Stepper RV Services

Prior to this cus[redacted]er dropping off their trailer to us, we received several phone calls from [redacted] about the repair where she stated that she had to sell her trailer because of "financial hardships" and that she wanted to have the leaky roof repaired in order to be able to sell it.The...

cus[redacted]ers in question ([redacted]) originally dropped off their trailer to us on 03-25-2016, with an "Authorization For Service and Agreement" signed by [redacted] for the roof repair, as the roof was leaking and the rubber roof membrane on the top was ripped. The cus[redacted]er also checked off the selection marked "Complete necessary repairs with NO additional authorization or limits on the final cost."This type of repair is not a quick repair, as it does takes time to complete, and is also dependent on the weather. If it rains, it delays the repairs due to condensation and moisture that can directly affect the curing of the rubber roof membrane and the sealants used to adhere it, as well as these types of repairs have to be performed inside a covered enclosure away from the elements, and our inside space is limited. The cus[redacted]ers were made well aware of this before leaving their trailer with us and understood. Also, to be able to give an accurate estimate of repairs on RV/Trailer roof damage, the roof membrane MUST be opened to quote an accurate price. There is no RV shop that we know of that can give an accurate estimate of roof repairs without first seeing if there are any additional or hidden damages beneath the rubber roof membrane, wood joists, etc. It would be similar to quoting a price to repair an engine without ever starting it or opening the hood to inspect it.Once the roof was initially opened and the extent of the damages could be seen, and after an estimate and photos of the visible damage was sent to her via email, she debated on which additional items that her and her friend [redacted] could possibly do themselves to reduce the cost. Then she and her friend [redacted] came to our shop to see if the inside ceiling was something that could be done by them on their own. Please note that the roof damage was fully open and fully visible at that time. She then gave authorization to continue with the repairs, with the exception of the inside bathroom ceiling. The repairs were completed and the cus[redacted]er paid via check ($2318.33 - Check # 7383) and picked up her trailer on 04-21-2016. We even made special arrangements for the cus[redacted]er to pick up after hours on our own personal time, and due to her "financial hardships" we did not even charge the cus[redacted]er for the full labor hours that it took to perform the repairs, although it exceeded the original quoted estimate.[redacted] then contacted us 3 weeks later on 05-11-2016 claiming that after her and her friend [redacted] (who is supposedly a "professional contractor", yet he couldn't tell the difference between pressure treated wood and non-pressure treated wood) tore the inside ceiling out, as they wanted to change the inside ceiling out that had been water stained by the leak, and that she had found more rotted wood. As we did NOT go into the inside of the trailer to perform the roof repair (which is common practice in RV/Trailer roof repair), our technician would not have seen the rotten wood as it was underneath the insulation and the surround of the lower part of the skylight. Also, both [redacted] and her friend [redacted] came to our shop numerous times to see the progress of the repairs, went inside the trailer to obtain personal items, etc., and they never once mentioned the hidden damage that they saw on the inside of the trailer.In good faith, myself and one of our Technicians, drove to [redacted]'s house and inspected the situation on the trailer that she was describing. While the damage she was referring to was NOT seen or included in the original estimate for repairs, or even necessary to stop the water leak, I offered in good faith to repair/replace the rotted wood and to re-do the area of the roof that we had originally re-coated and re-sealed - All at MY cost and at NO cost to her. Please also note the 3 items