Rejection of new caravan

NFC
NFC Forum Participant Posts: 13
edited January 2018 in Caravans #1

We purchased a new caravan on 19th April 2017. We had a few problems but on October 2nd while on holiday we had a serious leak from a front side window. We cut short our holiday took the caravan to the dealers who fitted a new window seal. They advised that the water ingress had caused further damage which would have to be repaired after a warranty claim and delivery of parts. It is now nearly four months and we are still waiting for parts from Lunar. We wondered at what point we can reject the caravan on the grounds that the repair, which the dealer is entitled to carry out, has been delayed beyond a reasonable time.

Comments

  • Vulcan
    Vulcan Forum Participant Posts: 670
    edited January 2018 #2

    Contact the clubs legal department for advice.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,149 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #3

    Try this -

    https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-reject-a-faulty-product-and-get-your-money-back

    There's been at least one similar thread recently but finding it will be easier said than done.

  • NFC
    NFC Forum Participant Posts: 13
    edited May 2018 #4

    4 months on we have been through Black Horse’s complaint procedure and we now have an adjudicators decision from the Financial Ombudsman Service confirming that we can reject the caravan, receive a refund of the deposit and compensation for loss of use and inconvenience. There is still the possibility of a referral for an ombudsman’s decision by Black Horse. We only hope this is the end of a sorry saga. We have been so disappointed in Lunar build quality and a poor response from the dealership in Blackburn. The caravan was less than six months old, had damp readings up to 30% in the front, side and floor panels. The repair would have involved removing the kitchen unit, the front and side overhead lockers and the bedding locker. The parts for repair were still not available 5 months after the problem was identified. The dealership and Black Horse still insisted that a repair was appropriate. We cannot believe what the industry considers acceptable practice.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,149 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #5

    Fingers crossed for a happy ending, NFC. You must be pig sick of the whole sorry affair.

  • lornalou1
    lornalou1 Forum Participant Posts: 2,169
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    edited May 2018 #6

    took 6 months to get new floor repaired from the lunar dealer that's the other half of your Blackburn dealer at Preston. Once the parts delivered to repairer and waited 3 months for an appointment to get van in and sorted.

  • Hastings campers
    Hastings campers Forum Participant Posts: 15
    First Comment
    edited May 2018 #7

    Sadly, all too common. All firms will do anything for your dosh, and once problems arise, when there is no profit any more, your story is depressingly familiar. Of course there will be honourable exceptions, but looking at so many of the threads, it is, I say , all too common. If they have loads of punters through the doors, then they will take the view that your dissatisfaction is just a minor irritant that will not affect their business.

  • NFC
    NFC Forum Participant Posts: 13
    edited May 2018 #8

    Finally got the news that Black Horse have agreed to accept decision. Bye bye leaky Lunar. I am just glad to see the back of it. Strangely it has not put us off we will lick our wounds and start again, obviously with a different make. We really enjoyed our caravan holidays and it is just a shame that UK manufacturers in general have such poor quality control.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,149 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #9

    That’s good to hear, NFC. May I suggest looking for a good used van a couple of years old? Any faults should either be apparent or already fixed.

  • Freddy55
    Freddy55 Club Member Posts: 1,810
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    edited May 2018 #10

    I’ve mentioned before that I’ll be in the market for a brand new van next year. It seems reasonable to expect no major problems. Stories like this are very off-putting. I may well follow your advice 👍

  • lornalou1
    lornalou1 Forum Participant Posts: 2,169
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    edited May 2018 #11

    when my van was in for repair i asked the girl behind the desk what vans are best for no damp, she says Swift, so from a repair company thats been doing it for years it could be my next van.

  • NFC
    NFC Forum Participant Posts: 13
    edited June 2018 #12

    Thanks that is very useful information about Swift. The advice about nearly new from tinwheeler seems very sensible. It is however a terrible indictment of the UK caravan industry that we cannot buy new vans with any confidence 

  • Heethers
    Heethers Forum Participant Posts: 641
    500 Comments
    edited June 2018 #13

    Leaky Leaky Lunar hey, not just lunar just check the forums horror stories from all manufacturers. Until the public stop buying the manufactures won't put their house in order, they are just taking the michael

  • NFC
    NFC Forum Participant Posts: 13
    edited June 2018 #14

    I agree, but Lunar do seem to be one of the worst for repair times, having spoken to a few dealers who service and repair Lunars. I would say nearly 5 months is a ridiculous time to wait for parts and that is the main reason why rejection of the caravan was successful.

  • GarethLJ
    GarethLJ Forum Participant Posts: 6
    edited June 2018 #15

    I also have a leaky Lunar which I bought new in 2016! It took over 3 months for my local dealer to receive the new parts. In addition, I have had numerous problems with the van. The latest being a lounge carpet falling apart at the sea m! Lunar refuse to accept there is an issue with quality! 

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,064 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2018 #16

    Definitely take a look at some decent second hand vans. We have a second hand dealer where we live that has their own repairs workshop. We bought a van in 1996, it was already 12 years old, but dry as a bone, very well built, a two berth with everything we required in it. We still have it! One tiny damp patch, easy to repair for us, caused by a little piece of trim moving and us not noticing it. At 34 years old, it owes us nothing! The more complex something is, the more there is to go wrong, and less easy to sort out yourself. Which leaves you in the hands of manufacturers and dealers. Swift are no better, our friends new van has had all sorts done in the three years they have owned it!

  • lornalou1
    lornalou1 Forum Participant Posts: 2,169
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    edited June 2018 #17

    was on chester fairoaks site a few weeks ago and had a leak on the bathroom tap. called out an engineer who could not fix so blanked of the pipes. Lunar delta RI. went on internet and found a caravan dealer who orders spares from manufacturer. was quoted £110 with a 10/12 week wait for delivery. politely told them where to go and ordered a domestic mixer tap from victoria plumb and was 2 day delivery. fitted myself and working great.

  • Molly Domino
    Molly Domino Forum Participant Posts: 161
    edited July 2018 #18

    We bought a brand new caravan in May this year, went upto Scotland for a three week holiday found 14 faults in three weeks. Returned the caravan to the dealers last Thursday and got our money back, we had a  2011 Lunar Clubman and it was in far better condition than the new caravan, the dealer had sold it so we couldn't get it back. If you buy anything that is faulty you have the right to reject it within the first Thirty days after that you have to allow them to repair it then if it's not right you can then reject it. 

     

     

     

  • NFC
    NFC Forum Participant Posts: 13
    edited July 2018 #19

    Rejection is also allowed if there is unreasonable delay in carrying out the repair, resulting in inconvenience. If Lunar are not careful with their woeful timescale for delivery of spares more and more people will reject their Lunars. I think this aspect of the 2015 consumer rights act is not well known.