Camping World refuses to honor Replacment Plan

[jcthorne]

I just spent the last 3 hours dealing with a very frustrating situation at the Camping World Katy, TX location and a refusal to honor a CW Replacement Plan on a GPS unit I purchased.

Sept of last year (2012) I purchased a Rand McNally RVND 7710 GPS unit from the Camping World store in Nashville TN while I was on vacation there. The unit was on sale for a good price and I had wanted one for some time. Was suggested to purchase the 3 year replacement plan so that if the unit failed, CW would replace it at any CW store. Good story and sales pitch if it were true.

I went online when I got home from the trip about 2 weeks later and registered the warranty.

Last weekend the 7710 locked up and died. Will not restart. Completely dead.

Today I drove out to Katy to exchange it. Figured I could do this on my lunch hour and would be an easy exchange. Not to be.

Upon arrival, they informed me they had to 'process the claim with the warranty group' and it would take a while. After several minutes, the associate handed the phone to me. The claims agent had no record of the sales receipt. I had the receipt and the registration confirmation as well as the contract printed online with me. Store had to fax the receipt in. After an hour of waiting and discussion, it was determined the Katy store did not have a unit to replace mine with. The 7710 had been discontinued. I told the clerk that either the current model 7720 or the similar Magellan 7" unit would be acceptable, which ever they had.

I was informed that since the current retail price of the 7720 was more than I paid on sale, I would have to pay the difference and the current cost of the new warranty and $15 shipping to send it to me. I was sort of ok with the replacement warranty cost and the shipping but not the $105 for the replacement. The warranty terms clearly spell out the unit is to be replaced with a current unit of similar features at CWs discretion. The associate refused to honor the terms. No manager was available so she called the store manager who also refused to honor the replacement plan. He told the clerk to issue me a CW gift card for my original purchase price less the warranty cost.

I declined and stated that if CW had no intention of honoring the replacement plan, I had not intention of purchasing a replacement from CW. After another 15 minutes of debate, the manager was again called and told the clerk to refund the original purchase price less warranty cost to my credit card.

I again said this was not the terms of the warranty and tried to point out the terms in the contract. I was informed that it did not matter what the paperwork says, they will only refund my credit card the amount paid, less cost of the warranty which is not refundable.

As this had gone on for 2.5 hours at this point and I needed to get back to work, I allowed them to process the refund and said I would take it up with the corporate office.

This was not at all the way I was expecting a long time member to be treated nor they type of mismanagement I expected to see.

I hope someone in CW management takes this up and makes it right.

[ScottG]

This is outrageous behavior on CW's part. Do you think this is good advertising CW???

[Rollnhome]

I need to add that thought they met the terms of the agreement, CW didn't take the high road.

[Rollnhome]

As I thought. The OP posted and the terms state "at CW discretion". What the OP doesn't say is the terms say replace or refund "at CW discretion". Hard to argue with that.

[othertonka]

Steve_Martin wrote:
I think Judge Judy would say she was very sympathic with you. That morally, CW should have replaced the unit but, you did accept the deal they offered and that completed the contract you had with the. Now take your refund and buy another unit. Goodbye

I don't agree with you, he took the refund because after 2 and a 1/2 hours of negotiating that was CW best and last offer. If he just took the broken GPS and left, they got away with not honoring an commitment made in good faith that they would replace a defective unit with the same or another model with like features. I am just surmising that this was a CW insurance policy and not a Rand McNalley insurance policy and if that is true, CW should step up to the plate and replace the broken Gps with one that works at no cost to the OP. I would not except anything less. Step up CW and do the right thing

[Steve_Martin]

I think Judge Judy would say she was very sympathic with you. That morally, CW should have replaced the unit but, you did accept the deal they offered and that completed the contract you had with the. Now take your refund and buy another unit. Goodbye

[Medico]

The reason we buy these "replacement warranties" is for exactly this problem. If the unit dies it is replaced with a like or equivalent unit. The Replacement Plan is basically an insurance policy. I have to believe that the executive team will ultimately override the local store. In addition I would hope the local store sales team and management is put through some remedial training.

[RVhiker]

It is eminently clear that CW did not adhere to their written replacement plan provisions and that CW should replace the defective unit with a similar one that works. It's really not complicated, and there are not two sides, it's just a retailer trying to disadvantage a customer.

[jcthorne]

The unit was not discontinued or marked as out of date, close out etc when purchased. It was simply on sale. The 7720 did not exist then. It was discontinued since that time after the 7720 was released.

The contract requires replacement with a unit of similar features. That is all I am asking for. If not the 7720 then another unit, the 7720 was just the most logical and lowest cost choice. Its not a model up, its a model year newer and its direct replacement.

[Ron8877]

You bought the original GPS on sale because it was a discontinued item is how I read your post. You also bought the replacement plan. So far so good. Now 7 months later the GPS dies. Since the model is discontinued they can't give you a new one. You say ok I will take the next model up. This model is about $105 more than the one that you bought. CW could have said yes we will do that and you would have been happy. It seems to me that to live up to the replacement contract this is what they should do. However I can also see the rational that they are using to want to charge you the difference. I can also see where their refunding the original cost of the GPS is fair. If you hadn't bought the replacement policy then if the GPS dies you would just be out of luck so I think that they are being fair to refund the original cost of the GPS too.
Ron

[jcthorne]

Sorry, its the model of unit that would be at CWs discretion, not if they will replace it or not. The only offer was far less than the contract requires and less than I spent. So far, the contract has not been honored and I have not been made whole. Lets see what Executive Resolutions comes up with. I actually hope this can get worked out. I wanted to be happy with CW, having done business with them for years.

[M_GO_BLUE1]

You wanted a replacement that was similar to your unit AT CW'S DISCRETION...they said no...period!

They also tried twice to help you out by giving you a refund less the warranty cost (which I believe is standard at most places) and YOU took the refund money...at that point I would say end of story but just my opinion

[Good_Sam_Care_T]

Hello jcthorne,

Thank you for taking the time to bring this to our attention. Allow me to apologize for all the trouble and frustration this has caused you. I have sent this to Camping Worlds Executive Resolutions team for further investigation and action. They should be in contact with you soon.

Wes Robinson
Marcus' Rapid Response Team
goodsamcs@goodsamfamily.com

[fla-gypsy]

You may want to get the mod to move this one to the Dear Marcus page. The CEO needs to get involved in this. The CEO also needs to tweak his store managers a couple of notches to get off of their butts and get involved directly with these kind of issues. I agree if the terms of the agreement are as you state and there are no other outs for them in the agreement (not doubting your word on it), they need to live up to the contract!