Terrible Customer Service

C Parks · 12-04-2020, 05:55 PM

I bought a brand new Jayco SLX Jay Flight 174 Bunkhouse in September of this year and the AC stopped working (I am in south Florida so we still need AC). The dealer I bought it from and Jayco customer service is USELESS.

The dealer doesn't even call me back. They text me and tell me they will get back with me when I offered to drop it off on a Saturday and come back the following Saturday.

I have called Jayco customer service and emailed them numerous times. They say they can't force the dealers to do anything.

I am just amazed by the lack of service after you buy a RV.

Any suggestions?
Thanks

Murff · 12-04-2020, 05:58 PM

Contact Jayco and ask if they will cover an independent dealer repair under warranty. You may have to pay and Jayco reimburse you, maybe?

Or, contact the air conditioner manufacturer and ask for a warranty shop in your area for their brand.

Murff

Grumpy · 12-04-2020, 06:28 PM

One problem you may have to overcome is the fact that there is a very, very limited supply of a/c units. Manufacturers are even having trouble getting them for the new rigs. Someone reported that COLEMAN was back-logged 60-90 days.

Old and soft · 12-04-2020, 06:34 PM

I am planing on contacting my dealer for some warranty work. I would be very surprised if completed in one month, much less one week.
I remember the good old days when your ride broke down out of town, you got bent over but it was usually done the same day. Last year in gunnison when my truck crapped out, it took 2 car rentals to get home, 3 weeks, and a plane ride to fetch said truck. I love my 7.3 and don't plan on parting with it just yet.

Rustynuts · 12-04-2020, 06:58 PM

It’s all about the dealer, luckily I have a great one that I didn’t even buy our Seneca at because they don’t sell Motorhomes but they always get me right in. I would check with another dealer in your area. I have also used an independent repair shop and Jayco paid for it but they wanted a quote first. For most major items, I always go through the manufacturer for the warranty, we did it for bad A/C unit.

What Grumpy said, there is still major shortage of products, we had our A/C unit replace last year before the pandemic and it took over 4 weeks to get the new unit from Coleman.

Jagiven · 12-04-2020, 07:01 PM

Unfortunately RV service departments are not as good as the automotive industry.

Rv dealerships are all independent. Some RV deales are really bad. Camping World as a chain is considered horrible by most. Many small dealers are just as bad.

I think this is whya lot of people do their own service.

ACs aren't some most people can fix. If your having issues ask Jayco to pre authorize a repair, by an independent repair shop.

herewego · 12-04-2020, 09:53 PM

Please don't take this the wrong way,
The dealer did not build the Camper,Yes they do represent the builder of the camper by selling there product , Get the owners manual out and check your a/c warranty see who made the unit,they will need ser number a model go straight to the Manufacturer of the a/c Jayco did not build the a/c see if the Builder of the a/c unit can help.
Yes the seller should help but there are ways to get it fixed , Let them know whats going on , i do understand the frustration .

travelingjw · 12-04-2020, 10:56 PM

Do you have a Radio or TV station with a Consumer Affairs group. If you do, call the dealer and tell them that if they don't respond you will post the issue on Social Media and go to the TV/Radio station.

**JFlightRisk** · 12-05-2020, 02:13 AM

snip...

Quote:

Originally Posted by C Parks

They text me and tell me they will get back with me when I offered to drop it off on a Saturday and come back the following Saturday.

I have called Jayco customer service and emailed them numerous times. They say they can't force the dealers to do anything.

Getting ANY RV service appointment in a week is pretty much unheard of, let alone getting it repaired. As Grumpy said, companies manufacturing the components that Jayco buys to assemble an RV were shuttered, and are trying to play catch-up. It's going to be a while before all the manufacturers get back to normal, IF they ever do.

Jayco is correct. Your dealer did not pay 10's of thousands of dollars to buy a franchise like GM, Ford, or Chrysler dealers did. Your service is going to be only as good, bad, or indifferent as the dealer is.

Kim Gass · 12-05-2020, 07:54 AM

There ARE good dealers out there. We have had some work done and never had to wait more than three days for an appointment.

