Camping World

[RV&HD]

In the course of my research it seems Camping World has a horrible reputation.

Can anyone here speak to that?

 

[sc4668]

That is correct do not buy anything from Camping World they will take your money and the you are on your own.

 

[Uncledave54]

With as bad of a reputation they have, how did they get so big and survive so long?

 

[TonyL]

There is none so blind as those who will not see, that's why.

 

[UTTransplant]

Camping World bought a lot of other RV sellers. They also bought Gander Mountain. They have excellent advertising giving them good name visibility. Lots of times they are the closest/easiest place to pickup something. They also do not support their RV customers though. Service is mediocre at many locations, but that is true OTA lotof dealers. They are just so big you hear about them more .

 

[Jayflight]

I think it's a crap shoot to get much intense service after the sale with just about any rv dealer . And forget about complaining to any factory that's built a brand . Somehow they all seem to survive.

 

[SpencerPJ]

With as bad of a reputation they have, how did they get so big and survive so long?

Same way WalMart did / has. I find their buying arena more about the loan than the sale, they want nothing to do cash customers or well qualified. Tried them once, my wife and I had to almost draw our side arms to get the hell outa there. They are not an option at anytime for me, I'll wait on Amazon if my other Colerain RV center happens not to be able to readily help or have the parts I need, but that has never happened.

 

[PJ Stough]

Over the years we have purchased quite a few items from Camping World, and never have had a bad experience. Some items we bought at Camping World because it was convenient and we didnt want to order from somewhere else. Other items we have purchased because they had the best price on what we were looking for.

The biggest complaints about Camping World come from people who have bought RVs there or had RVs serviced at Camping World. The biggest problem when buying seems to be the lack of knowledge of the buyer and the buyers put way too much trust in the salesperson to make up for the buyers lack of knowledge of what they are buying, so naturally many salespeople take advantage of this ignorance by buyers and get the buyers to pay more than the RV is worth, and often time also purchase way more addons than they should.

The same is true when it comes to service on an RV. Anyone who reads anything about RV service should know that it is probably take longer than advertised and dont expect the quality of repair to be perfect.

Remember, when pointing a finger at someone else, three are pointing back at you.

 

[phil-t]

Sorry folks - I have had nothing but excellent experience and service from three different CW stores/dealers. I have made two class A motorhome purchases/deals and will continue with them as an option in the future. I have great experiences with several other RV service and sales businesses as well. I also have had some bad experiences with CWs and others.
Bad experiences get lots of "air time".

 

[creativepart]

After Markus Lemonis merged his small chain of RV dealerships into Good Sam and Camping World in 2006 things seemed to change dramatically at the company. So, yes, they had a good reputation for a long time until these changes.

The horror stories of those that purchased RVs there and the dirty tricks the sale team played have led to the reputation you hear about now.

The camping gear and parts for sale there are about the same as anywhere. One thing to be aware of items in the store may be priced much higher than in their online store. So, if buying anything expensive there be sure to check the Camping World website before you go to the register. They will match the online store's price no questions asked - but YOU have to show them what the price online is for them to give you that price.

Kind of another reason for that lousy reputation.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

20-some years ago they were the major retail sales & service outfit in RV town. And Good Sam was the major RV club (except for those motorhome guys at FMCA). Now they got to be a big corporation, focused on profits and desperately trying to survive lots of internet competition. I'm not defending them, but it's a cut-throat retail business and RV service is wildly seasonal, hugely difficult to staff with competent and efficient techs, and their customers are a tough crowd who want everything yesterday and cheap.

I don't think CW is any worse than average for RV service, but the average is pretty poor in quality, timeliness and price. And reatail sales is mid-range, not the cheapest but not the worst either. On the sales side, well, caveat emptor. They are set up for volume sales to naive and inexperienced customers, and take full advantage of it. Not much different than used car dealers.

 

[Ray-IN]

Over the years we have purchased quite a few items from Camping World, and never have had a bad experience. Some items we bought at Camping World because it was convenient and we didnt want to order from somewhere else. Other items we have purchased because they had the best price on what we were looking for.

