Escapees Roadside Assistance - really?

[catsaplenty]

So very disappointed with the service I had.  And I called back the next week to talk to Customer Service.  Weeks have passed with no one getting back to me about what happened as they said they would.

Small town in PA I had a problem with the car.  Me and the dog  on a Saturday just past noon and it was already below freezing.  Called in and the opening recording was telling me to be ready with my number that would start with FM.  When the person came on the line I told her I guess FM was for the policies thru FMCA but I was thru Escapees.  She looked it up and started by telling me my car was not covered - which of course it is.  Transferred me to someone who did know it was covered and took all the information and told me the tow company would be in touch.    I got 3 automated texts over the next half hour from the Roadside people - apparently automated - saying they were working on it but didn't have anyone yet.  When they stopped I thought that meant they had someone and waited to hear from the tow company.  Nothing happened.    Called Roadside assitance again to see what was up.  They assured me they had found a tow company.  They needed to contact the tow themselves to get a status and would call me back in about 20 minutes.  That didn't happen either.  At the 2 hour mark I called again.  That person said there were no notes about anyone coming nor any need to call me back.  She said I needed to understand that it could be hard to find a tow company that would come out on the week end and it could be Monday before they found anyone.  I asked if they had intended to just let the dog and I sit there waiting till Monday - why had no one called.  She said I didn't have to stay with the car, I could just leave the keys - really bad idea.  Then she wanted to know what time I would be back to my car on Monday so they would know when to send a tow truck.  I told her I still didn't know how I was going to get me and my dog back to my RV let alone how I would get back I would have to call when I figured that out.  Mind you there are decent sized towns within 10 miles in at least 2 directions.  The state capital is 35 miles away.  We weren't talking something special to move my RV.  We weren't talking about me being out in the wilderness. Just a little car in town.  And to top it off on Monday morning a local tow came and he told me he had not gotten a call on Saturday.  Icing on the cake when I talked to Roadside assistance to set up Monday - they had set up the tow to go someplace I never heard of instead of the place 3 miles down the road I specified.

Sorry to be so long but really bent out of shape and don't wish this on anyone else.  I try to make sure I am covered to be safe while FT and travelling alone.  To be abandoned by the roadside service is not acceptable. To not stay in touch with me about the whole thing while I am stuck in the cold - also not acceptable.  I thought a company working with Escapees would be a good choice - one able to handle the RV and places I would go.  I will be looking for other options.

[RV_]

Sorry you had that kind of frustrating experience when you paid for the security of not getting stuck. I would also ask for a refund. I always include my vehicle tow in my regular vehicle insurance. That sounds like a Keystone Cops script.  I am with you in your decision to look for other options.

[2gypsies]

I don't understand exactly who your policy is with.... All you mention is FM... " I told her I guess FM was for the policies thru FMCA but I was thru Escapees."  Is your policy thru FMCA?  Escapees isn't an insurer.

[Kirk W]

9 hours ago, 2gypsies said:

Is your policy thru FMCA?  Escapees isn't an insurer.

Neither Escapees nor FMCA are insurance or roadside assistance providers but each of them have agreements with SafeRide Motor Club, Inc. and provide such coverage through Saferide. My current Escapees/Saferide member number is RVA followed by seven digits. 

[catsaplenty]

2gypsies - I was telling the phone person I purchased thru Escapees.  Each time I called the wording of they opening recording and the options to choose were a bit different. I assume the first recording was for those who purchased thru FMCA but all calls were going to that operator instead of they say later calls went.

[catsaplenty]

Kirk W.  Exactly. My membership number starts the same.  No clue if the phone number to call is the same for those who bought thru FMCA.  The specificity of the first recording makes me think the call routing could be different.  Similar to my health insurance with a major company has a phone contact number that goes to someone who knows as they answer  that my policy is thru Dartmouth and what that could mean for coverage.

[Kirk W]

If you haven't done so, you need to contact the Escapee business office and let them know about this.  

[RV_]

On 2/13/2023 at 4:45 PM, RV_ said:

Sorry you had that kind of frustrating experience when you paid for the security of not getting stuck. I would also ask for a refund. I always include my vehicle tow in my regular vehicle insurance. That sounds like a Keystone Cops script.  I am with you in your decision to look for other options.

