Warranty and Service.

[alan-bc]

Originally Posted by cmikal

Jayco has set up their warranty system to make you go away, not fix problems or make happy customers.

My next rig will not be a Jayco.

Of course I didn't expect Jayco to cover any labour not performed by one of their dealers. But I did kinda expect them to cover parts .. if not the defective parts, certainly the missing parts.

After all, if I had insisted on getting the unit repaired and was willing to return it to my dealer, Jayco would be on the hook for a whole lot more, both in terms of parts and also labour.

[MOMCAT]

Just another reason to NOT BUY NEW if you can find LIKE NEW USED. JMHO MOMCAT

[gchaseIII]

Bought mine in February of this year. Took back to the dealer for warranty work, used it three times. Its now been there for seven weeks. 212QBW.

[alan-bc]

Originally Posted by MOMCAT

Just another reason to NOT BUY NEW if you can find LIKE NEW USED. JMHO MOMCAT

Yeah, well, while I'm perfectly capable of doing all the work myself .. almost certainly more careful than a dealer will ever be .. I didn't want to do any work.

I have an old powerboat I'm cleaning up, old age and ham-fisted previous owners leaving lots to do. And I have a dozen home related projects to get done before the coming winter.

So I wanted something that just worked, something that I could use, that I didn't have to work on.

Alas, it was not to be.

In fact, last night we slept in the unit for the very first time since purchasing it 6 weeks ago, those six weeks spent repairing faults.

Thankfully, the trial run took place in our driveway, because something happened to the Lithium battery system in the middle of the night, sending us scurrying back to the house.

I suspect it's the Firefly system, which is disappointing, because my experience so far with Firefly support actually makes Jayco look competent and caring.

I should have just stayed a boater ...

[cmikal]

Originally Posted by alan-bc

Of course I didn't expect Jayco to cover any labour not performed by one of their dealers. But I did kinda expect them to cover parts .. if not the defective parts, certainly the missing parts.

After all, if I had insisted on getting the unit repaired and was willing to return it to my dealer, Jayco would be on the hook for a whole lot more, both in terms of parts and also labour.

Jayco only covers repairs, parts, and labor if performed at a jayco dealership, and only if jayco corporate authorizes the repairs. Third party repairs of any kind are not covered.

Example: My door lock broke. I was 1000 miles from home and was leaving one campground to go to the next one. The local dealer wanted me to make an appointment to "diagnose the problem". The first available appointment time was in 2 weeks. I had the old lock in my hand. They still insisted on an appointment 2 weeks in the future to "diagnose the problem". Then, they would contact jayco to get authorization to make a repair, which would take an unknown number of days or weeks.

Instead, I bought a lock off the shelf, installed it and moved on. I contacted jayco for reimbursement. Nope. "We do not reimburse for unauthorized or customer-initiated repairs". I offered to mail them the broken lock. Nope. "We only work with authorized dealers. Customer repairs are not reimbursed under any circumstance

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by cmikal

Jayco only covers repairs, parts, and labor if performed at a jayco dealership, and only if jayco corporate authorizes the repairs. Third party repairs of any kind are not covered.

If you call JAYCO first they have numerous Mobile Techs and authorized service providers (non dealers) around the country and they will work with you to get things fixed. Been there on numerous occasions while traveling, including having an a/c unit replaced while at FT. Wilderness.

[cmikal]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

If you call JAYCO first they have numerous Mobile Techs and authorized service providers (non dealers) around the country and they will work with you to get things fixed. Been there on numerous occasions while traveling, including having an a/c unit replaced while at FT. Wilderness.

I tried that on a subsequent repair for a different issue. I was told to go to a local Jayco dealer. The option you mentioned was never offered as a solution. "Go to the dealer". End of story.

[Tuckerbug]

Originally Posted by Crabman

In a way there is a kind of freedom when being released from a warranty. With both of my trailers I fixed my issues myself even though under warranty. Towing it 200 miles to the dealer round trip, then waiting an unknown time to get issues fixed, another 200 miles to get it home, lots of fuel, just doesn't add up. Unless of course there is a major issue. In fact, I have never taken one to a dealer or service center for anything. I do everything possible myself. I realize that's not always possible or practical for everyone.

