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Old 08-15-2017, 08:05 AM   #1
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bad service, sorry long

so we traded our MH in for a 2017 3051s at Mike Thompson's of Fountain Valley, CA. Well we got the deal we wanted, then the nightmare started. There were some issues from the factory, no big deal, so we left it there for 2 weeks so they could fix them, oh by the way someone there decided to move a RV next to it and messed up the decals on the slide also told it would be fixed in the 2 weeks. Go to pick it up and most of it not fixed, so we took it and they had to order parts, strike 2. we just picked it up yesterday and they still have to order 2 parts for it, this has been going on for 2 months. The RV was so dirty that my wife asked the cashier about it being washed and her answer was " they don't wash my Infinity when I take it in", BS checked on it. also she couldn't find one part that was suppose to be on order and my wife said that we are not leaving without it on order and she calls the so called service writer over and he finds it and my wife asked him why the MH is so dirty and this is how you give it back to your customers? Deer in the headlight look and she tells him he should be ashamed of his self, he puts his head down and just walks away. there are more things but this is to long as it is. I can't recommend this place for service or to buy an RV. once they got your money you become dirt!!!
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Old 08-15-2017, 08:25 AM   #2
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Sorry you are having problems. I hope you get them resolved.

This is another, in a long line of stories about R/V dealers, who fail to follow through on service after the sale.

Hopefully folks will use these lessons to do their homework on the dealer they are using to purchase their unit. It's always a good idea to get any items taken care of BEFORE money exchanges hands.
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Old 08-15-2017, 01:02 PM   #3
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In retrospect, and this is totally my fault, I would not have purchased our 3051S from the dealer we used had I done my due diligence, but I would have eventually purchased one from someone because I like it.

LET THE BUYER BEWARE!

I/we let our desire to get a nice rig and get on the road cloud our common sense.

I believe we could have gotten a better deal if we had walked away. This isn't buyer's remorse, just a fact.

Every time I headed for the driver's seat during PDI the dealer's service person distracted me to point out another detail.
May be coincidence but when I finally got to start the engine there was something very wrong and the check engine light was flashing.

I found it hard to believe they drove this motorhome to and from the RV show and didn't notice this.

They had to have a Ford dealer repair it before I would take delivery. If I had driven it off the lot it would have been my problem.

When I went by the Ford dealer later and asked for a copy of the repair invoice, it had a first inspection and diagnosis date of a week earlier.

That was before it was driven and parked at the show for a week.

Up until then I was giving them, their smiles and handshakes the benefit of the doubt. They even offered to let us spend the night in our old rig at a hookup at the dealership if the engine repair ran into the next day (It didn't ).

After that experience I wouldn't buy from them again or take it to them for service.

We don't have a reputable Forest River dealer where we live so I will do what I can myself and take it to a dealer recommended by a Forest River service tech if needed.

The minor issues that would have our motorhome parked at a repair shop for weeks or months were handled by the great service people at the Goshen Rally. It was worth the wait to have it done right.

Overall we are very pleased with our rig. We are driving a small apartment down terrible roads in near hurricane force winds.
I'm amazed that it stays in one piece!
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Old 08-15-2017, 01:47 PM   #4
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does forest river check these forums?
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Old 08-15-2017, 02:07 PM   #5
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does forest river check these forums?
As a corporation, No.

We have a handful of members that work for FR.
Most simply try to help owners of the brand they represent.
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Old 08-16-2017, 02:52 PM   #6
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By local! But from a long standing reputable dealer! Due diligence is the key before buying anything! If they don't have a local dealer that services the brand you are interested in buying, rethink your purchase! As a general rule, except by the very best dealers who want your future business, you will encounter mostly finger pointing and feet dragging! Warranty service is a battle for any dealer because FR takes forever to pay them and often the dealer must eat the cost of the FR warranty service! If you didn't buy your FR from that dealer there isn't a lot of incentive for him/her to eat the cost of your warranty service! Dan
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Old 08-16-2017, 05:49 PM   #7
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They do service them, but it's not the warranty it's they way they do business
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Old 08-17-2017, 02:40 AM   #8
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sorry for your problems

I think these dealers all must be drinking the same kool aid. I bought a 2017 3011 ds in Dec. I think all they want is the sale..then its customer no service
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Old 08-17-2017, 02:44 AM   #9
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Sorry for your no service but that's why this forum is hear..
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Old 08-17-2017, 07:52 AM   #10
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Sorry for your no service but that's why this forum is hear..
to bitch about dealers. lol. The truth is that once they got your deal and you sign for it they have you at their mercy. If there is a next time I will make sure that I cross out the cooling off period statement or I won't buy it.
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Old 08-17-2017, 08:51 PM   #11
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Mike Thompson

