For the second time in recent months, General RV in Orange Park, Fla., is being sued. This time the company is accused of duping an elderly couple into buying an RV with a part under recall.
This story by Scott Johnson originally appeared in News4JAX.
The latest lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court in Jacksonville. It claims the dealer knowingly sold George and Odelia Dolores a 2018 Coachmen Crossfit with transmission problems. Monday’s complaint comes as General RV, one of the nation’s largest RV dealers, faces a separate lawsuit alleging an elderly couple was sold a used RV with a series of defects.
An attorney for the company disputed the lawsuit’s claims in a statement provided to News4Jax, saying in part that the customers were told about the recall before the sale was finalized. The Doloreses said they made the purchase April 3, but it wasn’t until days later that they realized the vehicle had a part that was the subject of a recall.
“They sold us a vehicle that was recalled, sold as is. No warranty,” said Odelia Dolores.
Among other things, the couple’s complaint accuses General RV of exploiting the elderly, using high-pressure sales tactics and misleading the couple about the RV’s condition. The complaint states the couple has visited the dealer’s service department for a range of issues since April, from an “inoperable and burned out awning motor” to “unsafe and defective tires.”
It argues that the Doloreses, both of whom are senior citizens and cancer survivors, “lacked the capacity to consent” to buying the RV from General RV. The couple said they would have never bought the RV had they known about the recall.
Attorney Michael Dolenga, who represents General RV, said the Doloreses knew of the recall when they bought the RV, noting that the chassis issue was repaired before the vehicle was solid.