johnlc Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Given the prices at dealers for the used PVC I'm looking for, I'm seriously considering buying privately. Am I right in thinking that warranties can be bought by individuals and not just by dealers? More importantly, is it worth buying one or would the provider just wriggle out of any claims? I'd like to know of peoples' experiences with warranties, and in particular, if there is a company you would recommend. I'm looking to buy a rear lounge PVC in the 25-30k range, as it would be at a dealers but hopefully cheaper privately. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Buy from a respectable dealer and you'll get a warranty and after-sales service. And hopefully, the dealer wouldn't have traded it in if it had serious problems that may eventually cost him a lot of money. Buy privately and you may save money. Dealers have heavy overheads and need to make a profit. But you run a risk in buying privately. If you have a mechanical failure or find damp in three months you could be out of pocket. It's really down to how much you value the security of buying it from a good dealer, and there are many good and respectable dealers out there. Be very careful with privately purchased warranties. They can have an awful lot of exclusion clauses in the small print. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Bear in mind also that there are two "parts" of the warranty. The vehicle and the conversion. If the former, the dealer has to rely upon a garage to sort the problem out. This can be a problem when the dealer sees it as YOUR problem to deal with the garage. The dealer is responsible for all aspects of the sale, whether he likes it or not. (by English law) Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zydeco Joe Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 We had a six months warranty with our van and after a few months the habitation door lock played up and we or should I say the dealer found that the van & the leisure batteries both needed replacing all 3 jobs done no problem or charge. If this had been a private sale a 3 or 400 pound bill would have come our way. Autotrail could not help with the door lock but Fullers (the dealer ) had a part made and so job was sorted. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 So you can trust a dealer to sell you a camper without damp and in excellent condition...The mind boggles! :D Buy private and get a DEKRA motorhome or van inspection *-) your budget I suspect would buy a nearly new van in Germany..here you're looking at a well old model for :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 JudgeMental - 2014-01-27 7:43 PM So you can trust a dealer to sell you a camper without damp and in excellent condition...The mind boggles! :D Buy private and get a DEKRA motorhome or van inspection *-) your budget I suspect would buy a nearly new van in Germany..here you're looking at a well old model for :-S Oh well, we could all see that coming. Yes, that's the idea, a dealer will sell you one that's in excellent condition whereas a private seller may well hide the faults. And with a dealer you have the law on your side if you have a problem. And not everyone wants a used left-hand drive 'van that will be a huge problem if it develops a fault. Bit of a nuisance taking it back to Heidelberg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlc Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 Thanks for your responses. What is DEKRA? If anyone has experience of buying a warranty privately and could recommend a provider I would like to hear about it. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Had Enough - 2014-01-27 7:50 PM JudgeMental - 2014-01-27 7:43 PM So you can trust a dealer to sell you a camper without damp and in excellent condition...The mind boggles! :D Buy private and get a DEKRA motorhome or van inspection *-) your budget I suspect would buy a nearly new van in Germany..here you're looking at a well old model for :-S Oh well, we could all see that coming. Yes, that's the idea, a dealer will sell you one that's in excellent condition whereas a private seller may well hide the faults. And with a dealer you have the law on your side if you have a problem. And not everyone wants a used left-hand drive 'van that will be a huge problem if it develops a fault. Bit of a nuisance taking it back to Heidelberg. shut up and mind your own business...just say your piece without reference to me. just because you have more money than common sense and have not the foggiest idea about due diligence.....Haven't you been banned years ago, and you come slinking back...desperate for attention or what!lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 johnlc - 2014-01-27 8:03 PM Thanks for your responses. What is DEKRA? If anyone has experience of buying a warranty privately and could recommend a provider I would like to hear about it. Thanks DEKRA (have a look at website) are who the AA and RAC use for inspections, and charge you an extra 100-150 quid for the privilege of doing nothing except taking your money...... if the seller resists the idea of an inspection walk away and look elsewhere! :-D personally would not bother with buying a warrenty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 JudgeMental - 2014-01-27 8:10 PM ..desperate for attention or what!lol Nope, just trying to inject a bit of unbiased commonsense into the discussion. And if you don't want me butting in why did you answer my original post as you did? Very odd! