Mis-Sold the dream of 5 star motorhome experience
As first-time motor homers, we were sold the dream of a 5 star motorhome experience that would take us around the NC500 in style by a salesman/Managing Director who regaled us with fabulous stories about driving his own motorhomes on the same NC500 route and other journeys.
A man, clearly proud of his business and vehicle fleet, who offered them as being in nothing less than immaculate condition.
Sadly, the reality could not have been any different. Beginning as soon as we began to load the vehicle for our journey the next day!
From then on, we encountered a vehicle poorly maintained with a litany of interior faults ranging from door lock handles falling off, to cupboard doors opening whilst driving to wardrobe & table collapsing and critical systems not working as they should.
ALL issues that should have been identified and resolved long before we took responsibility for them.
Sadly, no issues (vehicle servicing or interior) where mentioned/highlighted on initial handover or during the short drive home.
Which, subsequently, we, suspected was due to his trusting of someone else and/or failure to ensure that the vehicle was thoroughly inspected before being rented out again.
Leaving us to believe it to be in perfect condition.
Worst of all was the evidence that some or all of these issues had been deliberately covered up!
Even more damning was the discovery that the Brake fluid light came on whilst descending hills (lots of them in Scotland !!!) and the handbrake was completely useless for holding the vehicle! Not the things you want to see flash up on the dashboard as you start to descend the Applecross pass !!
It would be wrong to suggest that the owner did not engage with us when we made frequent calls to tell him what had broken or collapsed or failed or did not work. With regard to the bake fluid and handbrake, he reassured us that the vehicle had been fully services recently with no issues identified and that these issues would not impact on our (damages deposit return (how kind!).
He did suggest that " if we were worried" then we could take the vehicle to a local garage and he would reimburse the repairs. However, the list was sooo... extensive that, had we, found a local repairer for Motorhome interiors, we would probably still be there now !
To complicate this, we had planned and paid for a tight schedule that did not allow for extended stops.
So, having been reassured of the recent servicing and personally checking the most important issue (brake fluid level) was OK, we elected to continue after making some minor interior repairs of our own.
By the time we returned the vehicle to 'Cotswold Motorhome-hire we had compiled a full 2 - page list of faults. A list we were determined to discuss in detail with the owner!
During this discussion we discovered several surprising things:
1. The person who 'supposedly checked the vehicle was the quote " guy who comes in to to the cleaning" unquote. (Let's just blame that guy then!)
2. The brake fluid warning light issue had been identified by a previous customer but not been addressed or mentioned!
3. The owner stated that he quote " doesn't drive his own vans and hadn't driven the NC500" DESPITE telling us that he did both in our original discussions!
In conclusion:
We fell for the oldest trick in the book. Charming and engaging salesman with all of the skills to draw you in but none of the skills to ensure that the product he was selling was actually fit for purpose.
NC500 10/10
Cotswold Motorhome hire(Oxford) Ltd 3/10