Caravan Servicing Franchises...............Beware

[Damian]

I have just received the following information relating to a particular company advertising caravan repair franchise:

Warning:

Many of you will have seen these 'business opportunities' advertised in the caravan club mags and the franchise

mags.

I have bitter experience of most popular of these caravan repair franchises. Almost everything they tell you will

sound great - you will think you are doing something great for yourself - believe me, once you have handed

over your money, you are on your own. I have spent thousands of pounds and am still trying to get a wage out of

it. 'You've given up so soon?' you may ask. Well this is supposed to be an established franchise and they tell you,

you can expect to turn over £50k in your first year - its on their website and in the bumf they give you at the shows.

Spread the word - this franchise is a con and they will suspend the license and/or remove it altogether if any

franchisee is found to be publically discussing any part of the 'business' in a negative fashion. In other words,

put up with their extremely poor efforts (i would like to swear here but i wont!) or lose every penny and ounce of

effort you have put into your business.

I have pages and pages of gripes and complaints, most of which are ignored by the office. If you are thinking

about going into this, do yourself a favour - dont.

Make your own minds up.

I would like to point out that the MCEA is NOT a franchise operation , they are all individual businesses working together as an Association.

 

[LMH]

Excuse me if I am a bit dim, but does this not contraveine forum eitquette?

Posts about Swift are removed/challenged.

This remains but is it because its a francise to whom the author refers? Or does it remain because it's written by Damian?

Lis

 

[LMH]

Item 4 of the etiguette rules:

'You may not transmit complaints about named companies or caravan parks. Such individual issues should be taken up with the company direct'.

 

[ValA.]

In the body of the post Damian doesn't mention the name of the company offering the franchise.

The MCEA to whom he refers at the bottom is the organisation which Damian himself works for (I think).

If this forum were better we could make a better job of 'quoting' from letters so that it appeared in italics, for instance, and was easier to distinguish from the actual text of the post itself.

 

[Dustydog]

I assume Damian is referring to one the" few" frasnchise companies who purport to service your caravan for next to nothing whilst at the same time make the franchisee a very rich chappie. Some of these have advertised in PC Mag and CC mag.

Clearly MCEA has investigated and passed judgement.

Surely this is a genuine case where name and shame should be allowed to save any of us being ripped off??

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[Damian]

I have deliberately not named the organisation concerned as that would infringe etiquette.

Val is partly correct in as much as I am a NCC Approved Workshop and also am a member of the MCEA, but I do not "work for them", nor does any other member.

It is simply a trade association where we share information and try and broker the best deals for our customers.

The only thing I will say , particularly to those with vans under warranty, is make sure that if you do not use the supplying dealer for service, use one that is NCC Approved Workshop (and may be a member of an association or not).

Ask to see their current Certificate of Membership of the AWS.

 

[ValA.]

I have deliberately not named the organisation concerned as that would infringe etiquette.

Val is partly correct in as much as I am a NCC Approved Workshop and also am a member of the MCEA, but I do not "work for them", nor does any other member.

It is simply a trade association where we share information and try and broker the best deals for our customers.

The only thing I will say , particularly to those with vans under warranty, is make sure that if you do not use the supplying dealer for service, use one that is NCC Approved Workshop (and may be a member of an association or not).

Ask to see their current Certificate of Membership of the AWS.

Sorry Damian!

 

[Parksy]

Dustydog wrote:

'I assume Damian is referring to one the" few" frasnchise companies who purport to service your caravan for next to nothing whilst at the same time make the franchisee a very rich chappie. Some of these have advertised in PC Mag and CC mag.

Clearly MCEA has investigated and passed judgement.

Surely this is a genuine case where name and shame should be allowed to save any of us being ripped off??'

If there is 100% cast iron proof of this happening as opposed to speculation, rumour or hearsay then why not?

Whoever posted such information would need to furnish this proof, material from other websites would not be acceptable.

 

[Damian]

I am sorry, I missed a part of Dustydogs'post where he says "Clearly MCEA has investigated and passed judgement"

The answer to this assumption is a categoric NO.

The MCEA has not investigated,

I posted what I had received, and had proven, by a dissatisfied franchisee of this particular organisation.(which I am not going to name)

I made the comment about the MCEA as it is NOT a franchise organisation, as previously explained.

Please do NOT try and put words in my mouth or make assumptions on what I may or may not be trying to say.

It is people doing this which causes all kinds of problems and subsequent misinformation.

 

[dougie_374468830]

I have seen various adverts for franchises who claim to be "approved". By whom?

As the only "approved" scheme backed by the manufacturers and clubs is the Approved Workshop Scheme run by the NCC. Who are the the MCEA,NLA and NCA et al approved by? Can an MCEA etc engineer service a two year old caravan and would the manufacturer recognise this? In fact do any manufacturers recognise any of these organisations?

I recently did a bit of research and found that i could set up an organisation in my front room, gather up a few gullible people and hey presto they are approved by my organisation and i am a few grand to the good. Which after all is the name of the game.

 

[Noodle99]

I have just seen my post reproduced on your forum.

I must point out that the post, titled 'Caravan Repair Franchises' on CaravanTalk.org.uk DOES NOT REFER TO THE MCEA or any of the other mobile caravan service engineer operations. The MCEA is a separate and totally unconnected business to which i have no connection.

The franchise company i would like to name, but can't specialise in bodywork repairs - servicing and general repairs do not form part of their business. They have many claims with regard to approval from certain nationwide bodies and companies - believe me, you have more chance of making a living out of selling autographed photos of Jimmy Saville than you would from this franchise. Of the contacts i have with other franchisees, most are not making anything like they were expecting, many are now doing this alongside a 'proper job' or have not yet given up their day job as they had expected to do once up and running, and at least ten of the claimed fifty plus franchisees (only 41 listed on yell.com - including some operators already finished!) have folded inside twelve months - THIS IS NOT A VIABLE FRANCHISE - DO NOT GET INVOLVED.

Mr Franchise responded with claims that at least two of his franchisees are doing well - two in fifty? so thats a 90% plus dissapointed / failure rate then?

 

[readcaravans]

dougie

the only approval status recognised by the manufacturers is that of the AWS who is run by the NCC. FACT

 

[readcaravans]

there are currently only 3 avenues to get your caravan serviced without invalidating any caravan manufacturers warranty.

1. A dealer of the brand ie Swift dealer, Bailey dealer etc.

2. A workshop approved directly by the manufacturer (even if they dont sell their products)

3. An AWS workshop or an AWS mobile technician.