October 2025Not fit for purpose, safety issues, poor handling, and unauthorised charge after returnThis was my motorhome rental, and unfortunately the vehicle was not fit for purpose from day one, with multiple faults that should never have been present at pickup.Immediately upon starting the trip, we reported several issues, including: • Only five outdoor chairs supplied instead of six • A fridge travel latch failing, causing the fridge door to open while driving • Drawer catches failing and not staying secure when travelling • A toilet cassette missing a wheelWe were also assured we would be keeping the same vehicle for the entire duration of the trip, however during the hire we began receiving reminders referring to a separate booking with a different pickup date. This caused unnecessary confusion and stress, and we repeatedly asked for confirmation that the rental was in fact continuous with the same vehicle, as originally agreed.As the trip went on, more serious faults emerged, including: • A cracked and unstable picnic table • An electric hob ring not working on mains power • A flickering entry step light • A rear marker light not working • Most concerning, fumes coming from the heater outlet, meaning the heating could not be used safelyThese faults made it clear the vehicle was not road-ready or of acceptable quality when supplied.The handling of these issues was extremely disappointing. We were asked to divert to workshops during our holiday and even to purchase temporary fixes ourselves, with reimbursement suggested later. Communication was fragmented, with multiple staff responding separately and repeatedly referring us back to our booking agent rather than resolving the problems.When we returned the vehicle to Maui Motorhomes HQ, the situation worsened. We were immediately offered a random refund figure without any discussion of the issues we had experienced. We refused this and asked to speak to a manager, as these matters clearly required proper conversation.We waited around 20 minutes, after which an assistant manager from another branch came out, presented himself as handling the situation, and refused to involve the actual branch manager. He was unable to manage the discussion professionally and showed no empathy.During this process, we were also nearly incorrectly charged for excess Road User Charges (RUCs). The figures did not properly account for what had already been paid and were only corrected after we challenged them. We can’t help but feel that many customers — particularly tourists rushing to catch flights — may simply pay these charges without questioning them. Fortunately, we were with our son who lives in New Zealand and had time to stay and dispute this.Eventually, after further discussion, we did receive a slightly higher refund than originally offered, but this was not immediate and only came after pushing back.To make matters worse, around six weeks after leaving New Zealand, and while we were already back in the UK, money was taken from our account by Maui (THL) without authorisation.Overall, this experience involved safety issues, poor communication, lack of professionalism, and unacceptable post-rental billing practices. We would strongly advise anyone hiring to inspect the vehicle thoroughly, question all charges, and closely monitor their bank statements even after returning home.Terrible experience.
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