Modern Vespa

My scooter broke down (would not start)so I called the place of purchase (I didn't have the piaggio roadside # yet because I only had the bike for a few days and had not yet received any info via the mail) The dealer gave me the # to call and advised me to have it towed to my house to try the red master key thinking that possibly the anti theft had lost the key info.
The roadside service charged me $60.00 for towing it less than 15 miles to my home. I think this is outrageous!
I do have Auto Club but didn't have my card with me.
They sent a flatbed big enough for an RV. Looked pretty funny.
I thought that the roadside service was supposed to cover up to $100.00 but when we arrived at my house with the scoot the driver presented me with a bill for $60.00 informing me that it was for such things as lifting and tie down etc. so what else could I do?
On top of that I had to trailer the scoot for service where I purchased it for repairs, leave it there and go pick it up when it was ready, a distance of 50 miles each way. (thats 200 miles) Sheeeesh!
Turned out to be an antenna related to the anti-theft device.

that is weird... piaggio roadside assistance does cover the first $100 of a tow, which granted doesn't get you very far, but it should have been covered. I recently had to have my LX towed 8 miles, and it was covered under the roadside assistance, no extra charges for tie down or anything. Granted I helped the guy with it, pushed it up the ramp myself, etc. but still. its safe to assume that your bike is still under warranty correct?

Piaggio roadside assistance is a joke.

AAA won't do you any good either without addtional motorcycle/RV coverage. Make sure you add that on. And make sure you get a Cycle Cynch and keep it in your pet carrier in case you ever need to get towed again.

+1
one tow, covering up to $100. That basically gets you on the truck nowdays. I am planning on joining AAA for emergencies like that, but I also have a roadside assistance plan on my insurance that covers a tow up to 75 miles. Much better deal.

I got my road side info in the mail the day before it expired!

AAA, RV Plus will cover your scooter (and anything else) to deliver them up to 100 miles, bring you gas or ?. Maps are then no charge at the AAA stores (you've paid your membership). There's a few other things that come with the service but those are the main things. We pay $150.00 a year. Which covers the car the scooter and motorcycle.

I never used the Vespa/Piaggio Road Service, but did use AAA a couple of time for the GTS. Ran out of gas and the spark plug wire came off and I could get it to stay attached.

Sounds like the tow truck drive made a couple extra bucks. Id send the receit to Piaggio and ask for the money back, they can only say no.

I hope I never need to use my Piaggio road side assistance.

Manny

I have RV Plus through Oregon but here in California it is nott offered by AAA.

it depends on who piaggio contracts out in your area. they should cover the first $100 of towing. charging extra for tying it down is stupid.

we've had really good service here. a friend got a flat on a monday when we were closed and not only did they pick her and her scoot up and tow her home, the came back the next morning and picked her and her scoot up at home and towed it to the shop, all for free.

Interesting timing. I just got my letter from Mr. Erk Larson - Director of Technical Services for Piaggio Group USA and my two cards for their FREE one year membership in the Piaggio Roadside Assistance Program. I would give Mr. Larson a call and see what he has to say about all of this. Good luck and keep us posted as to what he does say if you do contact him.

dale

Maybe it covers towing to the nearest repair facility rather than home?


Here's the TMI part of things:
Contract towing pays nothing. There are two or three companies in addition to AAA who contract services from local towing services. These services administer the services for all the manufacturers and other companies that offer a towing program.

These companies contract with local towing companies at set rates, with minimum service requirements i.e. response time, etc. The person on the other end of the phone is also answering the phone for BMW and GM breakdowns, and probably OnStar as well, for the more coherent ones.

In 199X AAA was paying $7 per call to change a flat, key recovery, or gas delivery. It was $25 for a 15 mile tow. RoadAmerica and the other company were paying $25 hook and .50/mile up to 20 miles, and then the towing company's 'roadside service company' rates took over - that's how you make money doing $25 tows - AAA doesn't give a crap about what happens after mile 25. CHP towing on rotation was $45 hookup and $2/mile and $45/day storage charge in South OC in the mid 90's.

Really. I'm still hoping SDG will come through for me like he did when he offered to pay 2007GTS's parking ticket. After all we did buy 2 bikes from him. Maybe he will give me some credit when I return for the first services?

I have it here in So Cal.

You're the 100th person i've heard say the exact same complaint. I think i win a toaster or something.

Perhaps the toaster will come with free "piaggio toaster assistance".