What he said X2

[Shenandoah]

Originally Posted by dustyww

I won’t purchase another new trailer. Not ever

We bought new with the mistaken thinking that at our age we'd probably never buy another trailer and that a new one would last longer (no wear and tear)

My in-laws now deceased bought a Neumar Kountryaire 34' FW back in '75 from a fellow who discovered he couldn't make the payments. That trailer is still in use at the family property in upper Michigan.

Hindsight say's I should have gone used, but then COVID was making used trailers stupidly expensive too.

[TaftCoach]

Originally Posted by cmikal

Jayco has set up their warranty system to make you go away, not fix problems or make happy customers.

My next rig will not be a Jayco.

Who are you going with?

[CAG]

Jayco like others set rules to protect themselves, right or wrong but business is business.
What then happens is consumers do not follow the rules or read the fine print, which in today's situations is necessary so they suffer the consequences. Then we have the volumes of posts on threads about consumers being cheated by the companies but in-fact the consumer failed to follow the rules. Yes the rules are convoluted but you need to read the fine print so if you did not you are screwed and need not get on some Internet Web site and whine about how you were cheated.


Sorry if that hurts but life is tough if you don't read the fine print.

[cmikal]

Originally Posted by TaftCoach

Who are you going with?

I'm not currently looking for another rig. It might be another 2 or 3 years due to my current finances.

However, if I were buying, my first stop might be to the dealership where I bought my first trailer. It was a low-end Forest River Wildwood Heritage Glen. The trailer was definitely entry level, but it met my needs at the time. I had a few minor problems with it and the dealership was fantastic. The dealership is several hundred miles from my house. I called regarding a holding tank issue. Within a few days, they arranged repairs with a local company that could handle tank repairs. The company was 20 miles from my house. I dropped my trailer off. I had it back within the week and never saw a bill for the work. The dealership handled everything remotely. (RV Wholesalers in Lakeview Ohio rvwholesalers.com). When I'm ready to buy, I'll see what they have to offer before I go anywhere else. To be completely fair, I did have some problems with them during the buying process, but everything was resolved to my satisfaction prior to purchase.

Beyond that, I'll probably look at Alliance and Brinkley. My impression from watching youtube reviews is that those brands are maybe a bit better than others. IDK. At least I'll give them a serious look.

Regardless of the brand, I'm going to grill the dealership about how they handle warranty repairs. If they don't do something similar to the way RV Wholesalers handles customer support, I'll find a different dealer and/or a different brand.

FWIW, I didn't put the same emphasis on my current Jayco purchase as I did with my previous RV Wholesalers/Forest River purchase. I am still paying the price for that mistake.

[cmikal]

Originally Posted by CAG

Jayco like others set rules to protect themselves, right or wrong but business is business.
What then happens is consumers do not follow the rules or read the fine print, which in today's situations is necessary so they suffer the consequences. Then we have the volumes of posts on threads about consumers being cheated by the companies but in-fact the consumer failed to follow the rules. Yes the rules are convoluted but you need to read the fine print so if you did not you are screwed and need not get on some Internet Web site and whine about how you were cheated.


Sorry if that hurts but life is tough if you don't read the fine print.

Has anyway in this thread mentioned that they were cheated?

[Shenandoah]

Originally Posted by CAG

Yes the rules are convoluted but you need to read the fine print so if you did not you are screwed and need not get on some Internet Web site and whine about how you were cheated.

Sorry if that hurts but life is tough if you don't read the fine print.

I'm not sure how constructive the criticism here is.

Airing grievances and providing experiences in forums provides as much material for making purchasing decisions as internet searches and Youtube videos.

There is always fine print. It is generally long and often in legalese. It's designed to protect the vendor and not the consumer. And is not always enforceable.

Most people after doing as much due diligence as they can only look toward the reputation of whom they're dealing with and the warranty offered, along with the obvious appearance, features and layout of the product.

