Roadside assistance-Coach-Net or Good Sam

kopy kat wrote:
Thanks for the responses all. I have stayed with Coach-net for the last several years basically because of a the ratio of negative rants between the two services.

And that should be your guide.

We were given a free year of Coachnet from KZ. During our 5 month winter trek to AZ and back, we had 3 flat tires. Coachnet responded promptly and took care of the problem each time. (Putting on the spare, which we then got repaired) We also have Good Sam but have not used it yet.

Thanks for the responses all. I have stayed with Coach-net for the last several years basically because of a the ratio of negative rants between the two services.

read the print on where GS will tow you and read CN , had a brake caliper freeze up one time ,and CN sent mobil repair to me, and helped pay the bill.

Click here to read the Good Sam roadside brochure which is essentially the contract.
Read it thoroughly and understand what is covered. Print it out and carry it in vehicle to refer to.
If the plan covers what you need then you will have no problems and you will probably be happy.
It seems most rantings are about things which people thought are covered but are not.
I have had good service from GSRA but they have only done what they are supposed to.
If you are an impatient person you may also be unhappy because it may take the a while to get help to you. There are times where you are literally across the road from a place but another service miles away is dispatched. This is their prerogative and has to do with cost.
If you do have to call for help. Keep notes and names in case there is a problem. It will save time should something not go right but this is true of all phone customer service

As long as you never need them, Both are great. When you do need them, it will depend entirely on the contract station in your vicinity. Both will make the necessary calls. Both will connect you with a technician who will read to you the manual you probably have in your hand. Reading the many years of complaints posted about both, the rants were either about inefficient contract stations, or the ranter did not understand the limits of Emergency Roadside Assistance. Personally, I used Coachnet once and they couldn't find a provider in my location who would respond in less than 24 hours, and it was a weekday on highway 101 in Washington. I used Good Sam twice, the service was acceptable, both times in and around large cities. (that represents 3 calls in 24 years, closest about 2 years apart...not bad for luck).
Anyway, Happy Trails, and my you never need ERA.

I ended up with both in a single year because GS unexpectedly gave me an additional year--Gratis. And I needed roadside service that year. In my opinion they are basically the same, that is local service where you are broken down depends on the quality of the local ERS contractor. Neither service owns any tow trucks, they just contract with tow truck services around the country.

If you need help in an area where the local contractor is good, then you will praise whichever ERS you have. If the local guy is not so good or if he is just busy you will curse the ERS. So it's all in the luck of where you break down.

I will say that the people who answer the phone for both ERS are awful. They cannot take GPS data to locate you. And they expect you to tell them the nearest town with one of their contractors. If you break down on some stretch of road in rural Arkansas(or insert your own remote local here) be prepared to pull out your hair before you are done on the phone.