Search the Community

Before relate my story can I just say that I still think the RCR deal is a good one and that the staff who attended my boat have always been polite as have the office staff. However http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=55940&&page=2 Further to the above thread, Today is day 8 of our drive plate failure at Great Haywood It started off with being told by the attending engineer that the Centa Antriebe drive plate was a special "new style" one that had a rubber centre section and had disintegrated completely. when asked "wot even the bit that engages the spline" the answer was yes. Hindsight showed the the centre section was actually still attached to the gearbox Then I was informed that it would take two days to get another one at £300 (not to worry only £50 excess to me) Two days passed no show and no contact and I had to phone to get an update. I was told that the model of plate was no longer made or that any were in stock in the UK and that a new model that supercedes the old would fit and was being flown in (£365+vat) at their expense. I will arrive on Monday. they explained that they wanted it excately right and as the builder had planned and also right for warranty purposes Monday no show, called for update and told part arriving pm. great got an update by phone pm (fab!) parts arrived engineer working elsewhere will fit later. engineer arrives at 4pm whay hey!!! Not quite. The holes are in wrong place. Nice parts lady comes down for a gander, points out to engineer that the old centre piece is still on gearbox!! and reassures me it will be resolved and they will source new parts first thing tomorrow (pump out loo is now full and we are out of gas) Tuesday arrives bright as a button and so are we! and we busy ourselves with dragging the boat to the pump out and refill the diesel plus replace gas bottles at same time. Lunchtime (after I had to phone for an update again), we get told that they have a plate that needs to go to Bradford to be re-engineered but that a member of staff is not too well and they will do it tomorrow. No worries says I, I'm just down the road from your office and will take said part to Bradford and wait for it to be done at my expense. OK, they say just let us arrange things and we will get back to you in 1/2 hr. Two hours later I phone for an update. Oh we have an engineer on call out up that way he has plate and will drop it in to be done, "we will have an engineer with you first thing tomorrow" Wed first thing nothing, phone for an update, we will get back to you. 40 mins later I get an answerphone msg, We haven't got any available engineers, so we have contacted the marina, the plate will be delivered and the marina engineers will fit it! Hurrah! I'm getting some confidence back now that we actually have proper engineers to hand. Pop up to marina office (who I must say have been super helpful as have the marina engineers) and they tell me that RCR had said both engineers are on a course today, talked to marina engineer who said RCR had said the same to them. (So how could RCR have promised me an engineer 1st thing then!) Anyway the rub was that the marina engineers were snowed under and I was forced to wait another day (today) In the meantime this engineered part arrived (along with old one), you know the one I said was no longer made or in stock Well the engineer who made this is fantastic I must say, he even went to the bother of detailing the original manufacturer details and part no onto the plate, inc old model number!!! or is it that RCR think I must be really gullible or something! the "well done" for getting the part was drowned in the lie. Today, along with the Engineer (or should I say fitter) the new general manager arrived to do some stroking. I explained politely and bluntly all of the above and that the marina staff and engineers are all laughing "at RCR" and that lying to customers is not a good thing!! He has promised to take it all back and deal with it. Mentioned the £50 excess, but no chance of that being refunded for my 8 day wait (I assume the lies and delays then, are a feature of the service) Yeah I'm not happy!!! Right now the plate is being fitted and we are keeping fingers crossed nothing else goes wrong during it. Despite everything I still think the RCR offer on paper is a really good deal and I want to support them plus I have seen the previous posts about rescue etc So I wont walk away or discourage others from joining, cos I think we need people like these, Also maybe my case "is" an exception but the truth is RCR have been on the back foot and whilst trying to sound professional they have felt the need to be dishonest. Communication has been intermittent to poor. Had we been bluntly told some truth it may have been that I could have returned to my base and earn't some money rather than always waiting on the lie about "to-morrow" so I am out of pocket grrr!!! Somewhere there is a need for good shaking up and for the sake of that £50 non gesture and being treated like I have the brain of an idiot I feel I should vocalise my experience today and will whenever asked. Great Haywood Marina BTW. top class people, thanks to them our stay was made more comfortable and as a newby I have learnt a lot from them whilst here Hopefully we will be en-route to Floods Ferry in Cambridgeshire later today