Sending a request for reimbursement of repair fees to Keystone

[fmenard123]

Folks,

My father in law has a fifth wheel which evidently had a manufacturer's defect which, showed up a few months after the warranty expired.

The frame was not soldered properly, on the side of the side-out and the lack of proper soldering on the frame cause the structure to crack on the outside shell at the juncture of the front bubble portion and the bedroom.

He had to have it repaired and it cost a few thousand dollars. Under Quebec's laws, there is a provision called the 'legal warranty', which makes manufacturers responsible for dealing with defects for products under normal use, which should not break prior to a 'reasonable period', which is usually longer than the manufacturers warranty.

For instance, should a washing machine of a 1000$ break on the 15th month of a 12 month manufacturers warranty, then legal recourse is much more evident than a 350$ washing machine breaking on the 15th month.

A 35000$ fifth wheel with a bad frame, breaking a few months after manufacturers warranty expires, is a good case to bring before the courts, if Keystone is not agreeable to our proposal.

So he wants to make an offer to Keystone to pick up the repair charges, at least the significant portion of them.

How can we get a hold of Keystone's legal department to handle such a complaint and deal with our proposal ? Whom is to be contacted ? We're from Quebec, is there a legal entity in Canada ?

Anybody familiar with having tried such an approach with Keystone ?

[Festus2]

If you log on to the Keystone website (www.keystonerv.com) there are 2 links - one of which will give you some telephone numbers ; the other takes you to their customer service department.

I would be very surprised if Keystone would be willing or even obliged to take you up on any offer you might make to have the repair costs partially reimbursed. I know some areas have "lemon laws" but doubt if those laws apply to RV's. Since this is a provincial legal provision in a foreign country, I doubt if a manufacturer in the USA could be held financially responsible for that kind of repair that you described. Surely, the government in Quebec is not going to fork out the court costs which would be involved in trying to make Keystone pay for some of the repair bills for a defective RV frame.

I wish you luck in your dealings with Keystone.

[JSSML]

Good luck, Do you listen to the radio. Our court system sucks. The best you will get is if the dealership sides with you and works with their rep. Did you try contacting Keystone before you did the repairs? If not then I would guess you are SOL. All Keystone trailers are imported from Indiana. Work with your dealer.

[Festus2]

I would have to agree with the above post that your best course of action is through the dealership where the 5th wheel was purchased. Keystone's response will most likely be that (a) it is out of warranty; and (b) the owner most likely subjected the unit to excessive wear and tear.
You could be arguing with them for months - years. Save yourself the time and most likely wasted energy and plenty of frustration and try to work through the dealer. If the dealer isn't willing to go to bat for you, then I think you may just be out of pocket for the cost of repairs.

(On another note.... most but not all Keystone RV's are made in Indiana but some are made in their Oregon plant as mine was.)

[fmenard123]

Originally Posted by Festus2

Surely, the government in Quebec is not going to fork out the court costs which would be involved in trying to make Keystone pay for some of the repair bills for a defective RV frame.
I wish you luck in your dealings with Keystone.

The way it works, is that the case is brought before the small claims court, where Keystone would have to appoint a lawyer to defend itself and would likely have to spend more money doing it (we have more photos and expert opinion that they would care to fight against...). So in small claims court = no lawyers = low cost fees. Fees to those who lose. The provincial government does not subsidize anything, nor would sue anyone... its just a regulation that makes it easier for consumers to have recourse in small claims court.

[fmenard123]

Originally Posted by JSSML

Good luck, Do you listen to the radio. Our court system sucks. The best you will get is if the dealership sides with you and works with their rep. Did you try contacting Keystone before you did the repairs? If not then I would guess you are SOL. All Keystone trailers are imported from Indiana. Work with your dealer.

Yes, of course this was done. The dealership said that the insurance would pay for the repairs. Then of course, the insurance said it was a manufacturer's defect and refused to pay. Keystone is about to get a formal notice... I'm just trying to seek opinions on the forums in case someone knows how to play nice with Keystone in order to avoid getting their legal staff all primed up.

