It’s the dream of many older Australians: retire, buy a caravan, and spend a few years travelling the country as a “grey nomad”.
Unfortunately, for many caravan owners, the dream has become a nightmare, with a new report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) revealing 80 per cent of people surveyed have experienced a problem with a new caravan. The consumer watchdog has also received more than 1,300 complaints about caravans in the past five years.
Of the 2,270 consumers who responded to the survey, 67 per cent paid more than $60,000 for their new caravan, with 37 per cent having to wait more than six months for delivery. 29 per cent of respondents said that something they were told during the sales process – such as tow weight, warranty details, or off-road capabilities – was inaccurate or misleading.
Meanwhile, of the 80 per cent of people who said they had experienced faults in their caravans, 50 per cent classed the defects as “major failures”, and 48 per cent said they had to wait more than six months to have them repaired.
Know your rights
In the survey, 66 per cent of respondents said they were aware of their consumer rights, but only 28 per cent of these people said they brought up their rights to a retailer when discussing the fault.
According to ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard, under Australian Consumer Law, you are entitled to a repair, replacement or refund from the supplier if your new caravan fails to meet one or more consumer guarantees such as quality or matching the provided description.
“A caravan can represent a significant financial and emotional investment. Some people save for years in anticipation of purchasing and travelling in a caravan. If something goes wrong the harm can be significant,” Ms Rickard said.
“If your caravan has a major or minor consumer guarantee failure, you may be entitled to a remedy even if the warranty provided by the business has expired.”
A minor consumer guarantee failure entitles you to a repair, or a replacement or refund if that repair is refused, while a major failure – or multiple minor failures adding up to a major failure – entitles you to a replacement or refund.
For more information, see the ACCC’s guide to buying a new caravan.
