Jayco Customer Service - lies, inconsistent, incoherent *Long Read*

[Ranger413]

We purchased our 2021 Jayco Seismic 4113 in August of 2022. As the second owners, and purchasing from a non-Jayco dealership, we were not made aware of how the Jaycommand control panel required a Google login much like a phone or tablet. However, we had complete functionality of the coach through Bluetooth and through remoting into the control panel. Several months after purchase I discovered that the control panel contained Google login information from the original owner. I was suspicious that he/she could control the trailer remotely, and that made me uneasy. But we never had any issues, and everything was working as I thought it should.

A few months ago, I replaced the coach’s original lead acid battery with a lithium-ion. When doing so, I turned off the breaker to the converter before disconnecting the battery. Once I reconnected the battery and turned the converter back on, I noticed that the tablet was asking for a PIN. Later, through researching Jaycommand control panel issues, I would learn that the original version of the control panel had an internal battery. Over time, the battery could fail, sometimes swelling. On average, this would happen at about the two-year mark after manufacture. Since my control panel’s battery was no longer holding a charge, it reset the tablet and it was now asking for a PIN. The PIN would be one assigned by the original owner. Another option I was given was to log into the tablet with the original owner’s Google account information. I had neither.

Additional information that I discovered through my research showed that Jayco would require owners to pay out-of-pocket for a replacement control panel if they were out of warranty. The control panels would be between somewhere around $500 and require a service appointment at a dealership. Also, within the past year or two, BMPro began installing tablets with no internal battery in the Jaycommand panels. I suspect this change was made due to the numerous issues they likely had with the original design as the batteries only lasted about two years, according to the complaints I was reading. One poster on a forum reported that he was able to get a new tablet sent to him for $50 after he provided pictures to Jayco customer service. Another post, by an owner 2 years beyond his warranty, revealed that Jayco CS sent them a new tablet at no cost after he provided a descriptive email of the issues and attached photos.

On June 5th, I sent the following email to Jayco CS:
We are the second owners of a 2021 Jayco Seismic 4113. I recently replaced the coach's battery and discovered that the BMPro control panel had lost all power. Upon inspection of the control panel (tablet), it is bulging badly which appears to be evidence of a defective lithium battery. I am concerned that the battery could leak, overheat or catch fire. While the Bluetooth controls still work with our phones, we do not have the capability to monitor the coach remotely and control AC and other functions for our pet. Please let me know if there is a fix available as soon as possible for my safety concerns mentioned above.

Jayco CS (initials AT) responded on June 10th with this:
Good Morning,
Thank you for contacting Jayco Customer Service.
Unfortunately the tablet will need to be replaced.

With such a limited response and one of no real help, I decided to call Jayco CS that same day (June 10th). Upon the representative's request, I provided the last eight digits of the VIN and explained my situation. The representative was apparently able to see my original email as well. She told me that because I was the second owner the warranty was not transferrable. Also, there were no active recalls or TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins) for the issue I was describing. She said that I would have to purchase a new control panel through a dealership. When I pressed the issue, explaining that I had read of the tablets being updated to not have a battery and suggested there was a manufacturer’s defect, she replied with what seemed to be a canned response. She explained that technology updates happen from time to time, and the tablet upgrade was just a technological advancement and not one to correct an issue. I pressed again and basically said I wasn’t buying that and that I felt it was unreasonable for me to have to pay north of $500 for a new tablet that seemed to be a faulty design. That and there was not a clear process to change the tablet registration information from one owner to the next. With that, she said that if I was willing to send pictures in of the bulging tablet, they would contact BMPro on my behalf to see if they could provide a replacement. Before hanging up, I was transferred to the parts department so that I could get the current replacement part number if needed in the future. Control panel part number: 2050591.

On June 11th, I removed the control panel from the wall and carefully removed the tablet. I took several pictures which clearly showed the tablet case badly bulging in the area where the battery is located. From the side where the battery is housed to the opposite side, I measured about 2.5mm difference in thickness. I emailed the pictures along with the following to

Jayco CS:
Per the phone conversation that I had with one of the Jayco customer service representatives yesterday, June 10th, I am attaching photographs of the control panel (tablet). On my behalf, please contact BMPro with the information and photos I have provided in order to provide evidence of the defective control panel (tablet). The photos illustrate the control panel and tablet information as well as several angles and measurements to show the swollen tablet case. As mentioned in my first contact with Jayco customer service, I have concerns that the battery could rupture, leak or cause a fire hazard. In addition, I am no longer able to log into the control panel and thus have no ability to remotely monitor or control the coach for the safety of our pet. Please advise of next steps as soon as possible.

