To Good Sam or Not to Good Sam that is the question

Thank you for your post, bevjwiel72. I regret any difficulties you experienced regarding your Good Sam Roadside Assistance membership. I would like the opportunity to speak with you concerning your post. I would be more than happy to contact you…please send me a private message with your Good Sam Roadside Assistance membership number and contact information: telephone and e-mail. I am looking forward to speaking with you.
Thank you,
Frank
Good Sam Roadside Assistance

My husband and I are now Full-Time RVers. Over the years we have been with Good Sam the experience was generally very good.

Once we had a blow-out to a turnpike, the young man I spoke to at Good Sam could not locate a nearby road assist to get us safely back on the road, but a passing trooper called in a repair service who was the contracted servicer for the turnpike, and we were reimbursed by Good Sam. The young man I originally spoke to called us back twice to ensure we had gotten service and also that we got safely off the turnpike and were then safely back on the road.

Note to others, always call Good Sam 1st even if they cannot help! Then you can ask for reimbursment based on their failure to provide!!!

However, in the past year, we were stranded in our car in a parking lot in early evening with a flat tire. We were in the middle of a busy town where local businesses may have been called upon, but Good Sam found someone 5 towns away who would be 1 1/2 hours due to the high volume, blah blah blah.

Fortunately as my disabled hubby was attempting to remove lug nuts and jack up the car, a young man came by and assisted. We drove one block to a Firestone dealer who replaced the warrantied tire with a new one. Yes we did call and cancel the Good Sam Servicer! But I ask you why? Why if we are in a good size town can't Good Sam find a servicer nearby?

Then just this past fall, we had a crisis on the road. We had a blow out on our towed vehicle on a narrow highway in upper PA in the mountains. We got flagged down by another driver, had to pull our Diesel pusher over across an intersection to get off the main thoroughfare enough to allow traffic to creep past. Good Sam told us to call 911 which I already had to get a State Trooper to the scene, but since it was not an accident or injury it did take one 20 minutes. This with trucks and traffic passing by us and my husband trying to unload the rear of the CRV into the back seat so we did not block the space for a car to access the road from the side road we were blocking. Again we put the donut on the wheel ourselves. The girl at Good Sam never even tried to get us a servicer! We did get a call back that time to get our status.

What I felt when I called was that the girl at the other end was too busy to care that we might be in a dangerous place and if she could find us local assistance, get us off the road quickly. That is the real problem however! Wherever you are is not where the assistance is located. They only have a certain number of contracted providers. If you are in your driveway safe, you can wait for 2 hours, but if you are on the roadway, they are not going to find a local provider in most cases.

Also, we got our class A motor home stuck in the mud and needed an assist to pull it free. this past October. When I called Good Sam, I was told they had no one to contact for that kind of assist anywhere in the South Jersey area. We got lucky, getting a local tow company guy who was willing to try to help by giving us a gentle assist with his tower while letting our own wheels get us beyond the muck. Lucky! But where was Good Sam's assistance when we needed it. It was like I was bothering the girl. Not to sound nasty, but she sounded clueless besides. Is it a lack of training or are they outsourcing to people who have no real knowledge or understanding of what types of service a motorhome might need. It sounds like they read a computer screen, asking often the same question from screen to screen.

Anyway, I have not found a better option for roadside assistance, so I stay with Good Sam. At least if they cannot provide, I can get reimbursed.

If in danger or even just in the way, do not hesitate to call the local police or 911, at least they can help keep you safe, and often can make the service contact as well.

rjshiflet wrote:
I can't comment on the "no phone service" but I have Good Sam Roadside Assistance and had a blowout on my fifth wheel, called and they said it was going to be about an hour and 15 minutes before they could get someone to me. I told them I'd wait.

Then, a nice young man stopped and helped me change the flat. I asked if could pay him and he refused. I gave him $40 and told him to take his wife out to dinner on me...and he smiled and accepted it.

I called to cancel the roadside service and explained what happened and they asked if I'd like a refund on the money I spent. By the time I got home from my trip I had a refund check in my mailbox.

More than fair in my opinion. And, I've used them a couple of other times (once on the road and once as I was pulling into the RV park and setting up). No complaints whatsoever.

I'd suggest posing your specific "no phone service" question directly to them in advance.

Were you able to get a check without sending in receipts and filing a claim? If so How did you do it?

An Update:

After finally sending a PM as requested that has yet to be answered, I called the GSRSA 800 number and talked to the very efficient Latrice who immediately and succinctly answered my questions.

The upshot of it all was that I was told that if a breakdown/repair happens and due to circumstances beyond ones control you cannot contact a GS service, then keep the receipts and all other documents and send them to GS for reimbursement with a full explanation of the circumstances for re-imbursement.

I still fail to see what the reluctance was of answering this on the Forum. Unless GS is afraid that to put such a "policy" in writing on a public space. But given the fact this has already been published in the contract it seems a bit silly and does not inspire confidence.

