Problem with caravan dealer and deposit

JennyP

In a similar situation to the one with the car that I was trying to buy, we paid a deposit on a caravan. Did it over the phone but we'd visited the showroom the previous day. 
This was a week ago. 
Then today, I rang to ask about collection only to be told we cannot have it until the middle of June. It is a new caravan but was last year's demo model so is just sitting there on their car park so we assumed that we could just take it. In fact, the dealer said last week if we weren't quite ready in terms of buying a car to tow it, we could pay them to store it. So  we assumed it was ready to take. 
I asked for my deposit back today as we wanted to start using the caravan immediately and we also have a bad feeling about the dealer - we tried to ring a couple of times before and he's been less than helpful. 
He says I'm not entitled to it. Am I? 

tacpot12

It depends on what terms and conditions were agreed about the deposit, e.g. under what circumstances would the deposit be refundable. 

My view is that if you have paid your deposit, the dealer has to supply the caravan for the price agreed, and in the state you saw it, i.e. they cannot use it or let anyone else use it, and you should make this clear to the dealer. I was left wondering if the dealer wanted to use it himself for a holiday.  

I would ask why they can't complete the transaction prior to the middle of June. 

You shouldn't be paying to store a caravan you don't own yet.

JennyP

tacpot12 said:

It depends on what terms and conditions were agreed about the deposit, e.g. under what circumstances would the deposit be refundable. 

My view is that if you have paid your deposit, the dealer has to supply the caravan for the price agreed, and in the state you saw it, i.e. they cannot use it or let anyone else use it, and you should make this clear to the dealer. I was left wondering if the dealer wanted to use it himself for a holiday.  

I would ask why they can't complete the transaction prior to the middle of June. 

You shouldn't be paying to store a caravan you don't own yet.

No T&C were agreed over the phone. I should have been more specific. 
We aren't being asked to pay for storage yet but when we said we didn't yet have a towing car and would have to get one, he said they could store it if we didn't have one in time. That gave us the impression it was ready to take. 
It is brand new but he says it has to go into their workshop for 4 hours prep before we can take it. It's that that is the hold up - the workshop is full till 10 June. We're surprised at this given that it's new. 

JennyP

And also - another person in a google review I've just seen with a similar complaint. Said they got trading standards involved. 

DB1904

JennyP said:

tacpot12 said:

It depends on what terms and conditions were agreed about the deposit, e.g. under what circumstances would the deposit be refundable. 

My view is that if you have paid your deposit, the dealer has to supply the caravan for the price agreed, and in the state you saw it, i.e. they cannot use it or let anyone else use it, and you should make this clear to the dealer. I was left wondering if the dealer wanted to use it himself for a holiday.  

I would ask why they can't complete the transaction prior to the middle of June. 

You shouldn't be paying to store a caravan you don't own yet.

No T&C were agreed over the phone. I should have been more specific. 
We aren't being asked to pay for storage yet but when we said we didn't yet have a towing car and would have to get one, he said they could store it if we didn't have one in time. That gave us the impression it was ready to take. 
It is brand new but he says it has to go into their workshop for 4 hours prep before we can take it. It's that that is the hold up - the workshop is full till 10 June. We're surprised at this given that it's new. 

In your OP you said it was last years demo. Surely you want it cleaned and ready to take away rather than bring it back after your first outing due to a problem?

Looks like you have a habit of jumping in paying a deposit and then thinking about what you've done. This one isn't a distance sake given you've been to the premises before completing the sale.

Next time you buy something, look at it and be sure you want it before committing to buy something. 

forgotmyname

Probably needs a PDI where they fix all the little niggles the factory ignored at the time of the build. Hinges with screws missing or wires not clipped
away properly. Checking the gas is safe to use and leak free. Check the water system is connected and will not turn the van into a
swimming pool when you turn the tap on.

Lots to check in 4 hours.

JennyP

Looks like you have a habit of jumping in paying a deposit and then thinking about what you've done. 

I'm sure you're right but was actually hoping for some advice about whether I might get my deposit back rather than judgment of my personality! I can manage that one myself! 

Herzlos

How did you pay for the deposit? Credit card?

What were you told about delivery time when you were asking about it?

Will the dealer let you transfer the deposit onto something that's ready to go, or are all of their stock waiting on workshop time?

Has the dealer offered to try and get it serviced earlier?

Unfortunately, you're buying a caravan at the absolute worst time - the start of summer. There will be much more demand than supply, and the workshop slots in May/June will likely have filled up in January from people wanting their caravan serviced just before they go and use it.

Given you don't have a car to tow it yet, I guess you're not in as much rush so a months wait won't be critical (they aren't going to charge you to store it until it's yours).

I'm not sure why they wouldn't offer a refund though; it's not going to be hard for them to sell it to someone else.

forgotmyname

Have you got storage organised?  Is the storage location and security upto the standards for your caravan insurance?

If keeping it at home do you have adequate security at home?

With all the little things you need to sort along with a suitable car and getting a towbar fitted you maybe looking at 4 to 6

weeks anyway, especially if the car needs a trip to the dealership to be programmed for the towing electrics.

JennyP

Herzlos said:

How did you pay for the deposit? Credit card?

What were you told about delivery time when you were asking about it?

Will the dealer let you transfer the deposit onto something that's ready to go, or are all of their stock waiting on workshop time?

Has the dealer offered to try and get it serviced earlier?

Unfortunately, you're buying a caravan at the absolute worst time - the start of summer. There will be much more demand than supply, and the workshop slots in May/June will likely have filled up in January from people wanting their caravan serviced just before they go and use it.

Given you don't have a car to tow it yet, I guess you're not in as much rush so a months wait won't be critical (they aren't going to charge you to store it until it's yours).

I'm not sure why they wouldn't offer a refund though; it's not going to be hard for them to sell it to someone else.

I paid the deposit on a credit card. Just spoke to the credit card company who might be able to help as they said some things that should have been made clear by the dealer weren't. 
We were given the impression - but not explicitly told - that it was available straight away with being last year's model rather than a new one from this year which presumably would then be ordered. The dealer has not offered to try and get it serviced earlier. 
We do have a tow car now - the car dealer was totally amazing and bent over backwards to sort the transaction out swiftly. We even have the towbar with full caravan electrics. 
No, shouldn't be hard for them to resell but I have joined the Facebook group for this particular caravan - found it after we paid the deposit sadly - and they do get a lot of bad reviews on there so I imagine some buyers will be wary. 

ian16527

Caravan Dealers Workshops are flat out at the minute, some people are having to wait till October for a service.

It needs a PDI and then the handover should be a good couple of hours. Even then you will find some niggles which will have to go back to get rectified.

Make sure you book well in advance for next years annual service, at least 3 months as your warranty will be void without it