locovan Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 http://www.brownhills.co.uk/news-brownhills-managment-buyout-secures-investment-for-growth.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 RonB - 2008-04-28 10:53 AM It's worth mentioning again. If you are giving a deposit to ANY dealer make sure you pay by credit card and not cheque/cash. You then have recourse to the credit card company for your money back if the dealer goes out of business the wrong way. Be careful! There is an upper limit on the value of the sale that is covered, and deposits etc do not count as transactions in their own right. I.e if the whole deal is over the limit, the deposit may not be covered under the Consumer Credit Act. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Well, I for one , hope everything goes well for them. I have no axe to grind and am perfectly happy with my van and think that they do try and make even a browse round something special, with the Caf'e and free overnight stay. Good luck to the new Management . But please pay more attention to P.D.I's and handover inspections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
passionwagon Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Brian Kirby - 2008-05-01 5:33 PMRonB - 2008-04-28 10:53 AM It's worth mentioning again. If you are giving a deposit to ANY dealer make sure you pay by credit card and not cheque/cash. You then have recourse to the credit card company for your money back if the dealer goes out of business the wrong way. Be careful! There is an upper limit on the value of the sale that is covered, and deposits etc do not count as transactions in their own right. I.e if the whole deal is over the limit, the deposit may not be covered under the Consumer Credit Act. 8-) During this month (May) the financial cap is being lifted as a result of Euro legislation bringing in more consumer protection. We do get positive benefits of being an EU partner. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myshell Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 My local evening paper (Lancashire Evening Post) ran an article on Thursday 01/05/08 which reads "66 jobs saved as leisure firm bought for £46m. A motorhome company has been bought out by its management for £46m, a spokesman for Brownhills said: "The faceless enterprise syndrome has been eliminated as the Brownhills management team now has ownership of the company. "We will be focusing heavily on ensuring customers recieve the best possible service. "We would like to assure our customers that the management have undertaken to honour all previous Brownhills warranties and deposits already paid on vehicles" Regards Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klevshin Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Brownhill in administration...a shame it took so long and its an even bigger shame that Hymer UK hasnt gone back to Madisons and cut loose its pathetic ties with the mother ship at Newark. The company (Brownhills) has always displayed a post-sale attitude that beggars belief and having purchased Hymers pre-Brownhills I can only say its like moving from shopping at a friendly local farmers market to buying your bag load of tat from Walmart! I popped into Swindon today and was informed that they were no longer allowed to sell Hymers and I saw that all the german vans were compounded! On a positive note, the front line staff at Hymer UK have always been top notch and during conversations over the 'free cup of coffee whilst your'e waiting' it has been quite obvious that they were happy to distance themselves from the other camp runamuck branches and from my experience made every attempt to make amends for abjectly poor service from all but the Preston branch. My only hope is that Hymer UK become independent of the Brownhills machine and get back to there roots...providing a good service to punters spending a great deal of hard earned brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Excellent first Post - welcome to the Forum! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicaman Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 After many happy years of caravanning, never anticipated the appalling experiences todate. Currently threatening legal action and with many sleepless nights! It would seem the Motorhome trade has much to learn about taking care of their customers, with consideration that many satisfied travellers make return purchases. They also network and communicate their experiences amongst a vast nomadic family that is the travel leisure world. Anyone considering making the change must consider the aggressive market before jumping in, there are sharks in the water. Caravanning was NEVER like this, I have nothing but geniune praise for most of its dealers! Many of whom were also caravanners. Watch this space!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twooks Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 maddisons imo were a bunch of indifferent snobs - with abysmal customer relations unless you were rich enough to buy a new Hymer - at which point they fell over themselves. Staff I spoke to were ecstatic when they changed hands - Brownhills may not have been a good move but neither was staying still B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potjoe Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 I could write a book about me and Brownhills and think it would be a best seller. They will not talk to me when i call on the phone but Hymer uk (Kate) will to sort my work out she called Gremany to see if my jobs could be sorted there as we are going to there big 50 year do at the end of May and they said yes we will do the work for you on 3 to 5 june. PS:Calling Hymer people R you going to there 50 year do?. if so let me no. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poleman Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 Leicman, sounds like you are going through a pretty similar experience to us. We collected our brand new motorhome from brownhills 2 weeks before they went into administration. Within days we found serious damage to the vehicle amongst other problems we went through legal action to reject the vehicle. Told we had an excellent case by Trading Standards and solicitor to reject. However since they went into administration we have lost our legal rights and there is nothing Trading Standards can do. Brownhills 'customer care' have been happy to remind us of this!!!! You mentioned legal action, has your problem arisen post administration? Totally understand about the worry and sleepless nights, Brownhills have turned our dream of our first brand new motorhome into a nightmare! It really is quite unbelievable that they think that treating their customers in this way will move them forward, seems to me they are in it to make a quick buck and run at whatever cost. If their promises to improve customer care were genuine its an appalling new start. Time will tell! