Good Sam Road Side assistance let me down

[gc1966]

The story

Went camping 20 miles from my home, I drove the MH, wife drove the SUV pulling the boat.

Got to campground, had a valve stem leaking on boat trailer... No problem, they had some tools and a jack at the CG and I changed to the spare.

Welp, coming back home that trailer tire blew on I-85 .. I called GOOD Sam  and stayed on hold for 45 minutes before they finally picked back up and told me they couldn't find anyone to do a simple tire change and valve stem replacement....

To make a long story short, I took my tire to the tire shop down the road, came home, got pickup truck, loaded tools in it and came back and fixed it myself...

Should I demand my money back from them?

I am not interested in this becoming a pissin match and telling me how good GS has been to you on your 500k miles of world travel , I am telling you they let me down and left me stranded to fix it my self...

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

It pretty much boils down to YOU. If that one bad experience pushed you beyond your tolerance, see if you can cancel your contract.

It's tough to advise, since none of us know what services are available in that area or how busy the shops were at the time. Obviously you found a place to get a tire repaired, but did they do road service (which is what you were requesting)?  I'm not a fan of GS, but their road service provider is Allstate Motor Club and they have a decent reputation. And no road service can be any better than the actual road service providers near wherever you are. The road service rep on the phone can't hop in their car and bring you a tire.

 

[gc1966]

It pretty much boils down to YOU. If that one bad experience pushed you beyond your tolerance, see if you can cancel your contract.

It's tough to advise, since none of us know what services are available in that area or how busy the shops were at the time. Obviously you found a place to get a tire repaired, but did they do road service (which is what you were requesting)?  I'm not a fan of GS, but their road service provider is Allstate Motor Club and they have a decent reputation. And no road service can be any better than the actual road service providers near wherever you are. The road service rep on the phone can't hop in their car and bring you a tire.

I was only 15 mins from Greensboro NC on a MAJOR interstate I-85.. Trust me, I have been a commercial tractor trailer driver for FEDEX for 20 years, I have had many many blowouts over the years and they are rarely over an hour to get a guy out to fix the problem...  The deal is, it was just a tire on the boat trailer and there was not any chance of making a killing off of me with extra things like a tire... I needed a valve stem and some air and to just put the tire on..  Not much money there but that's not my problem..  GS is responsible for setting the rules for their vendors and what they have to work on...  Sometimes you have to take the chicken sh&% work to get the chicken salad work ..

GS sets the rules not me.

 

[Just Lou]

Not sure how old your trailer spare was, but since it blew, I suspect it was questionable to start with.  I think I might have had the original tire fixed and replaced on the trailer while still at the campground.  That sure beats risking a blowout on I-85.

 

[gc1966]

Not sure how old your trailer spare was, but since it blew, I suspect it was questionable to start with.  I think I might have had the original tire fixed and replaced on the trailer while still at the campground.  That sure beats risking a blowout on I-85.

It was probably plenty old but that has nothing to do with GS not coming out to fix the problem... This is about GS and what I pay THEM to do, not GC1966 and my failure to replace a spare tire that was old....

 

[Molaker]

I was only 15 mins from Greensboro NC on a MAJOR interstate I-85.. Trust me, I have been a commercial tractor trailer driver for FEDEX for 20 years, I have had many many blowouts over the years and they are rarely over an hour to get a guy out to fix the problem...  The deal is, it was just a tire on the boat trailer and there was not any chance of making a killing off of me with extra things like a tire... I needed a valve stem and some air and to just put the tire on..  Not much money there but that's not my problem..  GS is responsible for setting the rules for their vendors and what they have to work on...  Sometimes you have to take the chicken sh&% work to get the chicken salad work ..

GS sets the rules not me.

GS may set the rules, but the vendors are far more independent of GS than you seem to think.  They are not like warranty certified shops or such.  They can pretty much tell GS to pack sand on a specific call, but for GS to maintain a base of servicers for their customers, GS can't just mark them off the list because they decline a call.  I don't know where "20 miles from home" is, but it appears there are not many servicers available in the area or, at least, listed so GS can contact them.  As for whether or not to cancel, your call, but I would assume you travel or plan to travel more than 20 miles some day and the GS service could easily pay for itself in one call.

 

[Just Lou]

Not sure how old your trailer spare was, but since it blew, I suspect it was questionable to start with.  I think I might have had the original tire fixed and replaced on the trailer while still at the campground.  That sure beats risking a blowout on I-85.