On June 14th I received the following reply from Jayco CS (initials AT):
Thank you for the images of the tablet you submitted to us. Unfortunately this issue may occur if the tablet has been charged with a wall outlet. I have also included a pdf of the warranty information from BMPRO.

Not only was this email as vague and unhelpful as the first, it also appeared to be placing blame on me for swelling the battery by charging the tablet with a wall charger. I immediately called and spoke to Jayco CS again.
The first representative that I spoke with read the email chain and said it looked as though this would have to be a customer purchase as I was out of warranty. I explained that I was led to believe that Jayco would reach out to BMPro on my behalf, as stated during my previous interaction with Jayco CS. I stressed that I was now apparently being blamed for something that was clearly a manufacturer’s defect. The CS representative downplayed my concerns of the tablet battery possibly leaking and causing a fire. She said “well I don’t know about all that”. She placed me on hold and attempted to get the CS representative (initials AT) that was handling my case.
AT came on the line. I explained that I was taken aback by her email, suggesting that I had caused the tablet battery to swell by improperly charging it. She stated that since I wasn’t the original owner that the first owner may have done that. I told her that I didn’t think that was the case and reaffirmed my understanding of the reasoning for the new battery-less tablet design. She stated that the elimination of the battery from the newer BMPro control panels was indeed due to the issues experienced with the previous version. I restated my desire to have Jayco reach out to BMPro on my behalf as I didn’t feel I should be responsible for replacing the tablet that had an obvious manufacturers defect. AT stated that she would relay the information to BMPro.

On June 26th I received the following reply from Jayco CS (initials AT):
Good Morning,
Was BMPRO able to help you out with your budging tablet?
Do you need any further assistant from us?
Thank you.
AT, again, attached a copy of the BMPro Warranty Statement.

That same day, I again called Jayco CS. I asked to speak to a CS supervisor as I was unhappy with the e-mail responses I had received from AT that were vague, unhelpful and accusatory. The representative placed me on hold for a brief moment. Once she returned, she stated that she could elevate the issue to a supervisor through the process Jayco CS had in place. She said a supervisor would review the emails, phone calls and then reach back out to me. She also said that she could also reach out to BMPro if I preferred and said it was up to me. I explained that I knew the BMPro warranty would not cover my issue and that I preferred to elevate the issue to a supervisor. I told her that I felt that supervision needed to know about my issues with the CS representatives being accusatory, contradictory and overall unhelpful. Before ending the call, the representative confirmed my name, phone number and email address. She stated that the CS supervisor would be contacting me by phone.

On July 2nd, I received a call from Jayco CS. The representative identified herself as a lead and not a supervisor but stated she had talked to me previously. She apologized for not getting back to me sooner, but stated she had reached out directly to BMPro and they were not able to assist with a replacement tablet. She also informed me that the representative that had been handling my case (initials AT) was no longer with the company. I wonder why? I was also told that Jayco would not be responsible for a replacement tablet. I then asked to speak directly to a supervisor. She advised that the issue had already been elevated and that she, as a lead, was handling the matter. No other future steps were apparently warranted or available. I told her that I would like to file a complaint with Jayco due to their overall poor customer service in this instance. While she did not transfer me to a supervisor, I provided her with my following concerns and stated it would be nice if a supervisor reached out to me at a minimum and ideally provided a replacement tablet.

Concerns:
1. Upon delivery of the coach, my dealership did not create a generic username and password and/or assist me with creating an account on the tablet. This would have largely rectified the issue as I currently understand the process of replacing the battery in the defective tablet myself and that would cure the problem if I wasn’t locked out. Again, this is the responsibility of my dealership and not BMPro or Jayco.

2. Jayco customer service interaction with me via email and over the phone is atrocious.
a. The representative handling my case provided almost no help with vague e-mails that included spelling and grammatical errors. Not something I would expect from a large entity like Jayco.
b. That same representative accused me of plugging in the tablet and creating the issue. When challenged about this, she then tried to place blame onto the previous owner.
c. One representative gave me a line of B.S. stating that the update to the non-battery tablet was just a simple technology update and didn’t reflect the issues with the batteries failing over time. This statement seemed to be a canned response to deny the issue. The representative handling my case contradicted the first representative, and confirmed what I already knew, by stating that the update to the battery-less tablet was indeed due to the battery issues.
d. When I expressed concern about the battery possibly leaking, catching fire or exploding the representative said “I don’t know about all that”. Further research I did on the subject shows that lithium batteries are generally safe. However, when they become damaged, they are much more likely to cause issues. I think swelling to the point that the tablet is badly bulged qualifies.

