Disappointing Dealer/ Buyer Beware

[Goal15]

I'm not sure about the sales crew at Airstream Adventures NW in Caldwell, but we were overnighting in their courtesy lot this summer when our power jack gave up the ghost. They had it replaced in just under an hour! If I were to buy a new Airstream I would definitely give them my business!

Dana

[graysailor]

Assuming your dealer is in Colorado I can understand your frustration. I tried to get some service work done there and they pretty much blew me off. I also went to both dealers with the same results.

[Rzrbrn]

Our nearest AS dealership stated that if we buy elsewhere they will repair but it will be scheduled at the back of the line, and time in shop will be long. However, we do have independent RV repair shop that has worked on AS, but he is not certified by AS.

But my reason to post is that I came across 2 books that may be of benefit to new owners (Amazon):

Newbies Guide To Airstreaming by Rich Luhr

and

Airstream Life's (Nearly) Complete Guide To Airstream Maintenance by Rich Luhr

[ROBERT CROSS]

First question I would ask of your salesperson...how many times have you camped in an AS and for how long?
I would take the bet that it's less than 20% 🥴

Spending some time learning would be nice...JC taking more of a hands-on with the dealers, a bit of a pipe dream. 😂

Bob
🇺🇸

[Fredjacob]

wyo, you did not call out the dealer's name and location. I would appreciate knowing the names of bad dealers. I am in the market for possibly an Airstream Interstate in the NW.


Also, does anyone know if you buy in a state that charges sales tax, but live in a state that does not have sales tax (Oregon for example), can you get a deferral or refund on the tax? I really like Patrick from Colonial Airstream, have family in NJ and would happily fly there and drive the new class B back to Oregon if I did not have to pay the tax.

[GMFL]

Originally Posted by Fredjacob

wyo, you did not call out the dealer's name and location. I would appreciate knowing the names of bad dealers. I am in the market for possibly an Airstream Interstate in the NW.


Also, does anyone know if you buy in a state that charges sales tax, but live in a state that does not have sales tax (Oregon for example), can you get a deferral or refund on the tax? I really like Patrick from Colonial Airstream, have family in NJ and would happily fly there and drive the new class B back to Oregon if I did not have to pay the tax.

You can’t call them out by name it’s aganist forum rules I believe.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by Fredjacob

wyo, you did not call out the dealer's name and location. I would appreciate knowing the names of bad dealers. I am in the market for possibly an Airstream Interstate in the NW.

It is forum policy to not publish names of bad dealers, as it generally turns into a bashfest, with possible legal ramifications if allowed.

[wulfraat]

Originally Posted by Cobalt

A salesperson is a salesperson. They will promise you anything to make a sale.

Not only is that a gross generalization, it is untrue. There sure are many poor salespeople out there, no doubt, but there are plenty of good ones too.

[Martinod]

Originally Posted by wulfraat

Not only is that a gross generalization, it is untrue. There sure are many poor salespeople out there, no doubt, but there are plenty of good ones too.

I totally agree. I was in sales for many years selling products and services for a Fortune 500 company and after retiring selling for medium to very small companies. A professional sales person explains the feature and benefits of the product he his selling. If one decides to purchase a Chevrolet and are consequently dissatisfied and decide you should have purchased a Ford that is your problem as an adult not the sales representive. I NEVER lied or mislead any potential customer or any purchaser and I was associated with many other sales people who were honest and functioned at all times with integrity. The good sales representives, and they exceed the bad by a very large number, provide a very real service explaining those features and benefits mentioned above.

Colbalt, perhaps your lack of trust and negative approach, has been in my experience, why you are probably very disappointed with products you purchase. Some of less professional salesman usually find the sales person haters the easiest way to a commission. A few bad apples does not validate your statement by any measurement,

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by wulfraat

Not only is that a gross generalization, it is untrue. There sure are many poor salespeople out there, no doubt, but there are plenty of good ones too.

Salesmen generally?...Or AS specific?

AS, generally, very inconsistent leaning to the downside here in WNY.

We went to the local AS dealer recently.
We were not even acknowledged by the 'greeter'.
When we inquired why no one came to help, we were told we didn't 'look' like we were there to buy.
How would they know...must have been the Levi's and plaid flannel jacket?
The fake fur & topcoat were doing better with a young man at a desk in the corner. 😉

Was all the staff at fault?
No, but all the management should take all the blame. 🥴

Bob
🇺🇸

[kb0zke]

A couple of years ago we visited an Airstream dealership. No one greeted us at the door, which was find, but no one greeted us farther in, either. Eventually we found an employee and asked about Airstreams. "No, we don't have anything like what you want" and away he went.


Publishing the "bad" dealerships isn't all that helpful. Publishing the "good" ones is. Publishing the GREAT ones is really helpful. I believe there are several threads on that topic, and Colonial seems to always be at the top of the list. Must be a reason.


The best sales people, in my opinion, are the ones who ask you enough questions about your proposed use so that they can intelligently point you to the right item. Since no dealer can possibly have every possible combination on the lot, the sales person will probably have to find something that comes close. That may be close enough, or maybe you will have to order it (assuming that you are looking at a new Airstream). If you are looking for a used one (like us) the sales person ought to be willing to say that they don't have what you want, but they will let you know when one comes in - and then do it.

