Responsible Campers Association Inc, have asked the Commerce Commission to investigate the alleged misrepresentation around the issuing of self containment certificates.
After having been informed of numerous misrepresentations during the year, the final straw for Responsible Campers Association Inc was to receive an email from an Auckland Caravan dealer stating he had sold "hundreds of csravans" where he had told the purchaser they had to join a certain organization in order to be issued the actual Certificate after the dealer had supplied the necessary paperwork. The cost to join this organization is well over $200.
"We were made aware of a number of issues around the issuing of Certificates for self containment of campervans early this year," says says spokesperson for Responsible Campers Association Inc Bob Osborne.
The issues included a number of people being told they had to join one specific organization in order to be issued the actual certificate after having already paid for compliance checks. The joining cost was $220 though recently increased to $250.
"The requirement to join said organization has come from both dealers and persons acting on the organizations behalf to complete compliance checks. We also received complaints that people had been charged an additional $75 to have their self contained vehicle certificate registered with that organization.
"Even if 100 persons had paid to join said organization at $220 that is a tidy income for that organization and that is a minimum number from just one dealer," says Bob.
"The truth is there is a number of people and organizations who can issue these certificates and no one should be getting made to join any organization or pay extra to be issued with the certificate. If the Compliance Check is paid for, that should also include the cost of issuing the certificate if the vehicle passes. It is all inclusive, just like getting a WOF on your car, you pay for the check and receive the warrant as pay of the fee paid once passed. Sadly a number of people buying
"Caravans currently are people being forced to sell houses and find cheaper accommodation options as they simply can not survive in the economy we have. To be misrepresented to pay more than$200 they don’t have to, is nothing short of a scam."
Until January 4, 2020, Responsible Campers Association Inc are requesting reports of these situations occurring to be emailed to [email protected] or provided through the feedback option on their website: www.accreditedcampernz.com
