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Old 05-26-2022, 03:00 PM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DrBob7762 View Post
Several months ago, when I learned that towing a diesel involves dropping out the drive shaft and a big bill, I decided to look into RV Roadside Assistance packages. GoodSam had a sale on, and seemed like a good choice. The yearly fee was a fraction of the cost of just one towing bill - so I signed up.

Last week, while parked in a campground, I woke up to a flat tire. The day before, I had installed a set of TPMS sensors, and one of them had obviously leaked air all night and drained the tire.

With a big smile on my face, I made a call to the people at GoodSam. I told the gentleman that I had a flat tire and needed someone to come and fill me with air. He promptly replied that there would be a minimum $180 charge and that I had to pay that amount before he would send someone to help me.

I asked why the charge and he said "to fix the tire". I said I didn't need a tire fixed, I just needed air. He said "no tire goes flat on it's own, so we charge a minimum of $180 to repair the cause". I then explained that I knew it was just an overnight leak, that no repair was required. He repeated his $180 speech, saying that even if it was just a leaky valve - it would, at a minimum, require a new valve - thus "a repair" and the minimum charge of $180.

I then fully explained how the air had disappeared, and now that I had removed the faulty sensor - the "problem" was resolved. Dude reinforced the required $180 payment before he would send someone out.

I said I could probably get a tow truck to come and put air in for $75. He said "then do that."

Am I missing something here? Will a similar scenario play out every time I have an issue? If so, why buy roadside assistance at all? Is this a phenomenon unique to GoodSam? Or industry wide?

I can't seem to get the bitter taste of my GoodSam intro experience out of my mouth. Can someone more knowledgeable than me please point me towards a more reasonable roadside assistance provider?

Thanks in advance,
B
I am very surprised. I have had two tows and two flat tires over the years handled by Good Sam Roadside assistance with no problems. I sure hope that this is not going to be a problem from now on.
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Old 05-26-2022, 03:03 PM   #30
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Did you have the premium/platinum roadside package with Good Sam? or the basic $69.00 package? It does make a difference and they spell it out in detail what each package will cover. I'm curious to know because I use Good Sam for roadside assistance and club membership for purchases. I had a very bad experience with another major provider and moved away from them. I hope you don't mind me asking those questions, but it would be very helpful to know, and it could explain why you got that response.
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Old 05-26-2022, 03:08 PM   #31
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No issues with Good Sam

I'm totally baffled by the conversation you had with Good Sam. It makes no sense....whether you need a tow or just air in a tire, that's literally the service they provide. For what it's worth, I've had Good Sam for years, I've had a Class A extracted from the ditch on a mountain road in the middle of nowhere....total cost was $700 and Good Sam promptly covered the $500 that the package included. It covers all my vehicles and trailers, and I've had multiple vehicle tows with no issues. I even had an issue where my car fell off the jack when I was changing a tire, so a tow truck came out and lifted it up and installed the spare.

Good Sam i no different from AMA in that they just use contractor tow truck operators, and call around to see who is available and who will give Good Sam the best price-of-the-day. BUT I always get serviced at no charge. I've upgraded to Platinum so they will even cover the cost of the replacement tire up to 4 times a year. All that for $120 for the year.

There's definitely something up with whoever you dealt with at Good Sam. It makes no sense at all.
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Old 05-26-2022, 03:12 PM   #32
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I Stopped at a rest stop in Arkansas about 11PM to take a short nap. Woke up about 1:30AM and found that I had a flat tire. Call Good Sams, spoke with a young lady, she took all of my information. She was very polite and asked of the questions, she then told me the towing company would call me within 1/2 hr. 20 minutes later I had the call and he told me he would be there in 1/2. Now it is about 3AM and the tow operator arrive and changes my front driver side tire. Very nice man, took care of the situation right away and I was back on the road by 4AM.
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Old 05-26-2022, 03:16 PM   #33
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I have been a member of Coachnet for the last 6 years and have had no issues on the 2 occasions that I have called for help both involving flat tires
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Old 05-26-2022, 03:19 PM   #34
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Originally Posted by DavidEM View Post
I have had no operational experiences with Good Sam so far (knock on wood) but I detest their business practices and will be switching to someone, maybe FMCA next year.

I renewed my membership after the first year by sending in their renewal card with my credit card info. For the next three months they kept sending me email and paper notices that my renewal was due. If I accepted all of those notices at face value, I would have paid for another 4-5 years worth.

Sounds like a scam to me.

David
Question for DrBob7762, was the sensor you used the TST brand? I had 2 sensors bend the valve on the tire, when installed and it leaked air. Fortunately I caught the problem, and removed the faulty sensor, and replaced the bent valve extension. TST is replacing the faulty sensors.
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Old 05-26-2022, 03:25 PM   #35
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Best to make yourself as independent as you can regarding roadside repairs. An air compressor and basic tool kit are a good idea. If it's more than you can handle, just hope you can get reasonable service from your roadside assistance.

I HAD Good Sam for many years until they left me stranded on the side of the road after reading some small print back to me. I switched to Coachnet about 20 yrs ago .
I had used Coachnet maybe 2-3 times over the years with reasonable results. Assistance dispatched in a reasonable amount of time and with competent people both on the phone at Coachnet and the ones showing up to do the work.

