smithy
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Posts posted by smithy
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16 minutes ago, manholt said:Jim, at one time, I guess someone asked and got a Duh! Bubba is good with engines!
The network VAS uses for roadside services 80 million drivers. 75% of new vehicles (both auto and RV) use the same network VAS uses. I think the method of choosing qualified repair centers is a bit more extensive than your suggestion.
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4 hours ago, manholt said:Smitty.
"The closest qualified repair center"! When one is no longer in Service, another is a RV Park & the last has no phone? VAS did not do, due diligence and therefore was libel! VAS did not settle with OP, out of the goodness of their heart...they had no choice! OP 100% correct, case closed.
Manholt/all,
The member was able to drive to the qualified repair center. Mechanic on site diagnosed the problem immediately. As with many repair facilities, they were booked and could not do the repairs immediately. The member wanted a Cummins certified dealer and didn't want to wait. Member was informed up front that a tow to the Cummins dealer would not be covered. The policy says closest qualified repair center. Not the customer's preferred dealer.
Any other roadside has the same policy and would have handled it the same way.
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We looked into this and wanted to update the situation.
The member was able to drive his coach to the closest qualified repair center. Since they were not a Cummins certified repair shop, the member chose to have it towed 90 miles away to the closest Cummins certified dealer. The policy was followed, as it clearly states that towing is covered to the closest qualified repair center. After reviewing the file, VAS decided to allow the claim at what their provider would charge. Pretty confident that most providers would stick to the policy language and not reimburse the tow. Very happy with VAS in their decision.
VAS also reimbursed the member for trip interruption. Both claims were paid and closed.
In the future, I would advise to make sure the tow is covered before scheduling it. Especially since the policy is clear on how towing is covered. VAS provides unlimited towing to the closest qualified repair center. If you are 3 or 300 miles away from one, it is covered.
On 5/8/2018 at 6:32 PM, JSPERRELLA said:Just had a bad experience with the FMCA roadside assistance regarding a qualified facility. We broke down in Trinidad, CO with our Cummins 425 ISL engine locked up due to leaking coolant into the engine. The engine was going to need a rebuild. We told the FMCA service that we wanted to be towed to a certified Cummins shop in Pueblo (90 miles away). They said no and first offered us two locations in Raton, NM and one in Walsenburg, CO. The first one in Raton was out of business, the second was an RV park with no mechanic. The one in CO, their phone was no longer in service. They had no idea of what qualified meant.
Our tow truck driver said we should have had AAA RV Plus as they will tow you where you want within a 100 miles. We paid $1,500 to be towed to a certified Cummins shop and we are still fighting with the FMCA roadside assistance. I called AAA and they confirmed what the driver told us, that for $145 membership they would have towed us.
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What are some of your favorite websites to visit? Whether it is for finding information about your RV, connecting with others or lifestyle related.
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On 1/7/2018 at 0:18 PM, RichNjohn said:I got the MiFi and set it up with no problems. However, it's been over two months now and Verizon still hasn't been able to get me on the FMCA plan. The first few attempts to have it fixed resulted in me spending literally hours on the phone. I'm so tired of calling Verizon every month to have my bill manually adjusted that I'm probably not going to renew the service or my FMCA membership when they come due.
PM me your email address and I’ll have someone from Verizon reach out and get it corrected. Sorry for all the issues you are having.
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1 hour ago, elkhartjim said:President Walker, thank you for posting on this forum and it is a forum not a blog. You are the president of this organization and this is your first post...appalling and your Shakespearean comment, " much to do about nothing " shows just how out of touch with the members of this forum you are. Like Richard stated, doing it legally doesn't make it right. Does the passage of the Affordable Care Act, generally known as Obama Care, ring any bells of being legally passed yet wasn't right. I find it interesting that you suggest we use a lawful process when we disagree with how our organization is operating. Is that intended to be some sort of threat?
Since I'm not involved in the politics of FMCA and as Rhett Butler might say, I really don't give a **** about being politically correct I will voice my opinion as long as free speech is allowed. That is a right guaranteed by the US Constitution and yes I understand the FMCA constitution may disagree.
I'm truly sorry for your attitude of its much to do about nothing, what a terrible attitude for a president of any organization to have.
Good luck in your tenure as president of FMCA.
I'll bow out now as I see FMCA has gone into let's keep denying and they'll go away so I'll be gone from this thread.
I think this post and others attacking staff members John and Pam are the big reason why you don’t see them and other staff and executive board members post here often. Not sure why you are appalled or surprised.