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When I read your post I thought of what we went through after buying our MH at Mike Thompson of Fountain Valley. NIGHTMARE! The day we picked it up our MH to do the walk-through, it was filthy and took 7 hours because things were not added that we paid to have done. They didn't even have fuel in it and told us to do it ourselves, until I said, then I'm not signing on that line! After having some repairs to it, it came back filthy too. Their service dept. is a joke! They never return calls. A couple of times I drove down there to ask; WHY DO YOU PEOPLE NOT ANSWER THE PHONE AND RETURN MY CALLS? I would even go on their web site and tell the person who comes on the web page to "chat". Contact BBB, that gets them to call you back. The manager "David" is a joke too. I finally took my MH to an independent repair facility in Santa Ana, who's been in business for over 40 years and does an awesome job. Mike Thompson are liars too. I have the cell number to the guy who's responsible for all of Mike Thompson's location, after a few calls to him that you're not satisfied, he somehow makes things happen faster. Good luck with these incompetent liars.
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Old 08-17-2017, 09:30 PM   #12
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A quick Google search for Mike Thompson, will bring up tons of negative reviews and posts.
I visited one of their locations once.
It was a bad experience.
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Old 08-19-2017, 05:50 PM   #13
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I believe the rv service industry does not care. Each time I have brought my rv in for warranty service there is a long wait and never any updates. I typically will go in person once a week for an update. I do not understand why they never update the customer. I can only conclude that they do not care about what the owner thinks.
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Old 08-21-2017, 08:02 AM   #14
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I believe the rv service industry does not care. Each time I have brought my rv in for warranty service there is a long wait and never any updates. I typically will go in person once a week for an update. I do not understand why they never update the customer. I can only conclude that they do not care about what the owner thinks.
My own personable opinion is that the RV dealers are short staffed and overworked. i.e. the QC on new RV's is so bad that they just can't keep up with the demand to complete warranty repairs. So in many cases I don't think it's the dealer that is the issue but they certainly don't make it any easier.
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Old 08-21-2017, 08:27 AM   #15
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Philkaty
When I read your post I thought of what we went through after buying our MH at Mike Thompson of Fountain Valley. NIGHTMARE! The day we picked it up our MH to do the walk-through, it was filthy and took 7 hours because things were not added that we paid to have done. They didn't even have fuel in it and told us to do it ourselves, until I said, then I'm not signing on that line! After having some repairs to it, it came back filthy too. Their service dept. is a joke! They never return calls. A couple of times I drove down there to ask; WHY DO YOU PEOPLE NOT ANSWER THE PHONE AND RETURN MY CALLS? I would even go on their web site and tell the person who comes on the web page to "chat". Contact BBB, that gets them to call you back. The manager "David" is a joke too. I finally took my MH to an independent repair facility in Santa Ana, who's been in business for over 40 years and does an awesome job. Mike Thompson are liars too. I have the cell number to the guy who's responsible for all of Mike Thompson's location, after a few calls to him that you're not satisfied, he somehow makes things happen faster. Good luck with these incompetent liars.
can you send me the info for the repair shop you use. thanks
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Old 08-21-2017, 04:51 PM   #16
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New 2017 3011DS

We purchased our 2017 3011DS in late February from Simi RV. We had an excellent purchase experience and the warranty repairs and service department were stellar. Some of the parts took a long time to come from FR but the service guys kept us informed and up to date on their progress. We have had zero buyers remorse most likely due to the guys at Simi RV.
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Old 08-21-2017, 05:54 PM   #17
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The parts backlog from FR has been/is ongoing. I needed steps. Mine rusted and fell off on one side. FR shipped me replacement aluminum steps. Did not fit. Had to reorder FLEXCO steel. Finally got them. They are OEM. Let's see how long these last!
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Old 08-21-2017, 06:24 PM   #18
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We shopped around at all the big dealers in southern California and got a very uneasy feeling, worse than a time share sales person. We just happened to stop at a small family owned dealer in Moreno Valley, Marjon's RV. We were treated so nice, the wife and I looked at each other and just smiled. No pressure, great service and most importantly, great price. They were and are the only RV dealer I have found with a better than 4 star rating on Yelp and a couple of other sites. Most dealers rank 2 or lower. I would rate a a few at 0.
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Old 08-21-2017, 06:54 PM   #19
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Congratulations!

Congratulations! We had a similar great experience with a small extremely reputable RV Dealer here in San Diego, CA. We looked for nearly 2 years! The biggest challenge was finding a dealer without sharks blood running through his/her veins! We also went to the largest RV dealer, found one we liked, went into the lead sales persons office to discuss it, and one of his underlings sold it out from under us! His explanation! We have to keep them moving! In my opinion very very few RV sales people are actually knowledgeable about their products, warranties, factories where they are produced, and even their own service departments! It's all about nailing the sale and making the commission! So, buyer beware! Take your time and don't be your own worst enemy! Even then there is substantial risk because the entire RV industry is not vetted! Even the BBB is worthless! Dan & Gerda
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Old 08-21-2017, 08:42 PM   #20
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Next time if there is a next time we will take more time to find one. But we do like this one just the after sucked.
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