Are caravan sales people at shows too pushy?
Consumer advocate claims pressure tactics at shows are a common complaint from buyersThe Caravan Council of Australia has compiled a list of the most common complaints the organisation has received from caravan buyers over the past few years.
According to the CCA's Colin Young one of the most common complaints refers to the "refusal by (some) suppliers to acknowledge and rectify defects -- even those that are deemed to be 'major failures'."
He said the CCA also receives complaints about sales contracts that are either "illegal… do not include mandatory ACL (Australia Consumer Law) clauses (or) contain heavily-biased and unfair conditions".
Another common area of concern to aggrieved buyers, according to Young, are pushy or under-trained sales people, especially at caravan shows.
"There is an intolerable lack of technical knowledge by some dealers' sales personnel along with highly-questionable sales tactics, regarding their conduct with potential buyers of caravans," he said.
"Caravanners often report that salespeople, especially at caravan shows, are far too pushy, and do not have the best interests of the potential customer at heart.
"Naivety, along with 'making up answers on the spot (or) simply not knowing the answers to reasonable questions, and grossly-exaggerating the features and benefits of a prospective caravan, are regularly cited as being hard-sell behaviour," he said.
Young said some salespeople have insufficient technical knowledge in relation to safety issues like weight ratings, RV tyres and pressures, as well as ACL (consumer law) and VSB1 (vehicle standards) government regulations.
According to Young, the unethical or unprofessional conduct of some caravan salespeople "continues to badly tarnish the image and reputation of the entire caravan industry... much to the detriment of those professional businesses who do continually display ethical and professional conduct to their customers".
"It is imperative that all marketing personnel be urgently and properly educated and tested in relation to the legal requirements of VSB1 and the ACL - and preferably be licensed to sell caravans," he said.
Some industry associations are attempting to raise industry standards, including a new 'master technician' service industries program and new business certification program for manufacturers expected to be rolled out by the Caravan Industry Association Victoria later this year.
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