[Ldytraveller]

I agree- the Dealer can make or break your Airstream purchase experience. I am sorry you had such a negative experience. Fortunately for us we can only say positive things about our dealer, CanAm RV in London Ontario Canada. They took the time to make sure we were comfortable with all the systems in our 1998 34ft Excella Classic. We were invited to spend the night in our trailer at the dealership. They explained the basics and then spent 3 or 4 hrs the next day reinforcing the details. The staff is great. The owner, Andy Thompson always speaks with us when we go in for annual servicing and often makes suggestions on how to make things work better. He also doesn't hesitate to pick up a wrench to make an adjustment or to drive the tractor that moves the trailers around the yard. His care and involvement are why this is such a successful dealership. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone. We would not deal anywhere else.

[Brentsdeal]

I bought two from Colonial and took delivery in NJ and registered them in Oregon where I live without paying sales tax, ask Dave how it is handled

[KK4YZ]

Originally Posted by Cobalt

A salesperson is a salesperson. They will promise you anything to make a sale.
.

Be careful with that one. There are all types of salesmen and all qualities of same.

I guess you can call me a “salesman”. I work with major aerospace/ defense primes and directly with the armed services to “sell” programs that often exceed $1M. Integrity is important in these type of dealings.

I’m most proud of the solutions we delivered in support on the Counter IED program to protect the troups.

Please be careful with your generalizations.

Having said that, Colonial is great and Patrick has all the qualities that I would attribute to a good “salesman”.

[KelloggKid]

Every time I see a thread such as this I'm thankful for the AS dealer in Spokane, Wa. It's a smaller husband and wife dealership where management and sales are one and the same. To have a dealership that gives you a fair price, treats you with respect, gives good service AND is local is truly a blessing.

[centennialman]

After my experiences with the dealer in my state, I ended up going to Lazy Days in Tucson to purchase my new Airstream. They were absolutely the most professional, friendly dealer I have ever visited. I bought from them and have returned there for service. Great folks to work with!

[njaspers]

I have had good enough experiences with that same, nearest Airstream dealer that I would certainly return for service work or a purchase. They met the best price that I had gotten from other dealers within $1,000 which made it worth buying local. And no, I don't know that any dealer can outperform Colonial's reputation but they are pretty far from the Rocky Mountain states. People make mistakes a la leaving you in the trailer. Not having the trailer ready for delivery certainly was not a good thing and most likely regretted by them as well.

[AirstreamInc]

Originally Posted by wyo

I just need to vent a little and hopefully help someone in the future.

I have to agree with the posts that say you need to be able to walk away unless you are fully satisfied.

This is the abridged version:

We went to our nearest dealer and found the trailer we wanted. They did not have it in stock but could order it and it would be here around the end of January. They were not the lowest price, but close enough based on having to take time off and travel to do a long distance pickup. We were excited and ready to go so we made a deposit.

I had called them about a month later and they said it would now be ready in December. OK, we can adjust. No other word from the dealer until they called and said it had been delivered. They wanted us to pay before the end of the year, but we did not have to take delivery until later. We were still excited about getting our new trailer

We set up a time for the walk through as they wanted to put water in the system but assured me it would be winterized again. We went to the walk through and it was maybe an hour. The two most time consuming things were when he was trying to get the television to work and then explaining to me how you have to slam the door on an Airstream. We were not impressed, but still liked the trailer.

I then spent about 3 hours looking at everything and found a few minor issues. A nail in one tire, missing screw cover, loose panel behind stove, etc. I was impressed with the quality and we were still excited about getting it home, so we did the paperwork and gave them a check with the understanding it would be ready within a week.

I called the day before I was going to go pick it up and was assured it was ready. I was also assured it had been winterized as the temperatures had been in the low 20s.

I arrived at the dealership still excited and ready to pick up our new trailer. Then he opened the door to a muddy mess inside. I checked and they had not completed the tasks on my list. I looked at the water system and it had not been winterized. I called SWMBO and we decided we wanted our money back. They tried to convince me they would take better care of me going forward, but they finally gave me back my check.

I am currently waiting on a check for the deposit amount. It is supposed to be in the mail. I am going to use the money for some upgrades on a 15 year old Airstream we already have.

We feel fortunate going into the new year that are not stuck with a poor dealership.

Happy New Year to everyone.

Hi wyo,*

We're very sorry to learn about your dealership experience. If we can assist, please do not hesitate to reach out and send us a direct message with your contact information.


Thank you.*

[Wyo Silver]

Quick update.

I have been in contact with Airstream and the dealership. I am impressed that they took the time to visit with me. That goes a long way with me and I am satisfied they have done as much as they can at this point.

It boils down to one person not doing their job and that caused problems for a lot of people.

I know there have been posts about salesmen and I have no problem with the most of the people we dealt with including the sales person. I was in sales years ago and I understand the perception or misperception as is usually the case.

We are not currently in the market for a new trailer as I am doing some upgrades to our existing trailer. If and when we are looking, I will give this dealership the opportunity to earn my business.

[GMFL]

Who,
Glad to hear that Airstream Corp made an effort to resolve your issue. I have found that when presented with information in a productive manner Airstream has always made an effort to do the right thing. Justin Humphreys has always responded to my emails, PM’s and other communications.
Thanks for the encouraging update.