Horrible MOA experience

[bdfbeemer]

Walked by the bike yesterday and darn a flat rear tire. Nail in the middle of tread. 3K miles on tire. Pumped it up and limped to dealer, three miles away. Showed them the MOA card. They called and MOA has this long check list to fill out plus pics. Four phone calls later and MOA still hasn't approved paying for the tire. Tire met all the requirements for replacement. They quit answering the phone. The service writer went above the call of duty on a busy day to get the tire covered. He said I could leave the bike and he would continue to call MOA or he would discount the tire. I went with the discount. This ordeal transpired over a period of three hours. I have used the tire replacement two other times over the years and it had been seamless. When my membership is up I will not renew. It shouldn't be this hard to get coverage. Very dissatisfied.
tire sellers do not like these hassles.

 

[rick601]

Walked by the bike yesterday and darn a flat rear tire. Nail in the middle of tread. 3K miles on tire. Pumped it up and limped to dealer, three miles away. Showed them the MOA card. They called and MOA has this long check list to fill out plus pics. Four phone calls later and MOA still hasn't approved paying for the tire. Tire met all the requirements for replacement. They quit answering the phone. The service writer went above the call of duty on a busy day to get the tire covered. He said I could leave the bike and he would continue to call MOA or he would discount the tire. I went with the discount. This ordeal transpired over a period of three hours. I have used the tire replacement two other times over the years and it had been seamless. When my membership is up I will not renew. It shouldn't be this hard to get coverage. Very dissatisfied.
tire sellers do not like these hassles.

Even the last successful account of replacement sounded like more hoops than I would have the patience for-Given the mixed reviews of the process...I'd pass on it too. My MOA membership- so far- is not based on the tire replacement program.

 

[MCMXCIVRS]

I've never subscribed to the tire coverage or for that matter any other roadside coverage other than that provided through BMWs standard warranty. I've been fortunate to have had few incidents where it would have been needed and consider those times as just part of the cost of riding and travelling. The price of a new tire does not seem like it's worth the hassle of trying to make the claim or getting a shop to deal with it.

 

[20774]

What tire replacement service did you sign up for? Was it one of the roadside assistance plan?

 

[bdfbeemer]

What ever the platinum plan, plan F, covers. Tire was discounted 70 bucks, total cost was around $330. Road 5 GT. Considering I paid extra for the coverage and the coast of tire I think it was worth it to try and use the plan. Like I said the other two claims were great.

 

[BC1100S]

Like I said the other two claims were great.

"But two outta three ain't bad."

 

[exgman]

Walked by the bike yesterday and darn a flat rear tire. Nail in the middle of tread. 3K miles on tire. Pumped it up and limped to dealer, three miles away. Showed them the MOA card. They called and MOA has this long check list to fill out plus pics. Four phone calls later and MOA still hasn't approved paying for the tire. Tire met all the requirements for replacement. They quit answering the phone. The service writer went above the call of duty on a busy day to get the tire covered. He said I could leave the bike and he would continue to call MOA or he would discount the tire. I went with the discount. This ordeal transpired over a period of three hours. I have used the tire replacement two other times over the years and it had been seamless. When my membership is up I will not renew. It shouldn't be this hard to get coverage. Very dissatisfied.
tire sellers do not like these hassles.

Well, bdfbeemer I'm sorry to read of your negative experience using the Platinum Roadside plan. There are some specific requirements for using it for a tire replacement, and it seems like you didn't follow them. I recently used it, had a very positive experience and wrote up a description for the May 2021 ON magazine. I certainly agree as I noted in the article that the requirements are demanding. They're the member's burden to shoulder. You could take a look here (https://www.bmwmoa.org/page/roadside) to see the requirements. Since you've replaced your tire through the dealer, I don't think you can recover anything at this point, however. There is a pre-authorization requirement which you didn't meet.

John Gamel

 

[20774]

It would be nice to have a debrief at some point. But bdfbeemer did initially post "Tire met all the requirements for replacement." I presume that was determined by the dealer.

 

[exgman]

It would be nice to have a debrief at some point. But bdfbeemer did initially post "Tire met all the requirements for replacement." I presume that was determined by the dealer.

