Use Extreme Caution with American Coach

[DBH]

5 months ago I purchased a new American Coach Eagle - the top of their line.

When I took it in for a few small issues, a technician at their regional center noticed that the air mattress from the sofa bed was missing and had been replaced with a cheap thin substitute.

NOTE - this is an American Coach employee.

I contacted American Coach about the missing air mattress and was told they decided NOT to fit an air mattress to THIS particular coach (to be clear, not this model, not this year...THIS PARTICULAR COACH!)

When I pointed out that the sales literature stated that ALL American Eagles come with an air mattress I was told....

"On the back page in small print is a disclaimer that says we can change the price, material or finishes with notice"....

Seriously?  I now have to get the brochure and check every item is installed.

That's like looking at a brochure that says the vehicle comes with nav system - then finding they didn't bother to fit one on this one particular car.

Appalling sharp practice - slippery language - and not what you should expect from a reputable manufacturer.

You need to use extreme caution when buying an American Coach - and make sure they fitted everything that is in the brochure as a 'standard fitting'.... or you might just find they left out a few things and when you call them... well, guess what...... "your tough luck!"

 

[kaypsmith]

I think that a call to the BBB would be in order, I would start at the dealer states level, then American Coach level. I would have responded that their disclaimer had no notice to me at the time of purchase.

[manholt]

Sounds like a new Eagle to me!  But what do I know.  Have a feeling AC is not the only manufacturer doing this...

[DBH]

1 hour ago, kaypsmith said:

I think that a call to the BBB would be in order, I would start at the dealer states level, then American Coach level. I would have responded that their disclaimer had no notice to me at the time of purchase.

Thanks - thats a good suggestion.    But such a pity that we have to resort to the BBB when purchasing a coach with a price tag of $750,000!

Really surprised that they took the view 'TOUGH, we can legally do this!'

Kinda sets the feeling for future purchases for me!

[richard5933]

Was this the only thing on your coach they got wrong? Before we have a public lynching and drag the company's dead body through the street I think that more information is needed.

I'm not saying I wouldn't be upset. I would be. I'm just saying that in the scope of a vehicle this large, with this many systems, and with this large of a price tag a change from one mattress type to another isn't the worst thing in the world. I've read of many people that had far worse problems due to poor workmanship or low quality of parts.

Often times manufacturers swap out things like this because they run into a conflict during construction that was not anticipated when the order was taken. I would want to find out WHY they substituted the mattress like they did. Was it because they were just out of stock the day your coach's couch was installed? In that case, I'd push a manager to get things made right. Or, did they discover that something else conflicted with the air mattress and they had to choose between the two? (Like, it would have been too tall to fit with other chosen furniture, etc.) Maybe some other option you had requested used the power outlet that would be needed. Maybe they were having problems with the durability of the air mattresses. Maybe this or maybe that. Odds are that there is a paper record somewhere with the build sheet with some notes from production about what happened (or a digital version of same).

What seems most upsetting is that they didn't pick up the phone and discuss this with you before you took delivery. If they had taken the time to contact you and involve you in the decision I'm sure you would not be so upset. They didn't do that and they should be pushed to make it right. To make matters worse, the person you spoke with at the company about this needs a lesson in customer service. The correct answer should have been something like "please allow me a few days to research this and find out what happened" followed by another phone call explaining things and then offering a solution that made you happy.

However, until more information is available I'm not sure that bad mouthing the whole company in a public forum for this is warranted.

[campcop]

17 hours ago, DBH said:

Thanks - thats a good suggestion.    But such a pity that we have to resort to the BBB when purchasing a coach with a price tag of $750,000!

Really surprised that they took the view 'TOUGH, we can legally do this!'

Kinda sets the feeling for future purchases for me!

Whoever you spoke with surely needs a few lessons in customer service, unless.....you were less than civil with him or her. But in any case, my first response would be to write the President of the company with your complaint and ask that the correct mattress be provided.

[greenbarn1]

Looking at a American coach and salesman said they are having trouble with warranty claims with sleep # warranting bed. Especially at high altitude they are failing  

Carl 2004 American tradition 

[manholt]

Mine have not failed yet...I spend Summer in CO.

On your other Post your looking at 2018 Fleetwood Discovery...American Coach is a Fleetwood, but totally different animal.

[greenbarn1]

Manholt, I am looking at both and yes I am aware they are different animals. I currently own a American tradition. Thanks again for all your help. 

Carl 2004 American tradition 40w Spartan 122,000

 

[elkhartjim]

Wow....huge difference in an American Coach and the Discovery. How did you decide to narrow it down to those two?

