Dealership manufacturer a restrictive practice ?

We were recommended a local mobile engineer.  He's a good bloke and has carried out our annual service on our driveway for the last 2 years.

When he came across an issue with an out of date gas pigtail I went back to the main dealer as the van was still well within warranty.

The dealer just laughed me out of the building citing that mobile engineers don't seem to know their arses from their elbows.

Main dealerships in general (cars included) seem to be able to charge stupid prices and get away with it.  It's certainly a case of "you pay your money and take your choice".

Mobile guy every time for me...!

Under block exemption legislation no manufacturer is allowed insist on restrictive practice on who services your van as long as it is done by a competent person in accordance with the requirements laid out in the documentation.

Unfortunately you then have the issue that the warranty is with the retailer not the manufacturer (farcical situation that the club should lobby on our behalf) so there is a strong case that implication of lesser service for warranty issues if the dealer has not serviced the van. It should be questioned by the club if this is in accordance with  legislation.

Even though it is perfectly acceptable to all manufacturers for you to use a registered service provider other than the dealer, the fact that a majority of people think this will lead to lesser service is at best sharp practice.

In my opinion the warranty should sit with the manufacturer and it should be made clear that servicing and repair can be done by any of the approved workshop bodies, including other dealers.

People return to the same dealer who may have previously given poor service because they are given the impression they have no option.

   

The requirement that you use an approved dealer was stopped by a then EU directive aimed mainly at the motor trade that effectively forced you to have your car serviced by the main dealer whilst under warranty and at exorbitant prices.

However, by the back door it really has been maintained for caravans.  Whilst you get warranties, when it goes wrong then legally the liability sits with the selling agent.  Having been forced to take legal advice due to the appalling workmanship of my Swift...all routes led to the dealer and not Swift, Alko or any other manufacturer even though they provided the warranty.

Hence I have resisted the temptation to purchase from distant dealers or via the caravan shows as ultimately the van needs to go back to the supplier....mine having had at least 20 trips back over 3 years wouldn’t have been pleasant doing hundreds of miles  

The user and all related content has been Deleted User

I would like to use a mobile service agent but don’t want the warranty hassle….however, many people in Yorkshire now have no choice after Dickinsons closed…some other dealers won’t service vans they haven’t sold due to capacity issues

We have a Bailey and on their list of service places they also have several mobile engineers ,I would suggest other manufacturers may have the same?

I know that Dometic have engineers that will attend  to under warranty work as we and two others had our fridges fixed on this site by mobiles