Compass faults.......what would you do?

[jaybee]

Hi everyone,

My wife and I bought a new Compass Mendip Magnum 556 in july this year.

It was supplied with many faults which we found the next day

cracked front locker

leaking front window (not just a drip, but running in)

leaking plumbing

missing screws

missing sidemarker reflectors

missing valve caps

So much for their pdi.

They did collect and fix the faults after several calls.

However on our first trip we noticed a buring smell when cooking and found that the wiring was left against the back of the oven melting.

Also the washroom door was getting tight but now after being parked on our drive for 2 weeks the door won't close without physically pulling the frame apart.

We really don't fancy having the interior taken apart as after all this is only 2 months old.

So what do we do?

Are we being to fussy?

Are all new vans like this?

We have lost confidence in the long term ownership of this brand and do you thing we might be able to get a refund?

 

[AlfromYC]

Complain, complain, complain & complain again until it meets your standards. If they refuse, get trading standards involved.

Do not put up with it. You wouldnt buy a new car and put up with a long list of faults, so dont do it with a caravan.

Manufacturers & dealers have got away with it for way to long.

 

[johnstafford]

God yes mate do not take any crap. E-mail Explorer group and tel them your problems, after all they did make it, and carbon copy the email to mendip. Do not hide your feelings, when I received poor service from a dealer after spending

 

[Bazz1]

jaybee, did you take out any finance on this purchase? if so then the lender also needs to know. Our last van, an Omega 505 2003, had loads of problems which I endered up putting right on holiday, before we could get round to taking it back. We contacted our finance company and they seemed to be able to bring persuasive powers to bear on the dealer at the time. We have just traded our 505 in for a new van of a differant manefacturer and build quality. We will never go exploring again, if you know what I mean. Best of luck with your woes, Bazz.

 

[Litespeed]

You must give the Dealer the opportunity to fix the faults to your satisfaction. If the same faults arise again you are then legally entitled to reject your purchase back to the dealer, unless you have financed the purchase where you will have to reject it to the finance company, after all it is they who actually own the caravan. You will then find that once the dealer has been contacted by the finance company they will certainly sit up and take notice.

Should any new faults arise you must give the dealer one opportunity to fix them to your satisfaction.

Complain but in a positive, but firm and POLITE way. Shouting and getting angry will just cause the dealer to become defensive and angry so they are less likeley to help you.

Best of luck

Litespeed.

 

[anne_5109389]

I think all manufacturers must be the same we have an ongoing problem with Adria which started in JANUARY.

5 faults

Wate filler cap

Awning heater not connected and outside flap broken

flyscreen

panel delaminating

Adria say the parts have to come from Slovenia.I think I could have WALKED there and back by now.

Ware off to Sapin for winter so will have to put up with faults and hope they will be fixed when we get back.

Anne

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hallo Jaybee,

Your legal rights (the ones that the manufactures guarantee states are "not affected") are with/against the seller. This works like a chain, Your sellers right are against the organisation that sold the item to them and so on. So you only need to deal with the seller.

Lightspeed has it about right - It is the seller (Not the manufacture) that is legally obliged to ensure the goods are fit for purpose. So whilst you are perfectly within your rights to inform the manufacture you must direct your complaint to the seller.

As it has already been mentioned, if you used a finance house to purchase the caravan, then technically they are the seller and your complaint should be directed to them.

Keep a record of all communications - dates time names etc, and be honest and fair.

see:-

http://www.dti.gov.uk/consumers/fact-sheets/page24700.html

 

[ncmorgan]

hi jaybee our 1 year old elddis 524 list is as follows

1 new battery box cover

2 faulty bracker switch

3 condensation in wardrobe

4 every door or cuboard ajusted

5 bathroom flooded due to faulty toilet door

6 split bathroom wall

7 no deflectors under flow for vents causing road spray to go into under bed lockers

8 faulty door window not on as it should be and leeks water in and wind though it

9 floor creeks every time you walk on it

10 dealer scratched caravan while washing it

( that is just some of the problems )

we had the same door problem and they just sanded the door ,which sorted the problem

we went down the road of trying to get a refund or replacement but we were told because we paid cash for it and not finance we only had six months to refuse it and as it has just gone a year old we would have to take it to court and prove that it wasnt fit for what we paid for

 

[jaybee]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the many replies.

I phoned the dealer today who were pleasant enough and booked it in to investigate.

I feel lucky now after reading some of the other threads !!

One thing that did make me chuckle was that dealer is having a show next weekend and said they didn't want any other vans there, I bet they don't!! so I would have to drop it off the following weekend.

If they sand down my door to fit the warped frame as they did with neil I will definatly be seeking legal advise and rejecting the van.

I hope the fact that we didn't take finance won't affect our rights to reject.

 

[Peter_5129011]

With respect to the wiring surely you could reject on safety grounds, you feel that as the wiring there is poorly positioned and obviously a potential danger, you have serious misgivings about the condition and siteing of the wiring you can't see.

(As an aquirer of a "classic" or less politly old caravan, are qualitly problems really this bad? From what I've read here 21st century caravans seem to continue traditions of Leyland and Austin Morris that I thought had been long lost)

 

[Nidge1]

Hi jaybee.

Sorry to hear about the problems with your van.I had lots of problems with our not so old Avondale and have now sold it. Have to agree with Peter about his Leyland/Austin Morris comments!.

I have now got a Hymer Nova. Faults/Quality issues = O

Best of luck

Regards Nidge

 

[Bazz1]

Hi jaybee as it has been said in previous posts DONT take any slaver. Being nice to customers is all part of the game and they know it. We also investigated swapping the van earlier but where persuede not to. You doo have rights under the sale of goods act, having it repaired may infringe your right to demand a refund or replacement so take advice, (CAB).

Also if you are amember of iether of the two main clubs in the UK then they have an help line free of charge to members. This where we started on our ordeal to get things done. Explorer are slow with parts you will need to phone them direct to gee them on! Ask to speak to Janet Tucker if she still works there, she helped when we had problems. Best of luck and stick to your guns, Bazz.

 

[jaybee]

Hi everyone,

I phoned the caravan club help line for some legal advise and have now sent a letter rejecting the van on quality and safety grounds via my solicitor.

Will let you know how we get on

 

[Bazz1]

Well done Jaybee, all the best, Bazz.