Brian N

Challenger Trailer Disaster

We have recently bought a camping Challenger trailer with a Tentco Junior Tent on top at Makro. They didn't have stock so we agreed to take the display unit. It seemed fine at the first glance. We thought it's merely dirty and we should be able to get all the dust off with water and a cloth. We also realized that because it was the display unit, the trailer may have some scratches here and there. Makro gave us a R2,000 discount. We couldn't properly pitch the tent at Makro but had a quick view as the guy held it up. It was pitch dark as no windows were open... We took it immediately to our storeroom where we locked it up for the week. Our storeroom is in our neighborhood and it's proper garages. The point is, we live in a complex with no yard and couldn't pitch up this trailer before we went camping, so we went camping the first weekend after we bought it. Everything went well, until we entered the tent. We took out the matrass as it was still covered in its plastic just to realize this matrass is soaking wet. The *****s in the tent were rusted and all over the tent was water stains. There were tiny holes on the tents - which could be normal due to stitching, but how come it was soaking wet inside? The matrass took more than two days to completely dry. We were worried that the matrass would become fusty once back in the storeroom. On a closer inspection we also noticed that the wheel arches were cracked, amongst other faults. We thought even though it was the display unit, we still paid a lot of money for a NEW item. We didn't buy something second hand that was used priorly. So we decided to take it back to Makro. Makro was initially helpful until they didn't get assistance from Challenger, so this became our problem. Makro claims that they do not open these tents and therefore passed the blame onto Challenger, but assured us that we will get a NEW trailer. (We said we didn't want anything fixed, we wanted a new trailer and would pay in the R2,000 we received as a discount - as we paid for a new item). We had to keep following up with Makro who couldn't help and kept referring us to Challenger who refused to take my calls. The person was always busy and had a very unhelpful attitude implying that we chose to buy the display unit so thats what we get for it. Challenger was very unhelpful and didn't try to help us in anyway. The person that was supposed to help us, was always busy when I called. The problem wasn't our problem to begin with, the problem was between Makro and Challenger. If anything, we should have been fairly treated and they sort out the technicalities between themselves. We were even prepared to take another more expensive trailer (not display unit off course) but pay in the difference. They didn't even want us to do that! Neither Makro nor Challenger. They just wanted to get us off their backs, like we were bugging them. We have been treated unfairly and tremendously inconvenienced. We carried the licensing costs, which we have not yet been refunded for. We were also expected to de-register the trailer - our problem again - but we couldn't. Now, two weeks before our camping holiday we have been refunded for the trailer only after no success with Makro or Challenger. We have a 11 day camping booking in two weeks but no trailer in December! We weren't difficult, we just asked to get what we have paid for, which was a Brand New Trailer without any faults and a tent without any leaks and water stains. I shall never support these two companies again. What would the Consumer Protection Act have to say about this? Regards Brian