Is it just me or does anybody else pick a bone with Camping World?

[Santara]

there isn't enough space on the net to list all complaints against CW I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HE IS TRYING TO DO, WHAT A DISASTER OF A CEO why should there be this many complaints , and all you get over there is a form letter reply when you file a complaint.
Under stand that when you call road service they state calling around to shop price, Lots of RS outfits tell them to get lost

[maddczech]

Originally Posted by Brian W

Very lame answer. When we get new deliveries, regardless of manufacturer, one of the checklist items is ensuring we receive the manuals for that specific model. The manuals are then labeled to correspond with the stock number we assign each unit. Once that unit is sold and begins the PDI process the manuals are retrieved and placed in the unit prior to the walk-thru. I would call the manufacturer and let them know you didn't receive your manuals.

I should be clear that I bought a used Alfa from CW. Camping Whirled sales guy knew about the manual issue and stated he would take care of it. After the papers are signed the attitude changed. He says well you can find one on line easy. Well that's a big line of bs and a downrite LIE. So now still no satisfaction from him, not even an effort to look himself the way he suggested. This sales guy also told me there would be no problem getting my 5ver saddle installed in my new(used) truck. When I arrive with it he renigged on that. I honestly don't think they know how or could handle it. I had them install a king pin to goose adapter, which they couldn't even mount symmetrically, its crooked. Also had issues with the dishwasher they put in. Install would not be the word I use for that! And the clothes washer wss another piece o' work !
STAY AWAY FROM CHATTANOOGA CAMPING WORLD !!!

[nothermark]

Given the size of CW and the amount of stuff they are expected to be able to do there is no mystery why there are a lot of complaints. OTOH they are competitive in price and seem to be comparable in service in that most suck. A lot of the complaints are interesting in that they need parts or authorization from the supplier thus causing delays. No dealer who works on their margins will stay in business giving things away. That includes service.

[Deny]

Stay out of those places- treat them like a hospital- Don't go in unless you absolutely have to.

[Redapple]

Originally Posted by tomhruska

I should be clear that I bought a used Alfa from CW. Camping Whirled sales guy knew about the manual issue and stated he would take care of it. After the papers are signed the attitude changed. He says well you can find one on line easy. Well that's a big line of bs and a downrite LIE. So now still no satisfaction from him, not even an effort to look himself the way he suggested. This sales guy also told me there would be no problem getting my 5ver saddle installed in my new(used) truck. When I arrive with it he renigged on that. I honestly don't think they know how or could handle it. I had them install a king pin to goose adapter, which they couldn't even mount symmetrically, its crooked. Also had issues with the dishwasher they put in. Install would not be the word I use for that! And the clothes washer wss another piece o' work !
STAY AWAY FROM CHATTANOOGA CAMPING WORLD !!!

Whenever you buy something like this, there is something called a Due Bill. If there are promises to be fulfilled after the paperwork, the Due Bill holds them contractually responsible to satisfy the terms of the contract. That is where all these promises should have been addressed. If they won't put it in the Due Bill, walk away, otherwise they will do exactly what they did to you.
Good bad or indifferent, that is the way it is.

Good Luck...

[JFXG]

I have been on this and other forums for some years, and have been a Good Sam member since we started. I follow topics pretty regularly.

I will tell you this: I am completely at a loss to understand why anyone who has done even a minimum amount of checking would ever buy an RV from, or have an RV serviced by Camping World. It absolutely boggles the mind.

I have been keeping my basic Good Sam membership because it easily pays for itself with a few campground stays and a few accessory purchases from CW. I go to CW only for parts or accessory items, usually only when and if the need for convenience outweighs other factors.

I will probably let it lapse at the next renewal. The incessant mail solicitations are truly annoying. I have already removed the GS sticker from the back of my coach.

The Lemonis operational model reminds me of Ford, GM, and Chrysler of the late 70s to mid 80s. We will continue to cheapen our product by reducing both customer service and production quality until the customer base revolts. Then we'll back off a bit from that. It nearly killed the American auto industry. I don't know why it seems to be working for ML.

[rjsupersonic]

I try to avoid camping world at all costs, last time they over inflated my tires after I told them not to mess with them, the youngster told me that they put 100lbs all the way around and " it will ride perfect" my 19.5 tires have a max of 95psi!! I had them re-seal the bathroom vent....well they did the kitchen vent instead so they had to go back and do the bathroom vent. I did not pay for the error. I watched them do a 30 pt inpection it took them 6 minutes. Stay clear. I just don't think there techs are highly trained at least most.

[wanderso]

In our area, many of the long term mom & pop RV dealers were bought by CW, so it is getting harder to not deal with them unless you are buying from a for sale by owner.

[nothermark]

Originally Posted by Deny

Stay out of those places- treat them like a hospital- Don't go in unless you absolutely have to.

