CARAVAN HOLIDAY HOME BOOKLET
"Caravan holiday homes – The
questions you should ask" . That’s the title of a
booklet recently launched by Trading Standards.
It covers areas that
cause many problems for mobile home owners, such as resale,
compulsory insurance, the small
print of contracts – that
is if you’ve got one to start with!
All good points but mobile home owners I talked to at the launch
didn’t think this booklet would be the answer to their problems.
And a listener phoned
the programme to say – "I
think it is time for legislation regarding Caravan Sites. With
a caravan you either buy it from the site owner, or sell it to
the site owner if you are a dealer. Either way there is not much
choice, unlike other areas of the retail industry".
Another listener points
out that the Trading Standards launch and the booklet was concerned
with
caravan holiday homes, not mobile
homes.
What is the difference between
a caravan and a mobile home? Email your definitions to oyb@bbc.co.uk
David Livingstone, Head
of Trading Standards Service said: “There
are approximately 12,000 owners of static caravans in Northern
Ireland. We undertook an extensive survey of park owners and users
of local static caravan sites to assess the fairness of trading
practices, customer contracts and park rules. The results of this
research highlighted the need for guidance in relation to specific
issues regarding caravan ownership, as it was evident that caravan
owners and many park owners were unsure about their rights and
obligations. These findings were communicated to the caravan industry
and other interested parties at a series of seminars in February
2003.”
The types of issues giving rise to complaints include the trade-in
price and having to upgrade after a certain period of time. Often
the caravan owner finds it difficult to resolve these issues with
the site owner in the absence of a written contract.
Mr Livingstone said: “The level of complaints about caravan
parks is relatively small when compared to other trade sectors.
Many caravan owners surveyed said they have a very positive experience
of caravan holidays. Nevertheless we have received a number of
complaints from caravan owners about various issues affecting them
and so we hope that this booklet will go some way towards helping
them to understand their rights and also improve understanding
between park owners and their customers”.
The booklet has been welcomed by the General Consumer Council,
The British Holiday and Home
Parks Association (BHHPA) and the
National Caravan Council (NCC).
A copy of the booklet can
be obtained free of charge by contacting the Trading Standards
Service on
Tel:
028 9025 3900.
|
