What's as certain as death & taxes? - yep, an annual caravan servicing bill if you have new van that needs the warranty maintaining.
The cynic might be forgiven or thinking that he/she is coughing up between £150 - £200 merely for the privilege of someone checking for damp and informing them that the fridge/heater/water pump etc is working normally. You might feel cheated, but you know you've got to pay if you want to keep that all important damp warranty.
Luckily, LMC have no requirement for anything other than an annual water ingress check to maintain the 'leakage' warranty. You don't have to have the hitch checked, the wheels kicked, or the fridge reported on - just the damp test, and all is well.
It's in their warranty book - which is also the Geist warranty book - but some dealers don't like that one bit. 'Servicing' is a lucrative part of their income - and they don't want to lose it. so they have adopted a policy of refusing to stamp the 'leakage' check if no additional service work is carried out.
Example:
"Hello, Mardon Caravans, how can we help you?"
"I'd like a damp check on a Geist, please"
"OK, that will cost £15.00, and we can do it next week"
"£15 - that's very reasonable - I'd like to book in, please - you'll stamp the Geist warranty booklet to say the the damp check has been carried out, won't you?"
Long pause.
"How old is your caravan?"
"It's 12 months old, this will be its first check"
Further pause.
"If you van is under warranty you'll have to have it fully serviced"
"I don't want a full service - just the damp check because that's what LMC say is all I need to do"
Pause.
"I'm sorry, but we won't be able to stamp the service book unless you have a full service"
"But I don't want a full service - I just want to keep the water ingress warranty valid, and LMC say that all I need to do that is a damp check"
"We will carry out a damp check - but unless you have a full service we won't be able to stamp your warranty book, sorry"
So, it was on the telephone to Herr Linning, LMC's warranty manager.
"Herr Linning?, Guten tag - sprechen Sie englisch?"
And, of course, he did - and, of course, he confirmed that the warranty booklet was correct. What LMC require is an annual water ingress check, as for the hitch, the heater, the fire, the fridge, Uncle Tom Cobbley & all - they had no interest in them! - what they wanted was a damp check, no more, no less.
"In Germany, we are not used to this idea of 'The Full Service"
"Well, lucky Germans - we in the UK are being forced to pay for stuff we don't want in order to maintain the water leakage warranty"
"They cannot refuse to stamp your warranty book if the check is carried out - who is refusing, please?"
So, armed with an email confirmation of Herr Linning's advice I telephoned Camper UK to arrange the relevant damp check.
When the check had been performed I produced the warranty book for a stamp - and prepared myself for battle, ready to triumphantly produce the LMC email.
However, to my surprise, it wasn't necessary. Unlike Mardon (who are official Geist service agents) Camper UK could not have been more helpful or accommodating.
No lectures on the benefit of a full service.
No refusal to stamp the warranty book,
No questions, no unpleasantness - just a straightforward transaction and a stamped booklet.
To their credit, the even carried out some minor warranty work - which I thought I might have to forgo without the dreaded 'full service'
So, being someone who is never slow to throw stones when they are deserved, let me now also praise Camper UK in Lincoln for honouring the terms of the LMC/Geist warranty - without attempting to force me into unwanted work.
It's appreciate
The cynic might be forgiven or thinking that he/she is coughing up between £150 - £200 merely for the privilege of someone checking for damp and informing them that the fridge/heater/water pump etc is working normally. You might feel cheated, but you know you've got to pay if you want to keep that all important damp warranty.
Luckily, LMC have no requirement for anything other than an annual water ingress check to maintain the 'leakage' warranty. You don't have to have the hitch checked, the wheels kicked, or the fridge reported on - just the damp test, and all is well.
It's in their warranty book - which is also the Geist warranty book - but some dealers don't like that one bit. 'Servicing' is a lucrative part of their income - and they don't want to lose it. so they have adopted a policy of refusing to stamp the 'leakage' check if no additional service work is carried out.
Example:
"Hello, Mardon Caravans, how can we help you?"
"I'd like a damp check on a Geist, please"
"OK, that will cost £15.00, and we can do it next week"
"£15 - that's very reasonable - I'd like to book in, please - you'll stamp the Geist warranty booklet to say the the damp check has been carried out, won't you?"
Long pause.
"How old is your caravan?"
"It's 12 months old, this will be its first check"
Further pause.
"If you van is under warranty you'll have to have it fully serviced"
"I don't want a full service - just the damp check because that's what LMC say is all I need to do"
Pause.
"I'm sorry, but we won't be able to stamp the service book unless you have a full service"
"But I don't want a full service - I just want to keep the water ingress warranty valid, and LMC say that all I need to do that is a damp check"
"We will carry out a damp check - but unless you have a full service we won't be able to stamp your warranty book, sorry"
So, it was on the telephone to Herr Linning, LMC's warranty manager.
"Herr Linning?, Guten tag - sprechen Sie englisch?"
And, of course, he did - and, of course, he confirmed that the warranty booklet was correct. What LMC require is an annual water ingress check, as for the hitch, the heater, the fire, the fridge, Uncle Tom Cobbley & all - they had no interest in them! - what they wanted was a damp check, no more, no less.
"In Germany, we are not used to this idea of 'The Full Service"
"Well, lucky Germans - we in the UK are being forced to pay for stuff we don't want in order to maintain the water leakage warranty"
"They cannot refuse to stamp your warranty book if the check is carried out - who is refusing, please?"
So, armed with an email confirmation of Herr Linning's advice I telephoned Camper UK to arrange the relevant damp check.
When the check had been performed I produced the warranty book for a stamp - and prepared myself for battle, ready to triumphantly produce the LMC email.
However, to my surprise, it wasn't necessary. Unlike Mardon (who are official Geist service agents) Camper UK could not have been more helpful or accommodating.
No lectures on the benefit of a full service.
No refusal to stamp the warranty book,
No questions, no unpleasantness - just a straightforward transaction and a stamped booklet.
To their credit, the even carried out some minor warranty work - which I thought I might have to forgo without the dreaded 'full service'
So, being someone who is never slow to throw stones when they are deserved, let me now also praise Camper UK in Lincoln for honouring the terms of the LMC/Geist warranty - without attempting to force me into unwanted work.
It's appreciate
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