The biggest complaints about Camping World come from people who have bought RVs there or had RVs serviced at Camping World. The biggest problem when buying seems to be the lack of knowledge of the buyer and the buyers put way too much trust in the salesperson to make up for the buyers lack of knowledge of what they are buying, so naturally many salespeople take advantage of this ignorance by buyers and get the buyers to pay more than the RV is worth, and often time also purchase way more addons than they should.

The same is true when it comes to service on an RV. Anyone who reads anything about RV service should know that it is probably take longer than advertised and dont expect the quality of repair to be perfect.

Remember, when pointing a finger at someone else, three are pointing back at you.

Here here!
We bought this MH from CW on consignment. Everything defective/broken was replaced after purchase. There was a very expensive problem with the compressed air powered step cover, which was a safety issue. CW repaired that 3 months after purchase due to parts availability.
We also bought a CW ERS contract, which more that paid for the premiums and deductibles.
I too suspect most of peoples problems with CW is not reading the fine print and not self-educating themselves.

 

[Ex-Calif]

I've bought a few items at CW - when you gotta have something today they have usually had something that will get me going.

I did find their sales pressure at one outlet was a bit over the top. The sales lady would not take no for an answer in regards to joining good sam...

I probably wouldn't go to any larger place to get my RV fixed. I am pretty self sufficient. The spectrum is wide on crappy RV service, it seems to me.

 

[alan6051964]

only problem i ran into with CW , was when i looked up a price for an item i needed, wrote it all down, went to the local CW, the price for the item in store did not match the online price by a long ways !. they claimed it was because the online price was for good sam folks ?..what kinda crap is that ?. i said ok, so this is false advertising !, bait and switch ( seen another poster say the same thing about online, in store prices , they are 100% correct ! ) personally, i'd never buy a large item from them..too many horror stories.

 

[Domo]

I think CW is great -->> they have toilet paper when Walmart is out....

Although I do know that most toilet paper can be used in an RV - just take a sample and put it in a glass for a while, then shake and see if it breaks up... that's all that's needed - nothing special... but you can charge more if you change the packaging labels.

 

[Gertcha]

Bought a new ceramic toilet from camping world because it was on sale and a good price that I couldn't match anywhere else. It was bought through their website and delivered a few days later. Not bought anything else from them because they are usually too expensive.

 

[beaverfever]

i like to touch what i buy and get it now. the prices are fair and service in the store has always been ok
i have had bodywork and painting done by them and have had very good luck
i guess you can say i like camping world

 

[Gizmo]

Friends don't let friends buy from Camping World. It is true they have a terrible reputation for service and there have been cases of unscrupulous RV sales. To the point when I had a warranty issue with our Grand Design Solitude and contacted GD for my repair options here is there reply, "any GD dealer, any other dealer EXCEPT Camping World". Having said that in my experience CW has been OK for various RV accessories, parts etc., no issues and the fact they are often more conveniently located is the reason I have shopped there. While I would not buy an RV from CW, I suppose if you get the best price on an RV from CW, as long as you have no expectations for post sales support, especially service you might be OK, though I would have a certified RV inspector do the pre purchase inspection and if any issues are found go to another dealer approved facility.

 

[oldryder]

I was shopping for an RV. used one about $100k. They had one I was interested in but when salesguy went to show it batteries were dead so no steps or slides. Made an appointment for a week later, called to confirm, and then after a 1 hour drive found the RV had not been touched since the week before. Tried once more, appointment the following week; confirmed appointment, was leaving for hour drive when salesguy called and said coach wasn't ready. That was enough to prove to me the CW dealer was grossly incompetent. I'll buy a part there but wouldn't consider their service or sales operation.

 

[Skookum]

CW sold us a defective converter, was the only one they had left in stock. Bad on us for not testing it before leaving. It was DOA. We returned it and noted it did not work. Fairly certain they stuck it back on the shelf. While there, noticed everything was overpriced and selection really wasn't that great. Customer service was minimal; extremely long wait times on the phone, and hard to get attention in the store itself when you need something. We'll afford it another chance, but, definitely in the "Only if we have no other choice" category.