Warranty work refused

[dubob]

Life’s little experiences can bring sadness or joy. I had one yesterday that ended on a happy note – at least I hope it did and will be in the future. It’s regarding the warranty service on my new (yes new) 2011 Lance 992.

I bought the unit from Bozeman Ford & RV in Montana. I was going to buy a 2 or 3 year old used unit, but when I found this unit at not much more than a used one, I bought it instead. I knew Lance had a dealer in Salt Lake City, UT about 40 miles from home, so I wasn’t worried about having a resource for the warranty service. Little did I know.

The first issue under warranty was the Jensen radio/CD player doesn’t want to work when it’s cold. I called the SLC dealership to see about getting a replacement. I explained where I bought the unit and why. Their service department told me I would have to take the issue back to Bozeman, MT because I didn’t buy it from them and they had no interest or desire to do warranty work on a unit that wasn’t purchased from them.

I called Bozeman RV and talked to the manager and explained the situation to him and how driving 700 miles (round trip) wasn’t going to happen. He had his Lance regional sales rep call me and he relayed my complaint directly to Lance. Lance called me yesterday and I explained the situation. The Lance rep was very accommodating. He is shipping me a new replacement radio which I will install. And if I need warranty service in the future, I’m to call Lance direct and they will intercede with the dealer for me to get the needed service.

The sad thing for this SLC dealership is the fact that I will not ever choose them for any kind of service or parts in the future (except warranty work) and they have lost a potential customer. I will also not recommend there business to anybody who asks me for advice about service work. I would think that the SLC dealership would want to establish a good relationship with any and all Lance product owners. But apparently that is not the case.

If your travels will take you through Utah with a new Lance product and you find yourself in need of some warranty work, I sincerely hope you will be treated better than I was.

[sh410]

The local dealer has so much service work in his shop that he can refuse any work?

My local dealer wants all of the service work he can get.

[sandblast]

The Lance dealer in Salt Lake City is also the dealer of other rv`s.

I brought my new to me used trailer to them for non warranty work and
And have found there service dept. to really go to bat for me.

They also are always on time on budget with any thing i`ve used them for.
People coming thru SLC Ut. can count on an honest quote and prompt scheduling.

E.P. Draper, Ut.

[dubob]

jimh425 wrote:
Besides, the dealer in question should have clearly stated why they wouldn't work on it.

As has already been stated in my original post, they did so state: “Their service department told me I would have to take the issue back to Bozeman, MT because I didn’t buy it from them and they had no interest or desire to do warranty work on a unit that wasn’t purchased from them.”

[dubob]

mkirsch wrote:
Why did you "explain the situation" to the SLC Lance dealer? Kinda like sticking your thumb in a guy's eye before asking to bum a cigarette.

In this case, as little information as possible would have been better. You've got a 2011 Lance 990 that's still under warranty with a bad radio, period, end of story. Don't rub it in that you didn't buy it from them. They probably won't ask.

I told the local dealer the truth about my purchase. I believe that honesty is pretty much always the best approach to any situation. I didn’t see a need (and still don’t) to conceal that information from the local dealer. I believe it was the right thing to do. You, of course, have the right to feel otherwise.

As to rubbing it in to the dealer, again we differ in opinion. It was a simple statement of fact delivered in a non-threatening, non-malicious manner.

Yes, I do have a 2011 Lance 992 that is still under warranty with a bad radio. I also have a new radio coming from Lance that will be here next week which I will endeavor to change out myself by removing 4 screws, unplugging the old radio, plugging in the new radio, and replacing the 4 screws. And THAT sir, will be the actual end of the story.

[dubob]

mark1228 wrote:
The other thing I really laugh about on these types of subjects is that the local dealer now has "lost your business". Really? Seems to me they lost it when you went out of town to make your purchase and since you did it once a logical conclusion is that you will do it again next time.

Which parts of my previous statements about the local dealer NOT HAVING either a 2-3 year old used unit (which is what I wanted and started out looking for) or a 2011 new unit (which I bought at a highly discounted price) available for sale on their lot for the time period of Oct 2012 through Apr 2013 do you not understand. The local dealer had nothing in stock that I was interested in buying. That being said, the local dealer lost absolutely nothing in the way of a sale. Why is that so hard for a couple of you folks to grasp?

[jimh406]

There are lots of reasons why a dealer doesn't do warranty work including being punitive. Sales guys don't make any money off of it compared to what they make in sales.

In addition, as others have noted are they providing a service or a profit center. Many small dealers don't really do service. The ones that specialize in service will work on anything, warranty or not.

Besides, the dealer in question should have clearly stated why they wouldn't work on it. Then, they would be given the proper consideration of being worthy of future business. That's all on that business. They could have said, "Lance has shown that they don't pay for warranty work, so we don't do work on vehicles that we didn't sell. We will help you find someone who will and call Lance for you".

