This story is part of the December 17th, 2024, RV and Camping News Video on the RV Miles YouTube channel.
By Jason Epperson
Camping World Fined Millions for Double Charges
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has announced a $3.5 million dollar settlement with dealership giant Camping World. The settlement is the result of a multi-year consumer protection investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice.
“Dare to Compare” Double Charges
The investigation found that Camping World advertised a heavily discounted “Dare to Compare” price. However, during negotiations with the buyer, they added freight and prep charges that were initially stated as being included in the advertised price.
Under the terms of the 3.5 million dollar agreement, Camping World will be required to pay the state $3 million which 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.
Camping World Could be Fined Millions More for Double Charges
Consumers who purchased a vehicle after December 31, 2018, may also be eligible if they submit a written complaint to the 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 they have to demonstrate they paid more than the advertised price.
Settlement Agreement
Under the settlement, 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. If something is required to be paid, it has to be put on the price sticker – just like when you buy a car.
The RV industry is not subject to the consumer protection laws that require automobile manufacturers to have detailed window stickers, so in many ways, buying an RV is like buying a car decades ago.
Oregon also wants Camping World to use clear abbreviations in its purchase orders so that consumers can tell what they are being asked to purchase. The investigation found that Camping World would often use the term “environ” on purchase orders to describe a limited warranty against weather damage, but it sort of sounds like a required environmental charge by the state.
Is it Still Cheaper to Buy a Rig from Camping World?
People ask me all the time about buying at Camping World because they’ve heard to stay away. However, they see a listed price that is lower than anywhere else online, and what I always tell them is because of these dealer prep fees. Camping World charges well over what most dealers charge for prep fees – which is basically cleaning your unit, filling it with water and propane, and doing basic checks of systems. So, while I’m not going to tell you where to put your money, I will say buyer beware. If you choose to buy from Camping World go in with eyes wide open and understand that the price you saw online will most likely not be the price you walk out of there with.
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