It was probably plenty old but that has nothing to do with GS not coming out to fix the problem... This is about GS and what I pay THEM to do, not GC1966 and my failure to replace a spare tire that was old....

Agreed, my point was only that the old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" always causes me to do what ever I can to minimize the possibility of needing emergency assistance and the probability of being inconvenienced and/or disappointed in the outcome.

I would have repaired and replaced the tire before leaving the campground, without a spare, period. 

 

[Bob.n.Carolyn]

And no road service can be any better than the actual road service providers near wherever you are.

I agree.  I think Gary's point is one we all tend to forget when we set our expectations for these roadside assistance programs.  Good Sam (and others) make these broad, national statements about the quality of service that we can expect, if we will just sign up.  We all know better.  There is absolutely no reason to expect that quality of service will be the same no matter where we go, and regardless of when we need it..... (OK, maybe the exception is with services provided by the federal government.....).

 

[rebelsun]

It was probably plenty old but that has nothing to do with GS not coming out to fix the problem... This is about GS and what I pay THEM to do, not GC1966 and my failure to replace a spare tire that was old....

I have to agree with you, you paid for a service and GS didn't uphold their end of the contract, and provide you with the service you paid them for.
We can play the blame game, and as Lou said, you probably should have replaced the tire before hitting the road, but you didn't, and when you had a problem with the tire, the service you paid them to provide you with, wasn't provided.
Personally, I have been very satisfied with the services GS has provided me with, but if I was in your same situation, I would be very dissatisfied with their response, just as you are.
Try to give them the opportunity to redeem themselves.  Call them up, ask for a manager, have them escalate it all the way up to the corporate level if you have to.  Maybe they'll provide you with a valuable perk to keep you as a customer, and give them a second chance.  If they won't work with you, or just don't care enough to make it right, then go for a cancellation of service, and a full refund of your money.
I'll usually give a company a second chance, if they make things right.  It could have been a bad day at the call center, or an employee that just didn't give a sh*t, and they might just make it worth your time to work it out with them.  Otherwise say sayonara, but in any event, don't give them a third chance, if you see it through to give them a second chance at redeeming themselves.

Just my 2 cents, for what it's worth.

 

[gc1966]

Ok let me put it a different way...

What if your wife or daughter were driving in the middle of the night 200 miles away for whatever reason and she has a blowout on her car and she has a card in her pocket that she paid for road side assistance...

Should we

1) Cuss the wife or daughter out for leaving the house and tell them they are forbidden to ever leave home.
2) Whip the card out and call Good Sam and have them come fix it because you paid for it.
3) Berate the customer because he didn't take a stool sample/DNA age and complete CSI Miami test on the tire before he left?
4) Praise a national company that is supposed to be pro's and they can't even find someone to change a tire on a MAJOR highway at 11 am on a Sunday morning

It's flat out pathetic customer service regardless how many people think I should have had them take a few laps on a Nascar track and stress tested before it went on the highway

I paid for the piece of mind, I didn't pay for excuses...  Charlotte NC was 60 miles away Greensboro 15  Winston-Salem 20  Salisbury 20 (with 2 truck stops)  It's not like I was in Wyoming.

Did I sign something that said we will try to come out and help you if you break down?  Maybe I did

 

[Just Lou]

Ok let me put it a different way...

What if your wife or daughter were driving in the middle of the night 200 miles away for whatever reason and she has a blowout on her car and she has a card in her pocket that she paid for road side assistance...

Should we

1) Cuss the wife or daughter out for leaving the house and tell them they are forbidden to ever leave home.
2) Whip the card out and call Good Sam and have them come fix it because you paid for it.
3) Berate the customer because he didn't take a stool sample/DNA age and complete CSI Miami test on the tire before he left?
4) Praise a national company that is supposed to be pro's and they can't even find someone to change a tire on a MAJOR highway at 11 am on a Sunday morning

It's flat out pathetic customer service regardless how many people think I should have had them take a few laps on a Nascar track and stress tested before it went on the highway

I paid for the piece of mind, I didn't pay for excuses...  Charlotte NC was 60 miles away Greensboro 15  Winston-Salem 20  Salisbury 20 (with 2 truck stops)  It's not like I was in Wyoming.

