A few days after the nightmare with the finance department, I wrote a letter to Camping World corporate. I detailed our experience.
I recently came across this article from Chicago Business highlighting Camping World’s stock plunge. It’s worth reading. One issue covered is, the fact that Camping World sucks and their CEO, Marcus Lemonis, seems to share that description.
Lemonis set up Camping World’s IPO (initial public offering of stocks) so that he could never be removed from power. He has more voting power than any other shareholder. Shareholders are virtually unable to replace the governing body of the company because of the way Lemonis set it up. Furthermore, the board members are voted in on a rotating basis so that replacing the cronies would take years.
I checked the stock numbers and the initial offering was just over $22. The stock eventually went to $46. Today the stock price has fallen to less than $8. Stockholders seem to be SOL as the stock continues to drop and the company’s reputation drops farther than the stock. At least Lemonis has his money, and ours.
Read the article and you’ll understand even more why Camping World sucks. It’s because the Camping World CEO sucks. The trickle-down effect. After reading the article come back to this site to share your Camping World nightmare stories. Links for help with complaints appear below.
Please enjoy sharing the aggravation by reading some of our other Camping World Sucks posts. Share your Camping World sucks story here to warn others. CampingWorldSucks.net is not a monetized website, purely informational.
Moving up the ladder, Keystone, maker of so many Camping World campers, equally sucks, from what we’ve experienced. Contact them via www.ownerrelations@keystonerv.com. Thor is the parent company of Keystone. Attempt Thor custom support online or call (877) 855-2867.
Submit your Keystone RV nightmare to inform the public at KeystoneRVsucks.net. KeystoneRVsucks.net is not a monetized website, purely informational.
My Keystone Sprinter fifth wheel was eating tires at a rate of one set every two to three thousand miles. I called Keystone. They said to get it to an authorized Keystone dealer for inspection. The closest one to me was Camping World in St. Augustine, Florida (now Gander RV).
I made an appointment for an alignment and had to wait almost two months for it. On the appointed date, a Monday, I dropped it off. They said they would have an answer by Friday. Friday came and went. So did Monday.
I called on Tuesday and was told that the alignment guy never showed but he was coming the next day. They promised that I would have an answer by Friday. Well, Friday came and went. You see where this is going.
I called on, yes, Tuesday and was told the alignment guy did not show again!! But he called and told them to check how level my rig was towing when hooked up to my truck. So, they needed my truck there to check that. St. Augustine is 80 miles one way, but, I drove over there so they can check it.
I hooked up and drove to the side of the building to find a level spot. A guy came out in a golf cart, drives around my rig, and says, “Yep, she is nice and level. We just have to wait for the alignment guy.”
Done with Camping World
Okay, I have had enough and I am taking it home, “What are the damages?” I was thinking it had been there three weeks, they HAVE NOT touched it, but I figured they were going to charge me SOMETHING. Probably the posted one-hour minimum charge, $140. They wanted $460 for a diagnostic charge.
%$#%^& WHAT???
I offered them the $140 (for doing NOTHING). They said they would not let me go until the bill was paid. I said, “I am all hooked up, I am leaving.”
At first, the guy stood in front of me like he was going to get tough. As I walked around him he said he was going to call the police. I said, “Okay. Bye.”
Later that day I was at my local Goodyear store for service to my truck. I told them the whole sorry story. They said the guy who has that portable laser alignment equipment lives right down the street and was coming to do a fire truck that very afternoon. In addition, he would be happy to do my RV at that time.
I ran back home to get the RV. Yes, my Keystone Sprinter had a bent axle. How that happened I will never know. He said that he was NEVER called by Camping World about my RV and he does ALL their work.
The Goodyear shop installed thenew axle. The total axle cost, including shipping, was $1065. Goodyear charged me $480 for the install of the axle, four new bearing buddies, and two new tires.
I never heard from Camping World again. But they still have a spare set of my camper keys.
My wife and I were looking for a new camper, not at Camping World. We searched all the manufacturers and went to the camping shows. Our final choice, a brand new 2019 Keystone Cougar 367FLS.
The only one we could find in the state was at Camping World. We did see the reviews that sales were great but the service was bad. Thought you could take it to any dealer for warranty work. Come to find out that’s not true at all.
2019 Keystone Cougar 367FLS nightmare.
From jump sales were great. We went for the walk-through and they had the wrong camper. Ours was still in the same spot and nothing was done to it. We should have walked away. But sales assured us they would have it done and anything left would be fixed at our campsite.
Camping World Lies
We were given all the paperwork and the dealer knew of all the issues on the dealer acceptance form. They said it would be delivered at noon. I had help there to get it in place, leveled and set back up.
Camping World didn’t show up until 4:00 p.m. So they did come out and fix a few things. We went to use it the second time and the heat wouldn’t work. So they fixed it. Used it the third time, went to pull the slides in, and noticed the insolation on the motor wires were gone. Then we had issues with the floors.
