Lunar Automotive - The end is almost here!

[David 38]

1 minute ago, hp100425ev said:

 

So if the Swift approved workshop finds a problem covered by warranty, where do you go to have a warranty claim submitted to Swift?  Can your approved workshop submit a claim (most cannot) or do you then have to go to the Original supplying Dealer anyway?

Guess Bailey will be same or similar and if I or my approved serviceman find a fault as my original dealer closed down I have to ask a Bailey dealer to do it and from what I read this is unlikely.  So I would have to go to a Worksop that is approved by Bailey in the next county.  Although on another group a member a couple of hours drive away as offered to help me, so there are helpful dealers about.

[Wildwood]

Swift will allow any NCC registered workshop to do the work but there is no obligation on these to do it, including Swift dealers. Swift will guarantee the work done by their dealers but not by other workshops, but do guarantee the parts. 

Warranty claims have to be submitted by the workshop used although the warranty is a legal contract so possibly they cannot just say go through a repairer but I do not believe this has been tested. 

Many dealers workshops have more work than they can manage for their own customers and do not have the capacity to do work for others although man ae quiet in October through to December most years and might take you in then but no guarantee.

[Legal Eagle]

33 minutes ago, hp100425ev said:

 

So if the Swift approved workshop finds a problem covered by warranty, where do you go to have a warranty claim submitted to Swift?  Can your approved workshop submit a claim (most cannot) or do you then have to go to the Original supplying Dealer anyway?

If the workshop is Swift approved, rather than just NCC AWS affiliated, then they will be approved to carry out warranty work if Swift authorise it. Otherwise you have to go back to the dealer you purchased from. Manufacturers can only compel the supplying dealer to carry out warranty work. If you can find another dealer willing to, and there are some, it's a bonus!

Edited Saturday at 13:14 by Legal Eagle

[montesa]

fwiw .....

A very sad but likely predictable end now (for the P45 Staff & many happy loyal owners) to this drawn out fiasco. 

For me 'Lunar'  (South Africa ) was over before CV19 appeared 12 months ago - but that will be likely raised as the leading cause on the Cara press autopsy. 

No surprises here about the furlough money received but then non payment news report. If the shameless story is true (but denied of course) then for me it nicely sums up the ethics of the new owner(s) all along.

M

[littlebasher]

Wonder if my dealer with finally concede that Lunar are 'done' and actually deal with my warranty issues themselves!

[Kepler]

6 hours ago, montesa said:

fwiw .....

A very sad but likely predictable end now (for the P45 Staff & many happy loyal owners) to this drawn out fiasco. 

For me 'Lunar'  (South Africa ) was over before CV19 appeared 12 months ago - but that will be likely raised as the leading cause on the Cara press autopsy. 

No surprises here about the furlough money received but then non payment news report. If the shameless story is true (but denied of course) then for me it nicely sums up the ethics of the new owner(s) all along.

M

He's lying through his teeth, he's not paid them a penny  in months and not paid into their pensions for 15 months despite taking the money out of their wages. The truth will come out, I mean all the staff have to do is submit their bank statements as evidence and his lies will be revealed! This goes a lot deeper though and the administration company are on cahoots with him. Both Clarity and Lunar had higher bids to take them over but they sold to Nicholas Marks! Let's hope a thorough investigation is carried out. I'm sure it will be as this is tax payers money he has stolen and a lot of it.

[Wildwood]

19 hours ago, littlebasher said:

Wonder if my dealer with finally concede that Lunar are 'done' and actually deal with my warranty issues themselves!

I suspect that the number of claims made against dealers for work needed will have hit many hard and they will do their best to avoid their responsibility. Probably you will need to get tough with them and show you know your rights, or even have to have the work done elsewhere and then sue them. 

[Stevan]

20 hours ago, littlebasher said:

Wonder if my dealer with finally concede that Lunar are 'done' and actually deal with my warranty issues themselves!

The dealer has no responsibility for any warranty issues, the warranty died with Lunar Caravans Ltd! Lunar Automotive made some promises around fulfilling some of Lunar Caravan's responsibilities but I doubt that they will ever actually be fulfilled.

The dealer does however, have responsibilities under the CRA and there are many areas of overlap between CRA and most warranties.

You need to start looking at your issues from a CRA perspective.