Yep contact the office, as I said earlier. You have to call the office to request a refund.

[jblo]

I am on quite a few online RV related forums--whenever this subject comes up, due to a bad experience or just inquiring, most of those responding recommend Coachnet as the service that is less likely to leave you stranded. I checked and it is about $219/year if I looked it up correctly--I currently have GoodSam and about 75% incidents have been ok.  But there are dissatisfied customers on all services, it seems.

Just noticed a post further down that mentions Coachnet has been sold...

Edited February 16, 2023 by jblo
new info

[Danfreda1]

We have 2 Coachnet policies and I think they are 150-160 a year not even close to 200+

[JimK]

What about AAA premium?  I have used AAA for many decades to cover emergencies with my autos.  I have always had very prompt service.  I have had the premium coverage to include my RV for the past 12 years.  I only needed service once.  I was in the middle of nowhere and they promptly dispatched roadside assistance to help with changing a tire.

[Georgianne]

On 2/13/2023 at 5:35 PM, catsaplenty said:

So very disappointed with the service I had.  And I called back the next week to talk to Customer Service.  Weeks have passed with no one getting back to me about what happened as they said they would.

We're sorry to hear about your experience with the Roadside Assistance program. This is certainly not the level of service SafeRide, nor Escapees, wishes for their customers to have. We've contacted our representative at SafeRide and asked them to look into your issue. We're hopeful they will be able to address this appropriately and reach out to you directly.

[catsaplenty]

JimK - that was where I was thinking.  I was a 50 year member just for my car.  When I first started out, my state did not offer the RV add on.  When the TX AAA fumbled around with my renewal I gave up even that since the car was covered with the RV policy.  Thinking I need to see about going back since RV coverage has expanded with different AAA states.

[Larry Burkett]

Coach net is $179 per year

[JimK]

I do autopay so I have not checked recently but I think AAA premium for my RV is roughly $150 over what I would pay for my auto coverage.  There is an extra benefit with AAA.  It can be used by a passenger who is not the owner or driver.  At least that is the way it works for auto coverage.  The main limitations are a 200 mile limit on towing and there is a limit for excess use of the service.

[Deezl Smoke]

 HDT owner here. Just signed on with Coach-net last month. I bought the whole shebang, which includes the tire hazard policy.

 In Oregon, $229 for roadside, and $510 for hazard protect if you buy both at the same time. $249 for roadside alone. Annual. In Oregon.

 I've been an Escapee forum member for several years, and just re-newed my club membership after a few years absence. So I have read several forum threads over the years talking about the various roadside programs. I've also talked to my insurance companies about towing coverage, but fewer and fewer are offering towing anymore. AAA is usually the company my insurance agents recommend from their personal experiences, but they are for cars, not HD trucks.

 I tried AAA, no go. They will not cover my truck, even though it is titled and registered as an RV and has no commercial aspects nor capacities.

 I tried Goodsham. No go. They refused coverage as well.

 I looked into a couple others based on online mentions elsewhere, but found no mention of HD truck assistance on their sites, so did not bother.

 Finally made the call to Coach-net last november, and Jennifer (the rep I ended up with) was very helpful and pleasant to talk with. It took some time and I did have to send pictures of the truck, but Jennifer's did ok the sale and I did not have to send a copy of the title. I told her I would review the fine print of the email she was sending, and would get back to her in January as I have that little quirk, I like my billing cycles to be at or near the first of the year.

 When I called to buy, Jennifer was still working there and I bought the policy. I truly hope the need never arises to find out how good or bad they handle things.

 So this is an open forum, and I am going to just state MY OPINION here. I am an upbeat, mostly positive sort as I do not watch the news, podcasts, movies, facebook etc., or any of the other media. But it is my OPINION that society today, especially here in America has accepted abuse of services as a normal practice today. This, coupled with the disconnect that most all administrations have today with their customer base, and accepted viewpoint that every action must turn a dollar now, is why we will see the general situation described in the opening description more often.

