Local dealer refuses warranty work since I bought elsewhere?!?!?

[NB Canada]

When we bought ours, I was telling the local dealer that I was willing to drive 60 miles away to save $4k, they said what about warranty work... I said you guys are a GD authorized dealer, I will be bringing it to you, they said, OK, we will match the price

I find it odd they won't service it as they get paid the same

Now, if they take their purchase customers first and the next available appoint is 6 months out, that is a different story

Good luck


Rick

So you bought from a dealer that was looking to snow you for 4K?
I wouldn’t buy toilet paper from them and “GD authorized dealer” means nothing
A dealer can serve or not serve whoever they please
GD has zero say in it other than not selling to them anymore which they will never do


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

[Redapple63]

You will have zero legal recourse

Dealers are private businesses and Grand Design will have zero influence on them

GD needs the dealers not the other way around
There are lots of manufacturers to sell

I am 13 hours away from my dealer and I knew going in I would have to fix things myself


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

This is exactly correct. While it does suck, it is much more commonplace than e would really like to see. In reality my opinion is is you have ac dealer that openly expresses that, it is a flag to stay away. Any business that is willing to walk away from a revenue stream is not a smart business, further, what other short cuts would they deem ok. Sorry that you have to deal with that

Bill

[Ynot4me2]

We also saw a way better priced trailer 6hrs away but our local dealer ended up price matching. This was just before Covid. We had issues with a leaking slide when closed and brought it 3 times to our dealer which they never fixed. Tried another dealer and after they found out that I hadn't bought there they canceled my appointment. I called GD and explained that I didn't want to go back to my original dealer for obvious reasons and they covered a mobile tech. He ended up fixing it in 1 hr. Hasn't leaked since. My confidence in dealers repairs in not high. I'm sure there's great one out there. I'm also not willing to leave my trailer there for weeks. I don't understand that part. From now on, I'll travel for a better priced rig and use mobile techs if I can't fix it myself.

Sent from my SM-P610 using Tapatalk

[JKellerJr]

This is exactly correct. While it does suck, it is much more commonplace than e would really like to see. In reality my opinion is is you have ac dealer that openly expresses that, it is a flag to stay away. Any business that is willing to walk away from a revenue stream is not a smart business, further, what other short cuts would they deem ok. Sorry that you have to deal with that

Bill

I don't know these dealers so I'm not commenting on this example specifically, but I'm going to take the other side of that coin for arguments sake.

A dealer has more service business than they can handle, booked out for months (which we all know is happening). They can't even get there own customers in in a reasonable timeframe. I wouldn't look at it as a red flag that they focus only on their own customers, just the opposite. And before we say "I'm ok with being put at the end of the line after those customers" well by that time that rolls around, plenty more of their own customers have shown up with more work. They aren't walking away from any revenue, they may be max'ed out, they are focusing on what is best for their business and their customers. That can be looked at as alienating a possible future customer (one that didn't buy there already) or prioritizing an actual customer. If I'm a dealer with limited resources I know which way I'm going. Most of them don't have unlimited resources to keep adding new bays and tech's, even if they were available.

I have seen it first hand, for the first 30 years of my rv'ing life we bought all of our units from a local dealer. Small, family owned and operated. I'm sure we paid more than if we had shopped around, but the way were treated and the service was always spot on, held value to us. I even had them broker my first GD through a GD dealer they knew because I knew I would be taken care of. They handled all my service. Well what there was of it, it left their PDI with zero problems.

Well they are gone now, for some of the reasons in this thread. Customers that wanted bottom dollar kept growing over the ones who wanted good service. They got tired of the grind. While we love to complain about rude or arrogant dealers, let me say, some of the customers I have seen first hand really take the cake. It's also why I laugh a little to myself when I hear the "we would pay more for better quality" argument. Some of us absolutely would but the masses will look and see the same size, same features and pick the cheapest one.

All worked out in the end though, they had a line and a territory one of the big boys wanted so they took the cash and ran.

I am absolutely not saying that we should all buy from our local guy no matter the cost. I realize that the vast majority of us (including me now) don't have a good option. With our new one we almost went 4 states away to get it until the local "super store" stepped up. I'm just saying there may another side to these situations. Hopefully there are still a few decent dealers left out there that haven't been gobbled up by Camping world or Lazy days, etc.

YMMV

[Redapple63]

I don't know these dealers so I'm not commenting on this example specifically, but I'm going to take the other side of that coin for arguments sake.

A dealer has more service business than they can handle, booked out for months (which we all know is happening). They can't even get there own customers in in a reasonable timeframe. I wouldn't look at it as a red flag that they focus only on their own customers, just the opposite. And before we say "I'm ok with being put at the end of the line after those customers" well by that time that rolls around, plenty more of their own customers have shown up with more work. They aren't walking away from any revenue, they may be max'ed out, they are focusing on what is best for their business and their customers. That can be looked at as alienating a possible future customer (one that didn't buy there already) or prioritizing an actual customer. If I'm a dealer with limited resources I know which way I'm going. Most of them don't have unlimited resources to keep adding new bays and tech's, even if they were available.

