Good Sam???, Roadside Assistance Options

[Larry Richardson]

We pay right at 100.00 a year for the Good Sam Roadside Assistance and twice it has let us down. First time it left us stranded at the Arizona Welcome Rest Area when we were having problems with the axels on our 5th wheel. They couldn't find someone to come out on a holiday weekend. (like people don't RV on holiday weekends...) and I used our other vehicle to go the 20 miles back in to Gallup and was able to get the TA truck to come back to help us get back on the road.

Then this time was in Tennessee when the starter decided to die at the truck stop during a fuel stop. They again, couldn't find help for us, but I was able to get a tow truck there in 10 minutes and he was able to tow the F350 to the dealer in Jackson 40 minutes away and the Ford dealer (at 4:30 pm on a Friday) was able to get us back on the road by 6:00.

I have found that Good Sam is just not worth the value of their membership or their so called roadside assistance.

[Jurhee]

I had Good Sam ERS several years ago. As it turned out, I had a lemon motor home. Good Sam came and got me 8 times in 12 months. At one time, they did say that they would cancel the policy if it continued, saying that I was not doing proper maintenance. I never had a problem. I saw one of the bills that was over $600 and another over $400. They are in business to make money, and they surely cannot do it with customers like me!!

A year or so back, DH and I were walking one Sunday morning and when we got back to the coach, the door was locked. Neither of us had a key, cell phone or anything. Got to a pay phone and called AAA which DH swears by. Called them, they said they would have someone there within 30 minutes. After an hour, I called back, same story, someone would be there in 30 minutes. Same thing happened the 3rd call. Finally on the 4th call, I was told that the charge would be $200 and that is why they had not sent anyone out. DH said that they would pay it--right?? Oh no, they would only pay $100 of it. In the mean time, we found out that there was a locksmith living in the RV park---he came down and unlocked it for nothing. We had waited over 4 hours, in the heat, with the dog inside having a fit!

After that incident, I cancelled my AAA. Figured if they could not unlock a door for a customer that had been with them for 20 years or so, they surely would not help me if I needed it.

http://www.jerry-jurhee.blogspot.com/

[DXSMac]

AAA does get a little pi**ed if you make more than X calls in a certain time period. Back in the 80's, I kept having problems with my car, and kept needing it towed. After about four times in one month, AAA wrote me a nasty letter about having a "bad" car. They didn't threaten to cancel, they just "veiled" it.

I guess we pay premiums so they can extract money from us without having to do anything. We aren't supposed to pay premiums with the intent of recouping them back, no, no, no.

I still have AAA, but I found out my Progressive policy automatically includes the same services as AAA, so I guess I'm double paying.

JJ

[Jurhee]

AAA does get a little pi**ed if you make more than X calls in a certain time period. Back in the 80's, I kept having problems with my car, and kept needing it towed. After about four times in one month, AAA wrote me a nasty letter about having a "bad" car. They didn't threaten to cancel, they just "veiled" it.

I guess we pay premiums so they can extract money from us without having to do anything. We aren't supposed to pay premiums with the intent of recouping them back, no, no, no.

I still have AAA, but I found out my Progressive policy automatically includes the same services as AAA, so I guess I'm double paying.

JJ

But this was the first call to AAA in years!! It was not like we had been using the service. Hind sight, we could have called Progressive, but we had no phone number, policy number or anything like that.

http://www.jerry-jurhee.blogspot.com/

[DXSMac]

But this was the first call to AAA in years!! It was not like we had been using the service. Hind sight, we could have called Progressive, but we had no phone number, policy number or anything like that.

http://www.jerry-jurhee.blogspot.com/

Well, then...... in my opinion, THEY owed you the COURTESY of calling you back to say, "sorry we can't come" instead of you having to call back and keep getting the same "party line."

But, expecting courtesy from companies these days? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

JJ

[Jurhee]

Well, then...... in my opinion, THEY owed you the COURTESY of calling you back to say, "sorry we can't come" instead of you having to call back and keep getting the same "party line."

But, expecting courtesy from companies these days? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

JJ

There was a problem with that---we were calling from a pay phone and they could not call back. I told them that in every call. Of course, the first call or two they said that we cannot send anyone out because we cannot call you back. DUH!!! If some of these people had a brain they would take it out and play with it.

http://www.jerry-jurhee.blogspot.com/

Updated June 15

[teeracy2000]

I have had AAA and I currently have Good Sam. AAA left me, stranded in the rain, in Mobile Alabama and never sent help. Luckily friends helped me out a couple of hours later. I said Adios to AAA after being a member for 12 years and signed up for Good Sam Emergency Roadside Assistance. I miss getting the free maps and event discounts that AAA had, but Good Sam has helped me out a few times.

