Dropped my CW and GS membership

[Jayco23FB]

After several attempts over the last year to reduce the amount of junk mail I have been recieving from GS and CW I having finally dropped my membership. I just got tried of the multiple offers nearly everyday. Calls to the office and online did no good.

[DiskDoctr]

Tried a GS+ERS package a while back, dropped it after about 30 days or so.

It took WEEKS for the membership to be activated (no discounts for me!) and at that time CW was not honoring online discounts or free shipping for members, only in stores, and the boondongle of interlinked and inconsistent sites was a nightmare.

CW actually told us that the 'Average 10% discount for members' is NOT a standard members' discount, rather offered via random mailings throughout the year with coupons/discount codes.

Marcus and some others seemed to know there was a problem and promised to fix it (some transition period was going on?) and I believe they did make some improvements, but after it took WEEKS for a refund and I had wasted hours wading through their manure, I haven't had any incentive to try them again. Harsh wording, true, but it really was quite the unpleasant and disappointing experience.

I did end up with one or two issues of their magazine, which I found interesting and would have liked to continue reading, but it isn't worth all the rigamarole.

I still get emails from CW with their specials, but their offerings are often 'OK' but not compelling enough for me to wish I had their membership back. I can usually meet or beat their prices within a buck or so either way.

I understand some people are very happy with their GS membership and plans, and I'm glad it's working out for them. For us, it simply isn't worth the hassle.

I'm not anti-GS/CW, just haven't found a good reason to try them again.

YMMV.

[2012Coleman]

I'm paying extra to use their website which by the way give me access to that 15% off portable ice maker coupon? They don't give all those member services away for free?? They don't let you log on if your not a member??? I'm beyond flabbergasted!!!

[wny_pat1]

ol Bombero-JC wrote:

Mike & Fran wrote:
My wife came up with a great idea. Junk mail that sends you a postage paid envelope, she puts stuff in the envelope and writes no thank you. The Post Office makes good money off it and after a few times you never hear from them again!!!

Must call baloney (balogna?) on that one - as well as the brick idea.

The brick - won't go anywhere. (ask a postal employee).

The polite "no thank you" in the return envelope is simply (instantly) sent to the "round file" by the letter opener at it's destination.
(You don't really think a minimum wage employee is going to bother to cross-reference and remove your address from their mailing list?)

Have tried that one - complete waste of time!
The "stuff" keeps arriving from the same source.

As far as "collecting" for fire starters or simply tossing, that's great. (tossing is my solution).

However, junk mail can be a problem for those using forwarding services - even when the service is told *not* to forward (ship) they still do. So you get to pay for postage to forward junk mail.

BTW - GS *does* give up sending you junk after a couple of years of non-membership in various GS "benefits".
That put a smile on my face - no halo though!.:W

And - (IMO) the forum does quite well from advertisements, folks purchasing from CW, and....of course - signing up new GS members.

~

Actually, I'll bet it could be called "Theft of Services", but I'll bet that the postal inspecters have a ever fancier name for it.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

milo wrote:
Wow ... most of you must be VIP's in life to get all that wonderful mail. They know I'm on the lower part of the food chain so I don't get didley from em. lol ... Must be cuz I'm a lifer and they know they won't get anymore money from me. Ain't life good!

Milo

Famous last words, ROTFL..:S

There's three (3) things certain in life:

1. Death
2. Taxes
3. Junk mail from GS (and others)

:W..:W..:W

~

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Mike & Fran wrote:
My wife came up with a great idea. Junk mail that sends you a postage paid envelope, she puts stuff in the envelope and writes no thank you. The Post Office makes good money off it and after a few times you never hear from them again!!!

Must call baloney (balogna?) on that one - as well as the brick idea.

The brick - won't go anywhere. (ask a postal employee).

The polite "no thank you" in the return envelope is simply (instantly) sent to the "round file" by the letter opener at it's destination.
(You don't really think a minimum wage employee is going to bother to cross-reference and remove your address from their mailing list?)

Have tried that one - complete waste of time!
The "stuff" keeps arriving from the same source.

As far as "collecting" for fire starters or simply tossing, that's great. (tossing is my solution).

However, junk mail can be a problem for those using forwarding services - even when the service is told *not* to forward (ship) they still do. So you get to pay for postage to forward junk mail.

BTW - GS *does* give up sending you junk after a couple of years of non-membership in various GS "benefits".
That put a smile on my face - no halo though!.:W

And - (IMO) the forum does quite well from advertisements, folks purchasing from CW, and....of course - signing up new GS members.

~

[milo]

Wow ... most of you must be VIP's in life to get all that wonderful mail. They know I'm on the lower part of the food chain so I don't get didley from em. lol ... Must be cuz I'm a lifer and they know they won't get anymore money from me. Ain't life good!

Milo

[jrw1550]

Normally if the junk mail includes a postage included envolpe I usually drop that in the mailbox, empty of course unless it need the paper with the address in the address window and mail it back to whomever sent it to me. I see no reason for them not to have to pay the postage since I didn't ask for it and most of the time I don't want it either, this applies to all junk mail. The wife doesn't do it so I guess I am somewhat of an ass but I don't care.

[h2guy]

From their website::::::

"Write to us at Good Sam Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 6888, Englewood, CO 80155-6888 to opt out from specific future mailings."

