SMC, Newark

by merv Wed Jan 12, 2022 10:03 am

We were close to buying a new van from SMC in Newark last October but we decided not to proceed mainly due to my wife's ill health.
SMC were very sympathetic in their attitude towards us and made withdrawing from the deal a painless process.
I can't comment on any other aspect of SMC but the excellent attitude of one of the owners and the manager spoke volumes about this company.

by burlingtonboaby Wed Jan 12, 2022 11:00 am

I've chatted to several A/S owners over the years, they had purchased and serviced their vans at SMC Newark, all give the company excellent reviews and would go back to them again.
Boaby

by OssettIan Fri Sep 16, 2022 3:19 pm

Are we just unlucky then?? We bought our new motorhome from SMC in March and we have had no success with a warranty issue that has dragged on now for almost two and a half months. I have written to them several times, made numerous telephone calls and we are still no further forward. It feels as though they have no interest or, indeed, intention to help us.

We now wish we had bought elsewhere.

by Millie The Moocher Tue Sep 20, 2022 8:40 am

We bought our Kingham from SMC and also found them to be dragging their feet dealing with some warranty issues. Accepting that this happened immediately post pandemic lock down, but their lack of response and or someone actually just owning the problem was frustrating.

Until we got Alisair Briggs Price involved, one of the owners of SMC.

Might be worth dropping him a line, his email is alistair@smcnewark.co.uk

Ultimately all was sorted but it wasn’t until Alistair got involved that we felt things started to happen.

by DeeBee Wed Sep 21, 2022 9:18 am

Timely post, reminded me…

We’ve had our Warwick XL two months now and when picking it up from SMC Newark we were told the kitchen countertop was damaged and would be done under warranty. Haven’t heard anything so far so have now chased with the sales person.

To be fair up to now they’ve been fine; there was a big problem with the tracker in the van but they were very helpful in getting that resolved; also was impressed with the hand over compared to previous vans we’ve owned.

Hopefully they won’t let us down with this issue.

by DeeBee Wed Sep 21, 2022 11:19 am

… oh well, spoke to soon then.

Got a reply this morning saying the photos were wiped and could I send some over to be sent off to Auto Sleeper for the warranty claim. We had to wait 6+ weeks to pick the van up in the first place so I was already a bit peeved that “it hadn’t been noticed” until day of pickup. We were promised on the day warranty claim was already in and now 2 months later we find out (after having to chase) that it hasn’t even been submitted.

Really disappointed, was hoping after the god awful after sales when we bought our Swift that SMC would be better but not off to a great start with this. I cc’d Alistair as Millie suggested (thank you!) so hopefully they’ll get on with it.

by groundhog Wed Sep 21, 2022 11:48 am

They have a very nice Frankia I could fancy but there are 195000 reasons why I shouldn't have a go at it. Did they used to be Brownhills?

by Mike187 Wed Sep 21, 2022 12:40 pm

We got our Broadway from them (not new) and the service was very good without and pressure while looking around their vans.

It is close to Brownhills but not connected. We only look when we are thinking of changing our van so went to Brownhills to look at different vans as they have a large selection to compare in one place, but no intention of buying from them or anyone at that time.

Then while we were in Newark decided to drop into SMC, and as they say the rest is history.

Mike

by OssettIan Fri Sep 23, 2022 2:49 pm

Millie The Moocher wrote:We bought our Kingham from SMC and also found them to be dragging their feet dealing with some warranty issues. Accepting that this happened immediately post pandemic lock down, but their lack of response and or someone actually just owning the problem was frustrating.

Until we got Alisair Briggs Price involved, one of the owners of SMC.

Might be worth dropping him a line, his email is alistair@smcnewark.co.uk

Ultimately all was sorted but it wasn’t until Alistair got involved that we felt things started to happen.

Hi and thanks for the information re Alistair Briggs Price. I will give it a try. We have still not had any response from SMC subsequent to my previous post on here. They really are a disgrace.

Thanks again for your suggestion.

by Relaxez-Vous Fri Sep 23, 2022 6:52 pm

Unfortunately poor service from one employee can blight your experience of the whole organisation, sales, the part exchange deal you've achieved, and then your experience of their service department.

