statred to squeak again recently. We have solved some of the problems coming from the grp panelling by using foam insulation pieces. Great problems removing the cowl for the water heater Electric step initially sticking The dealer was concerned at the initial total habitation closedown and was so helpful I wrote in praise to MMM. However there were so many initail and ongoing problems that we later tried to reject the van as being 'unfit for purpose' but were told this was not so as things could be put right. If we wanted to reject the van we would hasve to take the dealer to court. Fortunately during the last 4 months we have found the van to be acceptable, so maybe the dealer was right BUT why should we and the dealer have to face so many problems with the conversion? One significant point is that in 8 months of ownership and over 8000 miles we have not had problems with the base vehicle - a Peugeot Boxer 2.2 100 bhp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 your sales contract is with the retailer not the manafacturer...So its his responsibility to sort out problems and get it to the factory if necessary, not yours I believe. tell him you are going to name and shame him and then list all the forums you are a member of..and I mean all. That should help galvanise his thought processes *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duetto owner Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 the dealer so far has been helpful and i hoping he will sort out something with autosleepers. I think the dealer has been let down by their service centre. waiting to hear what arrangements are offered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornishjojo Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Hiya We've recently bought a second hand motorhome (18months old), we have had numerous problems, we drove it to our dealer the first time to be sorted, only for the parts to be on back order, hence. another trip was needed, we wasn't happy with that, so the dealer came and collect our van and did the work and then returned it. (50 miles each way). filling it with diesel for the journey., We are still outstanding some works, but the dealer has arranged for this to be carried out at a local dealer, but our dealer is still going to come and get it from us and take to the local dealer. I would ask if they could do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaleg Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 We had a few problems with our Lancashire in the first year, as we live in Birmingham, it was just as easy for us to go straight to auto sleeper as it was to go to marquis tewksbury. I found auto sleeper better than marquis, is so much as they new what they were talking about, had the correct parts to hand, and done several little jobs for free. the other side of the coin, every extra that marquis fitted, we had to go back (four or five times for some of them) all the regular extras, nothing out of the ordanary, in the end, auto sleeper said that they would fix the extras and bill tewksbury. Claimed nearly £180.00 from marquis for all the extra mileage and meals out. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 As choice of make/model of new motorhome and the vehicle's vendor is completely in the buyer's court, I don't believe the vendor has any legal responsibility to reimburse a buyer's 'consequential' expenses relating to under-warranty work. The UK warranty for Pilote motorhomes used to (and may well still) say: "The motorhome must be left with the dealer for repair or replacement work to be done. In relation to this, no compensation will be paid for return transport costs or any other direct or indirect costs incurred." In this instance, when the motorhome is the owner's sole means of transport and may well take some time to repair satisfactorily if repainting is required, it's likely that the owner will incur significant personal costs as a result. While there's no argument that it is the dealer's responsibility to get the faults fixed, it will need to be agreed with the Auto-Sleepers factory and the motorhome owner how best this can be done. As has already been suggested, it might be preferable for the dealer to arrange for the motorhome to be collected from duetto-owner's home, delivered to the A-S factory and then returned to him after repairs had been carried out, rather than him visit the factory himself. Whatever the logistics that will be involved, they should to be discussed in detail beforehand and agreement be reached as to how duetto-owner's consequential costs (alternative transport, fuel, etc.) will be reimbursed and by whom. It would be wise for this agreement to be formalised in writing. It needs to be appreciated that the chances of obtaining a new motorhome in perfect condition are near-as-dammit nil. There is so much human involvement in the construction process, and so many opportunities for 'finger trouble' error, that it's amazing that the beggars work at all! I'm not a fan of the naming-and-shaming approach suggested by JudgeMental, unless all else has failed and the aggrieved motorhome owner is in a vindictive frame of mind. When a problem with a motorhome has been recognised, an early confrontation between vendor and buyer is unlikely to help with its resolution. Besides which, I don't believe a dealer who is prepared to treat a customer badly will be much influenced by threatened criticism on motorhome forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapido-lass Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 With regards to your post Derek, although I understand your point, I do however feel that many of the reasons (especially in our case) were down to the dealer not doing what they should or totally balls-ing what they did do. Because of this point I feel you are justified in getting