4dogsontour Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Hello I've just collected my 2005 motorhome from a dealer. The motorhome was in a lovely condition and the upholstery in particular looked like new. On collection, after the usual valeting, the upholstery seemed faded and much less attractive. I didn't think to say anything at the time as I was rather bamboozled by the handover information and I did doubt my memory of the original condition. On looking more closely and showing it to friends who own a motorhome I realize the fabric has been stretched and faded and was probably cleaned at too high a temperature. It has really detracted from the look of the interior and I fear it may have devalued the vehicle. Has anyone else experienced this? I would appreciate any advice on my rights in this case. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Its difficult to form an opinion without seeing the material before and after. Was the van in for other fixes as well as the valeting or was this a special valeting only arrangement ? Whoever the 'valeter' was their name should be on the work sheet so all I can suggest is to register your dissatisfaction with the company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 4dogsontour - 2016-11-14 10:01 PM Hello I've just collected my 2005 motorhome from a dealer. The motorhome was in a lovely condition and the upholstery in particular looked like new. On collection, after the usual valeting, the upholstery seemed faded and much less attractive. I didn't think to say anything at the time as I was rather bamboozled by the handover information and I did doubt my memory of the original condition. On looking more closely and showing it to friends who own a motorhome I realize the fabric has been stretched and faded and was probably cleaned at too high a temperature. It has really detracted from the look of the interior and I fear it may have devalued the vehicle. Has anyone else experienced this? I would appreciate any advice on my rights in this case. Thanks As you have just purchased this van, did you have photos of it prior to purchasing, ie the sales info? If you did, and it has been damaged by the valet, you may have reason to complain. BUt a 10 years old van will show signs of wear. Ours is 10 years old, and though not worn, it has faded, due to being in the sun. So unless your van had covers on it, , maybe you had your "rose tinted " glasses on when you first viewed it! You can get a complete recover, for £1500/£2000, PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 4dogsontour - 2016-11-14 10:01 PM...................On collection, after the usual valeting, the upholstery seemed faded and much less attractive. .........................Thanks You say above "the usual valeting". If I understand you correctly you recently viewed, and subsequently bought, an 11 year old van from a dealer? When you got the van home, you became aware that the upholstery was not in such good condition as you had thought when viewing. Might it not be that what you saw at the dealership was simply in a different light, and now you have seen it in better light it's true state has become apparent? Equally, might it not be that the process of cleaning the van and removing some accumulated dust and grime has merely revealed its true underlying condition? Van interiors are not designed for 11 year lives, they are primarily designed to sell the van when new, and to last a "reasonable" time thereafter. Few home soft furnishings last 11 years without some signs of wear/use: vans are no different. My personal view is that you are being somewhat unrealistic in your expectations of a 11 year old van interior. You can buy a variety of covers, you could make loose covers, or you could take it to one of the specialist firms who will re-cover the whole lot. That way you will have new, fresh, covers throughout the van, which will probably prove an advantage when you come to change it for another. You may even be able to get some kind dog-proof loose covers as well, as I would imagine 4 dogs in one van would quickly reduce its interior furnishings to a fairly unappealing state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 Did not release you had 4 Dogs ! Would not bother with a recover, until you try to sell it. Not sure many people would want a van that had , had 4 dogs in it (Mel B maybe ) just cover with loose covers , much easier to wash PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4dogsontour Posted November 15, 2016 Author Share Posted November 15, 2016 Thank you everyone for your replies. Just to clarify, yes I have just bought this motorhome - not sure I made that clear in my original message. There is a definite deterioration in the quality of the upholstery. The two captain seats for instance had very taught covers which I noticed, having seen several motorhomes with worn and fairly loose covers. Now they are crumpled and not sitting properly on the seats. I The vehicle had 2 previous owners who have obviously taken very good care of it and that was what appealed to me (in addition to its layout and low mileage). I did take photos when I first saw it but not sure if the definition will be good enough to see detail. I take the point about the 4 dogs but it was my intention to protect the seats (and my investment) with waterproof covers when they are with us. I will have to reflect on my options. Thanks again for your comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocs Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 Not sure why this post suddenly focused on your four dogs. The principle issue is whether or not the upholstery was in worse condition when you picked the van