New caravan ordered then lockdown

Wraith
Wraith Forum Participant Posts: 8
edited April 2020 in Caravan & Motorhome Chat #1

We ordered a new caravan last October for delivery this year, no date set. We had a call from the dealer to say it was at their depot in March, a week later and 2 days before pick up the country was locked down. Luckily we didn't take our old van early for change over and still have it at home.

It looks like we will be in lockdown for a long time and may not be able to get the new van until end of June or who knows. So the season will be nearly over and the van will be unused. We can't contact the dealer they have left no contact details for during the crisis. The van will be a year old come September when the new season starts. 

There must be other people in the same situation, or have their old van/ M/H at the dealers for repairs, change over etc.

 

Comments

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,859 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited April 2020 #2

    Have you tried contacting them by email? It is possible someone might check the in box now and again. I can sympathise with the frustration but there is no obvious way out of the dilemma. We took delivery of a new motorhome a year ago and now have the prospect that we won't be able to use it this year, depending on how soon the problem passes which doesn't seem anytime soon.

    David

  • Philnffc
    Philnffc Forum Participant Posts: 317
    edited April 2020 #3

    Wraith

    We are in exactly the situation,  we live in Spain and were due to pick our new motorhome up on the 16th March and then the State of Alarm (lockdown) came on the 14th March. 

    We have insurance that runs from the 16th and brought quite a few accessories which  also  cost a lot more then they do now for instance motorhome screens were 110euros when we brought and are now down to 55euros and just to compound all this the dealership is in the centre of Madrid which is the epicentre of the virus here in Spain and will be the last place out of lockdown.

    Cant contact the insurance which i wont need at the moment or dealership by phone both closed but the dealership on their website is a contact email which i use to keep in contact and they also have a FB page which is updated everyday with new outfits to sell.

    Pretty sure  dealers will be looking to make sales when they do open and may also give existing customers a discount i know my wife will certainly ask prices will be lower. We were talking today where we might tour in the winter somewhere in Spain no doubt

    Phil

  • JollyKernow
    JollyKernow Forum Participant Posts: 2,629
    1000 Comments
    edited April 2020 #4

    Hi

    You're far safer in Spain Phil, wish we were in lockdown there still with all the enforcements in place. It's scary to see peoples care free attitude here, 16000 dead and people STILL won't listen. I was in the local co op yesterday and after asking some folk to step away from me to two meters, the abuse I got was unbelievable.

    JK

  • Philnffc
    Philnffc Forum Participant Posts: 317
    edited April 2020 #5

    JK

    The differing peoples attitudes to this is very stark when you watch BBC and what is happening here although there is talk of letting the children out for a few hours next Monday, today we had delivery of two face masks from the local council for free just can't imagine that in the UK at the moment.

    Went into local Mercadona on Friday and two Brits walked in together and thought the security guard was going to shoot them until i said to them he is trying to tell you only one is allowed in not together, think they must be from the CL in Dolores.

    Anyway back to the painting and stay safe not long till 2022.

    Phil

  • Wraith
    Wraith Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited May 2020 #6

    Anyone out there with similar circumstances?

  • Sumitra
    Sumitra Forum Participant Posts: 154
    edited May 2020 #7

    We were supposed to get a new caravan in March.Still waiting.Not the end of the world though.People must stay safe.

  • obbernockle
    obbernockle Forum Participant Posts: 616
    500 Comments
    edited May 2020 #8

    No I'm not in similar circumstances but offer this opinion. Although you have probably paid a deposit and signed an order form, the new caravan is still the proporty of the dealer just as your old one is still yours. The owner (s) have to accept that their proporty will have devalued by a year in the time whilst this has been going on and that is no-ones fault. The registration date of the new caravan is going to be the date of sale (say September for example), but the book value of both caravans will be a year less, and that is the owners liability.  When the dealer opens for communication you should re-negotiate the sale on the basis of reduced values of both caravans. If the dealer won't negotiate you could ask for your deposit to be returned, and go elsewhere for a new caravan. I would certainly want to know what the cost of going else where would be, and a look at the market may tell you the asking prices of stock caravans (always less). You may feel you have a moral obligation to complete the sale on existing terms, but would your dealer also feel morally obliged to meet you say half way? 

  • lordsward
    lordsward Forum Participant Posts: 69
    edited May 2020 #9

    I said a similar thing on another forum, although not as eloquently, and was shouted down.