Play it safe when buying an RV

The Caravan Industry Association of Victoria (CIA) is urging caravan and RV buyers to play it safe by dealing only with members of the official industry associations.

Its warning follows a recent segment aired on a weeknightly, current affairs TV program in which two Queensland families confronted a Victorian caravan “broker” to get the vans they had paid for. The program can be viewed here.

CIA chief executive officer Robert Lucas said the program was a timely reminder to take care.

“As presented on A Current Affair, these people had paid thousands of dollars to a middleman whom the caravan manufacturer said had not passed on the money,” he said.

“Neither the manufacturer nor the broker was a member of any relevant industry association.

“Had they been CIA members, they would have been bound by our Code of Ethics, which applies to all our members in the manufacturing, retail, repair and servicing sectors.

”For peace of mind, people should deal only with businesses that are members of CIA Victoria or the equivalent national or interstate associations.”

Lucas advised consumers to look for membership signage at the premises, or check with the associations by phone or on their websites to confirm if someone is a member.

“Our members have to meet stringent standards to even qualify for membership, and they must then adhere to a Code of Ethics and all our other association rules.

“But you can’t be sure with non-members, so play it safe and deal only with association members.”