Warranty issue with FR

Wadcutter · Post by **Wadcutter** » Fri May 18, 2007 5:52 pm

On 05/03/06 we purchased our Cardinal 30WBLE. At the time we also got the 1 yr extended warranty. On 04/26/07 (1 week shy of owning the Cardinal exactly 1 yr) the hot water electric heating element quit. I contacted my Cardinal dealer the next day. The dealer could not get me in for service until 05/15/07. Forest River refused to honor the warranty because they said it was out of warranty by 2 weeks. Didn't matter that I had reported it 1 week prior to owning it 1 year and that the dealer couldn't get it in until almost 2 weeks after the 1 year. According to FR it was out of warranty by 2 weeks. The dealer repaired the element, came up with the paper showing I had the 1 year extended warranty and is dealing with Forest River.
Even if I hadn't gotten the 1 year extended warranty the heating element quit before the 1 year warranty period expired. According to FR they didn't care, it was when the dealer finally got it to repair it. The dealer said FR has been getting very difficult to deal with on warranty issues.
I like our Cardinal and like my dealer but I think this will be the last FR product we'll own if FR is going to play these kinds of games.

CritterRenter · Post by **CritterRenter** » Fri May 18, 2007 6:04 pm

I have been lucky I guess. I had a couple of problems as my warranty was to expire. I called FR, and they were more than willing to work with me, and a service center that did not sell the Bird. I can't complain about the support after the sale. I hope everyone has the same satisfaction with warranty as I did.
Ernie

Luizianna · Post by **Luizianna** » Sat May 19, 2007 5:20 am

I can't complain either. We've had 2 minor issues since the 2nd year was in effect and we have never had our rig back to the dealer, as there is a mobile rv tech in our area that comes to our house for any repairs. If he has had any problems with getting FR to pay, he hasn't mentioned it.

Wadcutter · Post by **Wadcutter** » Sat May 19, 2007 5:48 am

While ours was in getting the heating element replaced we were also getting decals replaced that had cracked and were peeling. The decals were covered under warranty with no question altho they had been ordered about 1 month prior and it took the dealer several calls to FR to get the OK.
Don't know when the rest of you were dealing with FR warranty. Our issue was just this week. The dealer said recently they've had several issues with FR where FR was getting hard to deal with on warranty issues.

ratherbcamping · Post by **ratherbcamping** » Sun May 20, 2007 4:07 am

If FR is getting hard to deal with on warranty issues, it will eventually hurt their business. That is one of the things I always praise highly when talking to others about my Cardinal (or my previous Wildcat) -- that FR takes care of their customers. Our issues were dealt with in early April -- quite satisfactorily. The trailer was six months old and we wanted her ready for the summer season. Has anyone else encountered difficulties?