 

 

[RV_]

On 2/19/2023 at 6:28 AM, Deezl Smoke said:

 So this is an open forum, and I am going to just state MY OPINION here. I am an upbeat, mostly positive sort as I do not watch the news, podcasts, movies, facebook etc., or any of the other media. But it is my OPINION that society today, especially here in America has accepted abuse of services as a normal practice today. This, coupled with the disconnect that most all administrations have today with their customer base, and accepted viewpoint that every action must turn a dollar now, is why we will see the general situation described in the opening description more often.

 

 

I agree with your opinion! Thanks for stating it so well.

[sandsys]

On 2/19/2023 at 7:28 AM, Deezl Smoke said:

So this is an open forum, and I am going to just state MY OPINION here. I am an upbeat, mostly positive sort as I do not watch the news, podcasts, movies, facebook etc., or any of the other media. But it is my OPINION that society today, especially here in America has accepted abuse of services as a normal practice today. This, coupled with the disconnect that most all administrations have today with their customer base, and accepted viewpoint that every action must turn a dollar now, is why we will see the general situation described in the opening description more often.

I am also of that opinion.

Linda

[LovinRVing]

Premier Coach (Class A, Class B, Class C)
1 Year($249.00)
Premier Tow (Fifth Wheel, Travel Trailer, Pop-up Camper, Truck Camper)
1 Year($179.00) So it depends on what type of RV you have in relation to cost per year. There has been quite a bit of discussion about Coach-Net on other forums recently due to their sale to Blue Compass, known not long ago as RV Retailer. Many questions whether the level of service that Coach-Net is known for will remain the same high-quality honest service. RV Retailer, now Blue Compass is only a five-year-old company, started in 2018 and has already amassed something like 140 dealers nationwide and now Coach-Net. Makes me wonder if they're going to connect their dealerships and the RSRS company together in an exclusive arrangement.

[Pappy Yokum]

On 2/19/2023 at 5:28 AM, Deezl Smoke said:

 HDT owner here. Just signed on with Coach-net last month. I bought the whole shebang, which includes the tire hazard policy.

 In Oregon, $229 for roadside, and $510 for hazard protect if you buy both at the same time. $249 for roadside alone. Annual. In Oregon.

 I've been an Escapee forum member for several years, and just re-newed my club membership after a few years absence. So I have read several forum threads over the years talking about the various roadside programs. I've also talked to my insurance companies about towing coverage, but fewer and fewer are offering towing anymore. AAA is usually the company my insurance agents recommend from their personal experiences, but they are for cars, not HD trucks.

 I tried AAA, no go. They will not cover my truck, even though it is titled and registered as an RV and has no commercial aspects nor capacities.

 I tried Goodsham. No go. They refused coverage as well.

 I looked into a couple others based on online mentions elsewhere, but found no mention of HD truck assistance on their sites, so did not bother.

 Finally made the call to Coach-net last november, and Jennifer (the rep I ended up with) was very helpful and pleasant to talk with. It took some time and I did have to send pictures of the truck, but Jennifer's did ok the sale and I did not have to send a copy of the title. I told her I would review the fine print of the email she was sending, and would get back to her in January as I have that little quirk, I like my billing cycles to be at or near the first of the year.

 When I called to buy, Jennifer was still working there and I bought the policy. I truly hope the need never arises to find out how good or bad they handle things.

 So this is an open forum, and I am going to just state MY OPINION here. I am an upbeat, mostly positive sort as I do not watch the news, podcasts, movies, facebook etc., or any of the other media. But it is my OPINION that society today, especially here in America has accepted abuse of services as a normal practice today. This, coupled with the disconnect that most all administrations have today with their customer base, and accepted viewpoint that every action must turn a dollar now, is why we will see the general situation described in the opening description more often.

 

 

Check with US Rider.  It's intended for equestrians - folks who have hay-burners.  However, there is *NO* requirement to own or to have a horse with you for service.  The only caveat is the service is not available to commercial horse transporters.  They will tow (render service) to/for whatever vehicle you are driving - with or without a horse. 

They are the only ERS that will transport live animals.  When I had a question about the above I received both an e-mail and snail-mail from the director....as well as an option to call her directly (which I did).

BTW - At least one SKP with an HDT (and on that forum) has US Rider as his ERS.