It's a hard lesson and a painful one when things don't go right. When RV shopping you are really shopping for the best service and attention to you the customer , not the metal box you are buying

There should be an A/C manual along with the tons of paperwork that you got at the PDI. ( We got manuals for just about everything.. some more useful than others)

**Midnightmoon** · 12-05-2020, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kim Gass

.....snip.....When RV shopping you are really shopping for the best service and attention to you the customer , not the metal box you are buying

This is extremely well said and often overlooked in the buying process. I also believe that this is why we hear so many complaints about some of the mega RV dealers located across the nation. Yes, they may have the best prices in some cases. But, at what expense does that come? Usually, it is customer service and satisfaction.

Getting back to the OP's question, as others have said, your frustration is unfortunately not unique right now across all brands of RV's. I would follow the suggestions above, contact the AC unit manufacturer and follow up with Jayco Customer service. It will eventually get fixed, but it may take a while.

C Parks · 12-07-2020, 07:10 AM

I posted a 1 star google review on Friday night. With a half hour the "owner" said someone would call me back Saturday and they did.

I spoke with the service manager who asked me a lot of questions and said that there would be a $145 diagnostic fee. After we spoke a few minute he realized I was not clueless after I told him I had a 30amp hookup at my house, I checked the breakers and read the manual. After that, he waived the diagnostic fee and said I could bring it in this Saturday for diagnosis but could not leave the unit at their facility.

Also, I did contact the manufacturer of the AC, Dometic. I did a search on their website for local companies who could service it, I called two of them and left a message. I have never heard back. Hopefully it will get resolved going through the dealer.

Bayoutalker · 12-09-2020, 01:35 PM

Customer service in the RV business was always hit or miss but after 2008 a lot of smaller dealers went out of business and the mega dealers took over. Unfortunately many of those independents were the ones that cared about the customer and had good service. The mega dealers have one focus.....money. They couldn't care less about repeat customers. They have run off most of the competition and have the market to themselves. It doesn't matter if you come back or not, someone else will.

The same thing has happened to the boat business. I was in it for over 40 years and saw it happen first hand. That's why I was happy to be able to retire from it a few years ago. The people I worked for always had a good reputation because we bent over backwards to keep people happy and on the water. The last place I worked wanted the service department to change parts that weren't needed just to make the profit higher. That doesn't make customers want to return.

Joshuaz · 12-09-2020, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C Parks

I bought a brand new Jayco SLX Jay Flight 174 Bunkhouse in September of this year and the AC stopped working (I am in south Florida so we still need AC). The dealer I bought it from and Jayco customer service is USELESS.

The dealer doesn't even call me back. They text me and tell me they will get back with me when I offered to drop it off on a Saturday and come back the following Saturday.

I have called Jayco customer service and emailed them numerous times. They say they can't force the dealers to do anything.

I am just amazed by the lack of service after you buy a RV.

Any suggestions?
Thanks

Try another dealer is the best advice. They may not be a Jayco dealer, but if you can confirm they can do warranty work for Jayco (and most will), you should be able to get service.

I have had issues so bad that I switched camper brands to get away from them, but I was super pissed at the brand (Forest river) and the dealer (Hitch RV in Milford, DE) at that point.

As others have said - lead time for service can be a few weeks, but Jayco does offer roadside/campside service for the first 2 years for emergency repairs.

good luck,
josh

Rodle1184 · 12-09-2020, 01:51 PM

Hello and sorry to here that. However, get use to it. We are also in South Florida. Our shower is leaking and we have a few several other issues. The closest dealer we found to even talk to us is in Sarasota. And this is after we threatened Jayco with a law suit. Jayco sent us a list of 7 dealers that apparently they had contacted beforehand. Only one gave us a call back. The others we are still waiting. We took it for evaluation back on October 30th. They said they would process the paperwork into Jayco warranty and order parts. Still waiting for a least an update. This industry's customer service is terrible.

USNMA1 · 12-09-2020, 02:06 PM

I have had a multitude of issues since I bought my Jayco unit this year. Pretty much Jayco only covers the what is involved in the assembly of the unit not what’s in the unit. You end up needing to go directly to the manufacture and even then they try to kick it back to Jayco. Until Federal/State law is created to I incorporate all Rv into the lemon law, it’s going to be an uphill battle. Maybe since there are so many owners out there now, and numbers are climbing, it would be a good time to organize a petition. Just thinking. I would love to start holding the builders accountable. When your car radio or axle goes bad do you have to go to the 3rd party manufacturer for repairs, no you take it to any dealership to get it fixed under the factory warranty. With the Billions spent each year it’s time!

