Trade in with a bad roof!

[RVGuy1966]

hmm, sounds a bit fishy. I myself would be worried they might try to get you to bring the new rv in for some pre warranty or other nonsense and then hold it there until you pay up the difference. I would start looking for another dealership to get warranty work done. I know how a dealership can screw you over.

have you gotten the title yet? Is it in your name??.

[smonagle]

UPDATE:

They called today to tell me that they had to replace the entire roof for a cost of $3200. The manager asked if there was anything we could do to help them out. He said that we had to have noticed that the roof was rotted. I politely told him that I did not have any idea. There were no signs of water leakage whatsoever. I was even up on the roof last fall to clean it and inspect the seals (like I do every year). He told me this wasn't just over this winter but that it had happened for a while. When he asked if there was anything we could do to help them recoup their loss, I told him that I had nothing to give.

He said he believed me but the service manager may get the owner involved. I said I understood and that if it went any further that he could contact me. At the end he sounded like that wasn't going to happen so I will leave it at that and wait to see if I ever get a phone call from the owner.

I will most likely take my camper to a different dealership to have any warranty work done on it. Fortunately for me, there are several dealerships within an hours drive. Hopefully we can put this past us and enjoy the use of the new camper. I will still be watching to see what they sell the trade in for.

Thanks for listening everyone! It was fantastic to have so many responses telling me to hold my ground. It made it much easier for me to believe in myself in this specific situation!

Scott

[JohnRR]

I'm actually very surprised that they called you back! You might want to give them a link to this thread and let them see first hand the power of the internet as to how it could effect the perception of how others see them doing business with others.

It's really up to them to readjust their selling cost to reflect their cost of doing business and expenses.

I believe no matter the outcome they will be asking for a higher price to reflect the unit having a new roof.

[schrederman]

I think they had brass cajones to call at all... The whole thing's ridiculous...

[RVGuy1966]

I personally wouldn't be surprised to get a certified letter from a law firm.....

I would reach out to an attorney toot sweet and pay the consulting fee of 100 to 350 dollars to get legal advise at this stage. you never know you may have a lawsuit your self for harassment.

always protect yourself!

I found out the hard way, anyone can file anything in court. YOU have to prove it or disprove it...

gotta love the judicial system.....

[thedjjack]

I would approach it that you had no idea the roof had damage and rot. They had all the time in the world to inspect it properly and did not or did who knows...

But most importantly you still have no idea the roof was damaged as they re-roofed it without showing you the damage? You have no proof the roof was damaged and still do not.

I am sure they will get more $$ for the unit now that it has a new roof. so it cost 3200 so it probably cost 1600 their cost and I am sure they will get 1000 more for it with a new roof. so it seems like a 600 lesson to inspect TRADE INS..

[vsheetz]

Surprised they called back and asked for money. Pretty ballsy. Makes me think even less of them. They should just suck it up and review their trade in inspection process.

[Wes Hawkins]

I agree with everyone else about it being their tuff luck. Their in this business and if they didn't inspect it well enough when they accepted it as a trade then its on them. If you bought that trailer from them and it had a bad roof they wouldn't do anything for you unless you spent money on an extended warranty then you would probably still have to pull teeth to get them to do anything.

[Dogpatch]

Originally Posted by DDW

If they want to backout of the deal, and won't be reasonable tell then to give it back and you'll give them back the new one.

What?

That's crazy talk!

Wouldn't even entertain that idea.

[Dogpatch]

We as consumers not directly involved in the industry don't have the expertise to do a thorough inspection.

For us, it's called "Buyer Beware"

When they took your trade in, the dealer has the experience to inspect the trade in. They are supposed to know their stuff.
Someone missed it in their pre-trade-in inspection, so obviously the damage didn't stand out. You missed it yourself.

They would have to prove negligence or deceit on your part. Tough to do in this case as you didn't try to hide anything.

They are grabbing at straws and playing on your strings at the moment.
They know they don't have a leg to stand on.

[JohnRR]

Extended service plans normally do not cover preexisting conditions, if the seller can say it's been like that for a while the extended service most likely would use the same thought process so as not to pay for it.

[Jack1234]

Originally Posted by Wes Hawkins

If you bought that trailer from them and it had a bad roof they wouldn't do anything for you unless you spent money on an extended warranty then you would probably still have to pull teeth to get them to do anything.

This is not necessarily the case. Here in B.C. we have very strong Consumer Protection laws. In this particular case the concept of buyer beware or "as is" only applies to private sales. When buying from a Dealer the laws protect the consumer and stipulate that the Dealer must declare all known & even unknown defects as he must follow the principle of "Seller Beware". This is a very onerous standard for vehicle Dealers, but actually benefits them as most consumers pretty quickly realize that buying from a private seller leaves them exposed to the "buyer beware" risks.....Who,wants to buy a Camper only to find that the roof is rotten and the Seller tells them to go pound sand?

The following case pretty much addresses the OP's situation and how the law would interpret it here in B.C.......

.......Buyer beware isn't a rule when buying from a licensed dealer. But, a judge in Prince George found that this concept applied to a private purchase. A Vernon man claimed for damages when a recently bought van turned out to be in need of extensive repairs. The vehicle, which was purchased for $20,160 from a Burns Lake couple, ended up needing over $12,000 of extra repairs.

The judge claimed that the buyer's financial loss was his own responsibility. And since it was a private sale, the "standards set out in the Sale of Goods Act and the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act do not apply." The private sellers did not owe the buyer "a duty of care." Licensed dealers and salespeople, on the other hand, have to follow the principal of seller beware. Consumer protection legislation shifts many responsibilities and obligations to the seller.......

I would image that in this particular case the OP has no legal obligation or "duty of care" responsibility to the Dealer. Could I "skate" on a situation like this...well I don't have enough good Karma in the bank to mess with either a private buyer or the professional (Dealer) buyer. What goes round always seems to come round for me!

[Gordon Dewald]

For a discussion point suppose the buyer did capitulate and share the cost of the roof equally with the dealer. Should the the dealer not be "asked" to share the difference from what he paid for the trade in to what the unit was retailed back to the market?

[mbridinger]

Justice is served on earth sometimes.