Caravan crisis

[Kathryn3471]

I purchased a used static caravan on a well known site in 2013. When we were given the keys we noticed our fridge freezer wasn’t working so the site replaced it with a brand new from another caravan of the same make. All good, however, 3 weeks ago I noticed the fridge wasn’t cold but warm, the freezer is still working. After maintenance had a look he recommended replacing the fridge door seal which I purchased. After waiting 3 weeks for it to arrive, I’ve been told today that it still isn’t working and therefore I need to purchase a new fridge freezer at the cost of £375. I’m sure a new fridge should not be broken after 3 years and the site have informed me that the warranty ran out at the end of April. Has anyone got any advice as I really can do without paying for another expense. I believe the site should replace it without charge. Am I correct? TYIA

Hardly a crisis. And unless you have some sort of extended warranty then a fridge breaking after three years is unfortunate, but ultimately just tough luck.

Out with the old in with the new.

It’s out of warranty so there’s not a lot you can do, apart from take it up with the retailer. However, if the campsite purchased it, then they have the contract, and they’ve got to prove to the retailer it’s faulty, which is unlikely if it’s been working fine for three years.

That is not a crisis. That is just life. If you have chosen to buy a caravan, presumably you've factored in the costs of wear and tear and depreciation.

If you bought the caravan and it’s yours why would anyone else pay for repairs or replacements?

Unfortunately appliances do sometimes break down after this amount of time.
When you get your new fridge get an extended warranty.
This is not a crisis.

Crisis?

We had a fridge at home that needed replaced after three years; that’s life.

Surely if you have owned the caravan since 2013, the fridge is your responsibility.

I assume it was a typo for 2023 as she later mentions it being three years. But, even with that, still her responsibility.

What kind of useless modern Fridge can't be repaired easily? Fridges, washers, and things like that are some of the few things that can still be repaired easily and relatively speaking cheaply.

If it 3 years old, buying a new one is insane. You would expect a decent quality one to last minimum 6+ years and really more like 10 for good ones, and be repairable if you get an unfortunate issue before that to reach this time.

3 years is way too soon for a fridge to fail! You normally have a 6 year window to make a claim against the retailer (which sounds like the caravan site in this case). But the burden of proof that the fridge is not of satisfactory quality (rather than that it was your fault it failed) is on you. You'd presumably need to get an engineer to look at how it's failed and say whether it was most likely a user issue or a manufacturing/installation one.

Not sure if buying the caravan 2nd hand makes a difference, though if they told you the fridge was new I would think that would give you an expectation it would have the life span of a new fridge (i.e. a lot longer than 3 years!). Maybe an actual lawyer could tell us?

I'd also be annoyed at them telling you to buy a new seal - what sort of repair person can't tell if the fridge is actually working or just leaking cold air?

I'm assuming that 2013 is a typo and it should say 2023.

I disagree with the first few posts. A fridge freezer should last more than 3 years and the warranty is irrelevant. However, as it is over 6 months old, the onus is on you to prove that it was faulty when delivered and that the fault is not due to accidental damage, misuse or similar. That may not be easy. You will need a report from an independent engineer to support your case. Of course, an independent engineer may be better equipped to fix the problem than the site's maintenance person.

No supplier will replace/ repair for free if it is out of warranty.

in theory you could get the independent engineer to write a report and then argue for months and maybe they will grudgingly get you a new (v cheap) fridge.

or you could go out and order a new one today and the problem will be fixed by tomorrow.

The law doesn't care about a product being out of warranty. If the supplier gives you a faulty appliance, they must repair or replace it free of charge even if it is out of warranty. Failure to do so would result in the courts ordering them to pay compensation to OP.

In theory the fridge freezer should last more than 3 years, and you could demand the manufacturer fixes or repairs it even though it’s out of warranty.

In reality getting an engineers report and taking the manufacturer to court to compel them to replace it is going to cost you quite a lot more than the freezer is actually worth.

So just shrug, replace it with a different brand, leave a negative review if you can be bothered, then get on with your day.

If OP is armed with an independent engineer's report saying the fridge freezer was faulty when supplied, she will be able to take the supplier (the caravan site) to court if they refuse to comply with the law. And, of course, an independent engineer may be able to fix the problem quickly and cheaply, saving OP the cost of a new fridge freezer.

The OP has no proof that it was a faulty appliance, only that it stopped working after she had it for 3 years. The fridge was given to her from another caravan. It was second hand.

This would be a small claim, so OP should represent herself if she ends up taking this to court. Her total costs would be £50. And she would take the caravan site to court, not the manufacturer. If the fridge freezer had an inherent fault when it was supplied, they are liable under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

No, she doesn't have proof that it was faulty when supplied. That is why she would need an independent engineer's report. And the fact the fridge was second hand is irrelevant.

Sure, small claims court is cheap but you should also consider your time, your energy, the likely very very long delay in it actually getting to court etc. It’s a lot more expense/hassle than paying £375 for a new one.

It’s not as simple as that you can argue the product has an expected life span of say 10 years so you’ve only had 1/3 of that
it’s a difficult one to pursue also the possibility you’ve overloaded the fridge and fridge door causing issues with the seal

Best of luck but it’s far from easy process to follow and get the retailer to co operate

It’s not a crisis and if you have enough money for a caravan, you have enough money for this.

It wasn’t new, it was taken from another unit and you got a free fridge for 3 years.

It’s very hard to have any sympathy for you at all, I’m sorry to say that. Your life sounds great.

I will be honest the word crisis pissed me off a bit!

Is this something that happens on these sites? I mean if I purchased a house and the fridge broke that the last occupant left I wouldn’t call anyone else to replace it. I would just buy a new one. If you are so broke you can’t afford a £370 fridge then why the hell would you purchase a caravan?

It is as simple as that provided OP can prove that the fridge freezer was faulty when supplied, e.g. the components were insufficiently durable. If she cannot prove that, she does not have a case and her only option is to pay for a replacement.