SMC Motorhomes - Buyer beware!

We have had totally satisfactory service from SMC.  I am sorry you have not had good service .

If there are faults aren't those down to the manufacturer? Are those faults with the Fiat part or the habitation section? Not really sure this is all down to the dealer, they don’t build the motorhomes. 

Thanks for your comments.

I know its not all down to the dealer but I bought the motorhome from them and I expect them to sort out the issues in a reasonable timescale and not to my cost or inconvienveince.  I've had the MH for 17 months and Im still waiting for fixes.  Thats just not acceptable. 

Most of the faults are with the habitation side, but they are a Fiat dealer anyway so they could have sorted the Fiat issue as well. I know the dealer doesn't build the motor home but my contract is with them and Im looking to them to sort out the issues.   I have tried to contact their supplier there is just no contact details anywhere to be found. 

SMC have been just awful to deal with.  I estimate that Ive spent 40 hours so far just trying to get the problems sorted out has put another 500 miles on my MH driving.

Im sure all MH dealers have these issues, but it doesn't make it right and its not a standard we should accept.  Especaily when you consider that the cost of a MH is 3 or more times the price of a brand new family car.  If something goes wrong with a car under warranty its normally fixed in a couple of weeks and you'll get a courtesy car in the mean time.

SMC told me to go and buy a stand-alone fridge until they could fix mine.  The mind boggles really.

Im normally I really laid back person but you can probably tell SMC have pressed the wrong buttons and don't look like they are prepared to press the right buttons any time soon.

If there wasn't such an awful waiting list for MHs Id sell it and buy another one.

On the positive, the weathers getting better soon.....

We're these issues with a Frankia motorhome, or another brand?

You’ve had a torrid time my friend, compounded & complicated no doubt by Covid, I feel for you I really do. You have been failed no doubt about it, you had to deal with these SMC Newark types as you couldn’t exactly decamp to Fiat HQ & complain, you did everything you could but still suffered with little or no support from those empowered & expected to give you the very support you needed. You followed the rules yet those who should’ve supported you seemed to bury their heads in the sand. In your position I’d now walk away from them if you can & source or pay for the fixes. If you continue as you are the relationship will continue to worsen & your time with your Moho will be marred even more. They have fallen way below what you expected. A good dealer/company is judged not by how good they are when things go well with their product but by how good they are when things go wrong & the customer seeks support. SMC have failed that test for you. I wish you well & hope things improve whatever your decision.

This is terrible service from a dealer taking vasts amounts of money from customers,

Unfortunately I don't think you are alone, I think most motorhome dealers fall short of what you would expect from a car dealer if spending the same amount of money.

I think it is time the CMC took these issues up with dealers and manufacturers it is surely not acceptable to have such poor customer service

Maybe a TV programme like rogue traders or watchdog would be interested in reporting on the awful customer service most people have to put up with

thank you for your feedback.  I have a Globe Car which was assembled in Germany, hence I thought it would be done right. It was top of the range with bits added so wasn't cheap.

Ive contacted globecar UK twice and got nothing back from them. I cant find any contact info for Globe Car in Germany.  All contact is via dealers.

I wondered if SMC were struggling as a business and hence they couldn't afford to have service staff however it seems that they had a turnover of £25m last year and a net profit of around £2m.  They made around 8% margin on every vehicle sold.  Yet they still cant provide half decent service.

Thanks for the tip re watch dog, I might just drop them a line.

Ive a small claim raised against them so Ill consider taking that route.  At the moment all I get from them is a 'promise' to fix the issues and give me some petrol money.  But when? They cant say and since Ive spent a lot of time, energy, canceled holidays, shortened holidays, inconvenience etc Id expect my personal losses to be compensated for in some way.  Somehow the promise of petrol money doesn't do it for me.

I suggest you pursue your court claim. No company wants a County Court Judgement registered against them and the issue of a summons is often all it takes to get a favourable result.

Do, please, let us know how you get on.

Incidentally, you can choose your own user name by visiting My Profile.

Globecar is part of Possl Group. Contact: https://www.globecar.de/impressum

It seems you have come up against the problem that many seem to find and, we have, ,where some dealers expect to get away with minimal or nil PDI then hope that they will get paid again by the Manufacturer,  when you find problems that should have been rectified at PDI that they can then claim as a warranty fault

It seems as if your problems have caught them ,and they have tried to wriggle out of it,

I agree your best course is via court action