Fast forward to December of last year. The coachnet people on the phone were obviously reading from a script and not at all knowledgeable about RV's or towing. We sat on the side of very busy US 1 for 29 hours until they finally got a truck to handle our RV.
Now just yesterdayWhile I carry a spare belt and tools to install, with the locked up compressor, I was out of luck and needed a tow. , while driving up I 75 near Ft Myers, my AC compressor locked up, braking the serpentine belt. It was right next to an exit so I got off on a side road. While I carry a spare belt and tools to install, with the locked up compressor, I was out of luck and needed a tow.
I called Coachnet, explaine the issue and need for a tow. I then had to answer a list of unrelated questions, but finally they said OK and would route the call to a "tech". After well over an hour, the terch contacted me and I went thru the same questions... obvoulsy the "tech" was just reading from a screen and had no idea what I was talking about. Finally she agreed to get a truck dispatched. I told her about teh 29 hour wait in December and said she needed to make sure the truck was capable of a wheel lift with a 7-8 foot reach. She said OK and transferred me to dispatch. Antoher hour wait and I talked to dispatch. Somehow, she had no info on the truck needing to be capable of a wheel lift. She too the info and in about 40 minutes or so, called me back and said a truck was on the way. When they came, I talked to the team and they were equipped to do a wheel lift ( unlike the 3 I dealt with in December) They hooked up under my watchful eye and got me to a repair shop.

So, my advise, is to know what you can do and what you can't do yourself. Make sure you are knowledgeable of the towing procedure for your coach.... talk to the manufacturer of the chassis. If/when you need a tow, make sure you tell them ( roadside service and the tow company) how it is to be done.
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Old 05-26-2022, 03:29 PM   #36
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“Not so Good Good Sam”

Well at least u weren’t stranded at roadside like I have been on 2 occasions with Good Sam.

Latest happened last week when I needed tow 25 km to a Cummins service center because my diesel particulate filter sensor was faulty and I went into limp mode.

Called Good Sam and explained situation and provided a call back # if by chance we got disconnected - which we did. Waited 4 minutes for a call back and then called them again - call went thru and then disconnected.

I called the heavy duty tow service located 25 kms away and they departed immediately to provide assistance - called Good Sam to provide an update and was advised that I could submit my receipts for reimbursement.

Well guess what - did exactly that and our claim was denied within 24 hours of submission - because we had not contacted Good Sam and had arranged the service ourself contrary to our service contract - well - i saw red.

Sent a blistering email to the claim department insisting a manager be involved - also provided the precise times and length of each call we made to GS.

I also sent an email a few hours later to the Client Support email which is supposed to go to the CEO - well guess what - i finally got a call back from a support staff who advised our claim was being approved and something about our phone number not having shown up on the first report - blah blah blah!

Don’t get me started on Good Sam service in Mexico - altho they say they provide it - they do not - u have to make all the arrangements and seek reimbursement - but with my latest experience I expect u would get denied because u didn’t call them first.

Actively seeking a new service provider!

Lance
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Old 05-26-2022, 03:38 PM   #37
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Roadside assistance

I’ve had cause to use the program several times over the years. I have nothing but good things to say
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Old 05-26-2022, 03:38 PM   #38
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Had the GS extended tow package a few years ago. Got hit by a flying truck retread on a Georgia freeway that took out the exhaust and bent the driveshaft. Got a service tech out with his large tow truck in a reasonable time. However GS wouldn’t approve a tow. Sat by the side of the road all day with trucks whizzing past a couple of feet away while GS tried to find another tow. Finally, about six hours later with evening coming on, the same tow operator arrived to tow me. He informed me that GS wouldn’t pay a reasonable rate, I forgot the exact price, but it seemed so low as to hardly cover fuel. GS left me stranded in a dangerous situation all day to try to save a few dollars - NEVER AGAIN WILL I DEAL WITH THEM!
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Old 05-26-2022, 03:48 PM   #39
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Coachnet
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Old 05-26-2022, 03:49 PM   #40
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Bad Sams

We had Good Sams on a trip to New Orleans. Got a flat, called them about 9:30 AM. It got dark and still no one showed up. State Police stopped and got us some help after dark. Talked to GS many times through day. After tire fixed called them again and she said we don't respond to calls in Loisanne.
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Old 05-26-2022, 03:53 PM   #41
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Flat Tire

If you have full coverage insurance you should have some kind of Emergency Road Service on the insurance. That would had paid for someone to put air in the tire. I know it happened to me and someone came out under my Emergency Road Service portion of my RV insurance and fixed it. This was for my old 87 Vogue.

Heck Nationwide paid for a tow once on my Monaco Diplomat out of the mountains, Georgetown area to a shop in Arvada, CO. It also pays for a motel, car rental and travel expenses possibly up to $750 -$1000. Not much these days but many policies have it.
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Old 05-26-2022, 03:56 PM   #42
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For what it's worth...

When my wife and I were working at the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge visitor center 7 miles west of the Yukon border in Alaska on the Alaska highway, we had a gentleman come in who was towing a 5th wheel and had broken a spring... He used our phone to call GS roadside assistance. After lots of back and forth he was told they couldn't help him. He had to get a tow truck from Tok to come the 90 miles to tow him back for a repair. It was remote, and Alaska, but if roadside assistance isn't going to help in that situation what's the point of having it?
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