RV action line

Welcome Mat or Banana Peel?

Campground management practices are sometimes as diverse and arbitrary as the people who implement them. In a recent brush with a park where he felt slighted, a reader wrote "RV Action Line:"

My wife and I were guests at Hidden Acres Family Campground in Preston, Connecticut. One evening during our stay two friends came over to visit us. I was informed by park management that I would have to pay a $3 per-person, per-day visitor fee for them.

In 20 years of RVing, I have never been forced to pay a visitor's fee when entertaining guests who were not pitching a tent, staying overnight or otherwise using any of the park's recreational facilities. Not wishing to embarrass our friends, who were only going to stay for a couple of hours, we paid the $6.

Hidden Acres calls itself a `family campground," which appears to be a misnomer, considering the fact that all visitors are required to register in the office and leave by 10 p.m.; guest fees are assessed for adults and children; and curfew for anyone under 18 years old is10p.m.

After much thought and discussion, we have come to the conclusion that we are entitled to a refund of the $6. After all; what's fair is fair. Right?

Our letter of complaint to Hidden Acres has gone unanswered. The park management doesn't even have the courtesy to reply with a "tough luck, read the rules" letter although we furnished the campground with a SASE for its convenience.

RICHARD & JOYCE COX

IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO

The Coxes posed several valid questions in their letter of complaint. We forwarded their concerns along with our own to Hidden Acres. Our comments as well as the Cox's apparently fell upon deaf ears. Neither the Coxes nor "RV Action Line" has been given the courtesy of a response so far For the purposes of discussion, however, it should be noted that private property owners, including campgrounds, have their rights too, and may establish whatever rules and practices they deem necessary in managing their business. This holds true as long as they operate within federal, state and local laws regarding issues such as discrimination, health, the environment, etc.

When dealing with public trade, it is not altogether uncommon for hoteliers and campground hosts, who have been "burned" enough times by unscrupulous patrons, to overreact in establishing their rules and procedures. In other words, they employ a "meat ax" rather than a "scalpel" when attempting to fix things.

Strict park rules are also occasionally used to repel unwanted traffic or visitors above and beyond those who are already paying for a site. Management may not wish to take the overly strident or unfriendly position of banning unwanted visitors altogether, but they slow things down significantly by charging a "percapita" fee for those not registered as site holders.

Unfortunately, this type of situation can often provoke hostile reactions from customers and possibly have an overall negative effect on the bottom line of a business. If enough visitors or tenants become weary of what they perceive as poor treatment, they will eventually take their trade elsewhere.

DELAYED CLAIM

Experiencing resistance from a manufacturer regarding a claim for reimbursement, a reader requested assistance.

I bought a fifth-wheel trailer in December 1996, which was equipped with Goodyear Marathon tires. In October 1997, one of the tires peeled while traveling, which damaged a piece of faring beneath the coach. Since that time, I have experienced the same failure on two more of the unit's tires.

I contacted Goodyear's customer service office and was told by that office that there was no recourse for me. I did not save the defective tires as evidence, but, rather, had left them behind as scrap where they were replaced. I took these actions because previous experience that I've had with tires from other companies did not allow for any compensation.

I feel that Goodyear has the responsibility to inform customers when it has issued defective tires which are now being recalled because of bad design. Besides this, I did not have room to haul junk tires all over the country. If eel that I am a victim of circumstance.

WILLIAM A. BEAN

CONROE, TEXAS

Bean's predicament is sad, but the tire manufacturer's response to our inquiry is not outside the realm of propriety It is common throughout the automotivepart and -accessory industry that, when a product failure is in question, the defective item be furnished as proof of said failure before a refund or compensation is considered.

Because of expediency or sometimes sheer necessity, people must have replacements or repairs made at retailers who do not carry the brand in question. Wherever possible, however, it behooves those who wish to have any chance at all of getting reimbursement from a manufacturer to hang onto the part until they reach the nearest retailer who carries it.

We must mention also that Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has been very responsive through the years to consumers who have been able to show substantive evidence of product failure. As reflected in its letter to the reader with a carbon copy to "RV Action Line," however, the complaint did not fall within the company's compensation criteria.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company strives to ensure complete customer satisfaction with all its products. Therefore, claim evaluations and payment decisions are not taken lightly

We regret that we cannot assist you with your claim. Had your claim and tires been presented to a Goodyear retailer at the time of occurrence, a thorough inspection and investigation would have been performed. This would have also made your claim eligible for consideration.

The tires in question are not the subject of a recall as you mentioned in your letter Tires can and do fail due to many reasons. However, the vast majority do not involve a manufacturing defect. Without an opportunity to inspect your tires, it is impossible for Goodyear to determine the exact cause of the failure.

On behalf of Goodyear, I would like to thank you for allowing us the opportunity of responding to your concerns.

BEVERLY B. SVASTA

PRODUCT LIABILITY CLAIMS ANALYST

THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY

AKRON, OHIO

MATTRESS MUMPS

When his letter requesting warranty consideration from an RV manufacturer appeared to be delayed, a reader wrote:

My wife and I bought a new Conquest 19-foot camper in April 1997. There were a few problems right off, which the dealer took care of in a manner that was very acceptable.

After using the camper fewer than a dozen times last summer, we began to notice that the mattress on the bed had a spring protruding along with a number of uncomfortable lumps.

I called the dealer and was told the camper's warranty was only good for one year. The dealer said I was two months over my limit. I told the dealer's representative that I would be willing to pay any extra cost for an upgrade, and didn't feel that sleeping on the mattress a dozen times should cause it to break down.

My dealer told me I would probably have to write Gulf Stream, the manufacturer of the unit. I did so, but have not received an answer I don't expect much;just a response to my concerns.

MICHAEL CHEELEY

ST CLOUD, MINNESOTA

Sometimes, even with the best of customer relations networks, things get lost in the shuffle. In the hope that we could help Cheeley get a better night's sleep on an upgraded mattress, we jotted off a quick letter to Gulf Stream asking that this question be addressed. About a week later, we received the following missive from Cheeley.

Thank you for your very able assistance regarding my complaint of mattress problems in my camper I have since received a cordial letter from John Van Scoik, a Gulf Stream service representative.

He apologized for any problems I might have experienced and has offered to replace the mattress. He has also renewed my belief in Gulf Stream and the purchase I made of its product. I thank "RV Action Line" again for the professional way in which it handled my situation.

M.C.

Copyright T L Enterprises, Inc. Apr 1999
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