Negative: Forest River Warranty and Service

[KMP44]

Originally Posted by Aussiecat

Wow! This is interesting, we're considering a FR and purchasing from RV Wholesale Ohio. Their big spiel was that they have service availability all over the US whereas most dealers will only provide service locally. Food for thought.

Not exactly the same issue. The OP's complaint was related to using a mobile repair tech and then submitting the bill for reimbursement. Most warranty work involves the owner taking the unit to an authorized service shop. The shop handles the claim with FR and gets paid directly. The owner doesn't have to pay upfront and chase after their money.

As far as I know, RVW's claims about a nationwide network would still involve taking the unit to an approved service provider. The issue they are trying to address is that unlike with a car, dealers aren't required to do warranty work on any unit they did not sell. Some dealers take the approach that if you buy from a place like RVW they will not ever service your unit. They use it as a deterent/punishment for not buying local. And most other dealers will work on units they didn't sell, but you are on the bottom of their priority list and they get to it eventually, maybe.

Both of the dealers we have dealt with do however make breakdowns by people on the road their #1 service priority to get stranded travelers going again. Obviously, people on the road aren't going to have purchased their units from that dealer, but they understand the situation and get you fixed up ASAP.

[TeamMcPherson]

This is a year later and now we are having a similar issue, except the warranty representative isn't calling me back at this point about ANYTHING. It is nearly triple digits, my hubby and I are full-timers and my Cherokee Vengeance is danged hot. I've been on the phone for nearly 5 hours trying to get something worked out and the only responses have been from independent mobile services with high trip charges. Is there any kind of update with your situation? Did you find someone to handle it?

[bob213]

Originally Posted by TeamMcPherson

This is a year later and now we are having a similar issue, except the warranty representative isn't calling me back at this point about ANYTHING. It is nearly triple digits, my hubby and I are full-timers and my Cherokee Vengeance is danged hot. I've been on the phone for nearly 5 hours trying to get something worked out and the only responses have been from independent mobile services with high trip charges. Is there any kind of update with your situation? Did you find someone to handle it?

Since most RV Mfg's. tend to exclude "full timers" from their warranty you might consider taking those words out of your vocabulary in this issue. Just a thought.....

[tmhyer]

How can you expect service under the warranty when you admittedly voided the warranty by not using your rv for recreational purposes?

[Tampajohn]

Reading through the post and I met a man in South Carolina that bought from Tiffin. His roof leaked and Tiffin paid for his trip from Florida to Alabama, I think where Tiffin is located. They pulled his Class A in and replaced the complete roof. This was a 2006 model. They stayed in their rig except for the night they replaced the roof and Tiffin put them up on one of their apartments. If I remember correctly, they had like 50 bays for service with full hookups where they worked on them. He talked to the president directly and he handled it himself. I guess the older Tiffin tried to get their sons to run the business, but they did not do a good job and he took it over again til they could learn to take care of the customers. That is what customer service is all about. I think if I were in the market for a Class A, I would look at Tiffin.

BTW, Tiffin paid for fuel and all cost associated with the roundtrip from Florida to the factory. What a great testimony.

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by huntr70

Well, for one thing, warranty will NOT cover service calls. Period.

Also, if you press the manufacturers buttons, they will stop your warranty, as these are not full time living accomodations, they are "recreational" vehicles.

Been down this road many times, on the dealership side. No RV company will cover service trips. You may gladly take in to any service center and have warranty work performed.

Hate to say it but Fr will okay a onsite repair person if you can not get it to a dealer. they will approve it and pay you back. Ask how I know.....

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by jbcz3

@gljurczyk-- I have called and left more messages than I have sent via email. Still no response. This is about principle not money. God forbid it was my inverter...

Do you have a contact I could call??

I will try and post all the FR phone #'s

[Herk7769]

"John,
I am sorry for the inconvenience this is causing and hopefully your mobile repair can correct it.

This e-mail comes to you as authorization to have a mobile repair service come to your trailer at your part and repair you’re A/C and Forest River will reimburse you’re the dollars you have to pay.

Sincerely

Susan Thornberg
Warranty, Parts & Service Manager
574-642-3119 574-642-3119 FREE"

Who writes like this? Where is the authorization/claim number that should come with an email of this type? Maybe it is just me; but this sounds fishy.

I get emails from Nigeria that have better sentence structure and information.
Herk

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by Herk7769

"John,
I am sorry for the inconvenience this is causing and hopefully your mobile repair can correct it.

This e-mail comes to you as authorization to have a mobile repair service come to your trailer at your part and repair you’re A/C and Forest River will reimburse you’re the dollars you have to pay.

Sincerely

Susan Thornberg
Warranty, Parts & Service Manager
574-642-3119 574-642-3119 FREE"

Who writes like this? Where is the authorization/claim number that should come with an email of this type? Maybe it is just me; but this sounds fishy.

I get emails from Nigeria that have better sentence structure and information.
Herk

Well Herk it would be pretty easy to check out, just call the # and ask for this person. I have gotten emails saying that they will take care of my problem without a authorization # you just use that email as a reference. Now people have come to the point that we criticize people who are tiring to help because that is not the way you would do it or is P/C correct in your opinion. Before you say that this is not true I would call the # and ask for the person, It was provided in the email. They pay these people $8.00 per hour, most do not even go to high school, by Amish law. He got an answer and now just needs to verify it.

[youroo]

Herk, I guess you would rather have a (Form Letter from a LAWYER sent),that way they could take it to (Another LAWYER) to find out what it said! Youroo!!

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by youroo

Herk, I guess you would rather have a (Form Letter from a LAWYER sent),that way they could take it to (Another LAWYER) to find out what it said! Youroo!!