I hope that I never have to put this to a test.

I have come to the conclusion that possibly having both AAA and GS RSA may be advisable in the case where one may not want to agree to a high price by the towing/repair facility the other may have additional options. It's still cheaper than paying for a tow yourself in many cases.

4x4Dodger
In response to your last post, please see the link below for the Good Sam Roadside Assistance Member Benefit Brochure:

www.goodsamroadside.com/images/pdf/GRA31138.pdf

Also, should you experience a disablement in a geographic area where you are unable to contact a Good Sam Roadside Assistance Dispatch Representative and you secure service on your own, we invite you to contact Good Sam Roadside Assistance Member Services when able, obtain Request for Claim Reimbursement Documents, and submit for reimbursement consideration. We will then review your request.
Again, I will respond to requests for one-on-one communications by telephone via RV.Net Open Roads Forum private messages.
Thank you for your membership.
Frank
Good Sam Roadside Assistance

GSRoadsideAssistance wrote:
Thank you for your post, 4x4Dodger.
Regarding your questions, our objective at Good Sam Roadside Assistance is to provide our members with a broad variety of communications channels to address your questions and comments, including: (1) Member Benefit Brochures and FAQs available at goodsamroadside.com, (2) E-mail contact with a Service Representative available at goodsamroadside.com, (3) Member Services Agents available 24 hours daily, 7 days a week at 1-800-601-2850, (4) U. S. Mail address available at goodsamroadside.com, and (5) MarcusVIP@goodsamfamily.com.
Additionally, I will respond to requests for one-on-one communications via RV.Net Open Roads Forum private messages.
Thank you for your membership.
Frank
Good Sam Roadside Assistance

Thanks for your response but it really isnt an answer.

Why cant I just get a simple straight answer to this question right here on this forum...isnt that what it's for? Isnt this forum just another of those "broad Varieties of Communication channels"?
This is not a difficult question.

If the Exclusions and Limitations are already published in some other document available to anyone who asks why not share them here? There certainly must exist a policy for those times when communications between the customer/member and the Service Rep is just not possible PRIOR to a repair/Tow, such as I describe in my original post.

Your answer seems inconsistent with a company that prides itself on customer service and transparency.

GSRoadsideAssistance wrote:
Thank you for your post, 4x4Dodger.
Regarding your questions, our objective at Good Sam Roadside Assistance is to provide our members with a broad variety of communications channels to address your questions and comments, including: (1) Member Benefit Brochures and FAQs available at goodsamroadside.com, (2) E-mail contact with a Service Representative available at goodsamroadside.com, (3) Member Services Agents available 24 hours daily, 7 days a week at 1-800-601-2850, (4) U. S. Mail address available at goodsamroadside.com, and (5) MarcusVIP@goodsamfamily.com.
Additionally, I will respond to requests for one-on-one communications via RV.Net Open Roads Forum private messages.
Thank you for your membership.
Frank
Good Sam Roadside Assistance

If I am stranded due to breakdown or tire problem on any of the highways leading to Alaska (Not just the famed Alaska Hwy)And for reasons BEYOND MY CONTROL (such as no telephone service)cannot contact GSRSS in advance will I be reimbursed for the tow/repair?


Why can't this question just be addressed here on the forum for all to see without jumping through hoops.

Thank you for your post, 4x4Dodger.
Regarding your questions, our objective at Good Sam Roadside Assistance is to provide our members with a broad variety of communications channels to address your questions and comments, including: (1) Member Benefit Brochures and FAQs available at goodsamroadside.com, (2) E-mail contact with a Service Representative available at goodsamroadside.com, (3) Member Services Agents available 24 hours daily, 7 days a week at 1-800-601-2850, (4) U. S. Mail address available at goodsamroadside.com, and (5) MarcusVIP@goodsamfamily.com.
Additionally, I will respond to requests for one-on-one communications via RV.Net Open Roads Forum private messages.
Thank you for your membership.
Frank
Good Sam Roadside Assistance

I can't comment on the "no phone service" but I have Good Sam Roadside Assistance and had a blowout on my fifth wheel, called and they said it was going to be about an hour and 15 minutes before they could get someone to me. I told them I'd wait.

Then, a nice young man stopped and helped me change the flat. I asked if could pay him and he refused. I gave him $40 and told him to take his wife out to dinner on me...and he smiled and accepted it.

I called to cancel the roadside service and explained what happened and they asked if I'd like a refund on the money I spent. By the time I got home from my trip I had a refund check in my mailbox.

More than fair in my opinion. And, I've used them a couple of other times (once on the road and once as I was pulling into the RV park and setting up). No complaints whatsoever.

I'd suggest posing your specific "no phone service" question directly to them in advance.

4x4Dodger, This question applies not only to your trip to Alaska but to many portions of the US that are without cell service.