Did I sign something that said we will try to come out and help you if you break down?  Maybe I did

As long as we're dealing with the hypothetical, let's assume that while you were "on-hold" for 45 minutes at 11:00 am on a Sunday morning in North Carolina;

• GS determined that their first priority provider was still in Church
• Their second choice was at the lake with his own family and boat
• Their third choice was assisting someone on I-40, stranded without a MH and an SUV, both capable of going for help.
• They really didn't even call anyone.  ....... ya think?
• They were sitting in the call center laughing at your plight. uhh?..... probably not.

In any case, you don't feel you got what you paid for, and that's the bottom line.

 

[Betty Brewer]

Should I demand my money back from them?

I am telling you they let me down and left me stranded to fix it my self...

Sounds to me like  you already know  the answer to your question. A phone call  explaining your disappointment may add to some employee training and may very well get you a perk.  Just recall that honey gets more flies than vinegar.  Let us know how your phone call to them goes and good luck.

 

[tugboat]

We had the same problem with good Sam after locking keys in car we waited 1hr. And still no one and that was at 1100 am in Portland,or
We canceled the call  and called to cancel the roadside service and got money back.
Coach net we are back

 

[gc1966]

Just a quick follow up...
Good Sam Refunded me in full for the package I paid for without trying to make excuses or blowing smoke...
Even though I would have rather gotten the service I needed (that's why I bought it) I can't complain as they did do a 100% refund...

Good customer service

 

[Ned]

Good customer service

Maybe, but our last extended warranty company decided it was cheaper to refund our money as we had no prior claims than to pay for a valid claim that was about twice the $ as the premium.  We too would have preferred they honor the contract.

 

[COMer]

Should you demand your money back?  Yes!  You didn't get what you felt you paid for and you have no confidence the next time will be any better.  I had the exact same experience with AAA and cancelled them and went to Coach Net.  I am now happy and don't have to worry what the next call to AAA will be like.

 

[Betty Brewer]

Just a quick follow up...
Good Sam Refunded me in full for the package I paid for

Good customer service

Thank you so much for sharing this  Good piece of follow up. I'm so  glad it worked out for you.

 

[Rancher Will]

I may have commented on this subject in the distant past. But, for the present here is our experience.

I had Good Sam Roadside Assistance policy for some years. I never had a problem with it. However three years ago I was notified that our Insurance Policies that cover our autos, trucks, etc., notified me that our general policy now includes complete Roadside Assistance, everywhere, 24-7, 365 days, included with our policy at no extra premium.

I checked this out and learned that my Insurance policy actually does cover everything that the Good Sam Policy formerly covered. In fact I believe our present Insurance with  Rodside Assistance included is more comprehensive. I no longer have a Good Sam Roadside Assistance Policy so I save that premium while we have equal or better coverage with the auto policy we have had for years.

Others may want to check their auto policies to find if they have the same coverage with their insurance policies. We have saved hundreds of dollars to date and same evry year into the future.

 

[Bill N]

Glad you got your refund but your obvious objective was to come on here and gripe about GS when, in fact, not a single person here could help you solve your problem.  In fact, GS in not sending RS assistance probably saved you money.  Consider what a RS service call on a Sunday would cost versus what it cost you to take the tire in for repair with the SUV you already had at your disposal.  The only thing GS was going to do (and failed) was to find and call out a service person - you were going to pay the bill - not GS - and that bill would likely have been about triple what it eventually cost you.  Sorry, but as a FED EX truck driver for umpteen years, I would expect you knew the importance of having good tires on your equipment.  A different situation may have generated a different response from me but, while GS may be the guilty party here, they were making an obvious effort to help.  You, in fact, had the necessary equipment already on scene to go for help nearby since you obviously knew the area better than a GS operator many miles away.

 

[gc1966]

Sorry Bill, I never seen anywhere where GS said they would display an obvious effort to help and not deliver what they were paid to deliver.  So how much do you think a valve stem, some air and a tire change was going to set me back? Maybe dip into my 401k?

GS made good with me, I am happy with the result since I did know the area well and was able to find someone to fix the problem. The bottom line is there wasn't enough money in the job to entice someone to come fix it, How do I know this? I know this because my neighbor was called twice to come do the job and he turned it down. (He didn't know it was me)

This service is kinda like insurance... Probably 80% never use it and the other 20% cost the company more than the price of the subscription for the year.