BETTER SERVICE NEEDED

Consumers need better caravan services and better customer service. I’ ve been looking at upgrading the suspension on my caravan to an independent one and want to buy a kit.

I called a suspension supplier about their offroad suspension but they only sell to the trade. It ' s just hard to get answers and call backs from these manufactures. I want to spend my hard-earned money in the caravan industry, which is in a downturn, and it is very frustrating trying find information or trying to source items.

Another thing I’ ve tried to source is a TV box to mount on the outside of my caravan. I found a place and a few days later I went to have a look. They had some smaller entertainment boxes, and they gave me their email to send through the size I wanted. I never got an email back. A few months later, I popped in again. They had a new guy who said to call next week as they were having a bigger size box made and he ' d have the details then.

Surprise, surprise, this guy was never around and I never got a call back. It’ s just disappointing, to be honest.

I currently have my caravan in for water damage at the front of the van under warranty. I dropped it off and nearly five weeks later, nothing has been done. The communication from the manufacturer is absolutely terrible.

I’ ve been trying to call this guy and everyone else tells me they will get him to call me back, and I’ m still waiting. It ' s beyond a joke.

Eddie Portillo

Thanks for your letter, Eddie. As you pointed out, the industry is in a downtown. It seems to me that one way a company can set itself apart to win business is with its customer service though, as you also pointed out, this is sometimes sadly lacking. I feel your frustration. Your experience reminds me of a builder I dealt with a couple years ago, but that’ s another story … – Ed

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