Michael's ultimatum to Braeside: 'Van tomorrow or refund now'

The dispute highlights the challenges Michael faced in first getting a caravan and then trying to get his money back.

The conversation began on a polite note in early July, as Law checked on the delivery status.

“Morning Adrian, do you have any update on delivery?” he asked. Mr. Carron responded by explaining a brief delay due to a recent bereavement in the team.

This was the first of several reasons given by Mr. Carron, who over the following days explained various setbacks, including employee absences and servicing requirements.

He reassured Mr. Law that the caravan would be ready by Tuesday or Wednesday, but with each passing day, the promised date seemed to slip further.

By July 15, Mr. Law’s patience began to wear thin.

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Without confirmation of progress, he messaged Mr. Carron again, asking: “Hi Adrian, can you confirm that you have now received my van at your shop, please?”

When he received no response, Mr. Law reached out repeatedly, seeking updates and expressing his increasing concern over the lack of communication.

In the days that followed, Mr. Carron's explanations became more specific but did little to reassure Mr. Law.

Mr. Carron informed him that the caravan required additional servicing, including a replacement toilet electric board.

While he aimed to address the issues promptly, Mr. Carron's assurances that he was “keeping the pressure on” were not enough to quell Mr. Law’s concerns.

As the timeline extended, Mr. Law’s tone shifted from courteous to frustrated.

Text messages between Michael and Adrian Carron. (Image: Newsquest)

“Surely power supply and fuses would be the first choice to check before going to the expense of a circuit board,” he replied on July 22, highlighting his dissatisfaction with the seemingly avoidable delays.

Mr. Law also reminded Mr. Carron of his commitment to a timely delivery, asserting: “I need this van delivered tomorrow at the latest. It’s getting ridiculous as I gave you cash upfront to speed up delivery!”

The tension peaked when Mr. Law issued his strongest demand yet: “No more excuses. Van needs to be delivered Tuesday 23rd, with a flushing toilet or not. I really don’t care if the toilet flush works or not.”

Mr. Law’s request for immediate action underlined his growing frustration, yet Mr. Carron maintained that the caravan could not be dispatched until all issues were fully resolved.

Mr. Carron offered an alternative, a newer model for an additional fee, but Mr. Law rejected this option, insisting: “Just send over my van!”

On July 22, Mr. Law took the issue further, warning Mr. Carron that he would involve authorities.

“Case raised with police, suspected theft of money due to long wait for goods and weak excuses from your team,” he informed Mr. Carron, introducing a formal note to the otherwise informal exchanges.

Upon receiving the caravan, Mr. Law identified discrepancies between the model he expected and the one delivered, noting specific differences in features and layout.

“This is not the same van as per your video,” he pointed out, suggesting he had been sent a different model.

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Mr. Carron attempted to address the issues by offering to send replacement parts and apologised for his temporary unavailability, advising Mr. Law to contact a colleague.

Despite these assurances, Mr. Law continued to seek a refund, expressing that his experience had fallen short of expectations.

“I have been patient with you. Are you going to be difficult to deal with?” he asked, signalling his intention to escalate if his request was not met.