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Had Enough - 2014-01-27 8:15 PM JudgeMental - 2014-01-27 8:10 PM ..desperate for attention or what!lol Nope, just trying to inject a bit of unbiased commonsense into the discussion. And if you don't want me butting in why did you answer my original post as you did? Very odd! Unbiased? Lord give me strength......I can assure you I have no wish to engage with such a gob as you. Just say your piece, state your opinion, without reference to me, are you thick or what. Have seen your excruciating bombastic input on other threads like the use of tolls to Spain at 60mph? Anyone who thinks different to good old Frank an idiot . Now that a perfect example of your single minded stupidity and distaste for what most of us do..which is try and not spend money stupidly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 JudgeMental - 2014-01-27 8:59 PM Had Enough - 2014-01-27 8:15 PM JudgeMental - 2014-01-27 8:10 PM ..desperate for attention or what!lol Nope, just trying to inject a bit of unbiased commonsense into the discussion. And if you don't want me butting in why did you answer my original post as you did? Very odd! Unbiased? Lord give me strength......I can assure you I have no wish to engage with such a gob as you. Just say your piece, state your opinion, without reference to me, are you thick or what. Have seen your excruciating bombastic input on other threads like the use of tolls to Spain at 60mph? Anyone who thinks different to good old Frank an idiot . Now that a perfect example of your single minded stupidity and distaste for what most of us do..which is try and not spend money stupidly! If you don't want me to respond do you, why did you refer to my post? You are odd! As for not spending money stupidly it's amazing how when someone takes a bike worth a grand and sticks an electric motor on it some mugs will pay three times more than it's worth? As for tolls to Spain that's my choice and and I made it very clear that others are welcome to their choice but it suits me and others! And as for people thinking they're always right have you read your drivel on PVCs? You're like a born-again Christian. I shall not respond to any more of your antagonistic ranting so do us all a favour and use your brains. If you don't want people to engage with you don't refer to their posts. It's not too hard to work out for most of us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Yes we are all very odd that don't agree with frank, banned how many times?lol but pathetically reinvents himself and slimed his way back in......how Brian Kirby puts up with your constant bullying I do not know, but I won't stand for your nasty point scoring for one minute. FYI I never quoted or made direct reference to your post? I tend not to read your self obsessed drivel anyway. Have nothing in common with the likes of you so why would I Your a boring old man looking for validation, you obviously know as much about e bikes as you do about travelling.....your a complete nonsense pal. Why don't you get back to hounding and bullying decent members on here who are to gentle and polite to respond to your haranguing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 JudgeMental - 2014-01-28 8:10 AM I tend not to read your self obsessed drivel anyway. Have nothing in common with the likes of you so why would I Mmmm, that's odd. You seem to know an awful lot about them! (lol) (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 johnlc - 2014-01-27 4:44 PM Given the prices at dealers for the used PVC I'm looking for, I'm seriously considering buying privately. Am I right in thinking that warranties can be bought by individuals and not just by dealers? More importantly, is it worth buying one or would the provider just wriggle out of any claims? I'd like to know of peoples' experiences with warranties, and in particular, if there is a company you would recommend. I'm looking to buy a rear lounge PVC in the 25-30k range, as it would be at a dealers but hopefully cheaper privately. Thanks John, you are buying a relatively expensive item and trying to get the best price possible. Most of us do. :-) How mechanically knowledgable are you? I suspect you are not fully confident of your ability to assess a used motorhome, and this is why you want a warranty. Such warranties are, in truth, nothing of the kind, they are merely insurances, and all have exclusions. I haven't researched them, but my impression is that most cover little more than the major mechanical elements of the van. Why not contact a few providers, and get specimen documents to examine? They will inevitably vary somewhat one to another, so it would be worth checking more than one before buying. You may find exactly what you want, or you may decide they are not worth pursuing. You will buy cheaper if you buy privately: how much cheaper you can only decide by comparing private, and trade, asking prices. Private sales are not without risk. Most sell for genuine reasons, but some sell some bacause the van is a lemon, some sell vans with HP debt still attached, some sell from other people's homes while the owner is on holiday, some even sell other people's vans! You need to be on your guard, and to do your homework before parting with your cash. Always a good idea to take someone with you, especially if they know the type of vehicle and, ideally, motorhomes. As has been said above, a trade seller is legally obliged to put right faults within a reasonable period of being told of them, a private seller has no such obligation. The trade seller may wriggle, but if push comes to shove, you can sue him if he fails to make good. At the price you are considering, I would expect at least a one year warranty from a reputable trade source. That, and his legal obligations, will IMO give you better protection than any private deal, whether or not you buy a so called warranty to back it. You'll pay more for the privelege, but you will reduce your risks. However, I think you are shooting up the wrong tree, a bit! You are not that likely to find a large number of the van you want being sold near where you live, so your choices will be limited. If a more distant seller is private, it won't make much difference, as you will have no come-back on him. If a dealer, you will have a come-back, but to get any faults remedied you will have the expense and time of getting the van back to him. What I think you really need to do is look for a well reputed dealer near