Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikelff
This is why the dealer you deal with makes ALL the difference. Shop for a good dealer first. They are hard to find. Keystone also doesn’t have the reputation they should have, and should help the end user more than they do. I hope they get an ear full at the rally. Perhaps folks will get some positive responses to their issues.
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My perspective, for what it's worth: If you compare Keystone and Grand Designs, you'll find that GD is much more "helpful when you call". GD staffs their customer service department differently than Keystone. They also "factor in a much greater percentage of MSRP to be allocated for warranty work than Keystone....
As an hypothetical example: Keystone markets a 26' mid grade ultralight travel trailer for $35000. They calculate warranty claims of 3%. That's $1050 they can spend on that trailer and still not cut their profit margin. Let's say that's "Keystone's business model"....
Now, GD builds essentially the same trailer, using the same equipment, the same labor force in the same type plant. Their "cost to build" is going to be the same as Keystone's cost. But, they market their trailer at $41000, about 15% more than Keystone. They "know" that it's going to cost around the same "warranty costs" to repair their trailer as it does to repair the Keystone trailer. BUT, they have an additional $5000 to invest in "superior customer service and eager warranty repairs".... To them, it's a "customer perception that's worth the investment in increased MSRP." That's a "different business model"....
To the customer who has problems with his GD trailer, the perception is that GD's warranty is better. In reality, he paid a big chunk of change to get that warranty.
If you have a "problem trailer, the faster, easier to deal with warranty may seem a good deal. To the person who buys either brand and doesn't ever return to the dealership for warranty and never writes the factory about problems, there's a certain "lure of saving money" that comes with the Keystone business model.
I'd suppose that for someone who does their own maintenance and repairs, Keystone is a much better "investment"... On the other hand, someone who "expects an automotive warranty experience", maybe paying more for a GD may keep their expectations in the positive arena...
Bottom line is that for nearly every trailer, the Keystone warranty is going to fix things that break. The reality is that it's likely to take longer, with more frustration and more "owner involvement" than with the GD business model, but, you pay $5000 less with those frustrations... The "value for what you get" is an individual consideration.... Some prefer the eager to help attitude and are willing to pay for it. Some prefer to save the money. For them, the frustration is worth the savings....
Problem is, most people never look at any "situational picture" wider than their broken trim molding and think, "Keystone doesn't care".....