With our faulty Sargent EC700, SMC handled the matter as well as we could have expected, considering it was Sargemt's fault in supplying to A-S a defective product that Sargent took several months to resolve in 2019 into 2020

We had an issue with a stiff bathroom tap in our Kemerton XL. It wasn't SMC's fault, or A-S's for that matter, I bought the same tap on eBay and this was also far too too stiff to rotate the spout. SMC Service Department unsuccessfully kept trying to fix our original tap from becoming loose (twice, so that involved lots of miles and miles of travelling back to SMC).

I took our Kemerton XL to A-S in Willersey and they replaced the tap with another with a more free rotating spout. No more did the bathroom tap become loose, so far. There's only a single fixing bolt on these taps.

by OssettIan Sat Oct 01, 2022 4:15 pm

OssettIan wrote:
Millie The Moocher wrote:We bought our Kingham from SMC and also found them to be dragging their feet dealing with some warranty issues. Accepting that this happened immediately post pandemic lock down, but their lack of response and or someone actually just owning the problem was frustrating.

Until we got Alisair Briggs Price involved, one of the owners of SMC.

Might be worth dropping him a line, his email is alistair@smcnewark.co.uk

Ultimately all was sorted but it wasn’t until Alistair got involved that we felt things started to happen.

Hi and thanks for the information re Alistair Briggs Price. I will give it a try. We have still not had any response from SMC subsequent to my previous post on here. They really are a disgrace.

Thanks again for your suggestion.

Well Alistair Briggs-Price came through for us. We are booked it with SMC following his prompt intervention. Thanks again for the tip off Millie The Moocher.

by Millie The Moocher Sat Oct 01, 2022 5:22 pm

OssettIan wrote:
OssettIan wrote:
Millie The Moocher wrote:We bought our Kingham from SMC and also found them to be dragging their feet dealing with some warranty issues. Accepting that this happened immediately post pandemic lock down, but their lack of response and or someone actually just owning the problem was frustrating.

Until we got Alisair Briggs Price involved, one of the owners of SMC.

Might be worth dropping him a line, his email is alistair@smcnewark.co.uk

Ultimately all was sorted but it wasn’t until Alistair got involved that we felt things started to happen.

Hi and thanks for the information re Alistair Briggs Price. I will give it a try. We have still not had any response from SMC subsequent to my previous post on here. They really are a disgrace.

Thanks again for your suggestion.
Well Alistair Briggs-Price came through for us. We are booked it with SMC following his prompt intervention. Thanks again for the tip off Millie The Moocher.

It’s such a shame for the business that you have to get the owner involved before the staff do what they are paid to do so_sad

Once we got the ball rolling via Alistair I made sure he was copied in to every e mail I sent. I also followed up all phone calls with an email, confirming what had been said and agreed.

Hope it all works out for you:big thumbs up:

by DeeBee Sat Oct 01, 2022 10:11 pm

OssettIan wrote:
OssettIan wrote:
Millie The Moocher wrote:We bought our Kingham from SMC and also found them to be dragging their feet dealing with some warranty issues. Accepting that this happened immediately post pandemic lock down, but their lack of response and or someone actually just owning the problem was frustrating.

Until we got Alisair Briggs Price involved, one of the owners of SMC.

Might be worth dropping him a line, his email is alistair@smcnewark.co.uk

Ultimately all was sorted but it wasn’t until Alistair got involved that we felt things started to happen.

Hi and thanks for the information re Alistair Briggs Price. I will give it a try. We have still not had any response from SMC subsequent to my previous post on here. They really are a disgrace.

Thanks again for your suggestion.
Well Alistair Briggs-Price came through for us. We are booked it with SMC following his prompt intervention. Thanks again for the tip off Millie The Moocher.

Glad you got sorted eventually. I had zero acknowledgement of my return email with pictures, i’ll chase it again in a week. Out of interest which salesman were you dealing with?

by OssettIan Sun Oct 02, 2022 9:05 am

DeeBee wrote:
OssettIan wrote:
OssettIan wrote:

Hi and thanks for the information re Alistair Briggs Price. I will give it a try. We have still not had any response from SMC subsequent to my previous post on here. They really are a disgrace.

