Am I being ripped off by my supplier?
HI
Im new to the caravaning world.
I bought a new caravan a twin axle elddis 8 foot wide one. the avante 860 delux
The storage yard where i store it have altered the entrance and exit gates and i accidently caught the side bedroom window on the post as i was leaving.
This caused the plastic window frame to break and one of the closure arms to snap. ive also scratched the side a little not badly hardly notices.
Im insured luckily as the owner of the storage yard is not likely to take any responsibility for the damage even though he has just made the exit narrower. not sure if i should pursue this, but its a good pitch and dont want to lose it.
At first my supplier said a new window would be about £400. maybe a bit more. The scratch would hopefully polish out. So you van imagine my schock when their mechaninc sent me through an estimate for just shy of £5,000.00
The window was priced at £710
36 hours of labour at £75 per hour plus vat.
paint and materials £700
Vat £836.
When i questioned this strongly. They said that the van would have to be sent away to get the whole side sprayed. And that reflected the costs.
Ive asked them to supply a new quote with just the cost of the window replacement. (how long should that take?)
Any advise anyone. As my senses are telling me that im being ripped off bigtime by a well known Caravan and Motorhome supplier.
Thanks
Jeremy.
Comments
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That’s one huge van for somebody new to caravanning.
Are you being ripped off? Very likely but it’s no surprise in the LV industry.
If your insurance company is footing the bill, why are you concerned at the cost as the ins co will take it out of your hands, do any haggling necessary, and may even consider 'discussing' with the storage owner?
My advice - you won’t like it but perhaps, once this is sorted, fit better extension mirrors and look for more accessible storage, or change your van for a standard width one. Sorry, but you did ask.
Best of luck in getting it sorted.
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Is the van 'brand new' or new to you?
Depending which you may decide to take the cheaper 'it will polish out' option but if its brand new probably best to have it fully sorted on the insurance.
Not always easy with a van to trail around getting quotes but if it was me I would be looking for an approved independent workshop to get at least one alternative quote.
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Yes, I think you are being ripped off .£75 an hour??? The owner of the storage site bears no responsibility- you are responsible for the safe extraction of your van from the storage facility. It’s a bummer but a lesson will be well learned. I’m sorry if I appear unsympathetic, I’m not. I feel for you but I wonder have you been on a towing course?? I would certainly search out other repairers. I know that Yorkshire Caravans charge £50 an hour as I am having repairs done at the moment (not because of my driving I hasten to add) so if they can do it, others can. Owning a caravan can be a very expensive thing indeed! As has been said, if you are insured with a decent insurer, your insurer should pick up the bill. Hope you get it sorted.
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If it is an insurance claim, your insurer will send out an assessor to check the damage and then authorise the repairs.
This will be at an agreed rate with the dealership and not your worry.
You will, as with any claim, just pay the excess and lose some NCD at next renewal.
If anyone is going to be ripped off it will be the insurance company, but I doubt if they will allow that to happen!
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A few years ago on a very tight bend between stone walls, I caught the back end of the van. It ripped about two feet of awning rail off and put a hair line crack in a non structural plastic skirt. The total estimate for the repair, which included removing and replacing an awning rail section, plus an invisible repair to the plastic skirt, because they told me the crack could spread, was £500. I decided to pay rather than claim on the insurance and I think the final bill was £480. That was at a large dealership. So yes it does sound as though you are being ripped off.
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first thing I would do is change your name ( luckylucca ). sorry. you could get the window repaired and then ring a mobile body repairer to give the scratches a fill in and respray like they do on cars, they colour match and use an airbrush on the smallest of scratches.
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I have to say that we did something similar and apart from the two windows we also needed an awning rail and battery box, but the paintwork remained intact. the total cost was more like £2,500 so yours looks very high.
The insurer will send someone out to examine it, although I was not convinced by the one we got who was an adjuster rather than an engineer. Basically they were looking to repair in November/December when the workshop would be quiet, which may also have affected the quote but for more work than you want it seemed very low to me.
As the others have said though leave it to the insurer and presumably the person appointed will speak to you to arrange to see it and you can discuss things then.
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