Lunar Warranty Work

Wesser66 · Oct 11, 2016

Hi everyone I'm new to this but wondered if anyone has had warranty work carried out on a Lunar Caravan?
WE bought our Clubman SI from a Lunar dealer in the West Country last November and have ended up with a few problems which included splitting and cracking on the outside surface of the large sunshine roof, a split in the floor of one of the outside storage boxes and a hole has appeared in the A frame. On ringing the dealer we were asked to take the caravan in and then we picked it up a week later and was even informed by the dealer on the phone that the job was all done. Guess what NO it wasn't and we didn't find out until we were hitched up ready to go and my husband checked the work. I won't carry on with that story just to say that the air was a little blue for a while but then we were informed that the replacement parts would be coming from Lunar and it would take 7 to 8 week before they had them. THAT WAS 10 WEEKS AGO AND STILL NO CALL FROM THE DEALER. Just wondered if anyone else has had the same sort of problems with Lunar waiting for parts. We have rung the dealer to be told the parts are not in yet.

WoodlandsCamper · Oct 11, 2016

Yes, it can take months and months for Lunar to send parts to a dealer.

You just have to be patient. They are certainly not customer focused.

Wesser66 · Oct 11, 2016

Thank you for your quick response we are just getting really hacked off with this now. Might try a letter to Lunar see if I get any reaction anyway thanks once again.

WoodlandsCamper · Oct 11, 2016

Lunar don't correspond with individuals, only dealers.

Dustydog · Oct 12, 2016

As you bought your caravan ( New?) prior to October 2015 then you get protection from The Consumer Rights Act 2015.
In your case as the problem has arisen 11months on the Act uses the following statement on time to be taken to effect a repair:-

Unless a particular timescale for performing the service is set out or agreed, the service must be carried out in a reasonable time.
What is a reasonable time you may ask?
Any offers Prof?
IMO a 10 week delay from the Dealer is unacceptable as is a 8 week wait for parts.

ProfJohnL · Oct 12, 2016

Hello Dusty,

Sadly this is another case of where in my opinion the customers may not have been aware of all their options before embarking on a repair strategy. I honestly believe that ever retail outlet or sales documentation should have a very clear indication of the customers statutory rights so they constantly reminded to consider them before being shunted without question by retailers down the manufacturer's guarantee route.

We are not told by the OP if they asked by the dealer if they wanted for the work to be done under the Manufacturers guarantee or did the dealer just assume it? Or did the OP tell the dealer that's what they wanted?

What ever route choices were offered, it seems the work has gone down the M.G. route, and that means it's govererned by the guarantee's T&C's which are written by the manufacturer. You would have to review the version provided at the point of sale to see if there are any specific references to time limits for supply or repairs to be started.

However, all is not lost. For a start if the T&C's fail to set out a time limit, or the limit is unreasonable, the customer may be able to take out a legal challenge under the unfair contracts legislation. I believe that whilst that may be an option it's likely to be protracted action with considerable risk of large fees and costs.

But there nothing stopping the OP from initiating an action under SoGA or CRA (dependant on the specific date of the completion of the purchase usually date of hand over for a caravan) to superced the manufactures guarantee work. In my opinion the OP has strong evidence that the product has not been of merchantable quality and has not been sufficiently durable, corroborated by the manufactures acceptance of a guarantee claim.

It will be vital for the OP to do some research and if necessary seek professional legal advice before embarking on either of the above suggestions.

Dustydog · Oct 12, 2016

Thanks Prof.
It seems to me the new Act , six months after purchase, doesn't categorically detail time scales.
The time waited so far by the OP is not " a reasonable time".
Just a shame the Act wasn't more specific

Raywood · Oct 12, 2016

I agree with the prof although despite the suggestion that Lunar will not correspond with individuals there are people who having made formal complaints to the directors have had one and a promise of action, A complaint together with a suggestion that unless they get things done promptly will result in legal action is probably the best way forward with the correspondence going to both the dealer and Lunar.
I do have to say that with some of these delays the dealers seem to be as guilty as the manufacturers as it is easy to pass the buck when you have done nothing. I cannot say how the dealer there performs but using the legislation you can make it very expensive for the dealer and manufacturer at very little cost and no risk to you. Basically very few will fight a case because it is usually cheaper to pay and could cause substantial losses due to bad publicity.
Given how different people get very different service with warranty claims though it does seem that a lot depends on the dealer.

ProfJohnL · Oct 12, 2016

Dustydog said:
Thanks Prof.
It seems to me the new Act , six months after purchase, doesn't categorically detail time scales.
The time waited so far by the OP is not " a reasonable time".
Just a shame the Act wasn't more specific

Hello Dusty,

I couldn't have made my point clear enough for you.

In the Case of this OP the work is being carried out under the Manufacturers Guarantee, and that means SoGA/CRA is not the controlling regulation. Because its the manufacturers guarantee, there are no controlling regulations concerning time scales for inspections and repairs, Time scales are those the manufacturer includes or omits in the guarantees T&C's.

As a more general comment concerning the SoGA and the CRA, its would be very difficult for legislators to put prescriptive times scale for inspections and repairs, as the act covers ALL retail contracts, and that includes such a wide range of products from simplest to the most complex you can imagine (if you have the money).

Also there has to some realism to the concept of accessibility to spare parts, If every part of every product ever made was kept in store ready for immediate despatch, our countryside would have long disappeared under continuous warehouses, and our economy would be even more broken than it is now. Storing goods is a very expensive process, and the current world class manufacturers are looking to keep stock holding to an absolute minimum.

Ther some products where there are either market pressures or legislation that forces a certain level of stock to be held, usually for a set number of years past the the point the product is withdrawn, but the number of such items is dropping.

For some products the service requirement is not for stock to be held, but the manufacturer has the ability to manufacture on demand. But this is rarely an instant process, and it often has to fitted into a production schedule which could be quite some time after the order is placed.

So its not always a simple matter to supply spares, and it becomes more complicated the more a product sits in a niche market slot and is subject to annual revisions based on taste rather than technical advancement.

I'm usually a strong critic of the caravan manufacturers, and there is no doubt that in many ways they should be doing a lot more to prevent customers having to find and sort out their design and manufacturing issues. but I have to also look at the realities of running such a business and its not easy and certainly not cheap to provide a totally comprehensive and instant supply of spares.

I can fully understand the OP's frustration on this, and ther might be some very good reasons why it's taking so long, but it doesn't do manufacturers or teh delaere any good to be so tight lipped about it all. If the response to teh OP had been "We're sorry we don't carry the part in stock, and it will have to be specially manufactured for you which will take about X weeks", that would offset so much anxiety, and allow the customer to have realistic expectations of a time scale.

PS. Even if the job was being carried out under SoGA/CRA there could still be a substantial wait for parts from the manufacturer.

Sadly the only way such a delay could be challenged would be through the courts with no guarantees of success.

20170602yuanyuan · Jun 2, 2017

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