Thanks again for your suggestion.
Well Alistair Briggs-Price came through for us. We are booked it with SMC following his prompt intervention. Thanks again for the tip off Millie The Moocher.

Glad you got sorted eventually. I had zero acknowledgement of my return email with pictures, i’ll chase it again in a week. Out of interest which salesman were you dealing with?

I have been dealing with Howard Yeoman in my attempts to have our warranty issues dealt with and he has now arranged a date for us to take our motorhome down to SMC following Alistair Briggs-Price becoming involved. Don't know if he is a salesman though.

by OssettIan Sat Jan 07, 2023 4:00 pm

Follow up to the issue we were having last year with obtaining a warranty repair with our cooker, an issue we first raised with SMC at the beginning of August.

Having had to contact one of the owners of SMC in order to facilitate repairs we were eventually booked in on 20 October 2022. While they did complete a couple of minor repairs (a catch missing from the wardrobe; a minor adjustment to the end of the exhaust pipe that caught on raised surfaces) they couldn't fix the issue with the cooker as they didn't have the required part. This was going on for three months from the time I reported the fault. They said we could expect to be contacted in a couple of weeks to be booked in for a second attempt.

We had taken the van in at 8.00 am and drove away just before 4.00 pm. They hadn't even investigated an issue with an exasperating creaking noise that has been prevelent from the day we purchased the van. The problem with the cooker remains. A round trip for us of approximately 120 miles.

Well it's no surprise that here we are in January and we are no further forward. I have telephoned and been promised with a return call that never happened. I have written again to Alistair Briggs-Price who promptly responded but as yet we have no date for the van to be booked in again.

I'm at a loss to understand their attitude towards their customers other than to assume they just don't care!!!

by Peter Brown Sat Jan 07, 2023 5:31 pm

It seems everyone has a different experience.

I bought a used van from SMC in November. I wanted several things done before taking delivery and all were done very well. When I got the van home I found that the combi electrical heating elements needed replacing and a couple of other little things when I used the van. An appointment was made for ten days after I reported the problems and all done well - I was back in Stoke for 2pm.

Excellent service and very pleasant people.

by Relaxez-Vous Sat Jan 07, 2023 5:48 pm

Ossettian. what the problem with your cooker and what make is it?

Finding the source of squeaks can be a challenge. I found having our son travel in the back helped identify the source of one noise, the microwave was slightly loose. I jambed a small length of silicone tube between the top of the microwave and the housing and have had no more bother. Other have gone to a far greater extent to re-seat the microwave's mountings

It's no consolation but a few years ago the clutch cable went on our petrol lawn mower. We were waiting weeks and weeks for the firm which were doing the service to get the spare part. Eventually I searched online and found a spare cable in Somerset. I bought it and gave it to the service firm. The repaired lawnmower was finally back with us in a few days.

I wonder if you like me might find the spare part faster than SMC can?

by OssettIan Sun Jan 08, 2023 3:20 pm

Hi Relaxez-Vous,
I have no idea what part is required. I remain uncertain that SMC do. This is a brand new van that we bought last March. The first time we used the grill, my partner burnt her hand while adjusting the cooker controls. Indeed the heat from the grill had started to melt the controls.

To cut a long story short we discovered that a fan should operate when the grill is in use to negate the above. The initial thoughts from SMC were that either a fan hadn't been fitted or it wasn't fitted / wired in correctly. That proved not to be the case and they now say a sensor needs to be fitted. That's certainly something I'm not going to be messing about with myself.

by Relaxez-Vous Sun Jan 08, 2023 6:44 pm

We have a Triplex combined oven and grill in our 2019 Kemerton XL and I haven't been aware of it having an oven fan. I'm sorry that your oven isn't working as it should.

I'm somewhat surprised that your oven needs a working fan to prevent the control knobs from melting. I am equally surprised why a sensor should be required to prevent such damage. I am aware that A-S in a short time frame will fit different manufacturers' equipment during the production process, a Truma heater or Whale, lead acid leisure batteries or lithium, Daewoo microwaves or Russell Hobbs, Dometic or Thetford fridges etc. All of these will have a manufacturer's warranty soon not one from A-S.