The point of Jon’s response was to respond to your accusations that staff went “rogue” and changed the name of the publication. In the end, the executive board approved of the proposed name. That is their purpose- to represent membership and decide policy for staff to follow. I’m sure you understand why membership doesn’t vote on every decision.
You have questioned staffs owning of RVs. Not sure why that is relevant. Same as me saying you couldn’t possibly have a respectful opinion about the magazine name or this new proposed article because you aren’t an editor or writer. The executive board and governing board all own qualifying units. They are the ones who set policy and direction. Staff executes. For your information, Pam Kay does own a motorhome. She has been a family member of FMCA for a long time. She has edited , produced and written your magazine for over 30 years. I would match her knowledge of RVs up with anyone.
We just had over 2,600 units attend our Perry convention, which is the largest event since 2011. We had a nice turnout of non-motorhome units. I can almost guarantee that not one attendee who owns a motorhome had a “watered” down experience. There were as many seminars as before pertaining to motorhomes. Will be the same with the magazine redesign.
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Our team has been working to bring the FMCA app to Apple devices. If you have an iPhone or iPad, we need your help to beta test. The Apple store has a unique way to test beta apps, which requires you to download an external, free app called TestFlight. With TestFlight, you’ll be able to test the FMCA app, and your feedback will be sent straight to our IT Team.
If interested, please sign up via this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JX27B8Q. Once you sign up, FMCA will e-mail you testing instructions.
Thanks in advance for your help!
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Thanks for sharing your experience! Glad it is working well for you.
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46 minutes ago, manholt said:Smithy.
First, congratulations are in order! Hard to tell from photo, is it a boy or girl?
Second, it seemed to me, due to the contact information and email address, that you're dead on target and that is also what I was implying! I get very suspicious over unsolicited conformation or denial, especially, denial after a month of posting!
Thank you sir. A little boy. As you can tell from my post times, sleep is hard to come by!
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9 minutes ago, RedLdr1 said:I don't think it is all about making members aware of the issues and upcoming votes. As you said there was plenty of info, on numerous sources, on the last vote. But making it easier to vote should see an improvement in the "turn out" rate. And I suspect implementing e-voting would also be more cost effective for the FMCA as well....
I totally agree with this. And I think the proposal will be made to allow it.
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4 minutes ago, jeff753 said:--A Membership sits at approx. 75,000. If the figures thrown around that only 30% (22,500) are members of chapters while 70% (52,500) ----are not chapter members then why with 3 months of Notices in the Magazine and on the website only a little over 11,000 took the time ---to vote. Does that show you how folks care about what happens.
i don't view it as people don't care....I don't think the majority was even aware. If a member typically doesn't read the magazine they would not know. If a member doesn't attend rallys (only an average of 3% do) they would not know. If a member doesn't log on and review FMCA.com they would not know. Unless this member was also in a chapter. One solution would be to design a new structure where all members were treated as if they were in a chapter. Give them the same info, same voice and same vote. Why wouldn't we want to do that?
Is it our responsibility to deliver the information to the membership or is it the members responsibility to try to find it?
It's all about structure and the question of "are we here because of the membership or is the membership here because of us"
Every business or Association I've ever consulted with, that didn't answer this question correctly, either failed or is failing
Jeff,
We had a big bright red box on the front of the magazine saying important member vote inside for three months in a row. We blasted every member with an email record to let them know. It was posted on social media several times. On the forums. Front and center on the website. The top RV websites and blogs picked it up and spoke about it. There was a special presentation in Chandler to let members here about it.
Every member was given the same information that a chapter member was.
How else do you suggest we make members aware about future votes? I can't think of any other possible way.
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1 hour ago, crowleytj said:I have no association with NIRVC, so it pretty difficult for me have any position in the company. I do run a company called Astronomical Consulting, no we have nothing to do with the RV industry. However if you need a telescope installed anywhere in the world we can help. I bought my coach from another dealer. So not sure why you think I'm advertising anything. Just simply tried to give you an honest answer to questions where the answers I saw were guessed and not quite right.
Are you Tom Crowley by chance? The president of AIM?
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13 hours ago, NeilFullagar said:If I had read in the forum before ordering I likely would not have ordered. Oh well. I didn't read, I did order, and I'm wondering if the s mess will ever get straightened out.
It took several hours and considerable effort to get my order completed and accepted, but eventually it was. I was advised that I would receive an email when the device was shipped. That email would give the telephone number for the device. That was on Friday, November 24.
