Kaznamy said:
is there anywhere that has reviews on dealers? I've tried a couple I've found on google but the 5/6 that i'm looking at aren't on there. i'm chesterfield so looking at Robinsons, Kimberley, Sheffield Caravans, Marquis. i'd like to stay local for servicing/warranty issues but willing to go further for the best deal/dealer.
i'm looking at buying a swift challenger 590 (or swift celebration if I go as far as Glossop caravans)
ProfJohnL said:
Please check out the forum etiquette, then you will perhaps see why you we aren't allowed to post negative comments about individual service providers on this forum, But that doesn't stop positive comments, the problem is anyone who has found a particular dealer to suit their needs is unlikely to have sampled all the others to make a full comparison.
Kaznamy said:
I was wondering if there was anywhere like a website I could go to that had a collection of reviews. I know a few people have had problems with Robinsons so looking for good reviews as well as bad
Most if not all caravan dealerships, service providers etc; will have both good reviews and not so good reviews on the internet.
This could be because customers have different expectations and perceptions, so reviews are rarely objective, everything boils down to the individual and how they feel that they were treated at any given time.
The dealerships involved quite probably have their own point of view which is never seen, so the reality is that we only ever see one side of any story with no means of checking how accurate the story may be.
No respectable caravan internet forum allows the 'naming and shaming' of businesses for the reasons that I've outlined, although un-moderated comments are often shown on social media such as Facebook.
The best approach if considering buying a caravan is to find out exactly what is on offer, and the best price that it can be bought for through haggling.
Sales staff are almost always 'friendly and helpful', they want the sale, so it's often possible to obtain substantial price discounts plus goods such as awnings or even motor movers through haggling using the right approach.
If you want a quick haggling tutorial I'll be only too happy to provide a run down for you :evil:
There is a wealth of advice on this forum about your consumer rights if things are not up to standard, and you only have to ask to receive help and support from forum members.
The really important aspect of dealer / customer relationships is caravan servicing.
The sales staff, having completed the sale, will barely acknowledge you after you've collected your caravan but you'll have an on-going relationship with the servicing department.
Note the level of customer service from the supplying dealership service department, and if you feel that they are not carrying out the work to a good standard, choose a different approved servicing provider, there are more than enough of them competing for your business.
An increasing number of us (me included) now use approved mobile service engineers to carry out the maintenance and have the book stamped, you can be around while they are working on your caravan if you feel it necessary, and the cost is usually less than that of a caravan service department.
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