Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Recreation by Design's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Recreation by Design

  57420 County Road 3 Elkhart, IN 46517-9798

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  Recreation by Design

  21746 Buckingham Rd Elkhart, IN 46516-9703

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/16/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Purchased Rv upon delivery noticed the carpet was wet and there was mold, growing up the walls called them as soon as I noticed it and they sent someone to pick it back up. They picked it up on Wednesday Aug 9th to bring it back to the factory never received a phone call or email. No one had reached out to me. Tried calling Friday to see if the trailer made it there could not reach anyone on the phone Sent the email out, asking if there was an update and the guy proceeds to tell me that they fixed the problem and it is on its way back to me. I dont understand how they can fix, mold and dry out the floor with in two days because they are closed on the weekends. Got in touch with them. They said they would not be refunding me my money nor would they build me a new trailer. I did not agree to buy a used camper. Expecting these kind of problems. Thats why I bought a new camper so I should not have mold in a new trailer that just got delivered from their factory. Their response was my slide outs needed adjusted and they were leaking, the living room contains two super slides in the kitchen, so how did they replace that in two days? My son has asthma, which mold could really affect just not sure how they got all the wet boards and everything to dry out within 48 hours and also repaired. Feel like they are trying to pressure me to take the trailer. I dont feel like I should have to take a trailer with these kind of problems that is brand new asked for a new trailer to be built or simply a refund and was told neither could be done and that the trailer would be back on their lot if I wanted to get it delivered.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/17/2023

  
  Reached out to the owner directly and he said he would talk to me if I took down my bbb complaint 
  Sent from my iPhone
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/06/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We have placed an order for a travel trailer with a $5,000 deposit for them to start building and they built the trailer completely wrong from the blueprints of what the trailer was supposed to be. We have then contacted them and asked for a refund of our deposit since they have posted the trailer for sale. We were told that we would not get a refund because the trailer was already but they also said if the trailer was built incorrectly we would not have to purchase it the salesman ************************* was very rude and cursed me and my wife he has been giving us the run around for months now

  Business Response

  Date: 10/10/2022

  Recreation By Design, LLC has had the same policy for purchasing a unit for at least the last 30 years.  We are a custom RV manufacturer and build units to our customers wants and needs as opposed to cookie cutter units.  While I sympathize with the customers, this is not the first time that the family has purchased a unit from us, and they are familiar with our policy.  However, without assuming they do know the policy it is also printed on the order and print that is supplied to the customer from our salesman via DocuSign requiring a signature of approval that they are happy with the order and layout.  It clearly states *Deposits are required on all orders* Deposits are NOT refundable after production starts on your order.When this is complete, we require a deposit on the unit before it goes on our production schedule. 
  

  All the above steps for this customer have been completed as follows:
  Order taken from customer by ************************* 10/13/21 
  Order/Print signed by customer approving 11/22/21
  Deposit in wire form received 12/15/21
  Unit complete ready for shipment with final full payment 6/9/22
  
  ****** informed the customer several times since 6/9/22 that the unit was ready for shipment and needs to be paid in full.  The customer stated they would send $10,000 and will be able to send more money out in a few weeks.  They stated they were going through a hard time and asked if we would be patient with the remaining balance.  To date we have received nothing more than the original $5,000 deposit required for build.  
  
  There are several reason that we do not hold units for a long period of time after completion, one is space, two is because it is product and revenue sitting in place, third is because it is going to get cold and the units need winterized which is more money and labor going into a unit that is complete, fourth is because we build each unit for a particular customers needs.  It could be difficult to resell without losing more funds.  It is sometimes necessary to use the deposit from the previous purchaser to discount the unit in order to sell it to someone else.     
  
  The last phone call prior to the customer cancellation was 9/7/22 three months after the unit was complete.  ****** told the customers they must pay for the unit and get it delivered, otherwise we were going to have to attempt to sell the unit as an open unit to someone else.  The customer wasnt happy with that response and asked to speak with someone else.  I personally received that phone call from ***** and reiterated what ****** had told the customer.  ***** explained that the unit was for her daughter ****** and that ****** would have the money in the next day or so.  I told ***** that I would hold off on putting the unit on the open list until Friday 9/9/22.  If I didnt receive the funds by then I had to move the unit to open.  Again, we have received nothing more than the original $5,000 deposit required for build.  
  
  In closing the unit built was to the exact specs signed off on the order and print.  This is a very unfortunate situation that we are in.  We are thankful for our return customers, but we also have to follow the policy set in place.   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/12/2022

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  First of all I have never dealt with this company or ordered anything from them. Every time we call we hear a different excuse of how the deposit will be refunded and then how it will not be refunded. I mean why would I pay well over $50,000 for a trailer we designed but not built like the blueprints we designed? So we have to lose $5,000 because we didnt send the remaining balance on the trailer that was built incorrectly? Also we are not the only ones to have a problem with ************************* just look at there reviews on ****** from the past 5 years everyone of them is a problem with one specific person about how he lies or doesnt tell you things. We are hesitant on taking further legal action against the company to see if they are willing to make it right with us. 

  Business Response

  Date: 10/17/2022

  In response to the rejection, I have attached a copy of the signed order form and blueprint that clearly states that the deposit is non refundable.  We understand the frustration regardless of the excuses made, Recreation By Design's deposit policy still stands, and is understood with the signatures at the bottom of the blueprint and order form.  The unit has been ready to shop since 6/9/2022, Recreation By Design has no mention from the customer of the unit being built incorrect until we informed the customer that we were going to have to sell the unit to someone else, because of failure to pay.  Attached are multiple emails dating in August and September stating that they are sending money, but have failed to do so.  The unit was built exactly as the blue print shows.