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingpete Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 Balanced viewing. I collected my new Rapido on March 15th, and had good handover experience. Went over to Belgium 2 days later, in the snow, and found few everything worked fine. Back home, Brownhills called me about the awning to be fitted, and done the job without delay. They then followed that up with request to come to me to fit new tracker transponder, as one fitted was "older" version, according to Tracker. That job was done. Since then, been away to France to hear n return of the problems, and being concerned with warranty issues and couple of new niggles, like loo door not staying shut (had moved on hinges enough to prevent stricker plate line up) and sunroof catches blowing open in cross winds on autoroute, and the rubber seals sticking in hot temps, called the Canterbury crew up to enquire. They knew my voice immediately, and took care to explain what the new setup is, and reassured me that the warranty and Brownhills Club conditions are unchanged. Now waiting for recall for Rapido fixes. Not unhappy at present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poleman Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 The reason we bought from Brownhills again (3rd new purchase in our family over last 3 years) was that we too were always satisfied customers we have always praised and defended them in the Newark club brownhills lounge. In fact when we did the hand over for our brand new motorhome we stayed 2 nights and there was quite a few issues, but we expected teething problems, we are realistic enough to realise nothing is ever perfect. The staff at Newark were fantastic and went over and above the call of duty to help us including helping us set up the flat screen TV! Again we spent the weekend praising brownhills to other customers. However their attitude changed when we got the motorhome back home and washed it (because it had not been washed pre delivery) to find the vehicle had been grounded causing stress fractures in the back panel and damage to the underneath. There are lots of other problems too but the list goes on too long. All we wanted to do was enjoy the experience and the excitement of our new motorhome. Unfortunately their top level 'customer care' have made lots of promises that have materialized to nothing over the last month, to the point now where their stance is 'our contract was with the company that went into administration'. Obviously they are happy to use this excuse to save themselves the money of replacing the motorhome. False economy in my eyes we are only young so over the next 20 years could potentially be buying a new motorhome every 3 years, that combined with my parents and brother who have motorhomes is a lot of future business to throw away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klevshin Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 Interesting that most of the forum scribblers have tried hard to see the good in Brownhills but after reflecting on their woefull experiences with a third rate, couldnt give a damn bunch of money grabbers, most punters have seen the company for what they are...Camp Runamuck. It may seem unhinged to be writing in forums such as this about a commercial company selling campers, however, and this is where Camp Runamuck need to take note...when a punter has saved hard or spent a hard earned retirement bounty, they are somewhat emotive about what has been purchased, for many its a 'one off' with little chance of either finding the money again or indeed living long enough to buy another model. Camp Runamuck sic Brownhills are paying the price for years of abjectly poor customer service and I for one will never buy another camper from the company (I have purchased three brand new Hymers to the tune of £150k), I am also not alone having several friends all of whom have had exact same experiences with this bunch of spin merchants. I was also interested to note that this months Camp Runamuck MMM adverts made no mention of Hymer or other leading brands listing only a few motorhome suppliers as brand dealers...lets hope that top drawer companies such as Hymer have pulled the plug and gone elsewhere to trade their wares, if they (Hymer) are watching these numerous motorhome forums I suspect they will conclude that the end of Camp Runamuck is near. Finally, anyone been into Swindon? Hymers still compounded...interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Cole Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 Things in the Browhills camp have not improved since the buy out in fact I would say it has got worse. I visited Newark in March as I had fractures in my rear bumper, They took photos and agreed that it should be replaced under warrenty (07 Swift Suntor 580pr) I told them would be leaving on my travels on the 13th may and could call in to have the new one fitted they said it would only take a couple of hours. I had no news from them and no reply to my e-mails. I contacted Swift they said that they contacted Brownhills on my behalf, they said that there was no record of my vehicle. It would appear that Swift did not have a new rear bumper allocated to my vehicle and really do not want to know. I did manage eventually to get hold of Brownhills and they said they had the warrenty paperwork for my bumper and would let me know, this was over three weeks ago and I am still getting fobbed off. Brownhills have now lost another customer and so have Swift, I am most disatisfied with the service from both manufacturer and dealer. The next reply from them will no doubt be that the responsibility lies with the previous team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puzzled Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 Why did people expect things to cahange all of a sudden. The men at the top with or without the money may have changed but it seems nothing else. A bit like rearanging the dck chairs on the Titanic. Same pople same service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicaman Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 Geoff I trust you are not the Geoff Cole who is the new service manager at Brownhills Canterbury. If so do you have any further news? The old workshops and accesory shop seem to have been reclaimed!! (presumably by the original landlord/siteowner?!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel64 Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 Are they up and running now no reply to e-mail. I phoned was told they would ring back still waiting. Looking to change Motorhome not to complain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingpete Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 My new Rapido, bought in March, had couple of things needing attention (Nothing serious) and have had good service from Canterbury. I managed to lose a side marker lens and a replacement was mailed within 3 days. And calls have always been returned. The operator/receptionist even knows my name when I ask for an individual known to me. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Cole Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 Hi Leicamn, Sorry to dissapoint you, I have no connection with Brownhills other than having the misfortune in dealing with them. I live in the IOM so Canterbury is a bit far to commute! anyway I am retired and spending to much time sorting out problems with my camper that have either not been designed or assembled correctly, but thats life, I view campers as a collection of parts not always put together as we would hope, and some times not at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 Geoff Cole - 2008-05-26 1:33 PM I view campers as a collection of parts not always put together as we would hope, and some times not at all! You ought to add that as your signature ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicaman Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Glad to hear someone is happy. I have had a dreadful time. Many calls are made with no replies. Got in touch with the National Caravan Council in the end as I could get no satisfaction at all. Their suggestion was registered letters and Trading Standards - NONE of my registered letters to 4 executives have been replied to. After 20 happy years of dealing with the caravan trade, they have much to learn about customer care! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicaman Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Glad to hear your confirmation. I just cannot accept that they care so little about looking after their customers interests, so different to the caring attitudes of the caravan fraternity, I guess I was lucky after 20 contented years of dealing with more respected dealerships. What a nightmare this time! During my travels one year, Landrover even came to my rescue with a brand new replacement to my old vehicle. There are some good guys out there! Happy retirement and travels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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