Visit our Popular Forums

tiffany_m1 · 12-10-2012, 01:33 PM

Hi, I moved from AAA to Good Sam for my roadside assistance mainly for my Argosy. Over the weekend, I received a letter that my status was in jeopardy because someone might be using my service. This was interesting because my three service calls where all at my house - jump the Argosy, tow the Argosy for repair, and jump a jeep. I called and asked what's up? The customer service rep told me I had three calls in six months and they auto-generate that letter for anyone who has more than one call in two years. Hmmm, I bought the service to use it so I cancelled.
I am now looking for a new roadside assistance provider. Can anyone recommend a provider, you have used, where you received good service? I have a 20' Argosy motorhome and a car I need to cover. Thanks!

AWCHIEF · 12-10-2012, 01:42 PM

Why did you cancel? Did Good Sam actully threaten to cancel your membership because you used the service or were the letters simply a courtesy to you. I am a Good Sam member and am not aware of any such limit of use and can not find it any of the material I have from them.

LiLNomad · 12-10-2012, 01:43 PM

I too am 2 seconds from cancelling AAA. They pissed me off over the wknd when we got stuck in sand at Salt Creek Campground. The first thing they said is "ooh your off road". Apparently if you leave blacktop you are considered "off road"!! regardless if you are in a campground etc. Since the trailer is insured with Progressive, I called them and they came out towed me out of the sand and the service was excellent! Because of this incident my eyes were opened and i felt the need to thoroughly investigate what type of coverage I have and what I need. I will also add the Good Sam Road Side assistance service since I hope to fulltime in the future.
LilNomad

Skater · 12-10-2012, 01:51 PM

With all due respect, 3 calls in 6 months seems rather excessive to me. You probably had a run of bad luck, but I can understand why they'd be concerned if you're using it more than they budgeted for.

tiffany_m1 · 12-10-2012, 02:14 PM

If they had sent the rules and I knew the expectations, I wouldn't have been upset, but there is nothing that specifies a certain amount of calls raising a red flag. Maybe I am just spoiled? I had a car which AAA picked up many, many times over a year and never did I receive a note saying I was wrong to use the service I paid for.

AWCHIEF · 12-10-2012, 02:20 PM

I still don't get your reaction. Did they or did they not threaten to cancel your service for using it 3 times in six months?

tiffany_m1 · 12-10-2012, 02:41 PM

The letter says, "During the last twelve months, our records indicate multiple requests for roadside assistance have been processed under your membership number which could affect your membership status." Sounds like a threat to me.
I am more interested in finding a replacement than pointing out that Good Sam needs to find a better way to define who had a string of bad luck from who is truly a bad apple.

Protagonist · 12-10-2012, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiffany_m1

If they had sent the rules and I knew the expectations, I wouldn't have been upset, but there is nothing that specifies a certain amount of calls raising a red flag. Maybe I am just spoiled? I had a car which AAA picked up many, many times over a year and never did I receive a note saying I was wrong to use the service I paid for.

Then you've had better luck with AAA than I ever did. One year, I had four service calls, three on one vehicle, one on another vehicle. AAA told me that was the limit of my free service calls for the year, and anything else, I'd have to pay for out of my own pocket.

I've not needed my Good Sam roadside assistance yet (knock wood). I also haven't needed the National Motor Club/Coach-Net roadside assistance that I got free for buying a new Airstream.

If you're unhappy with the coverage you have, National Motor Club is a third possibility.

wxbuoy · 12-10-2012, 07:10 PM

Maybe I am not reading this right, but 3 times in 6 months to your house seems like more than emergency road service. Especially at your home. Sorry, but I pay a hefty amount of $$ to have the service in case I really need it while I am on the road. NOT to have them come to my house to jump a car. I would never do that. It is emergency road service.... I think if you add the service calls up you got far more than you spent, so you made out. Be happy, I know if you go somewhere else, they will be.

JamuJoe · 12-10-2012, 07:35 PM

RE: Roadside Assistance.
I use a SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger and subscribe to their Rescue as well as Roadside Assistance. It's more than most might need, but if you sail, raft, hike or boondock into remote areas as we do, it has you covered. No worry about cellphone coverage. The Roadside Assistance provides coverage for 10 incidents per year. I've used it only once, and was in a position to compare it against my insurance company Roadside Assistance. It beat them hands down in response time as well as my cost for a 63 mile tow. The service was excellent. I subsequently cancelled that option with my auto insurance company.

RickDavis · 12-10-2012, 07:59 PM

3 times in 6 months does seem excessive. I have used AAA coverage 3 times in 34 years.
I am dropping AAA this year due to not needing many of their services. I have had good sam for 2 years but have never put it to the test.
Towing insurance can be added to most insurance policies for next to nothing, but of course you will have to pay the bill and then ask for reimbursement.

