Sunset RV & Auto Center

Reviews 3

DA

Dawn Demmon

Oh, gosh, where do I start? I bought two new RVs and a new tow car over the past two years. The first RV just didnt perform well in wind, high profile/light weight, so I had to trade in for a new larger longer profile rig. Put me way upside down but what could I do? I was on the road full time! Bought my tow car there as well. Then I got sick. Got cancer and I couldnt live the RV life anymore. Mind you, the rig had lots of issues and was in the shop a ton! I asked Sunset to consign. We signed a contract in November (when finally out of the shop after a two-month stay). By mid December, still not up on their web site. Consignment manager says well put it up on web, weve got some shows coming up in spring. Finally up on web site in January, and I call to say Ill be out of town in Feb, and manager says hes busy with RV show (Tacoma Dome Jan 16), but that we can resign consignment contract. And no, not taking my rig, only new rigs. I call RV show producers. No, can take used rigs out in parking lot. I call consignment manager to ask why? He says "I dont like these phone calls." "Ive decided not to renew your contract. You can pick your rig up." What the what? I ask for managers at Sunset Chevrolet in Sumner. End up with a doozy named T*** who wonders why I would bother with stuff if I have cancer, what does cancer have to do with it (the whole reason for selling RV obviously), says he understands "what the problem is" as in he thinks Im rude because I got pretty excited when he wouldnt listen to me and wanted to tell me all about the companys prerogative to take out their own RVs, and surely I can understand that, wonders why I would endanger jobs of 200 families in family owned business when I suggest Id like to picket Sunset at RV about their unfair practices (mind you, Im upside down by 40,000 dollars which Ive tried to borrow) so yeah, they got their money from me and then some. And T*** says wouldnt I rather go to the beach and dip my toes in the sand in the time I have left than consider picketing, etc. Gag!!!! I cant seem to get to a real manager because hes out. I futilely tell T*** I want to hire a lawyer, but for what reason, honestly? They dont owe me money. I do believe terms of contract might have been violated but what the heck. All I wanted was a buyout offer, but T** has decided that Im obviously the problem, that I "attacked" him by calling him immature. And I think this soulless man just mind f**cked with a sick person. Who would do something like that? What kind of a company is Sunset? Where are the real managers with customer service skills? (And P.S., people with aggressive cancer undergoing chemo and radiation are not always the calmest...) Just saying. Bottom line? Sunset Chevrolet and Sunset RV suck. They really do. They have no loyalty to their customers and make decisions on whether they "like" people or not, a whole lot like high school. A very dissatisfied customer who has probably donated more than 50,000 to the company gratis in profit over the past two years. Dang! P.S. I got a call from a delightful manager on the RV side of the house named Steve (new) who explained how everything works, apologized (cuz thats sometimes all that can be done, and I appreciated it), gave me suggested pricing if I sell on my own, told me to call him in the spring when more outdoor shows and used/consigned RVs are in demand. Awesome customer service skills. Thank you, Steve

CH

Chuck Kelso

Sunset RV met or exceeded all our expectations and we did not detect any overtly underhanded tactics. The sales staff and maintenance crew were all very polite and accommodating. Reviews are tricky because people are more apt to post a review when they are upset and wish to vent. However, making what is, for most of us, the second most expensive purchase in our lives is scary and complex, so I have written a fairly comprehensive, balanced summary of our experience, so read on… I am, unapologetically, very cynical about used car/truck/RV dealers and for good reason; my brother was a salesman and, hey, they are mainly looking out for themselves, right? My wife and I had been looking for a long time for the RV that was right for us, but we were in no hurry. A salesperson, Larry, at the Fife store directed us to a just reduced consignment for a Monaco Monarch motorhome at the Bonney Lake store and we went out to see it a couple of days later and decided it fit most of our requirements. We worked with both Larry and Jim there where the manager gave us a strong trade-in offer on our older Winnebago. Of course, this then affected what we could do about beating down the price on the purchase. We bargained hard back and forth. We finally walked that day, but in the end, after an overnight to sleep on it, accepted their package and I believe we got a decent deal. It is not always a good idea to beat down the price to bare minimum as you want a little leeway for the dealer to be able to take care of unknown issues which are bound to show up. We were pleased with the fast and easy financing and promises to get the Monaco we bought road ready. Now, promises are one thing, delivering on them is another. There was a small glitch when they asked us to postpone the delivery for a couple of days. This was actually good news as they found they needed a part for the ice maker and another switch that needed to be replaced and had to wait for the parts. That indicated that they were probably doing a thorough testing and inspection procedure and we were glad to wait so they could get it right. They installed two new front tires as agreed since all six were nearing their pull date codes and Les Schwab did a safety inspection and lubrication service. I am a firm believer in Les Schwab quality and service. They took all the time we needed to walk through every system in the unit and we felt we had done all that was necessary before we took it off the lot. Then on the way home we had a problem with the wipers. They were not positively attached to the wiper arm and fell apart in the rain on the way home. We also discovered that the automatic leveling system needs recalibration when we tried to deploy it when we arrived home. Sunset’s Buckley maintenance shop has been very helpful and is taking a lot of time to help us with the leveling problem and had also checked out an apparent rear camera/monitor issue. Always research the dealer, the pricing and the quality of the unit before buying a used motor home, or a new one for that matter. There are guides available on line and it is a good idea to have an unbiased, trusted friend or relative help. But, if you deal with an honest dealer, they should welcome a savvy customer.

MA

Matt Runion

Bought a brand new trailer from them a few months ago. First time we took it out and used the water, we sprung a leak in a hose that leaked all night long causing water to go under the floors and into the underbelly and insulation. Upon calling Sunset, they immediately tried to ask all of the questions that would make it sound like my fault and then tried to tell me they were too busy to work the warranty issue. Well we dropped it off anyway. 1 day later they "wiped" up the water and replaced the leaky hose and clamp and called it dry. Luckily I have a friend with a wetness tester used in flooring and when I used it on my trailer in front of the Sunset Rv crew, it pegged meaning it was still SOAKED even though they said it was wet. Well then they admitted they dont do warranty work but to go ahead and call any other dealer that sells Skyline trailers and they would go ahead and work the issue. Pretty much they were telling us to get our trailer off their property. After doing some web searches and contacting Skyline (Marty Brooks, GREAT GUY), we were put in contact with Ted Tatum at South Hill RV in Puyallup. Ted set me straight about the RV industry and how this issue should have been fixed by Sunset and that they were giving me the run around hoping I would just go away. Well I did, and I went to the manufacturer and to South Hill RV. Ted Tatum was very patient with me and even though we made the mistake of not buying from him, he worked this entire issue and was able to get me in to review the entire trailer and replace the wet/removed insulation and verify that no other lasting damage had happened. DO NOT BUY FROM SUNSET RV, GO TO PUYALLUP AND SOUTH HILL RV AND TALK TO TED TATUM!!! 5 stars to South Hill RV for taking care of a new trailer owner customer as if they were their own! 5 stars to Skyline trailers for working with us and walking us through what we could do that wouldnt void our warranty but would help us prevent lasting damage. Marty sent us repair tape so that I could cut into the underbelly and remove the wet insulation and dry out the area with a hair dryer. Thank you Skyline and thank you South Hill RV!!!