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Date:         Wed, 15 Sep 2010 09:43:30 -0800
Reply-To:     Mark Tuovinen <aksyncronaut@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Tuovinen <aksyncronaut@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Roadside Assistance Plans
Comments: To: Bob Stevens <mtbiker62@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <AANLkTimSb0VoFMPYbCSg18sN0f1C5n4A5_3R=fSYhszU@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Geico will allow you to arrange your own tow and submit for reimbursement which is what e did as they could not contact a tow company in Tok, AK at 11:00PM on a Saturday night. We called one and the person that answered as riding their bicycle home at the time and stopped to take the call. When we spoke with Geico they wanted to know what exit on the highway we were at, they are not used to rural areas and were challenged when we told them mile 1285 Alaska Highway. This is where arranging your own tow is better as the tow company knows the area. For us Geico works best since towing to the nearest dealer will get us 2.4 miles from our house and I can always convince the driver to drop it where I want instead of the dealers doorstep. The other services won't get us close to a shop that knows Vanagons as 100 miles of towing leaves us in the middle of no where. One other issue is the lack of cell service my wife had to hitch a ride into Tok just to be able to call anyone as there are no cell towers until you are in Tok. Just part of the price we pay for living in Paradise.

Mark in AK

On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 10:26 PM, Bob Stevens <mtbiker62@gmail.com> wrote:

> Worth mentioning here I suppose .... I also have Geico and have had to call > them > with "roadside emergency" towing needed. I recommend that you use your cell > phone, > call 911, explain to them that in order for your insurance Co. to order a > tow truck, they > need to know EXACTLY where you are, and can they please tell you that (they > use > your phone/GPS to precisely locate you. Then call your insurance Co. THEN > ..... > when they tell you that you will be towed to the nearest VW dealer, tell > them they'd > better call the dealer FIRST to determine if they will work on an '87 > Syncro > Westy > with a Subaru engine in it (I use that personal example for effect here). > They will > call them, then call you back and ask where you want the van towed!!! > ALWAYS > have your own/best shop in mind, so it pays to do some prep work before > leaving > on your trip ... just in case. This has happened every time I've needed a > tow over > the last 13 years. Originally, it was because the ins. co. couldn't find a > dealer or > anyone else who WOULD work on a Vanagon, now it's that and the engine > conversion. > > I DO NOT recommend Geico Ins. Co. at all. They are convenient for me > because > I've been with them for so long, and after checking, have found no ins. > co's > with > better rates than I get from them at this age (me, not the van/Passat). > Their > employees, who answer the emergency line phones are not very competent, > in my experience, and will get frustrated easily, and even after being > patient > with them, they will tend to put you on hold, contact their supervisor, and > blame > you/me/customer for their frustration ... when it is simply due to their > own > lack > of training and simple problem-solving skills, oh, and learning to deal > with > their > own feelings of frustration without blaming someone else. I talked to a > Geico Supv. > while on I-50 between Delta and Montrose, CO broken down, and she told me > that > her employee had complained that I wasn't being cooperative with her, that > I > couldn't tell them precisely where I was ... that, after telling her I had > passed > through Montrose 10 minutes earlier, and was that far "up I-50 toward > Delta." > If you have Geico ..... beware! > > I'll likely purchase AAA's roadside emergency service and drop that part of > the > Geico coverage. > > Bob > > > > > >


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