RV FEATURE
The ACCC released a lengthy press statement at the time of the New Caravan Retailing : Ensuring Industry Compliance with the Australian Consumer Law report . This statement , dated July 21 , drew particular attention to the rights of RV buyers .
“ A caravan can represent a significant financial and emotional investment ,” ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard said in the statement . “ Some people save for years in anticipation of purchasing and travelling in a caravan . If something goes wrong , the harm can be significant .”
Under Australian Consumer Law , if your caravan fails to meet one or more consumer guarantee , for example it is not of acceptable quality or doesn ’ t match a description made by a supplier , then you are entitled to a remedy from the supplier . A remedy can be a repair , replacement or refund .
If a consumer guarantee failure is minor , the supplier can choose to offer you a repair . If the supplier refuses to offer you a repair for the minor failure , you are entitled to a refund or a replacement .
If a failure is major , you are entitled to your choice of a replacement or refund . It is also important to note that multiple minor failures can be considered a major failure , which entitles you to your choice of a refund or replacement .
“ Consumers need to be confident that when they make a significant financial purchase like a caravan , they will be able to get a refund , replacement or a repair if there is a failure ,” Ms Rickard said .
“ It is the ACCC ’ s view that it is reasonable to expect a new caravan won ’ t develop a major fault within the first several years of use .”
So what , exactly , are the rights of consumers and what are the obligations of suppliers / manufacturers ?
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