 

 

 

Edited March 4, 2023 by Pappy Yokum

[Anawilliam850]

I'm sorry to hear about your experience with Roadside Assistance. It sounds like a frustrating and upsetting situation, especially given the cold weather and your dog with you. It's important to have reliable and responsive roadside assistance when you're traveling, and it's disappointing when a service falls short of your expectations.

If you haven't already, I would suggest reaching out to Escapees to let them know about your experience. They may have some recourse with the roadside assistance provider and can provide feedback to improve the service for other members.

[catsaplenty]

Ana,

Escapees did reach out to the company.  I have kept them apprised of the continuing lack of response.  Pretty much I have written them off as being a company that won't see any more of my money.  Whether Escapees makes choices about the company I wouldn't know.

[kb0zke]

I hadn't planned on saying anything, but the OP's experience mirrored ours in October.

We were hosting in Missouri when Jo Ann's brother suddenly died and we needed to get several hundred miles down the road for the funeral. Since that was actually our next destination, we we allowed to leave the hosting gig early. A few miles down the road I noticed that the alternator wasn't charging. Even running the generator didn't help. (We still had the Foretravel then.) I made it to a small truck stop on I-70 before everything died. I hooked jumper cables from the car to the MH and tried to charge the batteries that way. might have worked, but didn't seem to be doing much good, so I called the ERS number. Unfortunately, we had missed renewing the service, so they couldn't help us. Couldn't take a renewal over the phone, either. A local mobile mechanic came out and was able to help some. We spent the night in the parking lot. The next morning he got the batteries charged a bit more, but said not to use anything other than turn signals and brake lights.

A rain and snow storm quickly made us forget that advice, and we only got about 50 miles before everything quit. By this time we had renewed the service with Escapees and had a new number. A wrecker finally was sent out. He didn't have the necessary tools to pull the axle for towing, so we had to wait while his partner came with another truck with the right tools. Eventually we were towed into town - to a car dealership! They had no idea we were coming and couldn't help us at all - and would we please get off of their lot. At that point Jo Ann lost it. Her brother's funeral was the next day, we were 200 miles away, and I was supposed to be the organist. The tow truck driver took us to his place of business and told us to get going. He would take care of everything. We quickly got everything we would need moved into the car and headed on down the road.

The day of the funeral I called the shop during some down time and told them we would be back the next day for the coach. The shop owner himself took on the job of getting us back on the road. He found several issues and fixed them for a lot less money than the mobile mechanic charged us.

We did update our information with the ERS when we switched from the Foretravel and towed to the pickup and Reflection.

It seems to me that Escapees might want to consider offering their own emergency road service. I don't mean contracting with someone, but actually having their own number and own contracts with towing companies around the country. I suspect that many of us could give recommendations.

[Blues]

On 3/9/2023 at 7:39 PM, Anawilliam850 said:

If you haven't already, I would suggest reaching out to Escapees to let them know about your experience. They may have some recourse with the roadside assistance provider and can provide feedback to improve the service for other members.

An Escapees representative posted a reply in this thread to the original post, so they know about the OP's experience.

[Georgianne]

On 3/9/2023 at 8:16 PM, catsaplenty said:

Ana,

Escapees did reach out to the company.  I have kept them apprised of the continuing lack of response.  Pretty much I have written them off as being a company that won't see any more of my money.  Whether Escapees makes choices about the company I wouldn't know.

We are sorry you experienced a delay in hearing back about this issue. We were unaware that you hadn’t heard back from them directly, so thank you for keeping us in the loop about your ongoing experience.

 

After being alerted about this again and following up, they informed us today that they have reviewed the issue and would like to reach out to you directly for the inconvenience you experienced. I've sent you a private message to get your email address, to ensure SafeRide has the correct address for contacting you.

 

Thanks for your patience, and again, our apologies that you had a poor experience with the Roadside Assistance program. We hope that this will not be the case in the future.

 

And for others reading this, if you experience issues with SafeRide's service, please let us know in addition to reaching out to SafeRide by emailing us at clubbusiness@escapees.com. While we cannot research the details ourselves, we can reach out to our contacts at SafeRide, and ensure your situation has reached the correct people for research and resolution. This also helps us track what kinds of concerns come up most often to inform future discussions. Thank you!