I left my 5th wheel to go do laundry in the park in Tallahassee Florida and the door locked behind me. It was chilly out and I didn't have a hide a key on the rig. I called Good Sam from a number in their magazine that was in the laundrymat, and within 45 minutes I was back in my rig.

Most recently, in May,I had a blowout on my way across Louisiana or Mississippi somewhere along there. I called Good Sam and it took about 20 minutes for the dispatcher to answer. They finally got a tow truck out there to change my spare out for me, but I was stuck waiting for the tow truck for about 3 hours and I was not that far from a TA truckstop. Well, they did take care of me, so I guess for now I will keep them.

[Glenn Norton]

I have been a member of CAA which is affiliated with AAA for 15 years now and they have come through every time for me. Got locked out twice, flat tire once, got stuck in an RV park of all places, and broke down due to water pump failure; CAA or AAA always had someone there to help out. My membership is called Premier RV Plus which allows a tow of the motorhome up to 300 KM (about 180 miles) which should cover me almost anywhere on the continent. Got the upgrade to Premier due to the long distances between service stations up in the Yukon and Northwest Territories. Whether AAA or Good Sam it still pays to have coverage.

[BettyJ]

We've bought Camping World RoadCare for the past 3 years and have been satisfied with it. We've actually had to use it each year (sometimes more than once) and it has more than paid for the annual cost. They have always been courteous. In our case, help has arrived in what we considered a reasonable time, but of course, that depends on where you are and the circumstances. Anyway, I thought I'd throw their name in as a good alternative.

[HappiestCamper]

We just called for the first time using our RV Roadhelp membership. We were on the side of a busy interstate at the start of rush hour with a broken leaf spring, and we couldn't move the trailer (in fact, we were on a bridge and a couple of inches of the trailer was still sticking in the road). After 34 minutes of the lady on the other end putting me on hold, she said she couldn't find anyone to help us and for us to call 911. Now here it was approaching 4 PM the day before a holiday (July 4) and the emergency number for this membership I've been paying for the past 5 1/2 years is telling me they can't help me. I called the Camping World we had passed a few miles back, and asked who I should call. He got out there quicker than the original phone call and got our trailer back to CW.

They did give me a claim number, and I sent in the bill two Mondays ago. Calling their automated line states they have no record of any claims yet.

If they don't come through with reimbursement, I will be going with another.

[Dave-and-Ellen]

I am surprised to read this about Good Sam ERS. The Good Sam magazine shows such great stories by people who write in! I hope they are there when/if we ever need them. They even say to call them if we have a problem with our car(s).

[Texasrvers]

I have to jump in and say that we have had Good Sam ERS for about six years, and they have given us good service on three occasions--and all three times it was for one of our cars, not our RV or even the car we tow. Twice we had a dead battery, and the third time was a flat tire. The first time the tow truck driver got lost, and it took him almost three hours to get to us. The other two times someone arrived in less than an hour. None of these were really bad situations, and I hope we never have to find out if their service is as good if we're stuck 60 miles from nowhere on the side of the road.

[RLM]

My insurance company, USAA, provides roadside assistance as a rider for little to nothing. But everyone cannot qualify to become a customer. Nonetheless, I would think that if you could get coverage thru your insurance company at a reasonable cost, it would be best. That is a regulated industry as opposed to AAA. If I am not mistaken Good Sams uses GMAC which is also regulated.

[DXSMac]

I am surprised to read this about Good Sam ERS. The Good Sam magazine shows such great stories by people who write in! I hope they are there when/if we ever need them. They even say to call them if we have a problem with our car(s).

Are we niaive? Um.... do you think Good Sam would print the letters saying that the service sucks????? Just asking.....

JJ

[Jurhee]

Are we niaive? Um.... do you think Good Sam would print the letters saying that the service sucks????? Just asking.....

JJ

I girlfriend had AAA. She left work for lunch and came out and the battery was dead. She called AAA and they said it would be at least 2 hours, maybe 3 before they could get to her. She was in town, not out on the road somewhere. She called a friend, got the car started and was back to work on time.

I wonder if the state you are in makes any difference. This was in So.California. The incident that I described earlier where we could not get assistance was also in CA.

I keep forgetting to the the CoachNet card from the Motorhome. Want the information in my purse so if I have a problem in the car, it will be available.