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Lemon Law Hearing

Yahoo Message Number: 1770
Just wanted to drop a note updating where we are about our door...

Received a curious letter from Country Coach that reads ...
'Pursuant to the new guide and rules for mediation/arbitration for the Florida Recreational Vehicle Program, this letter will serve as Country Coach's mediation summary. Mr and Mrs Bonifay filed this lemon law arbitration claim, alleging that their 2000 Magna motorhome is a lemon because the side entry door does not function to their satisfaction.
These consumers bought and took delivery of this motorhome back on February 04, 2000, with approximately 3,507 delivery miles. Since that time, they have accrued at least 24,227 miles. During their ownership of this coach, over the past two(2) years, they have presented it several times for inspection/service on the side entry door.
On each of these occasions, Country Coach addressed the concerns of Mr and Mrs Bonifay by inspecting and/or performing minor service.
Country Coach believes that the side entry door on this coach operates properly and is otherwise ineligible for relief under the lemon law. If the door is currently in need of adjustment, that is likely a maintenance issue which can be resolved with minor service. Thus, while Country Coach will attend and mediate in good faith, it dose not believe these consumers are entitled to the extreme refund relief the consumers are seeking under the Florida lemon law.
Mr Bonifay has agreed to bring his coach to the mediation for an inspection, and I am looking forward to that inspection.'

Signed by Dennis Wasserburger....

With us now being on the fifth entry door I shutter to think what Country Coach considers "major service" would constitute..Very Interesting

John Bonifay #5840

Re: Lemon Law Hearing

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1772
I am curious about this one. If the door is the only problem with the coach, isn't that something that could be fixed by going to a shop which handles body components...not necessarily to a Country Coach dealer? With all the problems that can go wrong it seems that a door would be a minor problem that could be fixed. Have you been back to the factory for the work or just using their dealer network?

Re: Lemon Law Hearing

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1773
To those interested in this door:

I have had the pleasure of inspecting this door. At first glance, one can not see what all the fuss is about. On closer examination the complaint becomes more understandable.
The design to start with places a great deal of stress on the hinging with at least 1/3 of the door hanging in free space.

On subject door the hinges are fighting each other because of some misalignment. The frame is not true and straight. Attempts to make it straight with small shims only help to accentuate the problem.
To my sup rise the last people to do the job did not cut a hole in the strike plate to allow the dead lock bolt to engage the jamb.

As for leaks or air noise , rattles etc., I can not reflect.
The Magna is a great coach but the door on this one is in sad shape.
Jim Green WB3DJU 2000 Intrigue

travman100 wrote:

Re: Lemon Law Hearing

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1782
On subject door the hinges are fighting each other because of some misalignment.

That is really strange. My Magna and all Magnas' I've seen have a piano hinge not two hinges on the entry door. jerry in NM, '00 Magna.

Re: Lemon Law Hearing

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1783
John,

Mr. Wasserburgers' comments are very tactical, practiced, and company (C.C.) serving. I find it difficult to comprehend that any mediator would feel that 5 entry doors, on 1 coach in 2 years, is normal. Per the letter you received, you have approximately 28,000 miles on your coach, that's 1 entry door every 5600 miles. Normal wear and tear, very doubtful in my opinion!

I hope you have a ton of documentation to prove you are on your 5th door and all the time spent in the shop. Without the paperwork you will probably have a difficult time getting any satisfaction. As I stated in another post in regard to this matter, have any of the doors been replaced by Country Coach? The people I have talk to that own Magna/Affinitys who have had the doors replaced by the factory, seem to be happy with the basic operation and condition of the door. It is still a bad design with the lack of hinge support on the top 1/3 of the door, but that seems to have been resolved with the use of PTL doors on all the new coaches.

