Caravan maker Jayco sued over off-road claims
Caravan maker Jayco is being sued by the consumer watchdog over claims its recreational vehicles can go off-road.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) filed the legal suit in the Federal Court on Thursday.
The ACCC alleges certain Jayco ads depict recreational vehicles being used off-road and on 4WD-only tracks when the caravans are not designed for such rough and tumble conditions. Jayco's warranties for the particular caravans also expressly exclude using the recreational vehicles on 4WD-only tracks.
'We allege Jayco misled consumers by advertising the RVs (recreational vehicles) in terrain in which they were not designed to be used and were not covered by its warranty,' ACCC deputy chair Mick Keogh said in a statement.
'When a product is depicted in advertisements in a particular setting, or claims are made about it, consumers have a right to expect such images and words reflect the intended use of the product.'
NewsWire has contacted Jayco for comment. Jayco is Australia's largest RV manufacturer, founded in Victoria in 1975.
The ACCC is seeking a full suite of penalties, injunctions, publication orders, legal costs and a declaration of wrongdoing from Jayco.
The caravan models the ACCC is concerned with are in Jayco's Outback and Adventure ranges, with models ranging in price from $19,000 to $113,000.
Advertisements for the Crosstrak model show the caravan being towed by a 4WD through water that is halfway up the caravan tyres and lapping at the bottom of the 4WD's passenger doors. Other ads for the Crosstrak show the caravan being towed through Queensland's Kinkuna National Park, which is restricted to only 4WDs.
The ACCC says since January 2020, Jayco has promoted RVs with phrases such as 'purpose-built off-road hybrid RV', 'built with off-road travel at the forefront', 'all terrain', and 'designed specifically for off-road adventures'.
But the RV warranties from Jayco did not cover damage from water crossings, damage from use on corrugated and uneven surfaces or any damage from use on 4WD-only tracks, the ACCC filing said.
Mr Keogh said RVs were expensive purchases and buyers were misled.
'We are concerned that consumers were deprived of the ability to make informed purchasing decisions which might have led them to buy a different RV that was more suitable for their needs,' Mr Keogh said.
'RVs are a significant purchase for consumers, and as a result of Jayco's ads, consumers may have paid a premium over and above the cost of other standard model RVs based on the alleged misrepresentation that they could be used 'off road'.'
Following a similar 2017 case, Jayco was ordered to pay a $75,000 fine in May 2021.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
34 minutes ago
- ABC News
Breakfast Wrap: What next for AUKUS?
The questions about Australia's deal to buy nuclear powered submarines aren't going away. We learnt this week the US Defence Department is reviewing the agreement. And while the Australian government is playing it cool and insisting there's nothing usual about that, not everyone is so sure. We'll bring you the latest reaction here from shadow Defence Minister Angus Taylor and get the view out of the other AUKUS partner, the UK. Also today bring you a panel of journalists to wrap the huge political week that was. And a flight travelling from India to the UK has crashed on take-off. We'll get an early view from one aerospace expert about what happened. Recap the morning's news, politics and global affairs with the Breakfast Wrap
ABC News
34 minutes ago
- ABC News
NSW to end rebate scheme for home batteries
As the federal government looks to kick off a national rebate scheme for home batteries, is the sun setting on the New South Wales government's rebate scheme? From July 1, households in New South Wales will have access to up to 10,000 dollars for their home batteries under the Commonwealth program. But not everyone is convinced this is a better offer. Guest: Heidi Lee Douglas, chief executive of consumer advocacy group Solar Citizens Heidi Lee Douglas, chief executive of consumer advocacy group Solar Citizens Producer: Grace Stranger Federal Minister for Climate and Energy Chris Bowen and NSW Minister for Climate and Energy released the following statement: "The Albanese and Minns Labor Governments are teaming up to double the benefits available to NSW households and small businesses. We'll help more people in NSW access cheap, fast and safe solar energy in their homes and businesses night or day, when they need it."
News.com.au
37 minutes ago
- News.com.au
‘A lot of money': Insane amount young Aussie can earn an hour through dog walking business
A university student has stunned Aussies after revealing the staggering amount of money he is earning through his dog walking business. Angus Healy was recently stopped on the streets of business by jobs app, GetAhead, and asked what he does for a living and how much he earns. The 19-year-old, who was walking four dogs at the time, revealed he owns a dog walking business. 'It is $50 an hour for each dog,' he said. 'I do three packs a day, keeps me busy, which is good.' Mr Healy said the most amount of dogs he will walk at one time is six, which sees him earn $300 for an hour of work. The young Aussie first got the idea for the business when he was in Year 8 and he wanted a dog but his parent's wouldn't allow him to get one. 'I thought, 'all right, well how can I spend time with dogs and earn money?'' he said. He started off slowly, walking one or two dogs at a time, but over the years his business, Happy Paws by Angus, grew and he now does sessions five days a week while also studying at university. Even if the teenager only walks one dog for each of his three sessions a day, that would see him earn $750 a week, which would add up to $36,000 a year. If he were to have the maximum number of dogs in each session, this would see him earn up to $4500 a week or 18,000 a month, which would result in a yearly income of $216,000. Mr Healy said the earnings are enough to pay his bills and also allowed him to buy a house. However, he said, like any business, there are 'expenses' to be considered. The teenager also offers pick up and drop off services, which is included in the $50 fee. 'We do go through a process in the application with all our clients to make sure all (the dogs) are friendly,' he said. The business also caters to reactive dogs, offering private walks for $60 for a one hour session. The video quickly gained a lot of attention, with commenters stunned by how much money the teenager was making through the side hustle. '50 bucks an hour. Wow really?' someone said. 'That's actually is a lot of money,' another said, with one person adding the business idea was 'so smart'. Another person claimed it was basically 'free money' and others branded it a 'dream job'. On the Happy Paws by Angus website, the 19-year-old states he understands the 'importance of providing exceptional care for your beloved dogs'. 'Founded out of a deep love for animals, we've built a trusted service that treats your pets as if they were our own,' the website reads. 'With every interaction, we strive to deliver not just pet care, but a community service that Clayfield residents can rely on.'
