Local Dealers and Warranty work

jsilvius · 07-13-2012, 11:46 AM

I've been a member of this community for a few years now and I find is astounding that the local dealers can get away with not honoring the FR warranty because you didn't buy from them. I'm curious to know how these dealers can keep their businesses if they won't do the warranty work. I can understand they are upset about not getting a sale, but it absolutely boggles my mind that they would be so petty as to not service a product that they represent. I've done business with our local FR dealer for several years now, but he doesn't carry the XLR that I'm looking at buying. I asked him if I bought it elsewhere would he still service it for me, and he said no problem.

It's just crazy to turn away business for your service department just because your sales team doesn't sell or can't meet a price.

Guess that is just my rambling thought for the day.

kvn4th · 07-13-2012, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsilvius

I've been a member of this community for a few years now and I find is astounding that the local dealers can get away with not honoring the FR warranty because you didn't buy from them. I'm curious to know how these dealers can keep their businesses if they won't do the warranty work. I can understand they are upset about not getting a sale, but it absolutely boggles my mind that they would be so petty as to not service a product that they represent. I've done business with our local FR dealer for several years now, but he doesn't carry the XLR that I'm looking at buying. I asked him if I bought it elsewhere would he still service it for me, and he said no problem.

It's just crazy to turn away business for your service department just because your sales team doesn't sell or can't meet a price.

Guess that is just my rambling thought for the day.

Thank-you for you voicing your sentiments about this. It boggles my mind that Forest River can't somehow put pressure on the independent dealers who refuse to honor a factory warranty on a product they sell for Forest River. I personally called Gregg at the Forest River warranty department at the factory and flat out told me there is really nothing they can do to get the local dealers to honor their warranties if they don't want to. I had one dealer that I called (new 2013 2109s Rockwood purchased June 9, 2012) as soon as I told him my problem and was it covered under the factory warranty, ask "where did you buy it"? I told him RV Wholesalers and he said he was a flagstaff dealer and go find somebody else. Another dealer I called did the exact same thing ask me where I bought it and this time I asked why that was relevant and he said cause if you didnt buy it here then we don't have to service it. Why would Forest River allow these dealers to trash their Brand like that?

Len & Cheri · 07-13-2012, 01:10 PM

When a dealer tells you they won't work on your rig it's really a crappy reponse. I'd just tell them I recently moved to the area and couldn't drive back to where I used to live.

**Terier** · 07-13-2012, 01:14 PM

Like many members I would had thought that a business person would welcome business.

With that said here's another side to the coin - many RV service department have a small staff and space is often limited. Maybe this factor plays a role in it too.

(Not saying I agree that it's right)

kvn4th · 07-13-2012, 03:10 PM

Isn't something that in this day and age , with a poor economy and so many out of work, that customer service at certain RV dealerships would rather turn away business in the hopes of teaching customers a lesson to buy from them and keep charging higher rates for their inventory than to compete with lower pricing points. Gee, I thought that a free market was what made this country the most innovative and provided the most opportunities for the most people. Its too bad that their policy of denial fo services "cause you didn't buy it here" reduces good folks to find work arounds to get warranty work done. How weird is that?

DDC · 07-13-2012, 05:22 PM

I agree that you should be able to go to any dealer especially with a product that is made to travel, can you imagine going into a GM or Ford dealer 1800 miles from home and they tell you too phss of you didn't buy it here, FR could use a little persuasion with this (ie.do you want to be our dealer or not).

**bikendan** · 07-13-2012, 07:52 PM

one problems is that many compare the RV industry to the Automobile industry.
they try to relate to how a RV dealership should behave, like the Auto dealership does.

the reality is that the only thing they have in common, is that they sell things with wheels, at dealerships.
other than that, there's very little else in common.

TheFordes · 07-13-2012, 08:35 PM

I agree 100%!!! it is crazy. We bought 3 hours away because locally they didn't carry toyhaulers of anykind. We knew we had a FR dealer about 30 mins away!! They refused to honor it and we have let everyone know that is in our camping family. They have lost alot of business and we made sure that they know this. We have had to take our camper 2 time 2 hours away to Campers World in Roanoke and there tech still hasn't fixed the problem. Called FR about this and no real response that they are paying the dealer to do the work and he really isn't doing anything. I believe my 8 year old could fix it better. So we are scheduled to take it back and drop it off for 2 weeks where we bought it. These guys have been more helpful over the phone. Calling us after work hours to help us more than taking it on site to Campers World!!!!! Not happy with FR at all at this point. They make a beautiful camper but when you buy something you would hope the company would stand behind it not just take your money and run!! Want it to work and be able to use it and not have it sit in my driveway or in service and look pretty!

MightyMike · 07-13-2012, 09:02 PM

I'd like to point out that a lot of the problems revert back to the owners themselves. Most people will complain, post on the internet and talk to people they know. Instead- make a stronger point. I had tremendous problems with my last Rv I bought through Campimg World- a Keystone product. After fighting with both, numerous letters, phone calls, I have never stepped foot in a Camping World store again. And I used my own money to buy 5" vinyl letters and on the back of my rig put "BIGGEST PIECE OF CRAP RV I EVER BOUGHT.For info call (my cell #). I got calls constantly on the road and had tons of people stop by the camper whenever we went anywhere. Keystone never cared at all, and Camping World I'm sure doesn't miss my business, but if more people would stop supporting these companies, they would get the message. It isn't something these companies are going to change by themselves. So the dealer doesn't want your warranty work- well then they should never get ANY of your business- parts, inspections or new purchases. And make sure the managers know what's going on- not just sales or service staff.

Beausdog · 07-13-2012, 09:34 PM

I had one dealer in va turn me away, i just told him that my aeveral thousand dollars u was going to spend in his store just walked away....i mean since im not gonna be sitting there waiting and killing time. Another time, with my old TT....i called sales first, told them i was lioking ti upgrade but the only way i could get the DW in the door was with a reason. I told them i needed warranty work and that would be my excuse to bring her to show her some new units while we waited. The salesman got us into service the same week after service turned us down

Beausdog · 07-13-2012, 09:38 PM

But also with that said the FR dealers here in my area aren't too bad. I have gotten appointments with two of them for various reasons...only one asked the question if i bought there and the other didnt seem to care at all

**Herk7769** · 07-13-2012, 10:52 PM

When I bought my Flagstaff it was my first RV. I bought at a local dealer knowing up front that they were several thousand more than the quote I got from RVWholsalers. However it was still several thousand more that they wanted me to pay.

I felt buying locally was worth the extra money when we struck our deal. They then proceeded to rip me off in every way they could to make up what they lost by dickering with me. That lasted a year and six months until the final straw. They refused to send me a tube of the bearing grease they used when they did not fill my hubs when they did a bearing repack.

For a 6 dollar tube of bearing grease; they not only lost my business, but I have told any one who cared to PM me who they were. I would not buy a roll of RV TP from them if I needed it in an emergency. I would rather use a phone book.

My next camper will most likely be a Class A when we sell the house and go full time in a few years. RVWholsalers will be getting that business. They can eat those units sitting on their lot.

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