My personal feelings are that C.C should replace the door for you, at the factory, then if a unsatisfactory condition still exists, help you get into a new C.C coach and keep you as a customer. As I'm sure BIG BROTHER monitors this group, I hope my humble opinion is at least noted. I have always liked Country Coach and know many people who own and feel the same way about C.C.
Unfortunately, I have met almost as many people who have left Country Coach and bought other brands. Most over things that C.C. could have resolved with the customers, but didn't or wouldn't. Now these people may not be happy with the coach they now own, but some other RV company made money on selling them an RV instead of C.C.!

Not sure if that's good business for Country Coach or poor judgment!
I wish you good luck on this matter and hope the right thing is done for you,

Paul of Elizabeth and Paul
91 Affinity

Quote
Just wanted to drop a note updating where we are about our door...

Received a curious letter from Country Coach that reads ...

'Pursuant to the new guide and rules for mediation/arbitration for
the Florida Recreational Vehicle Program, this letter will serve as Country Coach's mediation summary. Mr and Mrs Bonifay filed this lemon law arbitration claim, alleging that their 2000 Magna motorhome is a lemon because the side entry door does not function to their satisfaction.

Quote
>

These consumers bought and took delivery of this motorhome back on
February 04, 2000, with approximately 3,507 delivery miles. Since that time, they have accrued at least 24,227 miles. During their ownership of this coach, over the past two(2) years, they have presented it several times for inspection/service on the side entry door.

Quote
>

On each of these occasions, Country Coach addressed the concerns
of Mr and Mrs Bonifay by inspecting and/or performing minor service.

Quote
>

Country Coach believes that the side entry door on this coach
operates properly and is otherwise ineligible for relief under the lemon law. If the door is currently in need of adjustment, that is likely a maintenance issue which can be resolved with minor service.
Thus, while Country Coach will attend and mediate in good faith, it dose not believe these consumers are entitled to the extreme refund relief the consumers are seeking under the Florida lemon law.

Quote
>

Mr Bonifay has agreed to bring his coach to the mediation for an
inspection, and I am looking forward to that inspection.'

Quote
>

Signed by Dennis Wasserburger....

With us now being on the fifth entry door I shutter to think what
Country Coach considers "major service" would constitute..Very Interesting

Re: Lemon Law Hearing

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1784
I'm not a lawyer but a marketing consultant to many in the automotive business. No matter how many people think the idea of replacing a coach based on something as simple as a door is, in my mind you still have a very persuasive case and I'm shocked the factory has let it go this far...not just from the perspective of buying back your vehicle, but from the potential flood gate it could open for them. After the second door, the factory should have gotten aggressively involved. After the third, they should have flown an engineer from the factory out to meet with you. After the fourth, they should have offered to take charge of repairs and compensate you for loss of time with the vehicle.
Lemon laws are the consumers best and only tool for some kind of justice in this arena. They were created back when there were many problems with new vehicles. Today's new cars don't have anywhere near the problems of the past. But a few do. Relief under the lemon law is greatest for 'repeat problems' where you go back again and again for the same problem. There are three basic triggers in most lemon laws. 1. A certain number of times you bring a vehicle back for the same repair. 2. A certain number of times you bring the same vehicle back for different repairs, and 3. A certain number of days you are out of your vehicle as the result of those repairs. Any issue related to safe operation has greater weight and certainly a door that doesnt close properly would fall into that category.
If you are headed for arbitration, you may want to consider an option less drastic than buy-back of the coach if you are satisfied with the coach in every other aspect. Ask that the coach door be repaired to YOUR satisfaction at the factory within a certain time period, with transport/travel being paid for by the factory, plus some kind of reasonable per diem compensation for all the time you have had to deal with this..including letter writing and all the time spent on pursuing this action. I think CC needs to have their hands slapped a little when they behave like this to put them on notice they cannot ignore repetitive issues without addressing them in a vigorous manner. and it should not be the 'squeaky wheel gets the grease.'
 

Re: Lemon Law Hearing

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1830
Point well taken:

Speaking as a retired user of architectural hardware, I should have should have been more specific. When a piano hinge is not absolutely installed in a straight line, there is hinge bind. There was a degree of misalignment which caused the phenomenon.
Jim Green WB3DJU
rvhfy wrote: