Denise Tiyse used her inheritance to buy a new caravan in October last year to enjoy a much-needed break with her husband.
But instead of beachside holidays and new memories, Ms Tiyse said the caravan was plagued with issues from the outset — from the vehicle itself to dismissive suppliers not wanting to fix its problems.
According to the Caravan Industry Association of Australia one in 13 Australian households owns a caravan, but the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says the industry has treated many buyers poorly.
Ms Tiyse says she was called a liar, refused help, lost large sums of money and had her family's lives put in danger — all due to a purchase she now thoroughly regrets.
"We bought the caravan in October last year with my inheritance — $75,000 we paid, straight up front, for the van," she said.
She claims within the first few days, the supplier scratched their car when connecting the caravan and then denied it before promising "to do the right thing" if she did not cancel the sale.
After hitting the road with their new van, Ms Tiyse and her husband dealt with numerous broken accessories, including an oven, which was a non-negotiable feature due to the strict diet of her husband, who had suffered salivary gland cancer.
She said after initially dragging their feet to fix or replace the oven at all, the supplier then failed to hire a gas fitter to oversee its repair, resulting in two nine-kilogram canisters leaking gas into their caravan.
"A gasfitter came out later and said, 'This has a major leak' … we'd been trying to start it and left the gas on," Ms Tiyse said.
She said she had also lost large sums of money in wages and three spoiled holidays due to the ongoing issues.
"It's not just the holiday but the money — we're on a farm, we have to hire somebody to do our work while we're gone," Ms Tiyse said.
"So we've paid wages to someone on three separate occasions and each time we've had to turn around and come home."
Ms Tiyse said she made an official complaint to SafeWork NSW, which issued a warning to the supplier.
Manufacturer 'the real issue'
The business said it "took umbrage at the accusations" and did its best to assist Ms Tiyse.
"The supply of appliances from the manufacturer Dometic is the real issue," the owner said.
The owner said any delay was caused by incorrect parts being sent from the manufacturer.
He said while the oven was in fact broken when it left the dealership, he insisted he explained this to the customer and that they were awaiting a response from the manufacturer.
The ABC has contacted SafeWork NSW for comment.
'Now I have nowhere to live'
Meanwhile, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, Glasshouse Mountains resident Patricia Jackson said she and her husband Ian sold their house and purchased a caravan earlier this year.
They planned to live in the van while they built their new home.
She said she spent weeks dealing with a Melbourne manufacturer who promised the caravan would arrive by March.
Four months on and the caravan still has not arrived.
She said after constant phone calls and delays her husband offered to drive to Melbourne to get the van but was assured it would be on its way within days.
"I called on the afternoon to confirm once again that our caravan was to be on the way, and he said no, it wouldn't be loaded until the Sunday or Monday because the drivers needed to sleep," she said.
"This was the last straw for my husband, and he planned to drive to Melbourne to find out what was happening.
"He was so upset that night that he had a heart attack and had to be flown to the Sunshine Coast hospital where he passed away on April 4, 2022.
"The stress was just too much for him — we had just sold the house and were going to move into the caravan.
"Now I have nowhere to live.
"I’m still living with my son, which is just not fair on them.”
Ms Jackson said she was still dealing with phone calls from her caravan manufacturer on the day of her husband's funeral.
She claims the company continued to lie about its arrival date, current location, reason for the delays, before eventually admitting the caravan had not even been built.
"It was just the lies — if they had just told the truth from the start," Ms Jackson said.
"My daughter doesn't even want to see the caravan now, because she said it will just remind her of her father's death."
The manufacturer was contacted for comment but did not respond.
'Harm can be significant': ACCC
The consumer watchdog has issued a stern warning to the caravanning industry over its "poor treatment of consumers" and said it had received more than 1,300 complaints in the last five years.
In a survey led by the Australian Consumer and Consumer Commission (ACCC) involving thousands of respondents, 80 per cent reported having experienced problems with a new caravan.
According to the ACCC, the most common complaints were in relation to "consumer guarantee failures, misrepresentations by caravan suppliers and unexpected delays in the delivery and repair of caravans".
"It is the ACCC's view that it is reasonable to expect a new caravan won't develop a major fault within the first several years of use," ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard said.
"Consumers need to be confident that, when they make a significant financial purchase like a caravan, they will be able to get a refund, replacement or a repair if there is a failure.
"Some people save for years in anticipation of purchasing and travelling in a caravan, if something goes wrong the harm can be significant."
Ms Rickard said caravan owners with expired warranties could still be entitled to refunds, replacements and repairs.
Australian consumer law states that a supplier must repair, replace or refund a caravan if it fails to meet one or more consumer guarantees, including not matching a description or being of acceptable quality.
According to the ACCC's survey, about 40 per cent of caravan suppliers also reported problems with manufacturers who refused to reimburse them if they fixed a customer's issue.
The ACCC said it would be investigating and taking action against suppliers and manufacturers believed to have misled consumers.
The watchdog said it would like to see consumer law strengthened to enable harsher penalties and enforcement action for those that did not abide by the rules.