3. Jayco is not addressing issues with their coaches in a consistent manner. Reading posts on forums, I discovered that a few owners were able to receive replacement tablets, either free or at a reduced cost. One of the posters stated that he was required to submit an e-mail request with photos and they shipped a replacement directly to him.

I ended the call by stating that, at a minimum I would like a supervisor to phone me back. But ideally, I would like a replacement tablet.

On July 18th, I again phoned Jayco CS since I had not received a call from a supervisor as requested during my previous call. When the representative came on the line, I asked to speak to a supervisor. Once I confirmed my VIN, the representative asked if this was in reference to my BMPro control panel and I said yes. After being placed on a brief hold, the CS representative stated that one of their supervisors left me a message on July 10th. While still on the phone, I looked at my call log and did not see any calls from anyone outside of my contact list. She asked if the supervisor could call me back and verified my number. I stated I would rather talk to another supervisor or CS manager as I had already waited over two weeks for a return call and now, I was being told I had been contacted when I had not.
Tiffany, a CS supervisor came on the line. I outlined for her my experience with Jayco CS to this point. She stated that neither BMPro or Jayco were willing to provide a good faith replacement tablet in my case.

A call to a local Jayco dealership shows that a replacement battery-less control panel is $430. I have a call into the dealership that sold me the coach to see if they are willing to assist. I'll post back with the end result.

[Grumpy]

All components are warranted by their manufacturer per the original warranty documentation. Hence when Jayco authorizes a repair they are reimbursed by that component manufacturer. So if BMPRO is not stepping up to the plate why would you expect JAYCO to? As you stated you are the 2nd owner and never had warranty coverage to begin with?

[Ranger413]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

All components are warranted by their manufacturer per the original warranty documentation. Hence when Jayco authorizes a repair they are reimbursed by that component manufacturer. So if BMPRO is not stepping up to the plate why would you expect JAYCO to? As you stated you are the 2nd owner and never had warranty coverage to begin with?

Yup. I understand how the warranty process works with RV manufacturers. I was basing my hope and expending my efforts due to the handful of posts I had read, both here and on other sites. A few posters were able to get Jayco to replace the control panel, most likely through BMPro, but nonetheless even after their warranty had expired. A few phone calls and emails are all I have invested thus far.

Even if it was all for not, and I was barking up the wrong tree, I wanted to expose the lack of professionalism that I experienced with Jayco CS. Outright lying is not acceptable. And blaming a customer blindly is out of line.

[spoon059]

You wrote WAY too much and I'm not reading it all. How did Jayco lie to you?

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by Ranger413

A few posters were able to get Jayco to replace the control panel, most likely through BMPro, but nonetheless even after their warranty had expired.

And they were probably all original owners, big difference in my opinion.

[TaftCoach]

I hope you feel better after writing that.

[JKyle]

Originally Posted by spoon059

You wrote WAY too much and I'm not reading it all. How did Jayco lie to you?

Originally Posted by TaftCoach

I hope you feel better after writing that.

You guys are killing me over here.

Didn't;t your mother ever teach you, 'If you don't have something ni...... '

...Forget it.

[Stan&Sharon]

If you have questions about your camper or any product installed within, you can ask us on this forum for advice. Jayco makes campers and trust their partners (i.e. Goodyear, Furrion, Lippert, TeamBMPro, Shureflo, Carrier, Insignia, GE... etc) to provide components and their product support. It is unfair to blame Jayco for a product they didn't make. I'm sorry you haven't had the best experience, but we can fix that here in this forum.
When you need help and advice, post your needs here and I'm sure you will receive the answers so you can have the camping adventures which lead you to buy your Jayco camper.
I hope everything is okay now and you can go out camping and forget about what's in the past. Focus on the fun ahead.

Note: my tablet required another battery this year, easy to fix, and my JayCommand node also has failed but I've taken advice from users in this forum and did a low-cost work-around.

[Fyrehuntr]

You may have read my post. I am the person who paid $50 for a replacement batteryless tablet. I am the original owner. Unit was out of warranty. I have an extended warranty that covered the replacement cost. I have a $50 deductible for the warranty work.

