(WSVN) - They love to camp and so they bought a brand new travel trailer. Bad news; the roof leaked. Worse news; the dealer wouldn’t fix it. Do they have to? Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser has the answer.
To borrow from an old line, the Dingman’s are proof a family that plays together, stays together.
Andrew Dingman: “I just feel at peace when I’m out on the water fishing and we’re out in the woods camping. It’s just so peaceful.”
Peaceful quiet, missing just one thing: a nice camper. So Andrew and Kim decided to take care of that.
Andrew Dingman: “We decided to drive over there and take a look.
Kim Dingman: “It was just beautiful. Like I could just see where everybody would be sitting, camping and laughing.”
It was a brand new travel trailer, just what they needed. But financing it was $69,000 dollars. Andrew hooked it up to his truck and brought it home.
Andrew Dingman: “And it had a full kitchen. It was perfect.”
Until it rained.
Andrew Dingman: “She went in and told me, ‘You’re not going to believe this, it’s leaking.’ That shocked me. I was like, ‘There’s no way this is brand new.'”
Their brand new trailer was soaked. They took it back to the dealer who says they repaired it. Back home, another South Florida rain shower.
Andrew Dingman: “It still leaked, if not worse.”
When Andrew took it back to the dealer for a third time, they said they could not fix the leaky roof.
Andrew Dingman: “Made documentation that the whole roof was built incorrectly, and they said that it would need to be replaced.”
The dealer said to contact the manufacturer. The manufacturers said the dealer had to replace the roof.
Kim Dingman: “Blaming each other and we’re in the middle.
Andrew Dingman: “They just refuse to do anything.”
The Dingman’s had enough. Andrew hooked the trailer up and headed back to the dealership.
Andrew Dingman: “I was mad and I took it back. I gave him the keys.”
That was last October, but they still had a problem.
To avoid destroying their credit score, they have had to make the monthly payments on a travel trailer they don’t even have anymore.
Andrew Dingman: “Almost $5,000 probably.”
Ouch. Monthly payments for a camper they returned.
Yep, sounds like a Help Me Howard.
Andrew Dingman: “We’ve seen it on TV and we’re like, ‘Maybe, maybe they can help.'”
Kim Dingman: “It’s our last resort. We don’t know what else to do anymore.”
Legally what can you do, Howard?
Howard Finkelstein, 7News legal expert: “There is a state law and a federal law that together protect the consumer. Without boring you with the legal details, the bottom line, they are entitled to get out of the contract and the dealer has to pay off the loan to the finance company, meaning the Dingman’s walk away not owing money to anyone.”
We contacted the dealership where the Dingman’s bought their trailer.
They could not have been more helpful telling us they would take care of things.
Now, neither side can tell us what happened, which usually means they signed a non-disclosure agreement.
Andrew’s face seems to say it all.
Andrew Dingman: “I don’t even know how to say it.”
Kim Dingman: “Like 1,000 pound weight off our shoulders.”
In other words, they are out of the woods after that call to Help Me Howard.
Andrew Dingman: “We’re just very happy that Help Me Howard was able to help us and get it off our plate.”
As long as you are happy, we are happy.
Now, there are laws to protect someone who buys a new product, but they can be complicated and difficult to navigate.
A problem camped in your life? Just want a sporting chance to solve it? Hitch up with us and we will go fishing for a solution.
With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN
More Information:
Recreation vehicles
How the Florida lemon law works
Florida Bar’s view of lemon law
Magnuson moss warranty-Federal Trade Commission Improvements Act
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