Static Caravan Owners/renters please read

[vix2000 10]

Hi there please sign this e-petition if you, or anyone you know have been victim of the practice of site owners offering a pittance to owners forced to sell up and who are made to sell back to the site, who then sell for a hefty profit. Thank you.

 

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/70452

 

(mods if this is not allowed please delete)

[Big Blue Sky 10]

Surprised that not more people have signed this petition.

[Cyclone 10]

How can owners be forced to sell up?

[Big Blue Sky 10]

Owners can be asked to leave a site, and parks can make it very difficult for people to sell privately.

[Allen 38]

How can owners be forced to sell up?

 

Most static caravan sites have regulations (if that's the right word) stating that caravans up to a certain age are allowed.

That's fine (or so people believe when purchasing).

It's not until those 15 years (or whatever) of happy holidays approaches the "time limit" of the contract that the problem arises.

The choice then is to find another site willing to accept an older caravan and pay the transport and installation costs or pay out your hard earned pennies for a new caravan.

Selling the caravan privately is nigh on impossible as the purchaser then has the problem of transport and installation elsewhere.

Hope that explains it for you.

 

The best option is to buy a touring caravan.

Site it (if you wish) for the season and move on.

[Cyclone 10]

So the site then offer a low rate to buy back the old static? (Selling it privately would be difficult though from what you said).

And then what do they do with it? How are they able to sell an old van on at a profit?

[xdbx 10]

I don't think they're saying the site owners are forcing them to sell more like forced to sell through illness, redundancy etc.

Sites generally offer a low buy back rate regardless of caravan age.

[Allen 38]

So the site then offer a low rate to buy back the old static? (Selling it privately would be difficult though from what you said).

And then what do they do with it? How are they able to sell an old van on at a profit?

I doubt that they do.

The profit is made from the sale of a new van to occupy that pitch and the higher ground rent they then charge.

[Cyclone 10]

I'm not sure what the petition is supposed to achieve then.

The sites are quite upfront about the maximum age of caravans that will be allowed. The 2nd hand market appears to be very low value, and when someone has to sell for whatever rate the sites offer a value that is appropriate for that 2nd hand market.

 

They're running businesses, and there's no trickery involved that anyone is describing... Not even any sharp practice really.

[Allen 38]

I'm not sure what the petition is supposed to achieve then.

The sites are quite upfront about the maximum age of caravans that will be allowed. The 2nd hand market appears to be very low value, and when someone has to sell for whatever rate the sites offer a value that is appropriate for that 2nd hand market.

 

They're running businesses, and there's no trickery involved that anyone is describing... Not even any sharp practice really.

I agree...anyone buying a static caravan does so with their eyes open.

I suggested a tourer as the best option purely because it gives the owner the final decision as to when the time is right to sell.

[REUBEN 123 10]

Can anyone SHARE this on facebook or twitter please. We need more support to stop the site owners making even more money on their customers.THANK You ?.

[Chez2 10]

I used to have a static caravan so can see where the op is coming from. You can move vans from site to site, my parents did. I agree that transport isn't cheap though.

 

The site where we were was fairer than most. As long as the van was kept clean and tidy looking they weren't so strict on age. The newer vans were at the top of the site nearer the vans for sale.

 

We were allowed to sell our vans privately as long as we informed the office and they took their commission. I think the transaction was carried out via the office once the sale had been agreed.

 

New vans on this site were much cheaper (for the same age, make and and model) than other sites in the area. For this reason, we didn't buy on the sites that took advantage of you and had what we considered to be an unfair contract. We voted with our feet and purse, as should others. If you don't like their rules and prices, don't buy on that site.