your expenses refunded especially when they don't fix or have the parts when you arrive their to get the work done and are too incompetant to have phoned and let you know. If the pdi of a vehicle is done correctly in the first place by dealers prior to hand-over, many problems would not be present. In my opinion many dealers don't do there job properly thinking well if someone doesn't complain we don't have to do it (and believe me their are many who dont) and we save money. If they went back to 'old fashioned service' things would be done properly. It seams that many dealers (not all) are only interested in taking a desposit and balance with no care about customer satisfaction or care. The other thing to point out is that many people nowadays buy a motorhome well before retirement age, and want to spend what precious holiday they have on a holiday - using the motorhome for the purpose in which they spent so much money, and not to use that time running around getting things fixed. If perhaps we were priveleged pensioners (time wise I mean) then having to spend those precious days back at the dealers wouldn't matter quite so much. Ok folks I'll get off my soap box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duetto owner Posted July 1, 2009 Author Share Posted July 1, 2009 thanks all for the detailed replies waiting for a call back today for an update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 duetto owner - 2009-06-30 2:54 PM the dealer so far has been helpful and i hoping he will sort out something with autosleepers. I think the dealer has been let down by their service centre. waiting to hear what arrangements are offered. I am sorry, but you bought your motorhome from a dealer, whose job it is to supply it to you in proper working order and good condition. You have paid him to do this within the price you paid for your van. On the basis of what you say about the state of your van, and the way the dealer is allowing you do do all the work to cover for his deficiencies, you have more than adequate grounds for complaint. Excusing the dealer on the grounds that he has been let down by Autosleepers demonstrates admirable loyalty to the dealer: it's just that I am at a loss to understand why, after the way the dealer has served you. If the dealer finds Autosleepers' quality control unacceptably lax, it is for him to remonstrate with Autosleepers, and ultimately to change his dealership to a manufacturer who can do the job properly. Had the dealer done his job as he is supposed to, none of the faults you have experienced would have arisen, because he would have fixed them before allowing you to take away this van. That is what his pre-delivery inspection is supposed to achieve. I'm afraid you need to give a little more thought to who is paying whom in this arrangement, and what for! UK quality will never improve while people defend its inadequacies on grounds that it is a home-grown company. Zero faults should be the expectation at all times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 duetto owner - 2009-06-30 2:54 PM the dealer so far has been helpful and i hoping he will sort out something with autosleepers. I think the dealer has been let down by their service centre. waiting to hear what arrangements are offered. I am sorry, but you bought your motorhome from a dealer, whose job it is to supply it to you in proper working order and good condition. You have paid him to do this within the price you paid for your van. On the basis of what you say about the state of your van, and the way the dealer is allowing you do do all the work to cover for his deficiencies, you have more than adequate grounds for complaint. Excusing the dealer on the grounds that he has been let down by Autosleepers demonstrates admirable loyalty to the dealer: it's just that I am at a loss to understand why, after the way the dealer has served you. If the dealer finds Autosleepers' quality control unacceptably lax, it is for him to remonstrate with Autosleepers, and ultimately to change his dealership to a manufacturer who can do the job properly. Had the dealer done his job as he is supposed to, none of the faults you have experienced would have arisen, because he would have fixed them before allowing you to take away this van. That is what his pre-delivery inspection is supposed to achieve. I'm afraid you need to give a little more thought to who is paying whom in this arrangement, and what for! UK quality will never improve while people defend its inadequacies on grounds that it is a home-grown company. Zero faults should be the expectation at all times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianR Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Derek Uzzell - 2009-07-01 10:15 AM As choice of make/model of new motorhome and the vehicle's vendor is completely in the buyer's court, I don't believe the vendor has any legal responsibility to reimburse a buyer's 'consequential' expenses relating to under-warranty work. The UK warranty for Pilote motorhomes used to (and may well still) say: Whilst this is correct, it ignores the fact that you don't have to make your claim against the manufacturers warranty contract but under your contract of purchase with the dealer. He has to supply a vehicle which is "fit for purpose", so if there is a failure which renders it not fit for purpose and which can reasonably be attributed to an inherent fault on the vehicle when sold, then he is liable for all the costs of fixing it. The terms of the warranty contract can't alter this right under consumer law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duetto owner Posted July 1, 2009 Author Share Posted July 1, 2009 brian's thanks for the info still awaiting an update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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