Reading on ASOF of folk having issues with Whale heaters, I wonder about your oven, how many people bought a van like yours and have an oven just like yours. We've hardly used our oven, we've used the grill a few times, mostly cooking has been on the hobs. We've used the microwave less than 10 times though I wouldn't be without it.

Cooking outside if the weather is kind, we have Cadac 2 plus 2 (which I recommend) and I recently bought a Vango Induction hob and Tefal Jamie Oliver frying pan. The cheap slow cooker for 2 that I bought has yet to be commissioned. Outside is more BBQ territory and more a macho chef world.

by OssettIan Mon Jan 09, 2023 11:38 am

Apparently earlier models had a metal plate that pulled out to prevent the the cooker knobs heating up. SMC advised that this has been replaced with a fan.

Yes we have a microwave and a Cadac which is very useful for cooking outside in warmer weather. However, we do use the van off grid so we need the grill to be operational and safe to use. Its a new van, it should be fully operational and safe.

by breakaleg Mon Jan 09, 2023 11:51 am

We had a very similar problem on a Eldiss 115.

As soon as i told the supplying dealer (westcountrymotorhomes) he asked about the fan, what fan says I, if you can't hear it, it ain't working.

It was easily fixed by a local Eldiss dealer, west county paid them the going rate to save me a 260 mile round trip. there was a sensor fitted by the way, all our other vans over the years didn't have fans to cool things down, somuch for progress eh!

Pete

by Jmb Mon Feb 13, 2023 3:12 pm

I have jan 23 wxl and it has the slide out plate to deflect the heat.

by Peter Brown Thu Mar 02, 2023 12:39 pm

I just want to pass on my experience of some really exceptional after sales service from SMC Newark.

The pre-owned Broadway that we bought from SMC last November had seen very little use in its six years and it appears that none of the water systems had ever been flushed out resulting in dried on solids in toilet flush tank, grey water tank, etc.

As we have used the van with fluids in, the vibration of driving gradually loosened these solids into the fluids so the first toilet flush when pitched would be full of black bits and the grey water tank drain has been blocked several times. With regular draining and using tank flush products that is now sorted and wont return as we use the van so regularly.

When we returned from our recent trip to Moreton, the Combi boiler would not drain through the dump valve although when the pump was switched on it would cause water to emerge from the drain, stopping as soon as the pump was switched off. With the risk of dumping 10 litres of water inside the van and as I was going to spend the next week at the NEC and no frost forecast at home I decided to leave investigating till after the NEC. I described the symptoms to Truma and Auto-sleeper technical reps at the NEC but they could not suggest what the cause could be.

I passed through the AS stand occasionally during the week and on one of those occasions the SMC sales manager spotted me and asked how I was getting on with the van. I told him that we were very pleased with the van and working through the result of several years of little use (that leaves the interior of the van almost 'as new') and also mentioned that, after having been drained successfully several times, the combi was not draining.

He immediately offered to have the van in at Newark to investigate and remedy but I told him that because of the 160 mile 4 hour round trip I would rather investigate myself first. At that he took me to the SMC stand next door and introduced me to the SMC Technical Manager who said that the fault could be the frost dump valve but could equally well be the pressure relief valve on the hot water outlet and that when I found out which component was faulty he would post it to me. He also told me how to avoid dumping the water inside the van whilst removing plumbing components.

On Saturday morning I discovered that the problem was the pressure relief valve but that the dump valve had a lot of scale pieces in it and was not operating smoothly. I communicated my findings to a friend who was on the AS stand on Saturday and my findings and address were passed to the SMC Technical Manager. I hoped they would manage to get the components to me in time for us to start our next trip at the end of next week but did expect that after six straight days on the stand the manager might have at least Monday and Tuesday off.

Early afternoon yesterday a courier delivered replacement components, I put the van back together filled with water and drained again cold then did the same but heating the water up to max, all working properly and no leaks. I am absolutely delighted at this service from SMC.

by inspiredron Thu Mar 02, 2023 10:41 pm

Good result, Peter - but I am tempted to say that at least a small part of it will be - who you are, how you tackle it and, most important, who you know.

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