RV FEATURE
Infographic from the ACCC report .
The Caravan Industry Association of Australia has said that it supports a “ collaborative approach with the ACCC ” in the wake of a new report that found “ key issues of concern ” within the RV industry .
However , the Caravan and Camping Industry Association has also cautioned that the report , which was based on a survey of 2270 owners of new caravans , was not truly representative of the industry .
The report , titled New Caravan Retailing : Ensuring Industry Compliance with the Australian Consumer Law , was released in late July .
According to the report , 80 per cent of survey respondents reported failures with their new caravan .
“ If a business sells a consumer a caravan that fails to meet one or more of the consumer guarantees , the consumer is entitled to a remedy ,” the report says . “ Unfortunately , many consumers reported they were unable to obtain remedies , or the remedies did not fully address the failures .
“ The ACCC is concerned that many consumers alleged suppliers had made misrepresentations to them about their new caravans and their consumer guarantee rights . It is a breach of the ACL ( Australian Consumer Law ) for a business to make statements to their customers that are incorrect or likely to create a false impression .”
The caravan ’ s performance capabilities , towing weight and the availability of repairs were among the “ misrepresentations ” highlighted by the report .
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
In November 2021 , the ACCC published two surveys to better understand consumer and supplier experiences in the caravan industry . The surveys were open for four weeks and closed in December 2021 .
The surveys were limited to new caravans purchased in the previous 24 months . The ACCC used this timeframe “ because we wanted to understand issues currently affecting consumers and suppliers ”.
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