[campingcpl]

If you are a Good Sam's member you can always try their Action Line. They can help with problems like yours. I have known a couple of people that have used it with good results. Here is the link but you must be a Good Sam's member to use it. Good luck!
http://www.goodsamclub.com/community/RverRights.aspx

[Pennsylvaniasprinter]

Originally Posted by campingcpl

If you are a Good Sam's member you can always try their Action Line. They can help with problems like yours. I have known a couple of people that have used it with good results. Here is the link but you must be a Good Sam's member to use it. Good luck!
http://www.goodsamclub.com/community/RverRights.aspx

campingcpl:
This action line you refer to....do you have any ideas how they help the consumer? I was wondering if you could just briefly explain, if possible.
Thanks....

[Festus2]

As a Good Sam Club member, I can give you only a brief idea of how the process works. Once you become a member and if you have an issue with a dealer or manufacturer and wish Good Sam to act on your behalf.......
1) You fill out an online questionnaire which includes a "title" for your complaint, and a description of your particular situation.
2) You may include receipts, photos or other documents to support your complaint.
3) The information you provide will be evaluated and if Good Sam thinks you have a reasonable and "legitimate" complaint, they will advise you that they are proceeding and may ask for other information. You will hear from them regardless of whether or not they will take up your case.
4) They send a letter or contact the manufacturer, dealer or ????? and present the case to them on your behalf.
5) The Good Sam magazine carries one or two of the recent cases they have handled each month and you can read about them and what the outcome was. In the examples they place in their magazine, the person who has made the complaint is often given some kind of compensation --- refund, or whatever. It makes no mention, of course, of any cases where the cases went nowhere or were not successful.

I am not sure how long this process takes or what other steps may be involved.

[campingcpl]

I guess I don't need to know because Festus2 did it for me!

[Pennsylvaniasprinter]

Thanks so much for the info!!!

[fmenard123]

The formal notice sent by registered mail is being returned to me by Canada post (through USPS) on the basis that there is no such recipient as Keystone RV at the following address:

Keystone RV Co.
17400 Hackberry Dr.
Goshen, IN 46526

It looks like Keystone will not accept to receive registered mail and only offers a PO BOX as a destination (from which you cannot receive confirmations of receipts).

What a trick!

Just lost 3 weeks and they can argue they never received it... wow.

I am pissed.

Anybody here knows how I can send a letter to them that they will acknowledge as received ?

F.

[Pennsylvaniasprinter]

The BBB (Better Business Bureau) has Keystone RV's address and other contact information. It is different from the one you wrote. It also lists the name of the President of Keystone and the Manager of Customer Service.

Let me know if you can't find it.....I don't know if this is/would be helpful or not.

[bobchick]

Originally Posted by fmenard123

Yes, of course this was done. The dealership said that the insurance would pay for the repairs. Then of course, the insurance said it was a manufacturer's defect and refused to pay. Keystone is about to get a formal notice... I'm just trying to seek opinions on the forums in case someone knows how to play nice with Keystone in order to avoid getting their legal staff all primed up.

As someone that has tried to deal with keystone for about 19 months i can tell you they will just postpone you, Hope you are very young because I don,t think there is much you can do?Ask the gov about 154000 trailer they bought for the katrina people to live in and never were able to cost 2,5 billion to the taxpayer Only 3000 were fit to live in, the rest were comdem and just sold at auction for a little over .7 cent each You will be seeing them sold at dealer and rv lot all over even though they are to have label put on that said not for resale!

[mrxlh]

Holy thread revival slash agenda troll.

[bobchick]

Originally Posted by fmenard123

Folks,

My father in law has a fifth wheel which evidently had a manufacturer's defect which, showed up a few months after the warranty expired.

The frame was not soldered properly, on the side of the side-out and the lack of proper soldering on the frame cause the structure to crack on the outside shell at the juncture of the front bubble portion and the bedroom.

He had to have it repaired and it cost a few thousand dollars. Under Quebec's laws, there is a provision called the 'legal warranty', which makes manufacturers responsible for dealing with defects for products under normal use, which should not break prior to a 'reasonable period', which is usually longer than the manufacturers warranty.

For instance, should a washing machine of a 1000$ break on the 15th month of a 12 month manufacturers warranty, then legal recourse is much more evident than a 350$ washing machine breaking on the 15th month.

A 35000$ fifth wheel with a bad frame, breaking a few months after manufacturers warranty expires, is a good case to bring before the courts, if Keystone is not agreeable to our proposal.

So he wants to make an offer to Keystone to pick up the repair charges, at least the significant portion of them.