Kurt - based on how bdfbeemer described the puncture, it certainly did seem to meet the requirements...center of tread puncture, 3,000 miles on the tire. However, the dealer is not the gatekeeper for the process...it's the NIU company in Florida which is the initial point of contact for the member for pre-authorization for replacement. Showing a membership card to a dealer is fine, but NIU provides the initial pre-authorization, and then relies on the dealer for a complete description of the tire, hazard encountered, tread-depth measurement, and photos to move to the next step. It's all in the fine print. Again, the burden is on the member, not the dealer.

 

[cabnfvr]

I usually stay out of these types of threads but I feel it is important to note that you did not have a "Horrible MOA Experience". What you had was a horrible tire repair experience. The fine print does make the replacement overly complicated IMO but the requirements cannot be met by the dealer. This one's mostly on you, even if that's hard to accept.

 

[flyhi2cfar]

"but NIU provides the initial pre-authorization, and then relies on the dealer for a complete description of the tire, hazard encountered, tread-depth measurement, and photos to move to the next step. It's all in the fine print. Again, the burden is on the member, not the dealer."


My experience with the tire authorization process, as I've stood in front of the businessman: His look of distain as I'm describing the requirements.

Dealer's don't much care for the process. Their business model is simply not tailored for the delay of sale and service this program usually demands.

Pictures, phone calls taking their time with questions, tread depth measurements, ect.

I think the real burden toward conformance is on them, and they didn't sign up for that.

Omit one step, and you buy you a new tire AND you've paid for a PLATINUM P.I.T.A.

My opinion.

 

[rangerreece]

Buck in Greensboro, NC

I’m sorry your experience with this MOA program was not to your satisfaction. I too have the platinum coverage and have used it twice. As Nation Safe Driver is a third party insurance carrier, whose customer service personnel often have to be educated over the phone about motorcycles, it can be frustrating at times to make a claim. Both times I used it, it was for a puncture in my rear tire with lots of milage left on them. We will continue to work on making this particular benefit more seamless and practical for our members.

I encourage you to stay in the club, if necessary, without platinum coverage, and discover the reason so many of us are loyal, long-time members.

Ride safe, I hope to see you at a club event sir.

With much Respect:

Reece

 

[cap]

I have been buying the platinum plan for about 6 years. My luck has been good, and I have never had to use it. But the reason I buy the plan is to provide assistance when I am out on a tour, in case I need a tow or I need to replace a punctured tire. There have been more than a few of these stories posted by users frustrated by the plan provider. And it seems to me that they share a common theme -- that if you happen to be away from home, and have some urgency to get the problem fixed quickly so that you don't ruin your trip, then this plan provider will make it hard enough for you that you give up and do what you need to do to resume your voyage at your own expense.

I can imagine that if I picked up a nail in my tire near home, and noticed the flat the next time I looked at the bike in the garage, then I would be willing to jump through the hoops to have the plan provider pay for the repair.

But the spirit of this platinum plan is that it serves as "trip insurance." And from my perspective, a big part of "trip insurance" is that your trip doesn't get ruined while you spend a couple of days playing phone tag with the insurance company, and racking up hotel bills, and burning through your precious vacation time, and/or forcing your riding buddies to hang around while you get your bike fixed. There have been enough of these reports here that I am persuaded to stop buying the platinum plan, which frankly is the primary reason that I pay my dues.

I can't believe that I am the only member who feels this way. So, while the poor service of the plan provider is not a direct reflection on the MOA, it should nevertheless be a serious concern.

Cap
MOA #97828

 

[20774]

^^ I'm with Cap! Seems like there are spokes of this that make it so confusing. The member has the onus on them from what some have said. But the insurance company is obtuse and playing hard ball. Then the dealer doesn't really know what's going on.

When you have a car accident or a ding on your car, it's relatively simple to call your insurance company and get directions to the nearest claim center. Heck, I think USAA lets you take pictures of the dame and sent that in to get the process started. Seems like with this platinum service, there should be a central number available 24/7 to call and get the process going. Seems like the results might by one of three things. 1) The agent says you're not covered. 2) The agent is not sure but authorizes a repair fix to get the rider back on the road...details to be worked out later. 3) Agent says you're 100% covered and directs the dealer to take care of the situation at the earliest possible convenience.

Motorcyclists are such a small part of the vehicle world but seems like the insurance side of this needs to be revamped to make it better for the end user.

 

[marcopolo]

I would describe this as a "horrible" experience with the tire insurance benefit, not with the MOA writ large, nor a compelling rationale for not renewing MOA membership, but each to his own. Given the relatively few flat tires I've had, I didn't see the upside to paying extra for this coverage (and I will admit I don't recall exactly what the benefit costs). As for the inclusion of trip interruption benefits, in addition to the tire coverage, I'd suggest many (most?) people already have that coverage - and more - through their moto insurance policies.

