BigosS

Watch out for this if you choose Boat US towing.

Last year I changed from SeaTow to BoatUS towing, simply because I judged BoatUS to have better coverage in the northern Bahamas, where I spend most of my boating time. I've never needed a tow from either company, and never had reason to complain about either one. My BoatUS membership anniversary is in February. I've been a BoatUS member for some years and have my insurance through them. I decided in June to change to BoatUS towing as that is when my SeaTow policy expired. I was charged an entire year premium of $157, and assumed I received a one year long towing policy. It turns out that BoatUS charges the entire year fee, but I only received coverage to my anniversary date in February this year, about 8 months worth. My towing expires on my membership anniversary date. I'm amazed that such a normally stand-up and highly respected organization would do this and never explain it clearly up front before coverage is purchased. I'm not going to bad mouth the organization, not going to drop my insurance, and might even choose them again for towing, just disappointed and feeling somewhat ripped off.

C Skip R

Contact the insurance commission in Tallahassee.

ElyseM

if you already had a membership and then later added towing, that was probably the time to ask if it is flat rate or prorate over the remaining period. if you call them directly, they may do something for you on this renewal. ron

jack14

That is interesting and doesn't seem fair. I also have my towing and insurance with BoatUS. Why not try calling them to maybe resolve it? I would. Maybe they can offer you a credit towards the renewal to even things up. I think they will be receptive especially if you mention that you dropped SeaTow to go with them.

rwidman

I think you already have.

I'll bet if you contact the right person and you're nice about it, they will make things right with you one way or the other. I am a long time TowBoatUS member.

BigosS

I did call them, they admitted this is their policy and can't do anything about it. I may try going up the food chain.

jack14

Yeah, good move. You probably got a low echelon person in CS and they really can't do anything about it. Try going up the ladder to someone in a supervisory position or above. Courteous persistence usually works.

t3rockhall

Whether it's SeaTow or TowBoat/US, or any other towing service, it isn't considered "insurance." It's simply a service contract, like AAA. Call Boat US, though. They're usually pretty good about it.

TowBoatCaptain

Call the Boat U.S. membership department your coverage with them is for a year..They do not have eight month memberships. When you signed up did u do it at a west marine or did u call Tow Boat US directly. I am a captain for them and can tell you they will do what they can to make it right..There is a reason we have double the members as sea tow.

BigosS

I signed up online at the BoatUS site.

I know your intent is correct, but what you stated is incorrect as far as the coverage is for one year. Coverage lasts until the member's next anniversary date. If you update your BoatUS tow coverage 1 day before your anniversary, you get one day's coverage. This one day coverage costs 6 month's worth of premium. In my case, since I upgraded at 8 months, I paid a 12 month premium for 8 months of coverage. That was how the BoatUS phone rep explained it to me yesterday. The only way to get a full year of coverage at the cost of one year premium is to activate/upgrade your tow coverage on your anniversary date. I did assume, as you stated, that coverage is automatically for one year. It is not, unless initiated on the anniversary.

From BoatUS "All towing services run concurrent with your BoatU.S.
Membership, expire with your current years BoatU.S. Membership....."

tommyr904

where did you get your Sea Tow numbers?

Bostonian1976

my online account at myboatus.com says I only have the 50 dollar towing package. (I have the 150 unlimited). I contacted them about it and they said 'oh yeah, that happens' lol

KeyPineSavage

This thread hacked me off a ton when I read it. I HATE this kind of "hidden little charge" crap, and expect better from Boat US. So when my membership came up for renewal this month, tonight I sent them the following email. (This was to the "towing" email address.)

-0-0-0-

Hey People

Renewed my membership tonight, and while here decided to send you an email about one issue that is troubling me. I am referring to the fairly well-hidden fact that the towing policy or policies will only have the same effective and expiration dates as a member's basic membership. This came to my attention on one of my boating groups lately where a group of pretty disgruntled people claimed that when they had added towing options to their Boat US memberships, paying for a full year, they had received coverage only for the time remaining on their current memberships but been charged for a full year.

Given the nature of our organization, I could hardly believe this. It is a really sleazy practice, but turns out it is true. It never applied to me since (though I had belonged to Boat US for a few years years ago) when I recently (2007) rejoined Boat US I also got towing coverage at the same time, so of course, my years coincided.

But tonight, since I was here anyway, I took a look in depth at the towing materials and, guess what? They were telling the truth. What is REALLY disturbing about this sleazoid practice is that it is not mentioned ANYWHERE on the basic website screens about the towing options, but appears only down at the end of the one section on towing agreements.

Obviously, either a new insurer should pay only a pro-rate for service until the expiration date of his membership OR he should be informed about this, and be given the chance to adjust his membership year to run 12 months from the towing coverage signup date.

I know it is not a lot of money, but these sort of practices are so much like the cell phone and Wal-Mart finance departments or AARP taking kickbacks (ooops, pardon me, "commissions") from United Health without telling the membership and so little like this organization that they should be stopped, now. It’s embarrassing, and will eventually shoot us/you in the foot. If you think people don’t notice crap like this you’re crazy. And all, as the cop in “Fargo” said, “for a little bit of money.” You’d throw away the reputation built here for decades for “a little bit of money?”

I’m also sending this to the executive offices as soon as I can ferret out their email, but in the meantime do something. (And DON’T send me a “PR type” response. No response is way better than a PR Department response.)

Regards,
Member xxxxxxx, # nnnnnn

usmarinekurt

Pointing out a valid fact is not bad mouthing.If the guy got charged for 12 months & is only getting 8 its a RIPOFF. Good thing he spotted it. Any company deserves to have unfair business practices pointed out.

Funny I just got my renewal yesterday & was going to blindly trustingly sign & mail a check to Boat US. Clearly now will be re-evaluating who I hand my money to.
I hate that BS.

BigosS

I ended up renewing my BoatUS membership two days ago, only because I have BoatUS vessel insurance. I decided to not renew my BoatUS tow policy, going to go with SeaTow instead I think at this point. I definitely would have renewed my BoatUS tow policy, but just won't deal with them any more than I need to given that they have this crazy policy in effect.

KPS, thanks for bringing this back up and for sending your letter. My phone call to BoatUS was not very helpful.

billinstuart

I've found BoatUS to be pretty compliant about problems. I agree that maybe you just haven't pushed the right button yet. It isn't right, even if it's "policy".

I've been with BoatUS since before the West takeover..I wouldn't exactly say things have improved since the takeover, although I like our local West stores.

Ft Myers Ken

Well, they just lost me as a customer too! Hellooo SEA-TOW. Even though this unfair practive didnt directly cost me any money because my dates match up....I just won't knowingly do business with weasels.
Bye-bye BoatUS

usmarinekurt

I guess the issue I have is-we should be able to TRUST that a company is giving us what we pay for. It is a crappy policy & clearly upper management knows it is there.

Local Motion

There ya go! To heck with those weasels who use a computor program for billing. Toss away unlimited coverage in trade for only 2500 dollars worth because someone seems 52 dollars and 33 cents short on a partial year of premium cost, which he may in fact wind up getting credit for.

I am not seeing how that math works out for ya?

Actually, both companies are great and the deciding factor for which to use should depend on boating area. Some areas can be better for one company over the other, some have more boats, some have better boats for offshore, etc.

CB Haws

Should we call the "Waaaaaabluance" for the cry babies?