Yesterday, I got a flat tire while traveling on a very buisy highway near Pittsburgh PA. We've been Good Sam members for three years, so I called roadside assistance for help. Originally, I thought that I just needed a tire change, however, I discovered that my car does not come equipped with a spare tire. I immediately called the service provider Good Sam was dispatching to let them know that I needed a tow and not a tire change. I ended up getting routed through a company that thought I was in Iowa. Iowa and Pennsylvania are nowhere near each other. Finally, after getting routed through 3 different people, a woman at the service provider told me they couldn't find my dispatch order and that they didn't provide tow service anyway. So, I called Good Sam back thinking this would be a quick fix and that I would be on my way shortly. Wrong.
Though the woman I spoke to assured she was dispatching someone immediately (I know that doesn't mean they will arrive immediately), it was another two hours before I got a text telling me that the tow truck would be another 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Good Sam was intending on leaving me stranded on Route 28 near Pittsburgh for close to 5 hours. I called back, twice and got absolutely nowhere. The text they sent stated they were going to tow me to a garage in Brackenridge, PA which is near New Kensington. New Kensington isn't exactly a safe place. I asked the opeartor at Good Sam if they could tow me to Good Year where my road hazard insurance would cover the tire, he refused. I asked if they could tow me home instead since I had no way of getting home from Brackenridge, he again refused.
At this point, I was crying uncontrollably, I was all alone on 28 with no help in sight. My partner was at work and couldnt' get to me, so he called and told me to call Good Year and have them tow the car to their nearest location. I arranged that tow and was called back by the tow truck driver Good Sam claimed they dispatched 2 hours and 45 minutes prior. I told him nevermind I was having someone else handle it since I had been stranded for 3 hours and I was over Good Sam. He said they had dispatched him 45 minutes prior. So, Good Sam did not disptach the tow truck for 2 hours after I made the call requesting assistance.
As I'm sitting in the car trying to keep my composure. When I spoke to Good Year, they offered to call 911 because I was crying so much, they were afriad I'd get hurt. 3 hours on the side of a busy road will do that to a person. Anyway, I got an automated call from Good Sam asking to confirm that the service had been completed, I did not confirm as it had not been completed. Of course, that meant gettiing routed to a live operator. I told him exactly why the service had not been completed and then asked him if he would have felt that leaving a lone woman stranded for 3 hours was acceptable if it were a woman in his family. His response, and I am not making this up was, "Well, a woman in my family would have had a spare." Again, spares are not standard in my car (2012 Chevy Volt0. I called him a few chocie words and hung up on him. So, not only does Good Sam not care about dispatching help, they also apparently hire representatives who engage in victim blaming.
Long and short of it,. we pay for premium membership. We paid 5 years in advance. The last three times we've called for assistance, it took them so long we made other arrangements. I want my money back for the remaining 2 years and reimbursement for the tow from yesterday. I also want their representatives trained better, there is absolutely no reason to blame a stranded motorist for their misfortune.