[fla-gypsy]

The Texan wrote:

WyoTraveler wrote:
How long this great warranty service will last, I suspect, will be based on if Navistarrv sells their MH business. In the mean time I have 7 months left on my warranty.

You didn't have to wait very long......Navistar RV sold

LOL, here is the text of the article. I didn't see anything mentioned about warranty of existing units either and frankly I thought they did a terrible job of production on the HR brand trailers. This may be good for HR.

Fleetwood Parent Acquires Navistar RV Assets
Print May 16, 2013 by RV Business Leave a Comment
Navistar Inc. confirmed today that Allied Specialty Vehicles (ASV), a $1 billion sales producer of specialty vehicles and parent to motorhome builder Fleetwood RV Inc., has purchased certain assets of Navistar RV.

According to a news release, the deal was structured as a purchase of all of the equity interests of Navistar RV and includes the manufacturing operations for Navistar’s R-Vision and Holiday Rambler towable units in Harrisburg, Ore., and Navistar’s Monaco and Holiday Rambler brand motorized RVs in Wakarusa, Ind. ASV has also entered into a multi-year leasing agreement for Navistar RV’s Elkhart, Ind., facility. The sale does not include Bison Coach, Navistar’s horse trailer manufacturing business.

“ASV is honored to welcome all of the existing Monaco, Holiday Rambler, R-Vision, Beaver and Safari customers and an exceptional network of dealer partners to the ASV family,” said Peter Guile, CEO of Orlando, Fla.-based ASV. “The ASV team is committed to providing our customers and dealers with exceptional product, service and support, and we are fully committed to re-establish the product leadership and extraordinary reputation for innovation, quality and service for which the Monaco family of brands has been known.”

ASV also announced that Mike Snell has been named as president of Monaco and Holiday Rambler. Snell has logged over 20 years with Monaco, serving as a longtime executive for Monaco Coach Corp. and most recently as vice president of sales for Monaco RV under the Navistar umbrella.

“ASV is pleased to welcome Mike Snell as president of Monaco and Holiday Rambler,” said Guile. “Mike has made an invaluable contribution to the Monaco brands and the industry over his 20-year career with Monaco RV, and we look forward to his leadership during this new, exciting phase of growth.”

“We join the ASV family fully energized with worthy goals and high hopes as we jointly work to rebuild our iconic and proud RV industry brands,” commented Mike Snell. “With the commitment and support of ASV we’ll focus on developing innovative, distinct and aspirational products in keeping with the long and rich tradition of our brands. I look forward to working with our team, our dealers and our customers to make this vision a reality.”

[mkirsch]

Why did you "explain the situation" to the SLC Lance dealer? Kinda like sticking your thumb in a guy's eye before asking to bum a cigarette.

In this case, as little information as possible would have been better. You've got a 2011 Lance 990 that's still under warranty with a bad radio, period, end of story. Don't rub it in that you didn't buy it from them. They probably won't ask.

[mark1228]

Lantley wrote:
The local dealer is not truly the bad guy. The entire RV dealer network is really the route of the issue. The OP stated he went to his local Lance dealer for help with a warranty repair. Truth is the dealers are not truly affiliated and are really independent operators. The idea that there is a dealer network is a charade that the RV industry really does not want to discuss.
Your local dealer does not want the job because there is a good chance they will not be compensated by Lance. They are willing to take the risk on payment with a unit they sold , however with a unit they did not sell they don't want the headache.
Notice Lance did not resolve the issue via the local dealer because they have no authority or agreement with the dealer to regulate/enforce the warranty repairs.
Frankly I would not take on non paying work either, I understand there is good will but there is also overhead and bills to be paid.
In the end the local guy gets the black eye, however the issue really lies with Lance and the entire RV industry's lack of a true automotive industry style warranty and compensation network.
Fortunately Lance did resolve your issue. Ultimately Lance is responsible for your warranty not the dealer.
Before you write off you local guy, you need to understand there is not a dealer network for warranty service.
This issue comes up frequently your case is not the first and will not be the last.
While non selling dealer warranty service is not a deal breaker when buying a unit it is a real issue that should be considered when not buying locally

This is exactly right. Think about it, if warranty paid well, why would any dealer refuse it? The dealer gets the black eye for a problem that stems from the manufacturer and they are the one that is responsible for your warranty.

The other thing I really laugh about on these types of subjects is that the local dealer now has "lost your business". Really? Seems to me they lost it when you went out of town to make your purchase and since you did it once a logical conclusion is that you will do it again next time.