X'S 2, I also think they are trying to help as I stated. I know when I needed help when traveling they sent an email telling me that they would reimburse me. Or set an appointment up in either the area I was in, then I was at the NAS at Pensacola, about a leak. People have to stop being critical about FR. I would buy another FR trailer in a minute, but I'm happy with what I have so I do see this as my last unit. By that time I'm think I would have to get out of camping that I love, either by my age or health which ever comes first. And not to high Jack the thread, just a reminder about my Vension. I'm sure you will get a lot more before Goshen...

[youroo]

Like this?

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by youroo

Like this?

Cute, but I know you would never shoot that, Hell you needed a backhoe to lift what you shoot.....

[rlocicero]

Sorry for your experience. I do have to say that I have had no problems with Warranty on my Flagstaff. They even covered a major repair when the trailer was out of warranty. I did have a problem with the hot water heater up in Soo Ste Marie. There was no dealer even close to where we were so I just had a local repair shop fix it for $95.00. 1.5 hrs diagnosis and repair included $50 for parts. I just paid the $95 as it was not worth it for the convenience of having hot water.. I have several friends who own FR products and they are very satisfied with both their units and the service that was provided by their dealer. I, for one, am not going judge FR based on an isolated incident., but rather make my decisions based on my past experience and also those of my friends. Is sounds like your problem is with an individual who dropped the ball. I personally would not hesitant for an instant with buying another Flagstaff TT.

[Herk7769]

OK, it just sounded a bit off to me.
You are most likely correct and it is my naturally skeptical mind at work.

Ah! I found it; Extension 205

"Contact Susan Thornberg at Forest River and she will get you what you need. You can either call her at 574-642-3119 Ext. 205 or email her at sthornberg@forestriverinc.com. " From a Google search

I will forward her the link to this thread.
I will probably catch heck for the critique of her email ()
Herk

[F.R.O.G.]

I love how some posters fail to follow up with the resolution of an issue, and others later get into a pi$$ing contest from the sidelines.

I just got off of the phone with one of Susan's staff. This warranty claim was paid back in September of 2013, about the time this thread started. It turned out that the OP apparently provided a bad address. After getting the address straightened out, the first check was cancelled and a replacement payment was paid in April.

When a poster has gone to such great lengths to blame, threaten, and poison the well, it would be nice if he would come back to say that the issue has been resolved.

Just sayin'...

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by F.R.O.G.

I love how some posters fail to follow up with the resolution of an issue, and others later get into a pi$$ing contest from the sidelines.

I just got off of the phone with one of Susan's staff. This warranty claim was paid back in September of 2013, about the time this thread started. It turned out that the OP apparently provided a bad address. After getting the address straightened out, the first check was cancelled and a replacement payment was paid in April.

When a poster has gone to such great lengths to blame, threaten, and poison the well, it would be nice if he would come back to say that the issue has been resolved.

Just sayin'...

Thanks Bob. My heart felt apologies to Susan.

[F.R.O.G.]

Herk, you're not the one I had in mind with my post.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by F.R.O.G.

Herk, you're not the one I had in mind with my post.

I know, but if the OP did not "paraphrase" her actual email, I was somewhat brutal in my critique.

[Weezer]

Originally Posted by F.R.O.G.

I love how some posters fail to follow up with the resolution of an issue, and others later get into a pi$$ing contest from the sidelines.

I just got off of the phone with one of Susan's staff. This warranty claim was paid back in September of 2013, about the time this thread started. It turned out that the OP apparently provided a bad address. After getting the address straightened out, the first check was cancelled and a replacement payment was paid in April.

When a poster has gone to such great lengths to blame, threaten, and poison the well, it would be nice if he would come back to say that the issue has been resolved.

Just sayin'...

X I can't count that high, Bob.

I'll say it again: When we had the electrical problem on our brand new V-Lite we were *just* getting back in to RVing after a many years hiatus. I was new to Forest River and new to our dealer.

I freaked, I freely admit. HOWEVER, anyone here who encounters the thread where I posted about it will see that I absolutely DID follow through and post about the resolution.

I wasn't happy with the amount of time taken to do the repair by our dealer but then found out it was due to a break down in communications between those in the warranty/service department (one person didn't tell the other person that we brought it in WITH a specific appointment time) That was not the fault of Forest River and I DID follow through on that same thread and explain that.

I think it speaks volumes that DH and I bought another new RV, this time a 5er, eight months later. BOTH Flagstaff brands, BOTH from the same dealer, same salesman even (we refused to deal with any other salesman there...we really liked how he communicated with us on our V-Lite).

Now with a year under our belt, knowing Forest River and our dealer Bayou Outdoor Super Center have our six, I've calmed down. A stripped screw in a cabinet hinge? (shrug) We just added it to a list of other insignificant items and took the 5er in when it was convenient to us. We had quite a list, none of which was something which would prevent us from camping, except the DOA landing gear when we pulled 'er on to the dealer's warranty/repair lot and we both have said we are fortunate it happened right there so the repair tech could see it and trouble shoot while it was occurring and had the equipment (a huge battery thingamajig and a jumper for the switch) to get it unhitched.

We should be picking up our 5er this week, all items checked off the list with nothing on it being a problem for Forest River warranty.

Would we buy another Forest River Flagstaff? Absotively! Would we buy it from any other dealer? Negatory!

I wonder how many people come to this forum to check out feed back on certain models, read the first page about a problem with a certain model, stop there and go on their way without reading to the end to see the resolution. Maybe admin could set an example here by taking your post above and inserting it below the original complaint, showing that it WAS resolved. I'd even like to see that done on the thread about the problem with had with our V-Lite; take my "absolutely happy with the fix" post and insert it in my "OMG look at this" original post.