I do. Rule of thumb is that CW is a 40 minute drive + 2 gal fuel each way. Anything that take less than two trips worth of fuel and time is not worth taking to them. That covers most things. ;-)

[Dtwallace]

As I read more and more complaints about CW as a whole, I consider myself lucky to have had mostly great dealings with my hometown CW store in Fayetteville, NC.
Yes I still remember when this store was under another name privately, family owned.
I too with my DW have come up through the ranks of RV ownership from popups to now a class (A) DP.
I still love visiting the local CW and pacing the isles for something I didn't know I wanted, or needed when I get the chance.
The folks there are the most helpful anyone can be, and has been there in my time of need, and sometimes desperation. The insurance side of the business I've been lucky to not need so far. Having once been an Over The Road (OTR) trucker, I know how to deal with road service folks, but that's not always the case for a fellow RV'er.
It would be nice to see someone produce in writing some insight on that subject for us all.
To all the folks that are at odds with CW, I wish you the best of luck resolving your issues, but if you are ever in the Fayetteville, NC area, drop by the CW there and see if these folks can give you a better perspective of what is out there for you in the terms of service and respect. I can't tell you the prices of goods are any better than anyone else. But I can personally attest to the team that tries to do right by the customer there, just like it used to be when it was family owned.
DTW

[docsdock]

Worst thing I bought from Good Sam was Coast to Coast - Lied to and misled all the way. All 5 star parks - not. and very few to choose from - Its a rip off

[wallacerm]

I guess that with as many Camping World centers as there are and with the volume of business, there are bound to be a lot of unhappy customers. I have been very happy with service I have gotten at the Camping World in Spartanburg, SC. It is 20 minutes from me and Freightliner in Gaffney is 30 minutes away. CW takes care of my house problems and FL does the Chassis work. I have been highly satisfied with both.

[Raining Star]

First off I'm no fan of camping world, but I don't think they are the devil incarnate either. I've had bad experience there, which I ranted about here, and I've had decent treatment there too.

It's kind of silly to think of Camping World as "avoid" at all costs, and the independents as a "better" choice. There are good techs at Camping World and the independents both, and there are also complete morons at both too. The sign over the door isn't a guarantee of anything, though at least with Camping World you have a corporation to complain to. With a lot of independents you got nothing more than the broken promises and fixing the crappy repair yourself to fall back on.

Personally I place some faith on being able to look a man in the eye and getting a take on if he knows what's he's talking about, or if he's smooth talking me. Still not a sure thing, and there's always the main uncontrollable factor. Who's the guy actually turning the wrench?

A while back I brought my rig to my regular repair guy, the work was a hack job requiring three visits to get it made right. Turns out it was done by a new guy that he had to fire for incompetence. Luckily for me my guy made it right, which is partly why he's my go to guy.

You simply never know what you going to get when you hand your keys over to a mechanic, and thinking that the sign over the door is some kind of a meaningful protection or warning is just being simplistic.

[jondrew55]

Originally Posted by Raining Star

First off I'm no fan of camping world, but I don't think they are the devil incarnate either. I've had bad experience there, which I ranted about here, and I've had decent treatment there too.

It's kind of silly to think of Camping World as "avoid" at all costs, and the independents as a "better" choice. There are good techs at Camping World and the independents both, and there are also complete morons at both too. .

I tend to agree with you that demonizing Camping World is probably silly. When I went to the one in Kissimmee Fl last year for some body work the service writer was very knowledgeable and friendly. Gave me lots of good tips on several things about my trailer. Made an appointment to get the body work done (which was the replacement of 2 stirips of sheet metal and the application of a decal, 2 hours max I was told) a few weeks later and that's when the problems started. I called to confirm my appointment the day before and I could not get through on the phone. It took over an hour of multiple tries before I could get anyone to answer. They apologized and said their phone system was having problems (I remembered they had been having problems several weeks before when I was originally in there. Then the person on the phone tells me they have no record of my appointment. So I ask to talk to my original service writer and it turns out he's left the company. No record of my appointment, and no parts to do the repair with (even after they had called me saying the parts were in). I was very frustrated and said to forget it. The damage was very minor and wasn't worth the aggravation. So I forgot about it.

A couple of months later I get a call from the service manager asking me why I had not shown up for my appointment the day before. I said I had no idea what he was talking about and told him the story of what had happened previously. He apologized and said they had gone through a lot of turnover and that they would like to fix my trailer, and re affirmed it would take less than 2 hours. I made another appointment and brought it in a week later. When I got there I was told to park it in the back and it would take at least a week to fix. I told them they must be confusing me with someone else, but the guy insisted they could not do the work in 2 hours and I must have heard wrong. I asked to talk to the guy who I had made the appointment with and was told he was out for the next couple of days. While all this was going on there were at least 3 other customers standing around fuming about having their rigs stuck there for days longer than they were told it would take to fix, or for poor work that did not correct the problem. I told the service guy I was not leaving my trailer with them due to the fact they were completely out of control and had no idea what work they were doing for who. He asked me to wait for a second and I could see him going back to talk to a woman who I assumed was the supervisor. He came back and told me I had to leave the trailer or pay for the parts they had ordered for the repair. I leaned over and said very quietly that I had no intention of leaving my trailer there because they had completely ****'d things up. I also said that was the last calm words he'd hear from me if he tried to keep me from leaving. I got back in my truck and went home (the two 30 mile one way trips probably cost me well over $100 in gas and tolls, but felt I was much better off avoiding these guys).

For all I know there are many camping words that do have their acts together, have a service team that can schedule work, have phones that operate properly, and have service supervisors who don't hide in back rooms telling their writers to get tough with a customer. Fortunately I've found a couple of other places locally I'll go to to get work done that are much closer and seem to know what they are doing.