that we were installed on the cus[redacted]ers trailer - FREE of charge (Elevation Gear, Worm Gear, Vent Lid) due to this inconvenience.While the repair was being re-done, we had to open the roof further than before and we found additional hidden rotten wood. We immediately made the cus[redacted]er [redacted] aware of this and we held off on continuing the repairs until she was able to come in and see the hidden damage. [redacted] came in, with [redacted] in tow, saw the hidden damage and then authorized the additional repairs (the $806.40 which was for Labor ONLY - and not any additional material costs which was absorbed by Stepper RV Services). We also freely gave the cus[redacted]er a special electrical connector ($35) for her to be able to bring the trailer back to us, so that the lights would work while it was being towed, and we even stayed after hours (9pm) for them to come and pick up the special connector from us.Also, while the repairs were being done, the cus[redacted]er [redacted] insisted that we open up on Saturday (we're closed on Saturdays and Sundays) to allow her to be able to show the trailer to a potential buyer. As we were trying in good faith to satisfy this cus[redacted]er, we agreed. We then came in on Saturday to allow her to show the trailer, and we missed a planned family event by doing so, and had to pay a technician to come in on his off day on a Holiday weekend, and [redacted] never once bothered to thank us for opening up for her to be able to show it.At that point the entire repair was not completed yet, but it was fully completed on Tuesday afternoon, 05-31-2016. The trailer was then placed outside in the elements and water tested with no possible leaks, for the second time. The cus[redacted]er then came in on 06-03-2016, paid via credit card ($806.40), and then picked up the trailer later that evening.Contrary to the cus[redacted]ers accusations, the exterior trim on the corner that was repaired WAS coated in LAP sealant (standard caulk and silicone should never be used on an RV/Trailer roof). The cus[redacted]er also brought up the fact that we are on contract with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. Yes, we are on contract with them, along with numerous other parish, state, and federal agencies, including RV rental companies, and as such our walk-in cus[redacted]ers are made aware that sometimes there are delays in the repair times to their units due to these contracted companies getting their repairs done first. It is now almost 2 weeks later and we're suddenly receiving a credit card charge back (via her Credit Card company) from the cus[redacted]er in regards to the payment of these repairs, and now she's filing a complaint with the Revdex.com - all with NO contact (phone/email/etc) from her in those two weeks. The cus[redacted]er also stated that she paid for a job to get done - to stop the water leak - and said job was completed the very first time, and on the second time.Also, had the cus[redacted]er actually read the Authorization that they signed, it clearly states: "Recreational vehicle water leaks - By nature of construction, RV’s have various roof mounted equipment, screws, and joints where water may penetrate the roof if a water tight seal is not maintained. Roof-top sealants are subject to expansion and contraction from temperature changes and outside elements which may cause cracking, which could result in a water leak. As a result of this, Stepper Enterprises, LLC / Stepper RV Services does not guarantee repairs for sealing water leaks to motor homes or travel trailers. It is the cus[redacted]ers’ responsibility to have these seams periodically checked and maintained to prevent future water leaks."In closing, we have gone well over and above for this cus[redacted]er, and yet she and her friend [redacted] have been extremely rude, made threats of legal action, have now demanded that she wants all of her money back, have made threats of extortion (refund her fully or she will leave bad reviews), etc. At this point we feel that we have done everything that we can do to satisfy this cus[redacted]er, but unfortunately this cus[redacted]er appears to be beyond satisfying.