You made a valiant effort in an attempt to get a replacement. It seems you are at the point of decision. Continue the fight and also the inability to control the functions of your camper via the tablet, or call it done and buy the batteryless tablet and enjoy camping.

[CAG]

Way too much info. If you are the second owner you have no bitch.
Sorry it was brutal trying to read all of that and I just didnt.

[CAG]

Originally Posted by Stan&Sharon

If you have questions about your camper or any product installed within, you can ask us on this forum for advice. Jayco makes campers and trust their partners (i.e. Goodyear, Furrion, Lippert, TeamBMPro, Shureflo, Carrier, Insignia, GE... etc) to provide components and their product support. It is unfair to blame Jayco for a product they didn't make. I'm sorry you haven't had the best experience, but we can fix that here in this forum.
When you need help and advice, post your needs here and I'm sure you will receive the answers so you can have the camping adventures which lead you to buy your Jayco camper.
I hope everything is okay now and you can go out camping and forget about what's in the past. Focus on the fun ahead.

Note: my tablet required another battery this year, easy to fix, and my JayCommand node also has failed but I've taken advice from users in this forum and did a low-cost work-around.

What?

[spoon059]

Originally Posted by JKyle

You guys are killing me over here.

Didn't;t your mother ever teach you, 'If you don't have something ni...... '

...Forget it.

I'm not trying to be mean. That is simply information overload. I'm on a forum, not in a lecture hall.

[Markb5900]

Then don’t read it and no need to comment.

[TaftCoach]

Originally Posted by JKyle

You guys are killing me over here.

Didn't;t your mother ever teach you, 'If you don't have something ni...... '

...Forget it.

I'm sorry if that came off as unkind. There really isn't anything this forum can do so I hope it at least made him feel a little better too get it out of his system a little.

Second owner AND non Jayco dealer? Factory dealers that didn't sell the unit originally are tough to deal with, now a non factory dealer? The selling dealer has no formal relationship with Jayco. They could contribute to replace it with the hope that the customer will buy their next TT from them, but there really is little loyalty either way in they Internet world of price shopping.

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Ranger413

Unfortunately this issue may occur if the tablet has been charged with a wall outlet.

What?

That's Bullscharnkey.

[spoon059]

Originally Posted by Markb5900

Then don’t read it and no need to comment.

Same to you

[Ranger413]

Originally Posted by Fyrehuntr

You may have read my post. I am the person who paid $50 for a replacement batteryless tablet. I am the original owner. Unit was out of warranty. I have an extended warranty that covered the replacement cost. I have a $50 deductible for the warranty work.

You made a valiant effort in an attempt to get a replacement. It seems you are at the point of decision. Continue the fight and also the inability to control the functions of your camper via the tablet, or call it done and buy the batteryless tablet and enjoy camping.

Yes, yours was one of the few that I was using as my basis to call and see what, if anything, Jayco would do. I had already called BMPro and they were unwilling to replace.

The reason for the long post was to document my steps and most importantly outline the poor customer service. Even though Jayco was not going to assist because of my lack of warranty status, that does not excuse representatives lying about why the switch to a battery-less tablet. I thought I'd also show the very poor email responses that were of zero help and nowhere near professional. And accusing me, or the previous owner, of plugging the tablet into a wall outlet and causing the known battery issue is not right either.

I find it amazing that folks here are bashing me for trying to see if some grease could get the wheel moving. When we bought the trailer, I paid for a third-party inspector. All major items were resolved by the dealer before delivery, but the delivery process took over four hours. When we got to the campsite, more issues popped up. I returned to the dealership and spoke to the general manager with my concerns. Due to the poor delivery experience, which he admitted was the result of staffing issues and high sales, he agreed to fix all the items. Two mobile tech visits to our campsite an hour away were required to get us square. I could have thrown my hands up after we left the dealership and said, "oh well, no warranty I'm out of luck". Instead, like in this case, I spent a little bit of time to see what money I could keep in my pocket. That time it worked, this time it didn't.

[Grumpy]

Before the Mods close this a friendly reminder:

Customer Disputes
This forum is not intended to be a mechanism for people to solely vent frustrations about services, products, vendors, or sales. Please settle your differences with the seller, provider, manufacturer, or dealer through other means but not through our community. You may post about problems you have with Jayco product in an effort to learn from others with similar issues however the use of the forums to repeatedly attack or bash Jayco, Jayco products, or Jayco owners is strictly forbidden.

[JFlightRisk]

Thread closed.