And some terms are ambiguous. For example, "replacement in kind". Let's say your rig has a microwave oven. It's 2.5' x 1.5' externally with interior measurements of 2' by 1' (I'm skipping the depth). It’s replaced it with a unit that's 2.25' x 1.25' but has the same internal dimensions. Everything is now the same. However, there are now very visible gaps between the trim and the oven.

The old microwave was 800W as is the new one, both have a revolving tray and the internal space is the same. This is replacement in kind. The company has met the warranty conditions and has no reason to replace the trim as there's nothing wrong with it. The dealer might "make things right" but that's at his own expense and he has no obligation to do so.

However, if the new unit doesn’t have a timer or the original setting capabilities (popcorn, baked potato, etc.), that is not replacement in kind.

In my career if something didn’t perform exactly the same as what it was replacing, a management of change (MOC) had to be written explaining exactly why a product with differences was used and this had to be reviewed and approved. This was a tedious process best avoided if at all possible.

Also, I doubt there is any fine print that states that service will take an unexpectedly long period of time, that the customer is responsible for all status updates on repair progress, and that the customer must accept the results of the repair as long as there is some semblance of completion.

[Old and soft]

Also, I doubt there is any fine print that states that service will take an unexpectedly long period of time, that the customer is responsible for all status updates on repair progress, and that the customer must accept the results of the repair as long as there is some semblance of completion.[/QUOTE]

If this is a dealer performed service, warranty or not, your problem is with the dealer. If the dealer submitted a claim to jayco, and jayco approved a repair, and the dealer strayed from the approved repair/ method, it is a dealer issue. Not jayco's fault the dealer tries to hijack your rig, or has poor communication skills. Or piss poor service techs.

My dealer had me text pictures. They submitted it to jayco. Jayco approved. Dealer had parts in stock. Made an appointment at my dealer 125 miles away one way. Never unhooked the trailer from my truck. 2 hours later I am on my way. Good dealer who will be my first stop if/when I want a replacement.

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by Old and soft

If this is a dealer performed service, warranty or not, your problem is with the dealer. If the dealer submitted a claim to jayco, and jayco approved a repair, and the dealer strayed from the approved repair/ method, it is a dealer issue. Not jayco's fault the dealer tries to hijack your rig, or has poor communication skills. Or piss poor service techs.

X-2 It's amazing that so many people think that JAYCO or any other manufacturer controls the dealer, even though they service & sell multiple other brands on the same lot

[Shenandoah]

I wholeheartedly agree that manufacturers and dealers are two distinct and separate entities.

Comparing dealers, the one I bought from and the one that provided the warranty service. I probably would have been better served by returning to the dealer I bought the rig from.

As an example, the slide covers I purchased. I bought them from the dealer I purchased the rig from, they ordered them and sent me on my merry way telling me they'd contact me when they came in. When I brought the rig back they worked on it the following day and I was good to go. Now based on my experience with the warranty service dealer, they would have given me an appointment and not ordered the part until the rig was back on site and it would sit there until the parts came in, they'd get around to working on it and then maybe call me when it was done.

There's a world of difference between my two experiences.

Unfortunately, the selling dealer is in Alabama and the warranty dealer is local here in Texas. Hindsight says I probably should have bitten the bullet and made a thrip to Alabama.

[Old and soft]

I specifically asked my sales person about this scenario before I signed anything, He answered that customers who purchased there were put in the service que ahead of people who did not purchase from them, warranty or service work. It's really not a secret that this is how many rv dealers work. See below about our warranty work.
In my current line of work, we follow around idiots who should not touch the equipment we work on. If a part is still under the manufacturer warranty, we inform them that warranty parts need to go thru the original seller of the equipment. We are talking $25 bucks from the manufacturer, to go their location, diagnose, and return and replace the defective part. We start losing money as soon as the service manager hangs up with the customer and types a work order. 99.999% of these customers will purchase new parts from us, and pay us to install them, because the idiots have worn out their welcome.