Elusive Reimbursement

When Good Sam members and full-time RVers Laurence and Carol Parks didn’t receive an agreed upon reimbursement check from their extended warranty provider, they sought Action Line’s assistance in recovering the money:

We purchased an Interstate Star RV travel protection plan for our 2008 Montana fifth wheel when it was new. At the time of the purchase, we opted for the Diamond policy, which supposedly would cover any unexpected expenses with our new purchase. We have since become full-timers, so our home is now our fifth wheel.

When the Montana’s front landing gear failed in December 2011, we had to have work done on it in Colorado Springs. We called Interstate to make sure our lodging would be reimbursed and were assured that three nights’ accommodations and meals would be covered. The repair work was covered without a problem at Dee’s RV, but we’ve yet to receive reimbursement for our lodging expenses. We faxed all the receipts, as the policy stated, but we never received any communication from Interstate. We called every few weeks to check on our claim and were always told it was “in process.”

When no check came and we continued to hear nothing from the company, we called and asked to speak to a supervisor. She was very curt and promptly told us that our claim was denied because our home address was less than 100 miles from the dealership that serviced it. We have no home address. We have a mailing address.

We tried to explain that our fifth wheel is our home and that when it was being worked on, we had no place to stay. We also told her that we had called to make sure our lodging was covered before we stayed and were assured that it was. She said, “Read your policy ma’am. It’s right there in your policy.” As we continued to explain that our “home address” is a P.O. Box, she continued to say, “Read your policy.”

We still haven’t received any information in writing, nor have we ever been contacted in any way by this company. Would you be willing to check into this for us?

After Action Line contacted Interstate National Dealer Services on behalf of Laurence and Carol Parks, Grace Love at INDS got in touch with the couple. Shortly afterward, Carol Parks sent Good Sam the following thank-you note:

We are very happy to report that we received a check in the amount of $412.13, which covers all our living expenses incurred during the time our fifth wheel was in for repairs, as per our contract with Interstate National Dealer Services. We are very thankful to receive the full amount and appreciate the support we received from Good Sam Action Line in helping us resolve this situation.

Since 1981, the Good Sam Club’s Action Line has helped resolve thousands of disputes between members and businesses. If you have an RV-related consumer issue and would like assistance from Good Sam, contact Action Line.