where you live, and then go to look. If unsure about the dealer, you can reasonably get folk to tell you if a dealer has given them satisfactory service, and whether they would use him again, by asking on here and requesting replies by PM. That way, the replies remain private and there is no question of the post getting "pulled" because it becomes defamatory (likely with some! :-)). If he doesn't inspire confidence, try the next nearest, etc. You will also find that folk who own the similar vans are quite happy to give you a run down of their impressions and experiences of it. But, whatever you buy, or wherever you buy it, there is always the possibility that something will go wrong that will not be covered by whatever warranty exists. So, keeping a bit of your wad in your back pocket to cover the unexpected is always to good idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudders Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 great post as usual brian, and nice to see the discussion is back on track Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globebuster Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Dealer with Warranty or Private - I think it depends on the price disparity between two similar vans. If you're buying a newish van then probably less of a minefield - for me I would prefer to buy privately, providing the price advantage is worth it, and as BK says you can set a bit aside. The condition of a van should be the more salient consideration - a cherished one owner private, would win the day for me over a raggedy one that been 'got at' by numerous owners on a dealer forecourt. Lets not forget, sometimes the van of your dreams can only be sourced from one or the other - so you might not have a choice! I would by privately - but I'd use due diligence and plenty of homework - there are plenty of stories of poor dealer back-up - on any forum motorhome or otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 It is possible for individuals to purchase insurance-based warranties for motorhomes. http://www.warranty4caravans.co.uk/ http://www.my-caravan-insurance.co.uk/motorhome-warranty-insurance.php As Brian says, the terms and conditions vary (as will the cost). When I bought my 1996 Herald motorhome from a dealership in 1998, the 12-month warranty that was part of the deal was insurance-based. This was common practice then, when dealership warranties for used motorhomes were often 3- or 6-months duration I renewed the warranty annually during the 6 years I owned the Herald and I made 4 claims during that period. When I sold the Herald in 2004 I was still 'in profit' warranty-wise, as the cost of the repairs had exceeded the cost of the warranty premiums. But, plainly, if nothing had gone wrong with the Herald I would have lost out financially. It does need emphasising (very strongly emphasising!) that the companies that market this type of warranty will insist that the terms and conditions are followed to the letter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlc Posted January 29, 2014 Author Share Posted January 29, 2014 I'm glad the thread is back on track! . The van I am looking at currently is a private sale at £21,000 for a 2006 registration. I tried one of the links provided, and based on the reg. number, mileage and claimed partial service history got a quote of £420 premium for one year's cover for a claim limit of £1,000. Who knows there may even be an excess associated with that as well. The other link didn't work. Based on this it may be that an 8 year old van is going to be pretty expensive to get any sort of warranty for. Thanks for your help. Any other links to providers or comments appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Try the links again, they worked when I tried them. But I suspect you are right, the premium on an 8 year old van is going to be punitive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Brian Kirby - 2014-01-29 6:03 PM Try the links again, they worked when I tried them. But I suspect you are right, the premium on an 8 year old van is going to be punitive. John will have been referring to the 2nd link I provided http://www.my-caravan-insurance.co.uk/motorhome-warranty-insurance.php The link 'works' in so far as it's a valid link that will successfully retrieve a webpage. However, there are two invitations on that webpage ("Quote Now" and "...complete your motorhome warranty...") and these produce a 'Not Found" error message. A similar thing happens with the Touring Caravan Warranty Insurance webpage. The My Caravan Insurance website refers to caravan/motorhome warranties being provided by the AA, but I think the AA no longer involves itself with this type of insurance policy. If that's correct, it's a pity My Caravan Insurance's website doesn't reflect the present situation. There are several UK providers of car warranty insurance products http://www.money.co.uk/warranty-insurance/car-warranty.htm but a warranty insurance policy for a motorhome should be expected to address 'non-car' things like water-ingress damage and problems with expensive heaters, cookers and fridges. It's a specialist product and Warranty4Caravans (my 1st link) may now be the only UK provider. An unrepairable gas heater or fridge could easily cost £1000 to replace, so it shouldn't be expected that motorhome/caravan warranty insurance will be cheap. Expensive potential problems with the motorhome need bearing in mind when considering buying privately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWO Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 My local dealer has a three year warranty with all his used vans. Yes I suppose it will be in the screen price, but as it is your first van with perhaps no trade-in you will be in a position to get a wedge off the price on the forecourt. There will be many conditions on the warranty no-doubt, but is'nt there always HWO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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