[greenbarn1]

Was looking at a 2015 American revolution at dealer and saw a discovery LXE.  I wasn't familiar with this discovery model. Check out one of there brochures. Coach has all the right stuff. 8.9 ISL, 3000 mh allision transmission, one piece fiberglass roof, 3 a/c, truma  tankless hot water, girard power patio awning e.t.c. Wood work inside was beautiful and fit and finish was solid. I thought the build sheet was for a higher end coach not a lowly discovery. I am told fleetwood wants to make this there flagship of their line. Being a American coach owner I was surprised to see so much coach for the money. They probably would have been better off using a different name and get away from the discovery badge. 

 Carl 2004 American tradition 40w

[jleamont]

12 hours ago, greenbarn1 said:

sleep # warranting bed

I have heard of this being a problem for some. I cannot imagine how it would be warranty, its not a defect just a lack of attention to detail on the consumers side. You go up in altitude you should deflate the bed or it could POP. I guess for some if your number is lower it wouldn't matter, but mine is 85, for me I would think it would need to be deflated before climbing a mountain. 

[elkhartjim]

3 hours ago, greenbarn1 said:

Was looking at a 2015 American revolution at dealer and saw a discovery LXE.  I wasn't familiar with this discovery model. Check out one of there brochures. Coach has all the right stuff. 8.9 ISL, 3000 mh allision transmission, one piece fiberglass roof, 3 a/c, truma  tankless hot water, girard power patio awning e.t.c. Wood work inside was beautiful and fit and finish was solid. I thought the build sheet was for a higher end coach not a lowly discovery. I am told fleetwood wants to make this there flagship of their line. Being a American coach owner I was surprised to see so much coach for the money. They probably would have been better off using a different name and get away from the discovery badge. 

 Carl 2004 American tradition 40w

I must have looked at one last August that made it off the assembly line with no inspections. Did you drive it? The rattles were so bad I only made it to the first turn before I could get back to the dealer. According to the salesman, the dash rattle you just learn to live with because they haven't been able to fix it on any previous units sold. He said it's a design problem that Fleetwood has not figured out how to repair. My wife commented how badly the fit and finish was so like said, this one was missed by the inspection department.

I'm really surprised Fleetwood is using a 12400 front axle on a 41 foot unit.  

[greenbarn1]

Yes I drove one Monday at general rv in Tampa. Drove fine and no dash rattles. Front axle does seem to small. My tradition scaled out at Spartan at 12770 front 19680 rear. 

[five]

DBH, you are talking to the wrong people, call the factory if you want to get your coach fixed.  Sent you a PM.

[campcop]

On 3/9/2018 at 8:34 AM, jleamont said:

I have heard of this being a problem for some. I cannot imagine how it would be warranty, its not a defect just a lack of attention to detail on the consumers side. You go up in altitude you should deflate the bed or it could POP. I guess for some if your number is lower it wouldn't matter, but mine is 85, for me I would think it would need to be deflated before climbing a mountain. 

I agree, we even had a bag of potato chips explode. We bought the bag on the east coast at sea level. The bag exploded at about 6300 feet in NM. Certainly got our attention.

[jleamont]

34 minutes ago, campcop said:

we even had a bag of potato chips explode.

WOW!!

[DBH]

On 2/7/2018 at 6:37 PM, kaypsmith said:

I think that a call to the BBB would be in order, I would start at the dealer states level, then American Coach level. I would have responded that their disclaimer had no notice to me at the time of purchase.

Did that - also pointed out that they STILL show the air mattress as standard equipment in their 2018 model Eagle (on American Coach's website) and received the following response from Larry Rodgers (National Owner Relations Manager)

 “We failed to remove the description in the 2018 Brochure. We have a statement in all brochures “Prices, materials, design and specifications are subject to change without notice.”

Larry did, however, offer to fit an Air-Mattress to the coach FOR AN EXTRA COST.... terrible ...a coach with a price tag of over $750,000 and they want to charge EXTRA for items they list as standard equipement!

 

[DBH]

On 2/7/2018 at 8:16 PM, DBH said:

Thanks - thats a good suggestion.    But such a pity that we have to resort to the BBB when purchasing a coach with a price tag of $750,000!

Really surprised that they took the view 'TOUGH, we can legally do this!'

Kinda sets the feeling for future purchases for me!

Did that - contacted BBB - also pointed out that they STILL show the air mattress as standard equipment in their 2018 model Eagle (on American Coach's website) and received the following response from Larry Rodgers (National Owner Relations Manager)

 “We failed to remove the description in the 2018 Brochure. We have a statement in all brochures “Prices, materials, design and specifications are subject to change without notice.”

Larry did, however, offer to fit an Air-Mattress to the coach FOR AN EXTRA COST.... terrible ...a coach with a price tag of over $750,000 and they want to charge EXTRA for items they list as standard equipment!