They said at first they would fix it at the campsite, then wouldn’t. After I had to drive 120 miles round trip to have an eight minute conversation to get it set up for pickup.
I had to disassemble the campsite again and get it to the dealer. It sat for two weeks with nothing done. So, another 120-mile round trip. Two more weeks and no call. So, I called them. I was told they had to gut the whole camper to fix the issue and they were bringing in a company to do said work.
Another Delay
Another two weeks and another 120-mile drive. I demanded a new camper. Which I did get. It was like pulling teeth to get the warranty work done on that one. Finally, the walk-through was scheduled and paperwork was to be signed.
I showed up and no paperwork was ready. During the walk-through they still had stuff to do, which they did. I was promised an inside and outside protectant. I was told it would be done. It showed up and didn’t smell like it was done. I called and was told it was done on April 30th. Funny thing is that the work wasn’t started. So why would they detail and clean it put the protectant on?
Another 120 Miles
I was asked to come back a week later for the paperwork. Another 120 miles driven, sat down and was told that “I think we got it figured out. I might need you to come back.”
No way; not again. Still haven’t gotten the paperwork requested.
Never Again
Needless to say, I will never buy from Camping World or a Keystone product again. I was told that out of service time will be paid, but since I was given a new camper they considered it resolved. I had more run around crap than I could take.
A few days after the nightmare with the finance department, I wrote a letter to Camping World corporate. I detailed our experience.
The previous post, Camping World Purchase, is the first in this series. Read that post first to help you understand why we contacted Camping World Corporate.
Contacting Camping World Corporate
A few days after the nightmare with the finance department, I wrote a letter to Camping World corporate. I detailed our experience in Minnesota (and another with Idaho) and e-mailed it to a few managers. A link to the letter is below.
After I sent the letter to corporate I did get a quick response. A regional manager contacted me to apologize. He said that this was not the way they do business. I was to expect a call from the Monticello manager for an apology. Another scene in the nightmare.
The next day I got a call from a Monticello, Minnesota Camping World Manager. First, he said that he just “couldn’t believe” that his finance guy would do such a thing. After that, he said that he’d been watching him work for years. He promised that he had “never” observed anything like I was describing. In other words, we were liars.
I’m not shy or introverted and this was more than I could take. Consequently, I responded that his response was BS. He had repeatedly seen him do exactly what he had done to us, often successfully. It was his MO and badgering worked for him. He was good at it and shoving that warranty down people’s throats was his normal.
In the end, I pretty much hung up on the manager and called the regional guy back. I left a voice mail and told him not to have that jerk call me ever again. This was our last Camping World purchase. We were glad to be finished with the company. So we thought.
Our Idaho Refunds
My letter also covered an experience I had with another department at Camping World. When we bought our first fifth wheel a year earlier, we purchased GAP insurance and an extended service agreement. We found out that we could get refunds on the remaining balances of both agreements. I attempted to contact Tiffany in Meridian, Idaho where we bought our first RV. Our sales force told us she would get us our refunds.
I started e-mailing after several calls were ignored. Finally, I got a response. She sent forms to fill out and asked for our receipts. After sending everything requested I asked if she needed anything else. Tiffany assured me that she had all she’d need.
After a few days, with more of my calls ignored, I e-mailed requesting the timeframe of the refunds. She replied that we had $700 coming from the GAP. I asked about the maintenance agreement and was told that she didn’t request a refund on that because she didn’t have all the paperwork necessary.
I asked her if she had everything she needed a week before. Instead of telling me what else was required, she just planned to keep our money. Needless to say, I searched for additional paperwork and got our maintenance refund. It shouldn’t be this difficult!
The next post is the story of our warranty experience. Check it out at Camping World Warranty.
Let me preface by saying that our first Camping World experience wasn’t terrible. In Meridian, Idaho the purchase was pleasant. We’re from Colorado, but my husband was working in Idaho. While there we decided to experiment with our first RV. We bought a 2012 Keystone Cougar 278RKS. Our salesman, Brian, was patient and attentive. We made our deal without a hitch. We had that unit for one year and the only thing that ever broke was the toilet. Just wear and tear.
Our first fifth wheel. 2012 Keystone Cougar 278RKS, purchased at Camping World Meridian, Idaho.
They offered us the extended warranty, but they did not shove it down our throats. We did buy the warranty, at a reasonable price, and a GAP plan because it was a used unit. These purchases didn’t turn into a problem until we sold the used RV and requested a prorated refund. More about that in the Camping World corporate post.
Monticello, Minnesota Camping World
We decided to upgrade. We’ve learned that vehicle negotiations are always better deals up north near the holidays. So, since we happened to be in Minnesota for a job, the timing was perfect.
The Search
As it was in Idaho, the saleswoman, Jackie, was wonderful. We had a list of must-haves and a few “it would be nice” items. In our search, we visited several times. She showed us every unit we requested with patience. She never acted like we were wasting her time. Once when she had a day off, they stuck us with a salesman who did treat us like a nuisance. I can’t remember his name.
After researching
and comparing we decided on another Keystone. The manufacturer is another sad
story. Later.
