RV Associations/Ethic Statement

[Ron and Marsha]

Please post at a more appropriate forum if my problem can receive more traction at others.

During repair of our motorhome, the service center drilled a hole in the sewer tank. The location of the hole was near the top of the tank so it did not show up immediately.

Another service center found the source of the lead and repaired the hole. I am seeking reimbursement for this repair but am not getting anywhere with the dealership that did the damage.

What I am wondering is if there are any RV Associations that dealerships usually belong to that have some sort of ethics or good business practices statement in the membership application. If so, I would like to sent these associations a copy of my letters. I am aware of the Action Line sort of appeals in the Good Sam type of associations.

Thanks in advance.

[Ron and Marsha]

Please post at a more appropriate forum if my problem can receive more traction at others.

During repair of our motorhome, the service center drilled a hole in the sewer tank. The location of the hole was near the top of the tank so it did not show up immediately.

Another service center found the source of the lead and repaired the hole. I am seeking reimbursement for this repair but am not getting anywhere with the dealership that did the damage.

What I am wondering is if there are any RV Associations that dealerships usually belong to that have some sort of ethics or good business practices statement in the membership application. If so, I would like to sent these associations a copy of my letters. I am aware of the Action Line sort of appeals in the Good Sam type of associations.

Thanks in advance.

[MaverickBBD]

If it was a Winnebago/Itasca dealership I do believe they have a criteria to meet a dealership of excelence standard.

[John_Canfield]

If the dealership doesn't believe the right thing to do is to take care of you, then there isn't much you can do about it except to raise a red flag here and there and never darken their doorstep again.

I would first exhaust dealership appeals if you haven't already: first the service manager, then the dealership general manager, then the owner if you can figure out who he/she/they are (try the state's Secretary of State, or whoever registers businesses in that state.)

If you write letters, the letter should always be polite, very brief, and in the very first sentence or two describe exactly what remedy you expect.

If you get nowhere with the local dealer, then send a letter to their local BBB and to Winnebago dealer relations in Forest City.

Years ago I had an amateur radio transceiver and garage door opener stolen from my van which was at a Ford dealership in DeLand, FL for several days for repair.

I called the police before I drove away with my newly-repaired van and filed a report (police car at the dealership and the whole bit.) I wrote a letter to the owner of the dealership asking for compensation of the stolen items. Never even got a response telling me tough luck or sure we'll take care of it.

About six weeks later I traded that van on a new $28,000 pickup truck at the next closest dealer - about 30 miles away in Mount Dora.

I had the last laugh.

[jimandsue60]

Good advice John.

Please let us know who the service center is so we do not have a similar misfortune.

Thanks
Jim

[LK23]

It won't solve your problem, but you can post your experience at:

http://rvservicereviews.com/

Hopefully, other RVers will read the post and avoid that dealership.

[Ron and Marsha]

I have always tried to be professional and somewhere along the way with this forum, thought naming names fell along the "no no" scheme of things. If it is advisable, I have no problems revealing the name of the service center that is right on the way to Branson.

Seeking added information, John mentioned a dealer relations person at Winnebago. For the sake of expedency on my part, does anyone have that name and address?

Again, thanks.

[Route 66]

The naming of names is OK as long as it's within the rules.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Is not consistent with the permissible uses outlined by the Terms of Service (TOS) including, but not limited to, content that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abrasive, harassing, hostile, defamatory, inciting brand wars, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, vulgar, profane, sexually explicit, obscene, racially or ethnically offensive, religious,political, illegal substances, illegal activities or otherwise objectionable. NOTE: disagreements and intellectual disputes are not viewed as hostile content as long as the arguments address the Members statements and not their personalities;
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[John_Canfield]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Ron and Marsha:
-snip--Seeking added information, John mentioned a dealer relations person at Winnebago. For the sake of expedency on my part, does anyone have that name and address?--snip-- </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Give Winnie a call and ask who or what department might best receive a complaint about a dealer.

[Ron and Marsha]

OOPS! In my haste to comminicate I punched out some key on my poor keyboard and created a second post.

To continue, I notice that the IRV2 conference is to be in Branson, but have not looked at details. No matter, the dealership I am seeking reimbursement for damage it did to my black water tank is Reliable RV in Springfield, MO. It is right on your way to Branson.

I continue to write letters and will post updates whenever closure occurs.

Thanks for all the useful advice.

[Ron and Marsha]

Somehow I am having a fit in trying to post my thoughts--forgive my efforts.
As for feedback, I called Winnebago @800 537 1885 and was told that since Reliable RV is independent dealership, issues are handled between them and the customer. Any letter I might send to Winnebago would end up in the department to which I was speaking and the response would be the same as what they were telling me.
Somehow this whole attitude seems to be missing some sort of oversight. What goes around comes around, eventually. Word gets out on poor service and I would think Winnebago would be interested in getting this fixed.

[Explore America]

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Have you contacted the general manager at Reliable RV? According to Better Business Bureau(BBB) records, he is listed as Craig Reiserer. I'd contact him both by phone and by certified letter. You may also consider filing a complaint with the BBB. Regardless of how the matter is eventually resolved, your complaint becomes a record which others may read when checking Reliable RV's BBB record here. You can also do an online search of Reliable RV's Missouri corporate records which are available to the public. This will list corporate officers and an address. Consider also sending a certified letter to Reliable RV's president. According to MO records, Reliable Imports & Motorhomes, Inc. is doing business as(DBA) Reliable RV, and their corporate offices is listed as located in Shawnee Mission, KS here . Reliable Imports & Motorhomes, Inc. president is listed as Cecil Van Tuyl, with an address located in Dallas, Texas, based on their filed 2007 annual report here.

Hopefully, this will be helpful. If anything, be persistant. Let them know you won't simply go away.
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[Ron and Marsha]

Sorry, my thumb gets in the wrong place on this laptop keyboard and hits the send button-grr!
Anyway, we got paid and we are thankful for the great help received on this forum.
Interesting observation is that Winnebago in Forest City was the least helpful in suggestions,but guess they have bigger problems than those we encountered.

[Ron and Marsha]

Excuse my errors. As final feedback, today we received payment from Reliable RV in Springfield, MO. It was noted that the payment was a goodwill payment for the burdon and inconvenience we suffered but did not admit any responsibility.

Without all the great suggestions I am certain this action would not have occured. Thank you one and all. This forum works!