[DBH]

On 2/8/2018 at 4:53 AM, richard5933 said:

Was this the only thing on your coach they got wrong? Before we have a public lynching and drag the company's dead body through the street I think that more information is needed.

I'm not saying I wouldn't be upset. I would be. I'm just saying that in the scope of a vehicle this large, with this many systems, and with this large of a price tag a change from one mattress type to another isn't the worst thing in the world. I've read of many people that had far worse problems due to poor workmanship or low quality of parts.

Often times manufacturers swap out things like this because they run into a conflict during construction that was not anticipated when the order was taken. I would want to find out WHY they substituted the mattress like they did. Was it because they were just out of stock the day your coach's couch was installed? In that case, I'd push a manager to get things made right. Or, did they discover that something else conflicted with the air mattress and they had to choose between the two? (Like, it would have been too tall to fit with other chosen furniture, etc.) Maybe some other option you had requested used the power outlet that would be needed. Maybe they were having problems with the durability of the air mattresses. Maybe this or maybe that. Odds are that there is a paper record somewhere with the build sheet with some notes from production about what happened (or a digital version of same).

What seems most upsetting is that they didn't pick up the phone and discuss this with you before you took delivery. If they had taken the time to contact you and involve you in the decision I'm sure you would not be so upset. They didn't do that and they should be pushed to make it right. To make matters worse, the person you spoke with at the company about this needs a lesson in customer service. The correct answer should have been something like "please allow me a few days to research this and find out what happened" followed by another phone call explaining things and then offering a solution that made you happy.

However, until more information is available I'm not sure that bad mouthing the whole company in a public forum for this is warranted.

I tried calling American Coach - I even contacted AC through BBB.

I pointed out that all the literature and even their website stated that this is standard equipment .... I went so far as to point out that they are still showing the air-mattress as standard equipment on the 2018 model of the American Eagle....

I received the following response from Larry Rodgers (National Owner Relations Manager)

 “We failed to remove the description in the 2018 Brochure. We have a statement in all brochures “Prices, materials, design and specifications are subject to change without notice.”

Larry did, however, offer to fit an Air-Mattress to the coach FOR AN EXTRA COST.... terrible ...a coach with a price tag of over $750,000 and they want to charge EXTRA for items they list as standard equipement!

[DBH]

On 2/8/2018 at 1:42 PM, campcop said:

Whoever you spoke with surely needs a few lessons in customer service, unless.....you were less than civil with him or her. But in any case, my first response would be to write the President of the company with your complaint and ask that the correct mattress be provided.

Your right - I was irritated by the tone and lack of interest by Joy the rep I spoke with at AC.   But I only became so after she said they could change whatever they liked without prior notice - so there was nothing she or AC would do about it. 

 

I even asked if that meant they could advertise the Eagle as having a 150 gallon diesel tank and substitute it with a 50 gallon one without telling any customer - she replied "yes, if we want to"!

I contacted them through BBB:

I received the following response from Larry Rodgers (National Owner Relations Manager)

 “We failed to remove the description in the 2018 Brochure. We have a statement in all brochures “Prices, materials, design and specifications are subject to change without notice.”

Larry did, however, offer to fit an Air-Mattress to the coach FOR AN EXTRA COST.... terrible ...a coach with a price tag of over $750,000 and they want to charge EXTRA for items they list as standard equipement!

[DBH]

On 3/10/2018 at 9:57 AM, FIVE said:

DBH, you are talking to the wrong people, call the factory if you want to get your coach fixed.  Sent you a PM.

Did that - also pointed out that they STILL show the air mattress as standard equipment in their 2018 model Eagle (on American Coach's website) and received the following response from Larry Rodgers (National Owner Relations Manager)

 “We failed to remove the description in the 2018 Brochure. We have a statement in all brochures “Prices, materials, design and specifications are subject to change without notice.”

Larry did, however, offer to fit an Air-Mattress to the coach FOR AN EXTRA COST.... terrible ...a coach with a price tag of over $750,000 and they want to charge EXTRA for items they list as standard equipement!

[DBH]

On 3/8/2018 at 9:07 PM, greenbarn1 said:

Looking at a American coach and salesman said they are having trouble with warranty claims with sleep # warranting bed. Especially at high altitude they are failing  

Carl 2004 American tradition 

I pointed out that they STILL show the air mattress as standard equipment in their 2018 model Eagle (on American Coach's website) and received the following response from Larry Rodgers (National Owner Relations Manager)

 “We failed to remove the description in the 2018 Brochure. We have a statement in all brochures “Prices, materials, design and specifications are subject to change without notice.”

Larry did, however, offer to fit an Air-Mattress to the coach FOR AN EXTRA COST.... terrible ...a coach with a price tag of over $750,000 and they want to charge EXTRA for items they list as standard equipement!