 

[pglaves]

I carry a 12 volt air pump and tire repair kit. I also have roadside assistance towing service through Allstate RV. If I get a puncture I repair it. If unhappy with the repair I find the nearest decent motorcycle shop to buy a tire. If unable to accomplish a repair I would use my roadside assistance plan to get towed to the nearest qualified service facility; ie, a shop that can sell and mount a new tire. I do not need tire insurance from a company that makes getting paid for a tire difficult. So I am a lifetime BMW MOA member with no need for the premium aggravation plan.

 

[rick601]

I have been buying the platinum plan for about 6 years. My luck has been good, and I have never had to use it. But the reason I buy the plan is to provide assistance when I am out on a tour, in case I need a tow or I need to replace a punctured tire. There have been more than a few of these stories posted by users frustrated by the plan provider. And it seems to me that they share a common theme -- that if you happen to be away from home, and have some urgency to get the problem fixed quickly so that you don't ruin your trip, then this plan provider will make it hard enough for you that you give up and do what you need to do to resume your voyage at your own expense.

I can imagine that if I picked up a nail in my tire near home, and noticed the flat the next time I looked at the bike in the garage, then I would be willing to jump through the hoops to have the plan provider pay for the repair.

But the spirit of this platinum plan is that it serves as "trip insurance." And from my perspective, a big part of "trip insurance" is that your trip doesn't get ruined while you spend a couple of days playing phone tag with the insurance company, and racking up hotel bills, and burning through your precious vacation time, and/or forcing your riding buddies to hang around while you get your bike fixed. There have been enough of these reports here that I am persuaded to stop buying the platinum plan, which frankly is the primary reason that I pay my dues.

I can't believe that I am the only member who feels this way. So, while the poor service of the plan provider is not a direct reflection on the MOA, it should nevertheless be a serious concern.

Cap
MOA #97828

You are NOT the only member that feels that way. The description of the process in ON magazine was well written and clear but accepting of an unacceptable "insurance" policy. The description of the calls and documentation and time was almost a parody- except it was the actual process. If it had been Reipe's column it would have been hilarious. This coverage may have a place- not for me nor roadside emergency tire replacement.

 

[Paul_F]

I have the platinum plan and only used it once for a tow when my one wheel trailer's tire became unseated. I was stuck on the highway shoulder, over a thousand miles from home, quite unfamiliar with the area. The insurance company would not send a truck until I located a tire shop. My thought that a local tow truck driver would know a local tire shop did not change their decision to send me a truck. Without the assistance of a state LEO, I expect it would have taken a good deal longer to locate a shop and hence a tow. I certainly would not rate the insurance company as friendly nor exactly helpful. Yes a truck did show up with a helpful and friendly driver, after I called in a shop address, but the company's overall response increased the frustration of the situation. I did not bother to put a claim in for replacement tire.

 

[rick601]

I have the platinum plan and only used it once for a tow when my one wheel trailer's tire became unseated. I was stuck on the highway shoulder, over a thousand miles from home, quite unfamiliar with the area. The insurance company would not send a truck until I located a tire shop. My thought that a local tow truck driver would know a local tire shop did not change their decision to send me a truck. Without the assistance of a state LEO, I expect it would have taken a good deal longer to locate a shop and hence a tow. I certainly would not rate the insurance company as friendly nor exactly helpful. Yes a truck did show up with a helpful and friendly driver, after I called in a shop address, but the company's overall response increased the frustration of the situation. I did not bother to put a claim in for replacement tire.

AAA has a reasonably priced motorcycle program. No tire service per se but a 200 mile tow... (or carry LOL) I've used them for a jumpstart in a sketchy neighborhood and my son used his membership for a car tow to a dealer (and it wasn't his car- but the driver is covered, not the car!) I was never a particular FAN of AAA...but I'm feeling better about them reading this thread. Let's not forget ALL these guys are for profit, so the odds need be in their favor OR they can limit the number of uses permitted. Looks like the MOA affiliated plan lowers the odds by making it a pain to use, AAA seems to make it easy but limits the number of times per year you can use them.

 

[cjcs]

AAA has a reasonably priced motorcycle program. No tire service per se but a 200 mile tow.

AAA reduced their tow limit from 200 to 100 miles some time ago.