SilverRanger · 12-10-2012, 11:01 PM

I've had experience with Good Sam's ERS, AAA Plus RV, and SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger with Roadside Assistance.

While their service was good for many years, I dropped AAA in favor of Good Sam ERS because AAA could not assure me they could provide towing service for both the TV and the Airstream (should the TV break down) everywhere in the USA.

I have used Good Sam ERS three times in the five years we've had it. Each time we were far away from home. Once we were in British Columbia, which is where we had the experience with Spot Satellite/Roadside Assistance.

We were towing an Airstream for a friend from Anchorage to Seattle for a friend, when the TV broke down in BC. The owner had Spot Satellite/Roadside Assistance coverage on the tow vehicle, and we were using the GPS transmitter in the vehicle, so we called them first. The first thing they asked was exactly where we were. We gave them the coordinates off of our GPS, but this didn't exactly instill confidence because they were supposed to be tracking us.

Long story short, they would only tow the tow vehicle, leaving the Airstream several miles from civilization at an airplane landing strip. So, we contacted our Good Sam ERS, which we had just upgraded to the Platinum level so it would cover Canada and vehicles other than our own, to see if they would tow the Airstream. They said no problem, and even suggested they would also cover the tow vehicle. The tow truck arrived 55 minutes later, delivered us and the AS to a campground, and delivered the TV to a repair shop. The tow bill was over $400. They covered it entirely, without question.

So far, it's been a good experience with GS ERS. We used them twice in one year, and have never received a letter, or any communications from them, ever.

Scott J-24 · 12-10-2012, 11:22 PM

Hmmmm, maybe we should switch from AAA Plus RV to Good Sam ERS Platinum. What is the annual cost for the upgraded GS ERS Platinum?

ROBERTSUNRUS · 12-10-2012, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wxbuoy

Maybe I am not reading this right, but 3 times in 6 months to your house seems like more than emergency road service. Especially at your home. Sorry, but I pay a hefty amount of $$ to have the service in case I really need it while I am on the road. NOT to have them come to my house to jump a car. I would never do that. It is emergency road service.... I think if you add the service calls up you got far more than you spent, so you made out. Be happy, I know if you go somewhere else, they will be.

Hi, I feel the same way as wxbuoy. It's not a Roadside Emergency if it's parked at your house. I have had AAA for many years and seldom ever used it. Before my Alaska trip, I thought it might be a good idea to get Good Sam Roadside Assistance. Luckily I didn't have to use it, but since I plan to travel farther from home, I added three more years.

Protagonist · 12-11-2012, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, I feel the same way as wxbuoy. It's not a Roadside Emergency if it's parked at your house. I have had AAA for many years and seldom ever used it. Before my Alaska trip, I thought it might be a good idea to get Good Sam Roadside Assistance. Luckily I didn't have to use it, but since I plan to travel farther from home, I added three more years.

There's no prohibition against using the service when you're parked at home. I used AAA once at home to change a flat tire. I was on crutches at the time, following surgery to my left foot. No way I could have changed that tire by myself. No complaint from AAA over the call to the home address. Their only concern was when I went over a certain number of calls in one year.

Skater · 12-11-2012, 05:40 AM

Look at it this way: With GS ERS or AAA, you're buying insurance. Anyone with too many claims on their insurance is going to get dropped, or their rates are going to skyrocket, or both.

But, I wouldn't overreact - they just warned you. They haven't dropped you. It's probably better to be warned and aware, than upset if they just dropped you without any warning.

dkrug · 12-11-2012, 05:52 AM

We switched from AAA to Good Sam. Within a month of switching we had to call them from a very rural location because we had a flat on the trailer. They were prompt, courteous and helpful. They called us to make sure we were OK and the tire was being fixed.

tiffany_m1 · 12-11-2012, 06:54 AM

Thank you Protagonist for the recommendation of the National Motor Club!

tiffany_m1 · 12-11-2012, 06:59 AM

The Wikipedia definition for Roadside Assistance, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadside_assistance:
Breakdown cover is a service that provides assistance to motorists whose vehicles have suffered a mechanical failure that is significant enough to leave them stranded at their present location.

Protagonist · 12-11-2012, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiffany_m1

Thank you Protagonist for the recommendation of the National Motor Club!

You're welcome, but "recommendation" is a little more than I intended. I just offered it as another choice. I got my membership for free just for buying a new Airstream. Not sure how long the free membership lasts, either, maybe only a year, I'll find out soon enough, I guess.

I haven't yet used NMC/Coach-Net for an emergency call, so I can't say how good their service is. But for people who have a problem with either Good Sam or AAA, it at least provides an alternative that might have otherwise been overlooked.