Second Camping World purchase, 2018 Keystone Cougar 338 RLK interior
We didn’t want to buy new because of depreciation, but it was the only fifth wheel with everything on our list. A 2018 Keystone Cougar 338RLK won the day.
After deciding on the unit, we sat down with Jackie and the finance manager. Jackie was her usual, friendly self. The finance manager was also pleasant. We assumed we would be dealing with him throughout the process. However, that was not the case.
The Camping World Purchase
After agreeing on a price and a few terms, like keeping our mattress, the deal was made. Another stipulation was that they fix the island. Upon inspection, it was quite obviously dropped during installation. The bottom and sides were cracked. Several places had been painted over to hide the damage. The manager agreed to fix the damage to our satisfaction or replace the island completely.
A few days later we came in with our 2012 trade-in to pick up our new unit. My husband believes that the RV at final inspection was not the exact unit we’d chosen. I believe he’s right, but I didn’t care. The island was not damaged in this one, and it was the same model. After inspecting our new unit, we waited around for quite a while to sign papers.
The Closing Nightmare
After an exhausting day, we finally sat down with a finance specialist to sign the papers. It was a different man, not the manager. We were escorted to an office at the back of the store. At first, this finance guy seemed friendly. It didn’t take long to realize we were in the presence of a high-pressure badger.
To begin, he slapped down a few sheets of paper on his desk with some calculations. With no mention of the total dollar amounts, he focused only on monthly payments.
First, he showed us the monthly payment for the price we had agreed to, listing the APR we had been offered. Next, there were some taxes listed. After that was the payment for a three-year, extended warranty. We declined the warranty and he said he’d have to recalculate. He took his papers with him. Upon his return, he had a new deal that the bank “just” offered us contingent upon accepting the extended warranty. Again, we declined the warranty. He stepped back out, taking his papers with him.
Let me state here,
negotiations began at 6:00 p.m. in Minnesota on a Saturday night. The bank that
financed us is in Maryland. It was 7:00 p.m. on the east coast. There was no
one at the bank on Saturday night, so that was a blatant, repeated lie.
The Badgering
During the next approximately 90 minutes he used words like “value” and “security,” but never cost. After about 45 minutes, on one of his fictitious calls to the bank, I walked out to regain my composure. Our saleswoman was still around. I mentioned that I was about to punch this guy. She went to find him to tell him to stop chasing away her sale, to no avail. He would not give up on the extended warranty we had repeatedly refused.
At about the one-hour mark in our Camping World purchase experience, he rose to go “call the bank” again. This time, I quickly grabbed his calculations from the desk. He stopped dead in his tracks, not happy that I had his notes. I smiled and said, “I just want to crunch some numbers.”
Slowly he left the room. Using the calculator on my phone I made a startling discovery. The three-year extended warranty would cost $16,000 (yes, sixteen thousand).
In other words, we would be paying for the warranty for the 10-year life of the loan. Seven years of payments after the warranty expired. Value? After this ordeal, I got a quote for $29 per month for 72 months from the exact same company. Total: $2,088 for six years! Check actual prices here.
The badger returned to the room with a much less friendly demeanor. He had another paper with a new deal, still including the extended warranty. He was less enthusiastic when he presented his latest scam attempt. I stood up, leaned over the desk, took his pen, and proceeded to scrape the extended warranty line off his paper. I pointed to the unit’s monthly price and said, “We want this. That’s it! We want the deal we agreed to now or we walk.”
Finally, the Closing
He grabbed the ripped paper from his desk and stormed out. Upon his return, he slapped a form on the desk in front of my husband and said, “Sign it.” My husband asked, “What am I signing?” He said, “The deal you wanted.” My husband read the paper and it was not our deal. The numbers listed were at a higher interest rate for fewer years than requested. My husband pushed the paper back to him, “That’s not our deal.” Without a word he took the sheet and stomped back out.
We discussed walking out, again. If he had not come in with our deal, we would have been gone. The negotiations were complete days earlier in our eyes. Above all, this visit should have entailed just signing our agreement and driving off.
In the end, our end, he finally came back with the deal we’d made days earlier. We read every word before signing. He calmed down after a few minutes and apologized. “I just love my job,” he added. In other words, “You love ripping people off?” I asked. He shrugged.
So, at almost 8:00 p.m. our Camping World purchase was complete. Now we had to move our remaining belongings over to the new unit. We had to ask our poor, tired saleswoman to track down the only remaining service tech to help swap the mattresses. In the end, this was an ordeal we will never forget or repeat.
My Keystone Sprinter fifth wheel was eating tires at a rate of one set every two to three thousand miles. I called Keystone. They said to get it to an authorized Keystone dealer for inspection. The closest one to me was Camping World in St. Augustine, Florida (now Gander RV).
A few days after the nightmare with the finance department, I wrote a letter to Camping World corporate. I detailed our experience in Minnesota (and another with Idaho) and e-mailed it to a few managers. A link to the letter is below.
