StevieWonder
Well-known member
I bought a 2013 BigHorn 3570RS in the first few days of December, 2012 ... just over 3 months ago.
Multiple warranty issues including a bad living room TV (Sony), cracked bottom in the fiberglass shower pan, pocket door for bathroom where the hardware for retaining the door open during travel was ripped out of the door rendering the door beyond repair, porch light that never worked, rips in the backs of both recliners from being transported from the factory without being properly secured/protected, a folding chair for the dinette that collapsed the first time someone sat on it and a smattering of other smaller issues.
The pocket door was allegedly ordered the day the trailer was delivered. A month later, no news on availability as per the dealer. At the end of January, on the third call, the door was supposedly ordered. A call to Heartland revealed the door had never been ordered and was then ordered that same day. The service manager at the dealer admitted that he had lied about ordering the door because he forgot about it (two times apparently). I take the rig into the dealer for this same service manager to look at the unit, assess the issues and order the replacement parts necessary to make the trailer right. We have a very civil heart-to-heart where I tell him that I've owned multiple businesses and people make mistakes; that the lie was worse than the failure to order the part because now my trust is damaged. He agrees, states he's sorry and will jump right on it. We take photos for warranty verification purposes. We shake hands and depart on a friendly basis thinking we are now on track.
Three weeks later a call to Heartland reveals the parts once again have never been ordered. The service manager states that they had an RV show and an outdoor show and had been really busy. Verse 2 of the same song. Apparently potential new buyers are more important than actual existing buyers.
So I go to the dealership again, in person, to try to rectify the issues and get the ball rolling ... 3 months of ownership and not one single warranty item has been addressed. Heartland goes Pontius Pilate on me and washes their hands stating that they have no control over the dealership while advising me that other BigHorn (not Heartland, but BigHorn) dealers are not obligated to perform any warranty work. Then they further tell me they have no leverage (such as pulling a dealership if the dealer doesn't comply with warranty work).
So I buy a Chevy at a considerably lower price but I can get warranty work at any Chevy dealer in the country. GM will yank a dealership if they think a dealer is damaging the Chevy brand by refusing to do warranty work. But not Heartland, where apparently the attitude is that "we just make 'em and ship 'em, after that you're on your own ... sorry, but there's nothing we can do with our dealers".
I'm a short time and maybe one more phone call away. That is not my preference nor my choice, but I'm about out of alternatives if Heartland can't at least provide leverage and exercise some rational control over its dealers.
Multiple warranty issues including a bad living room TV (Sony), cracked bottom in the fiberglass shower pan, pocket door for bathroom where the hardware for retaining the door open during travel was ripped out of the door rendering the door beyond repair, porch light that never worked, rips in the backs of both recliners from being transported from the factory without being properly secured/protected, a folding chair for the dinette that collapsed the first time someone sat on it and a smattering of other smaller issues.
The pocket door was allegedly ordered the day the trailer was delivered. A month later, no news on availability as per the dealer. At the end of January, on the third call, the door was supposedly ordered. A call to Heartland revealed the door had never been ordered and was then ordered that same day. The service manager at the dealer admitted that he had lied about ordering the door because he forgot about it (two times apparently). I take the rig into the dealer for this same service manager to look at the unit, assess the issues and order the replacement parts necessary to make the trailer right. We have a very civil heart-to-heart where I tell him that I've owned multiple businesses and people make mistakes; that the lie was worse than the failure to order the part because now my trust is damaged. He agrees, states he's sorry and will jump right on it. We take photos for warranty verification purposes. We shake hands and depart on a friendly basis thinking we are now on track.
Three weeks later a call to Heartland reveals the parts once again have never been ordered. The service manager states that they had an RV show and an outdoor show and had been really busy. Verse 2 of the same song. Apparently potential new buyers are more important than actual existing buyers.
So I go to the dealership again, in person, to try to rectify the issues and get the ball rolling ... 3 months of ownership and not one single warranty item has been addressed. Heartland goes Pontius Pilate on me and washes their hands stating that they have no control over the dealership while advising me that other BigHorn (not Heartland, but BigHorn) dealers are not obligated to perform any warranty work. Then they further tell me they have no leverage (such as pulling a dealership if the dealer doesn't comply with warranty work).
So I buy a Chevy at a considerably lower price but I can get warranty work at any Chevy dealer in the country. GM will yank a dealership if they think a dealer is damaging the Chevy brand by refusing to do warranty work. But not Heartland, where apparently the attitude is that "we just make 'em and ship 'em, after that you're on your own ... sorry, but there's nothing we can do with our dealers".
I'm a short time and maybe one more phone call away. That is not my preference nor my choice, but I'm about out of alternatives if Heartland can't at least provide leverage and exercise some rational control over its dealers.
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