up than it was when you viewed/purchased it. My advice would be to discuss your reservations with the dealer and point out any discrepancies. You will, however, need to rely on their goodwill as it would be an extremely difficult thing to prove. If that fails, take a deep breath and get on with your life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 crocs - 2016-11-15 5:11 PM Not sure why this post suddenly focused on your four dogs. The principle issue is whether or not the upholstery was in worse condition when you picked the van up than it was when you viewed/purchased it. My advice would be to discuss your reservations with the dealer and point out any discrepancies. You will, however, need to rely on their goodwill as it would be an extremely difficult thing to prove. If that fails, take a deep breath and get on with your life. The reason I mentioned the dogs, was because I had suggested having the upholstery renewed! But not such a good idea , with FOUR dogs using van as a fairly new member of this forum, you will get used to topics going slightly on a tangent. PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocs Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 Yes, I have noticed how topics veer away from what OP asks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QFour Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 4dogsontour - 2016-11-14 10:01 PM On collection, after the usual valeting, the upholstery seemed faded and much less attractive. I didn't think to say anything at the time as I was rather bamboozled by the handover information and I did doubt my memory of the original condition Thanks I don't think that you are going to get anywhere with this. Cannot see that the upholstery is going to fade because it was cleaned at to higher temp. You said it looked like new so why would they clean the seat covers. At 11 years old you are not going to get a pristine MH. Colours fade with all the sunlight that comes through the windows. If you are not happy take it back and tell them :'( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4dogsontour Posted November 15, 2016 Author Share Posted November 15, 2016 Thanks for your sensible advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthmover Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Has the dealer taken the oppertunity and swapped the seat cushions totally from another M/H ??, You seem convinced that something is amiss.was there other vans their of the same ilk? EM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Earthmover - 2016-11-16 10:26 PM Has the dealer taken the oppertunity and swapped the seat cushions totally from another M/H ??, You seem convinced that something is amiss.was there other vans their of the same ilk? EM. That sounds more likely than a valeter steam cleaning already good condition upholstery (why ?) WAS there another van, same model, same year(or close). at the dealers ? Wouldnt be the first time a Swaperoo has been carried out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Rayjsj - 2016-11-17 1:39 AM Earthmover - 2016-11-16 10:26 PM Has the dealer taken the oppertunity and swapped the seat cushions totally from another M/H ??, You seem convinced that something is amiss.was there other vans their of the same ilk? EM. That sounds more likely than a valeter steam cleaning already good condition upholstery (why ?) WAS there another van, same model, same year(or close). at the dealers ? Wouldnt be the first time a Swaperoo has been carried out. The Occam’s Razor principle is that, if several explanations for an occurrence are possible, the simplest explanation is usually the best. And the more assumptions that must be made, the more unlikely an explanation is. The Original Poster said that “...the (upholstery) fabric has been stretched and faded and was probably cleaned at too high a temperature” and "There is a definite deterioration in the quality of the upholstery”. Now, it may not be the case that the problem is temperature related, but the logical and simplest explanation is that the fading/stretching/deterioration has resulted from the valeting that was carried out. There is plenty of on-line information about vehicle valeting, including warnings that care needs to be taken when cleaning upholstery to check that the products employed do not cause fading. Realistically, what are the chances that a) the dealership had another identical motorhome available (but with its upholstery in a poorer condition) that could be used as an upholstery donor and b) that the dealership would think that the buyer would be oblivious to the swap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Derek Uzzell - 2016-11-17 8:37 AM Realistically, what are the chances that a) the dealership had another identical motorhome available (but with its upholstery in a poorer condition) that could be used as an upholstery donor and b) that the dealership would think that the buyer would be oblivious to the swap? Quite so, but I do recall a friend telling me that in his father's garage the mechanics used to swap bits off their own cars with customers'. It was a progressive operation so that the first swap would be with something slightly better and so on until the replacement was almost new.That way no-one would notice. I don't know whether it was true but later experience in the construction industry showed me how much effort some people would put into cheating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocs Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Would love to know he outcome here. What has the dealer said? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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