Bayoutalker · 12-09-2020, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by USNMA1

I have had a multitude of issues since I bought my Jayco unit this year. Pretty much Jayco only covers the what is involved in the assembly of the unit not what’s in the unit. You end up needing to go directly to the manufacture and even then they try to kick it back to Jayco. Until Federal/State law is created to I incorporate all Rv into the lemon law, it’s going to be an uphill battle. Maybe since there are so many owners out there now, and numbers are climbing, it would be a good time to organize a petition. Just thinking. I would love to start holding the builders accountable. When your car radio or axle goes bad do you have to go to the 3rd party manufacturer for repairs, no you take it to any dealership to get it fixed under the factory warranty. With the Billions spent each year it’s time!

That's a good idea but it is a difficult thing. In the boating industry the same issue occurs. When you buy a rig you see it as one unit. In reality you are buying many individual items and warranty is handled by each manufacturer. The boat company handles their items, the engine manufacturer theirs, trailer, troll motor, electronics, etc. The dealer usually does the actual work but claims are handled by each appropriate manufacturer. For example, if you have an engine problem the dealer/mechanic doesn't go to the boat company. They go directly to the engine manufacturer. What you are suggesting is to have Jayco be responsible for everything that goes into the unit. While that may sound good on the surface it actually doesn't work that well. The company that is actually responsible is third down the chain of communication in getting your problem resolved. That's one reason it takes so long to get parts.

The dealer calls Jayco, Jayco approves the claim, Jayco submits the claim to the manufacturer and orders the part, the part is shipped to Jayco who in turn ships to the dealer to get the repair done.

In the other case the dealer calls the manufacturer directly, they approve the claim and ship the part to the dealer who repairs your unit.

It's a much more efficient system. Unfortunately in the RV industry the dealers try to work the system like the automotive industry and go to the company that puts the package together and the process starts. Everyone would be much better off if each company was responsible for their own product.

2021JayFlight28BHS · 12-09-2020, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C Parks

I posted a 1 star google review on Friday night. With a half hour the "owner" said someone would call me back Saturday and they did.

I spoke with the service manager who asked me a lot of questions and said that there would be a $145 diagnostic fee. After we spoke a few minute he realized I was not clueless after I told him I had a 30amp hookup at my house, I checked the breakers and read the manual. After that, he waived the diagnostic fee and said I could bring it in this Saturday for diagnosis but could not leave the unit at their facility.

Also, I did contact the manufacturer of the AC, Dometic. I did a search on their website for local companies who could service it, I called two of them and left a message. I have never heard back. Hopefully it will get resolved going through the dealer.

Just curious. Are you at a campground when it didn’t work or from home or both? Can you get a multimeter and check voltage at your breaker for AC in the RV? The reason I ask is I had a problem with my AC not working, and traced it back to low voltage on one leg (I have a 50amp service). My breaker in main panel was lose on one side (prongs were stretched, was returned to Lowe’s and I didn’t reaLize it when I bought it) and arcing when it had a load. It would read 120v until I would turn the breaker on then then it would drop to 56v. Just a thought....

ALJO · 12-09-2020, 05:08 PM

Corporations like your money but not interested in your service that complicate things and cut in their profits. Dealers are similar, but are the end of the line and have to keep their customers happy.

prm99v6 · 12-09-2020, 07:56 PM

As many said, getting in that quick is difficult. I can’t even get my car in for service at any dealer where I live in less than a week and a half to two weeks.

As for dealing with individual manufacturers for their products, many only have a one year warranty. Jayco provides a two year warranty but it’s through a dealer. I tried to deal directly with Furrion for my TV that had a bad pixel. It was very clear. No diagnostics needed and they refused because of an agreement with Jayco (so they said). I was told I had to go through Jayco. Jayco said I have to go through dealer. After four weeks I had a new TV.

There are many horror stories of dealers taking forever to get in, and get repairs done. Unfortunately it’s the way it is. I am just as frustrated with the industry and I don’t have a dealer to use. I cut ties with them after my first service experience.

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