[wny_pat1]

bigdogger wrote:
I too am fed up with repeated solicitations, in my case from a different company. I am taking the action, telling I am refusing to ever send them another dime. For the record the company is called IRS, and they keep wanting to have one of their salesman come to my house to sell me some product they have called an "audit" whatever that is. They are very persistent!

Your setting yourself up for one of their very special representatives. They show up and kick you out and padlock the doors, and even take all your toys away, leaving you nothing. And they they auction it all off to someone else for next to nothing and bill you for the difference.

[bigdogger]

I too am fed up with repeated solicitations, in my case from a different company. I am taking the action, telling I am refusing to ever send them another dime. For the record the company is called IRS, and they keep wanting to have one of their salesman come to my house to sell me some product they have called an "audit" whatever that is. They are very persistent!

[wny_pat1]

owenssailor wrote:

wny_pat wrote:

Duck wrote:

midnightsadie wrote:
remember if it wasn,t for junk mail all those mail men would be out of work, 95%of mail is junk.

That sure is true. I just throw the junk mail in the garbage can without opening it.
Don

But I'm paying the monthly bill to get rid of the garbage. Can't burn it because that is a village violation. Can't dump it on the side of the road cause we have a county sheriff's garbage deputy who goes through that road side garbage looking for names and address, and when he finds one, it is a very large fine to pay.

We recycle junk mail. In fact our recycle program accepts paper, glass,metal,flatboard,cardboard,styrofoam and most plastics. About the only garbage is kitchen waste. as we have traveled the last 3 winters we have been surprised at how many places have no recycling programs.

Perhaps it would be worth pressuring your local politicians to do something worthwhile and start a recycling program.

We have a state wide mandated re-cycling, operated locally by the county refuse dept. But we do not have county operated garbage pickup and have to pay for independant pickup. I have recycled, but gave up after watching the garbage man throw everything into the same place in his garbage truck for several months. And I am not going to make a 10 mile special trip to the recycle point just to recycle, and have it go into the garbage anyway. Besides, knowing several county employees, I know that much of the counties recycle program is a hoax, because they only recycle what pays enough to pay for the transporation of what is being recycled. The aluminum they recycle cause it pays big. If the price of newspaper is down, they just send it to the landfill, and are still paying to transport it somewhere!!! So much for the recycling effort!!! And I end up getting stiffed on both ends, having to pay a private contractor to pickup my garbage and recycle material, and having to pay the county who operated the refuse transfer points and the recycling operation that is a scam! And then the county hauls it to a neighboring county that charges us by the ton to put it into their landfill. Bet half of it could be recycled.

[JEBar]

we have been members of Camping World for many years and lifetime members of GoodSam for well over 8 years .... we get very little spam on in email and do get cards in the mail in which the local Camping World is touting the sale of the century that they seemingly hold every other weekend .... over time we have taken advantage of many of their programs but have chosen to get out of most of them .... we originally joined GoodSam so as to be able to camp with a local club .... due to the way the current folks running the national program have changed things, our club chose to drop its connection with GoodSam .... bottom line, knowing what I know now, its highly likely we wouldn't join .... that said, as lifetime members we will continue to participate in components that are to our advantage

Jim

[SolidAxleDurang]

popeyemth wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:

popeyemth wrote:
Not that big a deal to me to toss it in with the rest of the advertising .
This forum is worth the small price of membership to me.

This forum is for FREE you do NOT have to be a member of Good Sam or
ANY of it's many partners in crime to join this forum.

My guess is this forum would not be free for long if the sponsor goes under.
Plus there is satisfaction in paying ones own way and not being a leach on the system.

Greetings mr Popeye. Your logic is flawed. Thank you. Have a nice day.

[rockhillmanor]

beemerphile1 wrote:

Jayco23FB wrote:
...junk mail I have been recieving from GS and CW I having finally dropped my membership....

Goodbye, like the saying goes, "Don't let the door hit ya---".

Most Good Sam members participate in nothing. I have never understood that. Why belong to a club if you aren't going to participate?

We are officers in our local chapter and attend about 10 - 14 local and state Good Sam events every year.

We have never purchased any Good Sam products but sure do appreciate everyone that does, keep sending the money in folks!

BTW, we get very little in advertisements/junk mail.

I bought the membership for GS Roadside Assistance.
Funny I paid every year for this membership YET I was DENIED access to the Good Sam website! Go figure.

Apparently you had to pay an ADDITIONAL fee to join the GS 'club' before you could use/read their website. Regardless of how MANY other products/memberships you bought from GS if you didn't pay the additional fee to join 'THE club' which offers you nothing but a discount at CG's (IF you can find one that still offers it), you were sol to use the website from a company that you pay "yearly fees" to.?

IMHO this always seemed like the most ignorant part on the behalf of GS marketing. Advertise specials and products on their website but prevent all members who pay for various other GS products from viewing them, and oh ya maybe would have bought them if they could have seen the coupons on the website.:S

I had GS road side service, GS warranty, and paid hefty yearly fees for both of them. When I found out that I could not use the GS website being forced to buy the GS Club membership to use/view it.......I dropped both and went elsewhere where the company allows members to view their website for free no matter what services they have bought from them.

[jnharley]

Before we started fulltiming, we eliminated all mass mailings. It took some time, several months for it to stop but we now only receive what we want to receive. We also went to the Good Sam website and stopped the junk mail. We never get any junk mail from them even though we are members.
You just have to be persistent to get all the junk mail to stop. And I would not be putting anything into the trash with my personal information on it. Purchase a good crosscut shredder. Even as fulltimers, we have one in the RV.