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Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced today a $3.5 million settlement with Camping World, a national dealer of recreational vehicles, or RVs, with multiple locations in Oregon. This result resolves a multi-year consumer protection investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice ( DOJ) Civil Recovery Section.
“The settlement orders Camping World to return $3 million in refunds to affected customers. Our investigation found that Camping World would advertise a heavily discounted “Dare to Compare” price. During negotiations, Camping World would claw back its purported discount by double charging consumers for freight and prep charges that had already been included in the advertised price,” AG Rosenblum said. “This is not how Oregonians expect or deserve to be treated!”
Under the terms of the agreement, of the $3.5 million Camping World will be required to pay the state, $3 million will be used to refund certain consumers that purchased an RV from Camping World between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018 and who paid more than the advertised price for the vehicle.
Consumers that purchased vehicle after December 31, 2018, may also be eligible for a refund under the agreement. Customers who bought a vehicle after December 31, 2018, and believe that they also paid more than the advertised price must submit a written complaint to Oregon DOJ within 6 months of this announcement to potentially be eligible to receive a refund. Consumers that submit written complaints should include any information that they have to demonstrate they paid more than the advertised price.
Also, Camping World cannot charge any consumer more than the advertised offering price of the vehicle (excluding optional goods or accessories, license and registration fees, or other taxes). The offering price must be available to all consumers. It cannot be contingent on whether a consumer is paying cash or financing the deal.
The settlement agreement includes several additional protections for future customers:
- Camping World is also prohibited from double-charging consumers for any good or service already included in the MSRP, including any amount for freight and prep. To ensure consumers know what they are being asked to pay, Camping World is required to disclose these charges on a label attached to the vehicle.
- Camping World must use clear abbreviations in its purchase orders so that consumers can tell what they are being asked to purchase. DOJ’s investigation found that Camping World would often use the term “environ” on purchase orders to describe what amounted to a limited warranty against weather damage.
- Camping World cannot make a free offer in conjunction with the purchase of a motor vehicle, unless it is offered by a manufacturer or another party that is not Camping World, including its Good Sam Club. Because Camping World owns both companies, such “free” offers can be illusory.
Consumers who have questions about this settlement or believe they may have been affected by Camping World’s actions should contact the Oregon Department of Justice Consumer Hotline at 1-877-877-9392. To learn more and file a written complaint, visit https://www.doj.state.or.us/consumer-protection/.
“I thank the Civil Enforcement team at DOJ for their focus and persistence in this investigation, and in helping to make restitution to those affected by Camping World’s practices,” AG Rosenblum added.
Source: Oregon Attorney General