By the evening of Monday November 27, I wondered what the deal was so I started looking for a way to check the status. To check status on the phone, must have either account number or phone number. I had neither. Order status online required My Verizon login, which requires having account number or phone number.
After several hours of hunting, I found another, obscure order status lookup. That showed my order as "PROCESSING."
Actually, I need to go back a step to tell you yet another layer of problem. That hidden lookup path required not only the order number, which was in the confirmation, but a location code which was not given in the confirmation. The only reason I had the location code was that was given in the "action required" notice I received saying I had to fax my driver's license and Social Security card to the order review team. I called them, different number, and they said I was good to go.
Anyway, on Tuesday afternoon the 28th, with my order still shown as "PROCESSING," I called sales (can't get through the voice menu tree at customer service without account number or phone number) and was able to talk with a human by indicating that I was not currently a customer (though of course I technically was because I had ordered a device and entered into a contract.)
That human told me that the order would NEVER one out of "PROCESSING" status, though they didn't tell me why, and entered a new order for me. This may be the source of some of the later problems. Yes, there's more.
The device arrived and worked immediately. No activation issues. Speed tests both at home and at work were impressive, better than 20MB/s up and down.
Shortly after turning on the Jetpack, I received a text. (I hadn't known I could.) It said that my account had been set for paperless billing, that I could use My Verizon to view and pay my bill online, and to reply "PAPER" to switch back. That all sounded reasonable.
Thing is, there is no reply function on the Jetpack. It's not just that I can find it; Verizon's documentation says there isn't. Verizon sells them. Why is Verizon telling me to reply,
i tried and tried to get registered for My Verizon. Couldn't. Called Customer Service (since I have the phone number now) and they say that since I have only Jetpack I cannot use My Verizon. So I have to get a bill by mail, which they will set me up for.
I thought we were wrapping up when she mentioned the amount of the bill, 120-some dollars. How can that be, I asked. She explained that it was $80/month for my 10GB plan, and a $40 activation charge. I told her it was supposed to be $49.99 for "unlimited" (effectively 25GB, as we know) on Family Motor Coach Association plan. Sh first said there was no such plan, but after going off the line several times, tellling me to do all the things I had already done, and talking -she said - to FMCA, she finally said the was putting in the request for plan change for me. Mind you, it's not a "request" as far as I am concerned. I want the plan which was offered, and which I ordered and received confirmation of.
That was Tuesday Nov 5. No word yet on the change being accomplished, and the display on the device shows 0.73 GB/10 GB used.
Today I received an email from Verizon reminding me to register for My Verizon. Truely, the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing!
As frustrated as I am with Verizon, it's not just Verizon. My emails to FMCA about this have gone unanswered.
Please forward me all emails you have sent FMCA to csmith@fmca.com.
Please include your name and phone number, I will make sure someone from Verizon contacts you.
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3 hours ago, jeff753 said:Only 12% voted because of the current structure of Goverance. The current structure provides information to chapters and chapters have rallys with meetings and discuss and vote or empower their representative to vote. It works well for chapters and doesn't need to change.
Joe/Jane non chapter member are not fed information the same way. That is why 90% of the trailer votes came from the same members who put it in the agenda...chapter members. They are in the loop by design. They had rallys and sent dozens of ballots in one envelope. Goverance is geared towards chapters and those that belong to them. That seems like it will have to change if the trends continue and less and less members belong to chapters and more chapters fold. How many chapters have been created in the last 10 years? How many have folded? Is the Chapter model still the best method of inclusion? Why are members not joining and/or creating chapters? What are the benefits of a chapter compared to a group of friends? What are the disincentives of a chapter?
Only 271 National Directors voted at the last convention representing their 271 Chapters. With the average chapter of 40 people that's 10,840 people who's views were represented at the last convention out of 76,000 members. Only 271 votes (chapters only) were cast for any business in front of the Association including the election of officers. Joe/Jane member don't even know who is running. I'm not anti chapter I think they're great...they just don't represent the membership anymore. Can we do something to include all dues paying members? I think we can and should. The Areas are already broken down by state or sub area so the structure for a more inclusive representation of the Association exist.
it is interesting to note----- the only ones who can change it are the chapters:) <---- another smiley face
Where did you get your 90% of trailer votes came from chapter members? Please refrain from posting guesses as actual fact.