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 11507268, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]Regards,[redacted] 
I have not ever threatened Stepper to leave bad reviews on any site. Roger and his technician told us that they did not know if the wood that was initially used to repair the camper roof was pressure treated. Roger told me that he contacted the roofing material manufacturer that he said that using pressure treated wood would turn the material green. The Saturday he is speaking of, Roger told me that he and his technician had to come in because he had a delivery being made so he would be there until about 1:00, then when I said I had someone that wanted to come look at it he said he needed to leave by 11:30 which I was done and out in the parking lot before then. When I got there he showed me a red part to a car (it was either a hood or trunk) and said that it was that item that he had to come in for or wait another 6 weeks for it to be able to be delivered. I did send him an email Sunday and called Monday letting him know the roof was turning green again. I have a copy of the email that I sent to him as well as phone records from calling Monday and did not receive a response to either.

Threats and demands were continually made by this cus[redacted]er and her friend [redacted], including on the very day that I and our technician went to her home. As we have stated before, we have gone over and above for this cus[redacted]er, and they are still not satisfied, and they still continue to make threats and demands.We also never once informed the cus[redacted]er that we would be here until 1 PM on Saturday for the Memorial Day weekend, as the part that was being delivered was supposed to come in between 8am and 9am. We informed the cus[redacted]er that the latest we could be here was 11am because we had a planned family event, and then the cus[redacted]er rudely informed us that the people who were coming to see the trailer would be here for 12 noon and that we had to stay open for them, as they were driving in from another city. We once again informed the cus[redacted]er that we had to leave by 11am, but could stay no later than 11:30am, as we had family who were waiting on us to pick them up.Considering the previous actions and comments by this cus[redacted]er [redacted] and her friend [redacted], we have reason to believe that the supposed buyers were not who they were claiming to be, and were actually personal friends of hers that she would try to use as witnesses in a court case.As we have stated before, we feel that we have done everything that we can do to satisfy this cus[redacted]er. Unfortunately, the only thing that we believe will satisfy this cus[redacted]er is to not have to pay for the repairs that have already been done.Our stance is that the initial cus[redacted]er complaint that "the roof is leaking" is no longer a valid complaint, as the cus[redacted]er herself has even stated that the roof is no longer leaking, so the requested service was in fact performed and completed necessitating no refund.

While traveling through New Orleans on our way back to Cali we had two blowouts on our Keystone Laredo that tore up the underbody and floor under our sink area and ripped all kinds of electrical wires out. We called around trying to find a place that could help us out on such short notice and even though they were fully booked the lady at Stepper RV graciously squeezed us in to try to help us out. While we weren't planning on staying in the city for more than a day we winded up staying for 3 days while they ordered the replacement parts and fixed all of our issues. Stepper RV was truly a Godsend for us and we would highly recommend them to anyone who needs repairs!

Review: This company advertises on Craig's List among other places. I purchased a used Norcold dual voltage, electric cooler, at a price of $700 dealing directly with the owner of this company, [redacted]. Although I live in Birmingham, I made the effort to drive to New Orleans on Thursday, October 17, 2013, to pay Mr. [redacted] the sum of $700 in full. I personally dealt with Mr. [redacted], handing him $700 cash and receiving the cooler/refrigerator. Mr. [redacted] told me to be sure to contact him if I had any problems with it whatsoever. He accompanied me back to my vehicle, repeating again to be sure to call him if there were any issues. Upon my return home on Monday, October 21 I plugged the unit in. On checking it the following day I found that the unit was not cooling at all. It was running, but absolutely no refrigeration.I immediately attempted to contact Mr. [redacted] beginning the following day. I emailed and called his office at Stepper RV Services a total of 7 times, over a period of 3 weeks, before finally getting an email response denying that he had assured me of the unit being operational when he accepted my payment. Mr. [redacted] and Stepper RV tell me that my $700 will not be refunded on the return of the non-working unit sold me under false pretenses, nor adjusted in any way. Stepper RV takes the position that I should have tested the unit I was buying in good faith, prior to leaving his store.My only desire at this stage is to return the inoperable refrigerator and be refunded my $700. I will not pursue my travel, legal or shipping expense, unless I'm forced to take further action, which will of course follow if needed.Desired Settlement: I will ship or deliver the inoperable refrigerator to Stepper RV at my cost in exchange for full refund of the $700 paid for it.

Business

Response:

The item in question that Mr [redacted] is referring to was sold "AS IS/USED",

and Mr. [redacted] was informed of this BEFORE he agreed to purchase it from me.

This was an Individual/Person to Person Sale - it was NOT sold through my company.

All sales done through Stepper RV Services are issued a Bill Of Sale/Receipt.

Does Mr. [redacted] have a Bill Of Sale/Receipt?

As Mr. [redacted] stated, the item in question was advertised on Craigslist,

but it was listed in "AS IS/USED" condition, and he knew this when he initially contacted me.

Contrary to Mr [redacted]'s claim, there were NO "False Pretenses" in either the advertising or the sale of this item,

and to suggest such a thing is considered to be Defamation (Slander/Libel).

At his request, I even took down the Craigslist Ad and then held the item

for Mr. [redacted] for 2 weeks before he could come to purchase it from me.

Once again - this item was NOT sold through Stepper RV Services,

as Stepper RV Services did NOT buy this item from a Distributor for resale.