[JCCD]

On 16/01/2021 at 12:40, hp100425ev said:

 

So if the Swift approved workshop finds a problem covered by warranty, where do you go to have a warranty claim submitted to Swift?  Can your approved workshop submit a claim (most cannot) or do you then have to go to the Original supplying Dealer anyway?

 

The approved workshop submits the warranty claim.

 

Caravan warranties rely on your dealer remaining in business, and remaining a dealer for that brand. If one day your dealer has disappeared or is no longer a dealer for your caravan brand then your stuck with hoping the manufacturer will assign you an alternative dealer, which could be miles away.

 

Choosing which dealer you buy from probably as important as choosing your caravan. I'm lucky to live just a few minutes from an independent Swift approved workshop, and i would rather give my money to them than the dealer I bought from. I only purchased from my dealer because their dealer special caravan was just what I wanted, otherwise I would have travelled further and bought elsewhere.

 

 

Edited 18 hours ago by JCCD

[JCCD]

On 16/01/2021 at 16:31, littlebasher said:

Wonder if my dealer with finally concede that Lunar are 'done' and actually deal with my warranty issues themselves!

 

I fear Stevan is correct in his post above.

 

Your dealer is obliged to carry out the warranty work that Lunar approve. But now that there is no Lunar to approve it, then effectively your caravan has no warranty, which is a nice little 'get out' for your dealer. Unless there is any goodwill fro your dealer, you will probably have to pay for any work. If so, unless you feel any loyalty to your dealer, I would take it to an independent workshop if you have one nearby.

 

This could happen to anyone if their caravan manufacturer went bust.

 

 

4 hours ago, Wildwood said:

I suspect that the number of claims made against dealers for work needed will have hit many hard and they will do their best to avoid their responsibility. Probably you will need to get tough with them and show you know your rights, or even have to have the work done elsewhere and then sue them. 

 

Sadly, I wouldn't have thought he has many rights under the circumstances.

 

A couple we know purchased their first ever caravan during lockdown (as many did) and they bought an 18 month old Lunar. I haven't told them the bad news as I feel awkward doing so, probably shattering their dreams. I see no point in worrying them as hopefully they won't have any warranty issues.

 

 

 

Edited 18 hours ago by JCCD

[Stevan]

1 hour ago, JCCD said:

 

 

 

A couple we know purchased their first ever caravan during lockdown (as many did) and they bought an 18 month old Lunar. I haven't told them the bad news as I feel awkward doing so, probably shattering their dreams. I see no point in worrying them as hopefully they won't have any warranty issues.

 

 

 

The reality is not that black! After 18 months, there is not normally much cover left in the original warranty anyway.

As long as your friends bought from a dealer they still have rights under CRA which at this point in time probably offer more protection than the remains of the warranty would have done.

[Towtug]

I would think that trying to get the dealers to discharge their responsibilities  to owners individually will be difficult,  it always is.

 

In most cases taking on grievances collectively is a more efficient method.

 

If there are many bona fide issues, I would have thought you need to organise yourselves and prepare to fight your causes collectively.

[Towtug]

https://www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-lancashire-55676717

[Legal Eagle]

12 hours ago, Stevan said:

The reality is not that black! After 18 months, there is not normally much cover left in the original warranty anyway.

As long as your friends bought from a dealer they still have rights under CRA which at this point in time probably offer more protection than the remains of the warranty would have done.

The major problem that may arise with the demise of a manufacturer is the availability of parts making a repair disproportionately too costly or impossible to achieve. Section 23(3)(a) & (4) CRA 2015 addresses that and gives the trader some protection:

(3)The consumer cannot require the trader to repair or replace the goods if that remedy (the repair or the replacement)—

(a) is impossible, or

(b) is disproportionate compared to the other of those remedies.

(4) Either of those remedies is disproportionate compared to the other if it imposes costs on the trader which, compared to those imposed by the other, are unreasonable, taking into account—

(a) the value which the goods would have if they conformed to the contract,

(b) the significance of the lack of conformity, and

(c) whether the other remedy could be effected without significant inconvenience to the consumer.

......(8) In this Chapter, “repair” in relation to goods that do not conform to a contract, means making them conform.

However, under Section 24 the consumer may claim a price reduction (partial refund) if Section 23(3) applies.