Hi, my name is Gayle and I've recently fallen victim to a scam caravan sale. To put you in the picture, I live in a holiday town with zero long term rentals due to Airbnb. It has been my absolute dream to get a little caravan for me and my boxer dog Bodhi to live in. That way nobody can take our little home away from us. This sadly happens regularly, due to our rental being sold, being made into an Airbnb, the house becoming a retreat, to name but a few reasons. Constantly moving here is sadly the norm and a very stressful fact of life. Prior to this, I was living in a rooftop tent in the cold/wet winter which was pretty miserable. I have a couple of very serious health conditions and as a result I am unable to work, despite the fact that I really want to. So I found what I thought was the perfect little van, I brought a friend with me for a second opinion and we went through the RAC caravan inspection list to check for issues. On the face of it, everything seemed fine. However, one week later the roof began to leak pretty profusely, despite me asking the previous owner if it leaked and him replying no. Whilst I was gutted, I felt like it was something I could deal with. Then things got a whole lot worse, they had concealed rotten joins behind a laminated map which had been screwed onto the wall to prevent looking behind it. Then the clincher, the only two cupboards I didnt check for damp, contained significant mould. I had wondered what the smell was! This mould was concealed behind two very deep storage boxes and would've required you to get down on your hands and knees with a torch to see the mould at the very back. Myself and my friend thought these people were a gorgeous old couple, how wrong we were! Perhaps the worst part about all this is that my parents gave me the money to buy the van. They were so worried about me being cold and wet in the tent, that they did me an incredibly kind deed. We dont have the easiest relationship, so I felt very blessed and touched by their kind act. I don't have the heart to tell them what has happened yet, as no doubt they will be really devastated and angry and I feel absolutely horrible about it. It honestly breaks my heart. I cant even bear to think about it. I'm currently living temporarily in another van, which is a friend of a friend's. I am however living with the uncertainty of how long I can remain here. I've had my van assessed and its not worth repairing. I don't want to be that person to pass this disaster onto someone else and have them experience the heartbreak that I have. It honestly almost broke me, I've moved twice in two weeks, I stopped eating, pretty much became a recluse and felt so overwhelmed and depressed with the whole situation. My friends were very worried about me. I'm very independent and I hate asking for help. Its something I'm working on! So this doesn't come easy to me at all. If you can spare a donation, no matter how small, it will be very gratefully appreciated. My goal is to recoup the money my parents gifted me to buy a caravan which is safe for my dog and I to live in. It would be great if I was able to buy another van without my parents having to deal with this stress, upset and disappointment. They’re old and I know this will really upset them. If this endeavour is successful, I will donate the old van to a charitable organisation or group, who will have the time and skill to do something positive with the van. Maybe together we can all turn this lemon of a van into lemonade! Thank you for taking the time to read my plight, if you're not in a position to help, I get it. I know the cost of living is biting hard atm. However, if you know anyone that may be able to help, please share. Much love and light to you all.
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