Is it what you ordered?
Buying amid unforeseen circumstances. How adaptable *should* we be?
Times are very strange at the moment, no doubt about it. But, in the last couple
of weeks I have come across a re-occurring theme. The product I ordered isn’t what I got.
When you sign a contract for a product, or simple buy something based on the description, what happens when the item isn’t what you thought it was?
Do you have the right to refuse to accept it, or do you simply bite the bullet and take what is in front of you? Where does ‘Fit for Purpose’ fit in?
On a small item, say a new phone, (that’s small by comparison to a caravan), do you accept the difference or take it back for a refund?
But what happens if it’s a caravan that is not built to the specs you signed for? Let’s face it supply lines have been hit badly in the last couple of COVID years.
I’ve read stories of products sitting in factories waiting for containers to pack them away in. Whereas, in the past, the stories were about what to do with those containers that were surplus to requirements. We are clever people and have found so many different uses for older containers. Within my area there is a hairdresser working from a container, plus a huge market place and night entertainment area has been made with numerous containers, painted unforgettable pink.
Mind you, they might get the containers, but if things need to go on a pallet they seem to be in short supply too. Pre COVID times people were using old pallets to make outdoor furniture because no-one wanted the used pallets back. Now, they’re a much sought-after product.
So, you signed up for a van, and were given a long lead time, because it is a popular make and model. Maybe you have to wait a year or more. What
has happened to the standard products that the manufacturer uses to build the brand? Are they still available, can they still be found in Australia, are they waiting for a delivery from overseas?
What’s the solution when there’s no access to the product anywhere? It’s not being made anymore because that product manufacturer cannot get the raw materials they need.
In my opinion, the manufacturer has two choices. Make the van with available products or further delay the delivery. What if that lack of product changed the basic specifications of the van and it was heavier or performed differently because that’s the only way it can be built to meet your delivery date? What if you needed a different vehicle to tow it? What if they stop building until they can get the products again, how long would they stay in business? As the customer, what would you do?
It’s a circular problem, for the manufacturer and the purchaser, and for once I don’t
have a clear answer.
[NOTE: Our six-year-old caravan passing the complementary Police weight check in 2021 with flying colours]
