GotLift
Rio Rancho, NM
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Joined: 01/18/2005
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I'm having a run of bad luck when it comes to dealing with businesses lately so I shouldn't be surprised at all, but what do you think of this?
I took our new Heartland North Country to our local dealer for some warranty issues. 1) the locking handle on our awning wouldn't lock, 2) our shower isn't level and causes the water to pool up on the sides and overflow onto the floor and run into a floor vent, 3) The tank sensors were way off. Flush the toilet once or twice and the black tank would read 2/3 full 4) the hubcap fell off one of our wheels during our drive home from our last trip. I didn't figure this would be covered but wanted it replaced. I told them to call me if it would be much more than $20 to get one because I could probably find a better deal online if it was much more than that.
I turned the trailer in on the 8th. Three weeks later I decided I need to call them since I hadn't heard fom them. They say it's done. Today I go in to get it and have a $230 bill. The hubcap cost $20 after shipping, but for some reason they decide to repack the bearings (without my authorization) even though the trailer is new and charge me $91.35 (even though they are EZ-Lube axles). They say the tank sensors were in the normal position and tested them to find they work fine and therefore I have to pay the $105 in labor since nothing was wrong with them (I didn't make it up, they aren't working properly). The shower wasn't fixed, they simply ran a silicon bead over the edge of the tub, which I could have done myself, and the awning latch was dirty so they cleaned and lubricated it. $230!
Of course I questioned the lady and she suddenly became much less cordial. She said she would have to ask the technician, but he wasn't there. She went to talk to the service manager, but he wasn't there either and I'd have to come back tomorrow if I wanted to talk to him. WHAT A CROCK! So, they still have my trailer and I have to go back tomorrow to sort this all out. What would you do if they refuse to work with me. I don't think I should owe them anything. When I had my pop-up I had to turn it in two times for the same type of minor work and never had to pay a thing.
"If you remain calm while everything around you is chaos then you probably haven't fully understood the situation."
2006 Ford F-250, Crew Cab, Lariat, 6.0L Powerstroke
2010 North Country 27BHS
Me- Tommy
Wife- Lisa
Daughter- Makenna
Son- Kameran
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JFG
TN
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Joined: 07/01/2007
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You need to Call Heartland tomorrow morning and demand that your rv be fixed... and that you are not going to pay for additional charges.
If the lube job was not on the repair order you signed, they should have called you before proceeding... refuse to pay.
Fred
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morsecodeham
MA
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Joined: 02/20/2006
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I second that.
2005 Jayco Jay Feather Sport 186
2005 Ford F-150 XLT Long bed 4.6 V8 3.55 axle
Reese WD & HP Dual Cam Anti-sway
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Jimehc
Taylorsville, Kentucky
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Joined: 07/01/2010
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I see a $20 bill for the hubcap and $105 for the sensors.. You own nothing for the unauthorized wheel bearing work..
Just a little trailer pitch towards the sensors will cause a false reading - it's the nature of the beast
Just a little trailer pitch will cause the shower pooling and overflow issue too..
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adamroof
Camarillo, CA
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Joined: 05/20/2010
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My Dealer Serviceman stated up front, if they test it and its found to be working "properly" they would charge me.
So if they told you upfront that if they test it to be functional, then you are on the line for that $105. Reread what you signed on the service order.
The bearing repack will be on the house. Fight it all the way.
If the silicon bead works, then thats what their TSB told them to do instead of leveling the shower. What I think is happening is they charge you for the work and also submit it all for a warranty claim and they'll get paid twice. That is if you pay them.
Definitely call Heartland and get them involved even if it gets resolved at the dealer. Ask them to show you any TSB's (Technical Service Bulletins). My shower head was noted in one to allow "leakage" of up to 2 gallons per hour in the "OFF" position. So i have to buy my own new shower head 
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fordsooperdooty
Southern California
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Joined: 08/13/2004
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Contact Heartland CEO Brian Brady at 574-266-8726...
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and consciencious stupidity."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
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nny12972
NY
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Joined: 10/25/2006
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You hit the nail on the head---sounds like you've been taken, but maybe not completely.
A short moral to your story is PUT IT IN WRITING AND KEEP AN EXACT COPY.
And, you're usually better off to contact the mfg. on warranty issues before going to a dealer---especially a tub issue like yours.
Are you sure your TT is level when the tub and tank issues occur?
Did you get photos before and after? Do it now anyway!
1.) Try getting whoever is in charge tomorrow---just as she told you. AND TAKE ACCURATE notes---have DW or someone else listen in if possible.
2.) Document the whole scenario as best you can---from start to present.
3.) If the dealer contact isn't productive on the tub issue, I'd contact the mfg. direct.
4.) Have your Consumer Protection number handy in case the above doesn't produce results you can live with.
IMHO, bearing cover and awning issue aren't warranty, as you said---but the fix was a crapshoot---even though could do it cheaper, you may have lost a bearing if they hadn't repacked it. Might be negotiable.
5.) You may or may not actually have a $$ complaint until you've paid for it---if you do, use your credit card-might end up being another avenue for possible future dispute resolution if nothing else works.
Sounds like a number of things up in the air yet----keep your cool 'til you've run out of avenues....not taking the dealer's side---but are you gonna' lose more than the $$ if you don't get your rig back for use? Good luck!
J
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Sandia Man
Rio Rancho, NM
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Joined: 08/09/2008
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Your dealer sure is trying hard to make whatever $$$ he can off his customers which to me is uncalled for since you just bought a new trailer from them. In addition the re-pack of your wheel bearings was performed without your consent. It's true that the tank sensor issue and possibly the shower issue may have to do with how level or how well your tank was flushed out but they could have treated you better IMO. Keep us updated as to the final result.
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GotLift
Rio Rancho, NM
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Joined: 01/18/2005
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adamroof wrote:
If the silicon bead works, then thats what their TSB told them to do instead of leveling the shower. What I think is happening is they charge you for the work and also submit it all for a warranty claim and they'll get paid twice. That is if you pay them.
Thanks for all the input everyone. I've thought about this as well. I would like to be able to check with Heartland to see what they were billed for, but I imagine that would be difficult to do. If I could prove that then I would sue them in small claims court. I suppose that is my only option if they refuse to do the right thing here. Pay them and sue them in small claims court for the money. The service contract states: I agree to pay for all diagnostic chrages and all denied warranty repairs. I did not ask them to repack my bearing and I did not authorize them to repack my bearing. Besides, the charge breaks down to 52 minutes for labor. I highly doubt their technician would take 52 minutes to regrease an EZ-Lube axle. The tank levels and shower have done the same thing everytime we have used it so I can see it being unlevel once or twice but I am careful when setting up. How do I know they didn't fix it, charge the manufacturer, and then charge me after telling me nothing is wrong?
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GeoBoy
Northeast
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Joined: 04/15/2006
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It sounds like you owe for the hubcap and possibly the checking of the sensors, but repacking the wheel bearings on EZ-Lube axles, wasn't the unit PDI'd, and didn't you already pay for that? As for the shower and locking handle on the awning, that should be covered by the warranty/dealer.
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