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1 hour ago, DAY8293A@CS.COM said:Allowing Non ''MOTOR Coach'' vehicles into a MOTOR COACH association is asinine.... It's like having cats in a dog show.... This was obviously done for the money.
I don't relish parking my Motor Home next to a Towed RV Trailer. It will be like camping in a Trailer Park. If they had at least kept the Towed Trailer parking areas separate
from the Motorized Coaches, it wouldn't be so bad. You spend big bucks on a nice Motor Home, and now have to park in a Trailer Park.
Talk about DOWN GRADING,, and DEGRADING......... I guess with the new mind set of YOU CAN BE A BOY TODAY, AND A GIRL TOMORROW,
AND USE ANY BATHROOM YOU LIKE... ANYTHING GOES ..... Liberalism has now invaded and taken over the FMCA.......
I normally only post to offer clarification and insight on issues being discussed. I have to chime in here. Comparing FMCA welcoming all RVs to social issues like sexual orientation is one of the most absurd things I have ever read. If this thread continues to go sideways I will shut it down myself.
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1 hour ago, elkhartjim said:Wow....I hope Herman didn't catch the loose lips sink ships syndrome.
I thought when Smitty posted for beta testers for the new website it was a done deal. I wonder what the name is on the new website? This has been in the works for some time, you don't just build a website in a few days.
We have been working on the new website for close to a year. Was going to be done whether a vote was out or not.
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Thank you everyone! Huge help to have members help us test. Can't wait for you to see the new website.
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Thank you!
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Hello,
To give you a better user experience, our staff has been working hard to redesign FMCA.com. We'll soon be launching a new website, and we are looking for your help to test it before we let it loose in the world. If you are interested, please sign up here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GXZRX2S
Once you sign up, keep an eye out for an email with more details. Thanks in advance for your help!
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1 hour ago, aztec7fan said:Can we get a count of the number of ballots recieved?
Chris G.
F3508s
9,537 as of 11/21.
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10 hours ago, kathylarry said:Hum, just disappointing.
Updated my Verizon account per the instructions provided by FMCA 11-8-2017. Verizon made changes and removed my veteran discount. I got a message that discount was applied.
I was still being charged 65.00, so this morning I talked to a Verizon rep and she said that you could only have one discount applied to the account, FMCA or Veterans (really?).
So then I questioned her, why am I being charged 65.00 instead of the FMCA cost of 49.99. She said that since I also have a phone on that account, I cant get that price. I would only get that price if I only had a hotspot.
I did give them the information here "FMCA has a new Verizon MIFI Member Benefit! CLICK HERE to learn more".
I knew I shouldn't have applied............
FYI.... I already had a plan through Verizon with a hotspot and phone. That plan started out as true unlimited data, then 22gig, then 10gig high speed, rest 600kps possible until 22gig, and then 15gig high speed, rest 600kps possible until 22gig. With that plan, I did get 15% veteran discount.
My high speed data quit at 15gig, so I haven't seen any type of change since I applied November 8th.
Kathlarry- see the post above from Christopherl with instructions on how to email Verizon. They will take care of your issues.
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On 11/18/2017 at 6:47 PM, BillAdams said:Has there always been an unlimited Sprint plan available to FMCA members that I (and others) was not aware of? A Sprint Unlimited plan (truly unlimited) would be so much better than this very limited unlimited 25GB Verizon plan with no contract that I can't see why this plan has not been heavily pushed in the past.
We just launched the Sprint plan this past Wednesday.
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13 hours ago, chindog said:I was contacted Friday afternoon by one of the Verizon reps who supposedly was familiar with the FMCA plan. He was unable or unwilling to send me the Jetpack at the plan price. He told me the Jetpack for $.01 was only available to new customers, and I should go to a Verizon store and buy one at whatever price a regular mifi upgrade would cost (online it's about $95). I am sending info on my situation to someone at FMCA who was in on the Verizon negotiations, and hopefully he can speak to someone at Verizon who would have the authority to help.
I would be very happy with this plan if I were getting the device for the plan price. As it is, my data plan has been switched over, and now I am under a new 2 year contract with an early termination fee of $175 to pay for a device that Verizon won't send to me.
We have been pushing Verizon for the past week to have your issue resolved. We have contacted them again this morning to explain your situation and get your straightened away. I apologize for the inconvenience...just know that we are working to get a resolution for you.
Check Out Our New Verizon MIFI Benefit!
in Membership/Benefits
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Glad to hear members are having a much easier time getting enrolled in the plan. And I agree, if 25 GB is enough for your needs, it is an excellent plan.