DELIVERY DELAYS
According to the report , delays in delivery of a new caravan was a common theme among survey respondents , as was waiting on parts to fix failures with an exisiting caravan .
However , the report also acknowledged covid supply chain disruptions and the increased demand , which in some cases pushed the waiting time for a new caravan to 12 months or more .
“ To avoid misleading consumers , suppliers should be upfront at the point of sale about the timeframe for delivery and any potential for that timeframe to change ; promptly inform their customers following receipt of any information about changes to that timeframe ; and ensure that these explanations are accurate ,” the report advises .
“ There are some supply chain challenges as well as unprecedented demand being experienced at the moment ,” Mr Lamont said . “ This is a worldwide problem not peculiar to our industry , and while the industry is doing its best to meet consumer demand , we are experiencing a perfect storm at present .”
Another issue raised by the report : the difficulty some suppliers to RV manufacturers were having in obtaining reimbursement from manufacturers for the costs of providing a customer with a certain remedy .
This includes referring a supplier to a component manufacturer , only providing reimbursement for parts and not labour in some instances , and outright refusing reimbursement .
“ We are concerned that the conduct of some manufacturers may make suppliers more reluctant to provide consumers with remedies , even though this is a supplier ’ s legal obligation under the ACL regardless of whether the manufacturer indemnifies them ,” the report says .
COMPLAINTS INCREASING
The ACCC has received an increasing number of complaints about caravans , campervans and camper trailers since 2017 . In 2017 , 260 complaints were received , while 448 were received in 2021 . Complaints about caravans made up the bulk of the numbers .
" In response to this trend , the ACCC has made industry compliance with consumer guarantees regarding high value items , including caravans , a compliance and enforcement priority for 2022 – 23 , as it was in 2021 – 22 ,” the report says .
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