Mystery surrounds the whereabouts of a Melbourne caravan manufacturer that has seemingly vanished into thin air, leaving customers devastated. Star Vision, which operated a showroom in Dandenong, has told 7NEWS it is “temporarily closed”. However, customers are fearing the worst.
Customer Stories
Renae Maher put a deposit down on a caravan in November, with dreams of exploring the great outdoors. “It’s a little bit of luxury, absolutely,” she told 7NEWS. But fast-forward six months, there is no van and, even worse, no showroom.
“Overnight they were gone, basically,” said Neil Winterton, who works next door at Choices Flooring. He said the company simply packed up and left, leaving mattresses on the roadside. “To move everything out of there so quickly and just disappear is a pretty good effort,” Winterton said.
Closed Premises and Unanswered Calls
7NEWS visited the premises on Wednesday, where the gate was locked. There was no note for customers and the company’s phones go unanswered. “Crickets. We’ve tried multiple phone calls, multiple emails, nothing,” Maher said.
Company Response
After inquiries from 7NEWS, an email arrived. Star Vision claims it is relocating because of a water leak, stating: “the temporary closure of our showroom was due to a long-term water leakage issue at the premises”. “If there are any individuals who believe they have not received their deposit refund ... we can investigate and confirm whether any case has been missed,” the company said. However, Maher says otherwise.
Star Vision has refused to speak with 7NEWS or its customers, saying the only way to now get in touch is online. “Devastated. That’s still my husband’s hard-earned money. To just up and disappear, where’s the morals and ethics in that?” Maher said.
Industry Advice
Industry experts from the Caravan Industry Association urge holidaymakers to shop around, calling this “a very isolated incident” and “a lesson for buyers”.
