advice on repair to my caravan

[john374224244]

Hello I had my caravan damaged while in storage and arranged to have the repairs done by a lunar agent this was in april 2006 it required the back pannel and rear window and back bottom pannel and rear sink and 2 rear corner steadys the insurance company passed the work to be done by them on 10th march 2006 they had not ordered the parts in august 2006 so arranged with insurance company to change repairer sent copy of the oridginal etimate with all parts listed the new repairer who sent a new estimate to the insurance company which they passed but the new repairer left out the 2 corner steadys after picking up the caravan and just before i left they told me that they had staightened the corner steadys to work a bit better because they left them of the estemate by mistake and they were on the estinate i sent them should they replace them or should the insurance company honer the first estimate that had all the parts on or will i have to pay for them supplying and fitting which i dont think i should have to, as they were oridginaly on for supplying and fitting when i put the claim into the insurance company thank you hope to hear from any one that can advise me JOHN

 

[CliveV]

Hi John

Two points -

1) - Corner steady's are inexpensive

2) - You say they were listed on the estimate.

They are not going to save much by bodging the old ones! In fact I would suggest that taking them off to straighten them would cost more in labour charges than taking the old ones off and simply putting a new set on.

So did they "straighten them" whilst still in place????

If so, it is my understanding that this is really not a good idea. They are designed as steady's NOT a kind of jack so applying leverage to straighten could have done damage. I hope not in your case obviously.

What is the standard of the other repairs?

 

[john374224244]

Hi John

Two points -

1) - Corner steady's are inexpensive

2) - You say they were listed on the estimate.

They are not going to save much by bodging the old ones! In fact I would suggest that taking them off to straighten them would cost more in labour charges than taking the old ones off and simply putting a new set on.

So did they "straighten them" whilst still in place????

If so, it is my understanding that this is really not a good idea. They are designed as steady's NOT a kind of jack so applying leverage to straighten could have done damage. I hope not in your case obviously.

What is the standard of the other repairs?

hello CLIVE V

yes corner steadys were on the copy from the first dealership which i sent to the new dealership which had all parts listed on it that was required for the repairs,

Yes i think the steadys were not removed

And standared of other repairs were very good do you think i should have to pay for the work doing thank you JOHN

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello John,

If the replacment of the stedies was part of the scheudle of work to be carried out as identified by the original estimate, and that was used to specify the work to be carried out by the second supplier then that forms part of the contract.

If the work was not carried out, then the contract has not been fulfilled.

You should have checked the caravan before removing it from the repaier, and the ommision of the steadies should have been noted with a view to have the work completed either imediately or at a mutually convenient time. However thier admission that the stedies were not changed is a point in your favour.

You should write and point out that the written specification supplied at the time the company accepted the formed the contract and that the insurance company had accepted the scale of work to be performed.

The company are obliged to honour the contract at the agreed price. It is the companies failure to identify the stedies and they must accept the consequence of thier failure rather than pass it on to you.

You should also write to the insurance company and point out that the reparier has not fulfilled the contract, and ask them to intervene to have the repairs fully carried out.

Keep copies of all correspondence.

If you do not recieve satisfaction, you should report the problem to trading standards, and seek professional advice from teh CAB or a soliciter.

 

[CliveV]

I think a little reality injection would be good here!

I replaced a rusty jammed steady on my Avondale a few years back - it took me about 30 min and cost about

 

[ProfJohnL]

Clive,

I did say if you do not recieve satisfaction, you should report the problem to trading standards, and seek professional advice from teh CAB or a soliciter.

That is the correct procedure,

Now I agree that if it can be resolved amicably that is by far the betetr way, but on a mechanical note:

If the steadies have buckled once, not only may it have damaged the chassis but also the steady itself will be weakend and more prone to buckling again at the same point at les than its designed load.

So if in the opinion of the original the professional repirer they needed replacing, then to satisfy that nagging doubt about them they should be replaced.

 

[john374224244]

Clive,

I did say if you do not recieve satisfaction, you should report the problem to trading standards, and seek professional advice from teh CAB or a soliciter.

That is the correct procedure,

Now I agree that if it can be resolved amicably that is by far the betetr way, but on a mechanical note:

If the steadies have buckled once, not only may it have damaged the chassis but also the steady itself will be weakend and more prone to buckling again at the same point at les than its designed load.

So if in the opinion of the original the professional repirer they needed replacing, then to satisfy that nagging doubt about them they should be replaced.

hello all who replyed

beforei took the caravan away I told the repairer that the rear corner steadys had not been replaced, and he stated he would look into it and sort it out for me and arrange for the caravan to go back in, 2days later i recieved an email from him saying that he had been in touch with the insurance company and they said that they had not been on the esimate that he put in so he has left it in my court to sort it out with the insurance company, which i think that is for him to sort out as i said to him that they were on the estemate i supplyed from the other repairer and he agreed to do the work from this , thank you all john

 

[CliveV]

Hi JohnL

You and I are saying exactly the same thing about the actual damage and its possible ramifications.

But I still say that getting a solicitor involved on something that would cost less than