How can we get a hold of Keystone's legal department to handle such a complaint and deal with our proposal ? Whom is to be contacted ? We're from Quebec, is there a legal entity in Canada ?

Anybody familiar with having tried such an approach with Keystone ?

You will never get a answer! my Unit was 3.5 hours old when front cave in and never got answer from keystone Dealer said it was junk!I don;t think you will even get a free key ring from?I guess we will know better than buy another and we should let everybody know how they treat people.There seem to be a lot of factory people on here?

[Festus2]

Originally Posted by bobchick

You will never get a answer! my Unit was 3.5 hours old when front cave in and never got answer from keystone Dealer said it was junk!I don;t think you will even get a free key ring from?I guess we will know better than buy another and we should let everybody know how they treat people.There seem to be a lot of factory people on here?

You may find this hard to believe, but some customers actually do get positive responses and service from Keystone's Customer Service Department. Judging from all of your previous posts, you are not one of them. You have submitted several posts - all of which speak of your dissatisfaction with Keystone and its products. Is it your intention to use the forum as a soapbox to "let everybody know how they treat people"? We all know- from your previous posts - that you will never buy another Keystone product so there is no need to keep repeating yourself.
In addition, you would be hard-pressed to find any of our members who are "factory people" - assuming you mean people who work in the Keystone plants. None, that I am aware of, work for Keystone. This forum has no ties or any other connection with Keystone. If you are looking for 'Keystone moles" here, look elsewhere. They don't exist.
You have made us well aware of your problems and have been given ample opportunity to express them here. Please try to refrain from using the forum as a soapbox to continually vent your anger and frustration and for constantly reminding us how badly, in your opinion, Keystone treats its customers.
Thank you.

PS The posts to which you are responding are a year old and the original poster has not submitted any posts since that time.

[bobchick]

Originally Posted by fmenard123

The formal notice sent by registered mail is being returned to me by Canada post (through USPS) on the basis that there is no such recipient as Keystone RV at the following address:

Keystone RV Co.
17400 Hackberry Dr.
Goshen, IN 46526

It looks like Keystone will not accept to receive registered mail and only offers a PO BOX as a destination (from which you cannot receive confirmations of receipts).

What a trick!

Just lost 3 weeks and they can argue they never received it... wow.

I am pissed.

Anybody here knows how I can send a letter to them that they will acknowledge as received ?

F.

Legal address is keystone rv 2642 hackberry dr goshen in 46526 press is bob martinGOOD LUCK

[laidback]

I don't understand why some people have such a hard time with keystone. (maybe attitude) I had a frame problem with my 2008 Copper Canyon. CW of Myrtle Beach tried 2 diffrent repairs not fixed. Talked with Keystone rep. recieved a 2011 Cougar even trade. Whole process was over and done in Two months.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by laidback

I don't understand why some people have such a hard time with keystone. (maybe attitude) I had a frame problem with my 2008 Copper Canyon. CW of Myrtle Beach tried 2 diffrent repairs not fixed. Talked with Keystone rep. recieved a 2011 Cougar even trade. Whole process was over and done in Two months.

Same with my dealings with Keystone. Every time I've gone to the dealer either for repairs or just to get information so I can do a repair/upgrade myself, I've found it to be a very pleasant experience.

I turn to this forum to get help or to offer advice based on what I've learned (some of it the hard way). There is a wealth of information here. Some members have not had the best experience with their RV and ask for advice or assistance to help guide them in the right direction to resolve their problem. Unfortunately, some seem to use this forum to bash. Either Keystone, the dealer or their RV. Once the bashing is posted, it would be so nice not to have to read and re-read the same bellyaching over and over again. Most of us can remember previous posts and have already "got the message" If there's nothing new to add to the information, then it just is a waste of time to even open that kind of post.

Looking at the post just prior to yours, that member has posted several responses to old posts which reflected negatively on Keystone (apparently to resurrect them). While I'm no expert, the history of his posts tends to lead one to believe he has negative feelings about Keystone and want's to find ways to use other people's posts to reinforce his displeasure. I hope he got his trailer repaired, replaced or otherwise resolved his problem. As for me (and apparently the vast majority of forum members), I'm enjoying my trailer, camping and the positive side of RVing. Thanks Keystone and the majority of members on this forum, you helped make that possible.