[Lantley]

The local dealer is not truly the bad guy. The entire RV dealer network is really at the root of the issue. The OP stated he went to his local Lance dealer for help with a warranty repair. Truth is the dealers are not truly affiliated and are really independent operators. The idea that there is a dealer network is a charade that the RV industry really does not want to discuss.
Your local dealer does not want the job because there is a good chance they will not be compensated by Lance. They are willing to take the risk on payment with a unit they sold, however with a unit they did not sell they don't want the headache.
Notice Lance did not resolve the issue via the local dealer because they have no authority or agreement with the dealer to regulate/enforce the warranty repairs.
Frankly I would not take on non paying work either, I understand there is good will but there is also overhead and bills to be paid.
In the end the local guy gets the black eye, however the issue really lies with Lance and the entire RV industry's lack of a true automotive industry style warranty and compensation network.
Fortunately Lance did resolve your issue. Ultimately Lance is responsible for your warranty not the dealer.
Before you write off you local guy, you need to understand there is not a dealer network for warranty service.
This issue comes up frequently your case is not the first and will not be the last.
While non selling dealer warranty service is not a deal breaker when buying a unit it is a real issue that should be considered when not buying locally

[The_Texan]

WyoTraveler wrote:
How long this great warranty service will last, I suspect, will be based on if Navistarrv sells their MH business. In the mean time I have 7 months left on my warranty.

You didn't have to wait very long......Navistar RV sold

[dubob]

troll3193 wrote:
call me crazy, but they seemed to have " lost a potential customer."

when you traveled 700 miles away to another dealer to buy something you could have bough locally..

Not justifying their decision,but understand it...

Bryan

As I said above, the unit I bought in Bozeman was a NEW 2011. I bought it at 25% off retail which was very near what I was willing to spend for a used one. The SLC dealer had neither a used one nor a 2-year old NEW one on their lot for the 6 months I checked before making the buy and $40,000 plus for a 2013/14 model was definitely NOT in my budget. The SLC dealer lost NO business by my buying in Montana but DID loose any potential for future sales on products, parts, or service.

[WVbassmistress]

We have experienced the same issue with a Ranger Boat dealer in our area. Frankly, they quite nastily refused to do warranty and non-warranty service work on a boat bought elsewhere. Not a problem, we take the boat back to Frankfort, KY and have GREAT experiences with the dealer there. I can (almost) appreciate the local dealer being frustrated that another dealer sold us the boat because they gave us a better deal, but instead of building a relationship with someone that is a loyal Ranger owner, and having a chance to sell us the next one, they pissed my husband off and he never passes an opportunity to share that with others.
BTW...if you are anywhere near and need a boat of any kind...Days Boat Sales in Frankfort, KY. Last time we were there, I was discussing truck campers and the owner jumped on-line and offered to find me one!! Tell you what, when I am ready for the next one, I just might let him do so.

[WyoTraveler]

troll3193 wrote:
call me crazy, but they seemed to have " lost a potential customer."

when you traveled 700 miles away to another dealer to buy something you could have bough locally..

Not justifying their decision,but understand it...

Bryan

A couple of years ago when I purchased a TT I could have purchased it locally. The local RV dealer does very good repairs and at a reasonable price. In fact they just installed vent covers on my new MH and were very reasonable. I am happy. However, if you buy a new RV from them you will pay dearly. They even advertise, no need to bargain we give you our best price and no high pressure.

So the question is does someone buy from a local dealer and pay several thousands more, or play the odds? If no warranty repair take care of the bill yourself? My unpaid warranty service was about $500 on my Jayco 19RD. I figure I saved almost $10k on the TT. I did OK on the trade for my MH. Plus I learned a lesson about Jayco warranties. Notice, I ain't driving or towing a Jayco. I'm still playing the odds. I bought my Monaco in Laughlin, NV and live in NW WY. JMHO.

[WyoTraveler]

Welcome to the world of RV warranties. You mentioned Bozeman Ford but unless I missed something you didn't mention the dealer in Utah.

I had a warranty problem with my Monaco MH. Monaco rep sent me to a Salt Lake Ford dealer for repairs. They worked on it for over an hour and said they just didn't have the equipment to do the repairs. (suppected the fuel tank had to be removed) Monaco told me if there was any charge by the Ford dealer they would re-imburse me. The Ford dealer told me no charge and helped me find directions to Motorsportsland. We were treated very well and they repaired the problem within a few hours. Neither of those dealers even sold Monaco MHs.

The reason many dealers don't want to handle the warranty issues is many RV manufacturers are really cheap. They don't want to pay for warranty repairs. They discount the warranty repairs. I can understand why dealers don't want to handle those repairs unless the RV was purchased from them. There are a few RV manufacturers that will step up to the plate and pay the going rate for warranty repairs. Since Monaco owners got beat up pretty bad in the past I think Navistarrv is trying to build up the name again by paying for the warranty repairs at the going repair rate. All 3 of my warranty issues have been handled at dealers that never sold Monaco MHs. They were glad to get the business. How long this great warranty service will last, I suspect, will be based on if Navistarrv sells their MH business. In the mean time I have 7 months left on my warranty.