Free toaster, good for one piece of toast (end slice of the loaf only) toasted at the number 1 setting.

hahahaha ...well done.

I will have to recheck as maybe they are now offering it here too.

I saw harvey our local tow guy yesterday and asked him if AAA is paying him extra per call since gas prices are now sky high. He said that it doesn't cover the gas he uses on most calls So i suspect that AAA will be adding fees or tow companies will be doing it to recoup on the increasing gas prices. This fits in with why you had to pay extra. just my houghts

I have been told repeatedly by CSAA that the only way to get the RV package added to regular AAA coverage in No. CA is to also have AAA auto/motorcycle insurance. Sucky.

(Edited to add: I was also charged an extra $60 by the tow company contracted by Piaggio for a tow odf 5 miles.) Multi-suck.

You actually got your road side assistance info!?! That's better than some folks on here.

the best card for such emergencies is a good credit card. AAA chages $150 year, but how often do you use it? $150 would go a long way with a wrecker service. I carry a cell phone and credit card.

It would be nice if a Vespa dealer....if within a reasonable distance, would be dispatched for the tow and then be reimbursed by Piaggio.

In a perfect world.................

+1

I did this, it was only something like an extra 48 per year...(i believe).

You never know.....when you'll need a jump start or lift.

And AAA is 24hours/7 days a week there for you.

sURELY IF THE SCOOTER WAS ONLY A FEW DAYS OLD AND IT BROKEDOWN THEN IT SHOULD BE UP TO EITHER THE DEALER OR pIAGGIO TO COVER THE WHOLE COST OF RECOVERY (Ooops sorry caps lock left on) and related repairs plus getting it atl east taken to the dealers. I would certainly get in touch with Piaggio and let them know you are not a happy bunny

This has happened at least five times that I know of. Piaggio will not address this issue. Cover yourself as much as you can.

The nice thing about living in the sticks (the Catskills) is that just about everywhere I go I know some one near by who has a pick-up Truck and some ramps on hand...I'm pretty lucky since I'm still trying to figure out some of the basics in the Garage and I'd be SOL if I ever did break down.


....That said if any of y'all ever break down 'round here jus gimme a call n i'll b there in a jiffy.

(I get so much crap for riding my scooters that most of my sarcastic friends would rush to my rescue just to poke fun at me.)

If the documentation had come with the scoot when I purchased it at least I would have had some information on the coverage and what to do.
I still have not received anything from Piaggio.

"Bend over, grab ankles" pretty much sums up the Roadside Assistance service and what to do.

wait a minute.. did Piaggio charge you?

Or did the truck driver just hand you a bill, who'd your payment go to? Piaggio or joe shmoe truck driver?

+2 My Piaggio coverage just expired, so I added the RV/motorcycle coverage to my AAA policy. I think it was approx $27/year - for me, the piece of mind is worth it

The $60.00 was payable to the joe schmoe road service.
The bill states /finish/coverage/ which leads me to believe that they are actually getting $160.00 for the entire ordeal. What a racket.

In all fairness I need to say that the service at the dealership in Thousand Oaks, CA. was incredible. These people are on the ball. They located the problem with the scoot within 12 hours, had the part in stock, and called me immediately when it was ready. Talk about dedicated technicians

amazing. i've never in all my life had a shop actually call me when my vehicle was finished being fixed.

stay with them!

HAD TO PAY $60.00 ABOVE PIAGGIO ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE!!!
Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:43 am
My scooter broke down (would not start)so I called the place of purchase (I didn't have the piaggio roadside # yet because I only had the bike for a few days and had not yet received any info via the mail) The dealer gave me the # to call and advised me to have it towed to my house to try the red master key thinking that possibly the anti theft had lost the key info.
The roadside service charged me $60.00 for towing it less than 15 miles to my home. I think this is outrageous!
I do have Auto Club but didn't have my card with me.
They sent a flatbed big enough for an RV. Looked pretty funny.
I thought that the roadside service was supposed to cover up to $100.00 but when we arrived at my house with the scoot the driver presented me with a bill for $60.00 informing me that it was for such things as lifting and tie down etc. so what else could I do?
On top of that I had to trailer the scoot for service where I purchased it for repairs, leave it there and go pick it up when it was ready, a distance of 50 miles each way. (thats 200 miles) Sheeeesh!
Turned out to be an antenna related to the anti-theft device.


If piaggio won't honor their warranty service, why not sue them in small claims court? If enough of us did this, they would either start providing the service promised or stop pretending like they have a road side service that they won't delivery on.