It was brought to me by an elderly acquaintance of mine who asked

me to sell it for him via a "Person to Person/Non-Business" sale.

Even the listing for it on Craigslist was placed under the "For Sale by Owner" category,

and was NOT listed under the "For Sale by Dealer" category, as normal Business Ads are required to be placed.

The item worked before it was sold, but as with any USED item - there are NO guarantees,

and Mr. [redacted] knew this full well BEFORE agreeing to purchase this item from me.

While the item was working before it left, I have no clue as to what Mr. [redacted] may have done to it once it left my care.

Mr. [redacted] also stated that he already owned one just like it and wanted a second one to match it.

In all honesty, if Mr. [redacted] already owned a unit just like this one, how do I know that his already owned unit

wasn't previously broken and he's now trying to claim that his broken unit is the same one that I sold him?

Granted, I did inform Mr. [redacted] that if he had any problems with the one he was buying from me,

or with the one he already owned, that thankfully the Norcold company still makes the parts for this item

and that if a problem were to happen that I could help him with obtaining the parts as a discounted price.

I NEVER once stated that I would take the item back.

I NEVER once stated that I would replace the item.

I NEVER once stated that I would fix the item for free.

Mr. [redacted] is clearly mistaken, as I would NEVER make such a claim or offer,

as the item was sold AS IS/USED and did NOT have any type of warranty.

I also found a few problems within Mr. [redacted]'s recollection of the story :

1) The fridge was plugged in and cold BEFORE it left here.

2) After he arrived, I unplugged it, and Mr. [redacted] opened the lid and he then felt to see that the inside was cold.

3) Mr. [redacted] then picked it up, carried it to his RV, and then placed it into his lower sliding holding area on his RV.

4) He then positioned it and plugged it in BEFORE he left to make sure that it would continue to work while he was on the road.

5) Contrary to his comment, Mr. [redacted] did NOT wait 3 days later to plug it in.

Also, the first email response that I received from Mr. [redacted] alerting me to a problem was on October 28th, 2013

- almost two weeks later - as I still have the email (with IP addresses and full headers) to prove when I received it.

Since that date, I had emailed Mr. [redacted] on more than one occasion, but for some reason

he claimed that he didn't receive any of them, until my final response to him on November 25th, 2013.

In my response, I informed him that I would NOT be responding any further until I spoke with an attorney,

as I noticed that the same email that he sent to me was also being sent to a supposed Legal Department within his company.

On that very same day, November 25th, 2013, Mr. [redacted] sent to me what I perceived to be as a very threatening email,

along with Threats of Extortion (pay him or he would report me to various organizations, including the Revdex.com).

Then on November 26th, Mr. [redacted] sent me another email with threats of reporting me to various business, threats of a lawsuit, etc.

As per my attorney's advice, I have not responded to Mr. [redacted] since.

Consumer

Response:

The unit was bought from Stepper RV as described. I walked into the front door of Stepper RV and paid $700 cash to the owner of the company. The unit simply never worked, as I made him aware of within a few days. It took numerous attempts to even get a reply from Mr. [redacted]. Stepper RV placed the advertisement as confirmed by Mr. [redacted]. Stepper RV removed the advertisement according to Mr. [redacted]. Mr. [redacted] falsely presented the unit as a working refrigerator. Stepper RV presented me with the unit on October 17 and was informed that it did not work on October 28. None of this is arguable.

I am thankful to have the means to assure bad business practices such as this do not go without consequence, as I made clear to Stepper RV when finally receiving a reply after a month. My hope is that the Revdex.com will be productive; however if not we will certainly proceed with the Civil Circuit as required.

Given the business practices of Stepper RV I would certainly advise the buyer to beware during any and all contacts with this company.

Consumer

Response:

Again, I would strongly urge BUYER BEWARE in dealing with Stepper RV. In going to this business; taking delivery of equipment from the owner; paying the owner; you may be advised that you did not do business with Stepper RV after an immediate failure, and that they feel fine with the transaction. BUYER BEWARE. We will handle our situation accordingly. BUYER BEWARE of Stepper RV.