I have seen it first hand, for the first 30 years of my rv'ing life we bought all of our units from a local dealer. Small, family owned and operated. I'm sure we paid more than if we had shopped around, but the way were treated and the service was always spot on, held value to us. I even had them broker my first GD through a GD dealer they knew because I knew I would be taken care of. They handled all my service. Well what there was of it, it left their PDI with zero problems.

Well they are gone now, for some of the reasons in this thread. Customers that wanted bottom dollar kept growing over the ones who wanted good service. They got tired of the grind. While we love to complain about rude or arrogant dealers, let me say, some of the customers I have seen first hand really take the cake. It's also why I laugh a little to myself when I hear the "we would pay more for better quality" argument. Some of us absolutely would but the masses will look and see the same size, same features and pick the cheapest one.

All worked out in the end though, they had a line and a territory one of the big boys wanted so they took the cash and ran.

I am absolutely not saying that we should all buy from our local guy no matter the cost. I realize that the vast majority of us (including me now) don't have a good option. With our new one we almost went 4 states away to get it until the local "super store" stepped up. I'm just saying there may another side to these situations. Hopefully there are still a few decent dealers left out there that haven't been gobbled up by Camping world or Lazy days, etc.

YMMV

You make a great point, and I am sure there are plenty of dealers that will absolutely fit into that category I guess my statement did lump them all together. You also make a great point that many customers can be true buttheads just have unreasonable expectations. Lots of variables at play for both the customers and dealers. I will say though that my characterization is probably more the norm than not. I will say kudos to the dealers (some who participate here) that continue to provide excellent value to all customers.

Bill

[JKellerJr]

You make a great point, and I am sure there are plenty of dealers that will absolutely fit into that category I guess my statement did lump them all together. You also make a great point that many customers can be true buttheads just have unreasonable expectations. Lots of variables at play for both the customers and dealers. I will say though that my characterization is probably more the norm than not. I will say kudos to the dealers (some who participate here) that continue to provide excellent value to all customers.

Bill

Unfortunately I have to agree. The good ones are few and getting fewer all the time.

[Gronk1]

I bought from a GD dealer that right after sold to CW. Couldn't take it there for warranty work. Went to BD in Redding CA. for a leaky slide cylinder-they had a 50-50 chance of changing the right one & failed (leak was obvious).
Went to my small-town repair facility, GD approved the work & I'm a happy camper
Find a facility that sells parts & works on 'em, but don't sell 'em, or a mobile tech-they will do a much better job than most dealers & GD is pretty good at approving the work.

I sure wouldn't take it to BD.

[daemonic3]

Our local GD dealer (Happy Daze) will do warranty work, but they prioritize those that purchased from them first. Same for recalls (such as the LP regulator). So our choice would be 1) schedule it waaaay out for work, 2) drive 2.5hrs to where we bought it (Sprad's in Reno), or 3) do the recalls or repairs ourselves.

We chose to do the regulator ourselves, and haven't needed warranty work on this current trailer yet. Our previous Imagine had tongue jack and fridge issues (both warranty) and a local repair guy was very familiar with the GD reimbursement process and took our business. There was a process for inspection and filing a ticket in their system, then he could get reimbursed. GD reimbursed for the tongue jack, and the fridge issue he got reimbursed from Dometic after GD filed a ticket in their system.

I recommend finding a highly rated RV repair service, they should be familiar with warranty process for most, and I hear GD is on the easier side to work with.

[PTParker]

You will have zero legal recourse

Dealers are private businesses and Grand Design will have zero influence on them

GD needs the dealers not the other way around
There are lots of manufacturers to sell

I am 13 hours away from my dealer and I knew going in I would have to fix things myself


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

Maybe not legal recourse, but the dealers carry GD at GD pleasure! So, anytime they like GD can pull the dealership! I did the same thing, bought from 200 miles away because our local dealer is a liar! GD has let me get any repairs done where ever I wanted! I have met many from this area that did the same as I did, in fact I have not met a Grand Design from this area that was bought from the local dealer! Even though they are one of the largest dealers in the area! I suspect GD is in the process of pulling the dealership from them, because I have a friend that is a tech at another local dealer, they sent him about a month ago to get training on GD products, even though they do not sell them!

[Lawdog]

I bought our Momentum used, but over the last few years have become pretty tight with a quality local RV tech. That relationship has paid dividends as he is very capable and fast. I have sent him a ton of business in the last year especially as friends need work on their rigs. I can't imagine a time when I'd go to my local GD dealership for any service work. Since I'm out of warranty anyway, it's an easy call.

On my last camper, I drove a long way to save thousands... before the RV world turned sideways.