Community Forums

PeterFTH · 08-09-2017, 09:08 PM

A Story About Coach Net Roadside Assistance

For your knowledge - when picking a roadside assistance company, AVOID Coach Net. The policy says anytime, anywhere, any vehicle. I got stuck on a back road in North Dakota on my motorcycle. The bike was bogged down in some mud on a road Garmin mis-described as a route to a wildlife refuge but which was, in fact, a road through a farmer’s field. Big field. When I called Coach Net, I was asked to stay on hold for a minute or two (try closer to 10) while the operator tried to figure out just where I was located - I repeatedly gave her the names (county road numbers) of the in intersecting roads as well as the GPS Lat/Lon and she finally came back on the line and said she had located me on her map. She would call back when she found someone to come help me … meanwhile, I was so out there it took a few miles of walking to find a running tractor and a farmer to go with it. This kind gentleman took his pickup truck and drove back to my bike, helped me right it (definitely a 2 man job) and get it out of the mud onto dry land on the other side of the puddle, and then drove me in the same direction so I could figure out how to get back to paved roads and the refuge at which time I got a call from the local sheriff. I didn’t think calling law enforcement was the right thing for Coach Net to do. Why should a sheriff get filthy helping a stranded motorcyclist? The farmer drove me back to the bike, and I was starting towards the road out of there when Coach Net called back. “We’re sorry, but we cannot find anyone to come help you.” That’s an acceptable conclusion? Really? I think that means they didn’t offer enough money for a tow truck to go out into a back road on a Sunday.

I had given the farmer $100 for his assistance and wrote to Coach Net asking that they rebate this money to me since they didn’t live up to their contract at all. I got a “we’re looking into this matter” boilerplate response. The event took place on Sunday July 30, and now on August 9th I have yet to hear back from Coach Net. I don’t find this acceptable - I requested that they refund my $100 or I would publish my story on line on as many RV sites as I could. This is it - I won’t renew with them, and I suggest unless you happen to have an issue in a populated area where they have arrangements with towing companies to work on the cheap, you find another insurance company. I won’t have anything to do with them anymore.

Mr_D · 08-09-2017, 09:14 PM

Coach Net doesn't cover any service more than 50' off a paved road as I remember.

I was wrong, it's within 100 ft of a maintained road. Seems like they did more than your contract called for since you were off a maintained road in a farmers field.

BuzzWolfAR · 08-09-2017, 09:16 PM

My roadside assistance won't help if I am more that 25 feet of a paved road.

Coachnet was very good to me when I used them.

RBeau1954 · 08-09-2017, 09:23 PM

I have used them 3 times in one year without incident and have been very happy with the service.

dons2346 · 08-09-2017, 09:33 PM

I would write a letter to Garmin for sending you down a mud road.

A whole 10 days since your misfortune to boot

SpaceNorman · 08-09-2017, 10:26 PM

Sorry to hear that you weren't satisfied with the service you got from CoachNet. That certainly hasn't been my experience with them. In the three years we've owned our coach - we've made 5 calls to them (Two flat tires, a failed hydraulic pump that left the slides and levelers inoperable, a problem that prevented the coach suspension from airing up and finally, my brain fart of forgetting to hit the battery disconnect switches when parking the coach on our storage lot which left the batteries dead when we went to retrieve it three weeks later).

In each case, CoachNet was courteous and professional - dispatching competent assistance in the time frame we agreed upon at the time I called. They followed up to confirm that the assistance they dispatched arrived as scheduled. In the case of the failed hydraulic pump - they followed up regularly as we waiting for the necessary parts to be shipped, delivered and installed.

As far as I'm concerned - CoachNet has earned my business. I'm not happy to have had troubles on the road ... but am darn happy with the service I've received from them as I've dealt with those troubles.

ThePowells · 08-09-2017, 10:29 PM

Could you have turned around at some point and not gotten into a field? And professionally speaking, calling the Sheriff's Office was the right thing for several reasons. First would be to be sure that you are where you said you were because they know the area a lot better than you and CoachNet. The same GPS that put you in that field was probably the one giving you your coordinates. Secondly, them being local they would know better the local resources. I would probably say that they did the best they could with what they had.

A32Deuce · 08-10-2017, 06:25 AM

I am sorry, but do you know how to dress or even own a map? Riding a MC and can't figure out you are heading where you should not be and not turning around, you don't deserve anything. Lucky for you the farmer was there.

Fiesta48 · 08-10-2017, 06:38 AM

Never trust a GPS! IF the road even looks like it leads into a bad road, cow path, field, or lake why would you take it? 4 times we have had to turn around due to no brain GPS. 40' with toad, no fun.

hohenwald48 · 08-10-2017, 07:23 AM

You say Coach Net didn't live up to their contract. Perhaps you should re-read the contract. Read here about how you are NOT covered more than 100' from a maintained road.

https://coach-net.com/More/Helpful-Tips

I won't even address why someone would blindly follow GPS directions. Good thing there weren't any cliffs around.

01tundra · 08-10-2017, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hohenwald48

You say Coach Net didn't live up to their contract. Perhaps you should re-read the contract. Read here about how you are NOT covered more than 100' from a maintained road.

https://coach-net.com/More/Helpful-Tips

I won't even address why someone would blindly follow GPS directions. Good thing there weren't any cliffs around.

I've found over the years that a lot of times when somebody goes to the forums in a quest to "ruin a company's reputation" because they were wronged.....well.....they are the one's that are typically in the wrong.

Not every time, but a lot of times this is the case.

Calling the sheriff was the right call, good thing the farmer was nice about somebody being on his property, you chose to give him $100 (which was the right thing to do IMO) but that wasn't authorized through Coach-Net so I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't reimburse you......and it's only been a little over a week since this debacle that you caused.

oatmeal · 08-10-2017, 08:49 AM

I hate to take the OP's side because people who say, "Refund my money or I'll tell everyone on the internet" really grate, but here's what the Coach Net website says:

Quote:

Am I protected while in my campsite?

Yes! You are covered not only on the roadside but also while in your campsite as long as you are in a commercial campground or up to 100 feet off of a maintained road.

This 100' from a maintained road is in the context of a campsite, which isn't the context in this situation. Plus "maintained road" isn't defined. Presumably it's different from their use of "on the roadside" or they wouldn't have used different words. That leads to the implication that the roadside a moving vehicle stops on doesn't have to be on a maintained road.

Or maybe it's simplified for an FAQ. I don't have CoachNet--does anyone have access to the actual terms of coverage?