Hagerty Nighmare

[Hector G.]

As part of my policy, I signed up for their road side assistance. Big mistake! I was told by Hagerty that this was a very good service and that the tow truck companies they use are vetted professionals. Based on my experience, that turned out to be totally untrue.








I then called Hagerty several more times, explained the situation and at 5:42 p.m. was told that I would receive a call from a towing company within the hour. The last person I spoke to was unapologetic and did not sound as if she was interested in hearing anything further. I even asked her to send me a message with her contact information so that I could follow up on this issue. She refused to do so and stated words to the effect that they had their records.

I called AAA at 5:55 p.m. and was advised that they would contact a local towing company to assist me and would text me shortly with more information regarding the tow company and an estimate as to when they would arrive. I hung up at approximately 6:02 and at 6:03 p.m.I received the text message with the ability to track the tow truck on a map and get estimate arrival updates. AAA also followed this up with a phone call at 6:07 p.m. Within ten minutes Scott of Redondo Beach Towing arrived and was extraordinarily courteous and professional. Yes, he actually gave me his name.We had a wonderful conversation about my car and he got me home soon thereafter.

Once at home I received a voice mail at 7:33 p.m., possibly the second tow truck Hagerty sent out. Could hardly understand what was said but sounded as if they had arrived at the location where my vehicle broke down several hours earlier.

Never did hear from Hagerty again until I called them and asked to cancel my insurance policy.

I checked the internet and did a search of Redondo Beach Towing. The tow truck company AAA sent out to assist me. Out of 404 reviews, they received 5 stars from a possible 5 stars on Yelp.

I found the following information on the tow truck company Hagerty sent out.

Overview
E3 Towing is an active carrier based in Long Beach,California.
Its fleet predominantly consists of trucks and tractors.
It runs a highly localized operation and is one of the smallest-scale firms of its type, employing only 1 driver.
It has no safety rating on file.

Beware! Hagerty exposed me, my property and quite possibly family to a dangerous situation besides leaving me stranded for several hours. Remember, if Hagerty sends out an unscrupulous tow truck driver in your hour of need, they will have access to your very expensive and prized car and worst of all, know where you and your family live.

HG

[Tom B.]

Re: Hagerty Nighmare

It sounds like you need to talk to someone higher up at Hagerty. They don't know how these companies behave if you don't tell them. They must have hundreds of towing companies on their list in order to cover the whole country. My friend had a fuel pump fail on his '65 and he called Hagerty. The truck was there in about a half hour. The driver was very polite and professional and took great care of his car. He told me he was extremely happy with the service. It sounds like you found the bad apple in the barrel.

Tom

[Joe L.]

Re: Hagerty Nighmare

Read several posts regarding car insurance companies. Several members expressed a desire to hear from other members regarding their experience with these companies. I’ve decided to share my recent experience with Hagerty Insurance Agency.

I’ve had a policy with Hagerty for both my 66 and 67 Corvettes for several years. In the past they have been courteous, responsive and very professional. That unfortunately all changed last week when I most needed their assistance.

As part of my policy, I signed up for their road side assistance. Big mistake! I was told by Hagerty that this was a very good service and that the tow truck companies they use are vetted professionals. Based on my experience, that turned out to be totally untrue.

While driving my car last week, the right A-arm upper bushing bolt came loose and fell off. Fortunately, I heard it and pulled over immediately. I was actually able to walk back to where it occurred and found my bolt, retainer and washer in the middle of the road. Had my tools with me but no way I could fix it, not to mention that I was in my suit. I called Hagerty at 4:15 p.m. and was told that they would have a tow truck dispatched to my location and should expect to hear from the driver within the hour. Over an hour later, at 5:25 p.m. I was in the process of calling my wife to bring me a jacket because it was starting to get very cold. At the same time I received and missed a call. The call had no number and was simply designated as unknown. I tried but couldn’t return the call. I’m assuming that this was the tow truck driver calling me because within 10 minutes a tow truck driver showed up.

This is where things got worse. As I walked up to the driver, I noticed he had a discernible scowl on his face. I would describe his attitude and appearance as similar to that of a gang member. Would not surprise me if he had a lengthy criminal history. I introduced myself and told the driver where my car was. He did not give me his name. In fact, not only did he not give me his name, he didn’t utter a single word. In case you’re wondering, he did understand and speak English. More on that later. As you might imagine, I was a bit concerned at this point but was cold and anxious to get my car home. I decided to ignore his very unprofessional, discourteous, behavior. In hindsight, I should have walked away immediately and called Hagerty back.


When he pulled his flatbed truck next to my car I expected we would now have a discussion as to what was wrong with my car and whether it was safe to drive it onto the flatbed. When it did not appear that he was going to have this discussion with me, still no words uttered by the driver, I decided to take the initiative and inquired. He did not take kindly to my inquiry and advised me that he had been doing this for years and didn’t feel it was necessary for him to explain how he went about his business. I thought it would be important for him to know that strapping the front left tire, if he was thinking of doing so, might present a problem in light of the missing retainer and bolt. He then informed me that I could find someone else to tow my vehicle. Words were exchanged, he took several steps towards me as if he was about to physically assault me, appeared to think twice about it and then departed. I took a picture of him and his truck.

I then called Hagerty several more times, explained the situation and at 5:42 p.m. was told that I would receive a call from a towing company within the hour. The last person I spoke to was unapologetic and did not sound as if she was interested in hearing anything further. I even asked her to send me a message with her contact information so that I could follow up on this issue. She refused to do so and stated words to the effect that they had their records.

I called AAA at 5:55 p.m. and was advised that they would contact a local towing company to assist me and would text me shortly with more information regarding the tow company and an estimate as to when they would arrive. I hung up at approximately 6:02 and at 6:03 p.m.I received the text message with the ability to track the tow truck on a map and get estimate arrival updates. AAA also followed this up with a phone call at 6:07 p.m. Within ten minutes Scott of Redondo Beach Towing arrived and was extraordinarily courteous and professional. Yes, he actually gave me his name.We had a wonderful conversation about my car and he got me home soon thereafter.

Once at home I received a voice mail at 7:33 p.m., possibly the second tow truck Hagerty sent out. Could hardly understand what was said but sounded as if they had arrived at the location where my vehicle broke down several hours earlier.

Never did hear from Hagerty again until I called them and asked to cancel my insurance policy.

I checked the internet and did a search of Redondo Beach Towing. The tow truck company AAA sent out to assist me. Out of 404 reviews, they received 5 stars from a possible 5 stars on Yelp.

I found the following information on the tow truck company Hagerty sent out.

Overview
E3 Towing is an active carrier based in Long Beach,California.
Its fleet predominantly consists of trucks and tractors.
It runs a highly localized operation and is one of the smallest-scale firms of its type, employing only 1 driver.
It has no safety rating on file.

Beware! Hagerty exposed me, my property and quite possibly family to a dangerous situation besides leaving me stranded for several hours. Remember, if Hagerty sends out an unscrupulous tow truck driver in your hour of need, they will have access to your very expensive and prized car and worst of all, know where you and your family live.

HG

Hector-------


If you have AAA, why did you ever sign up for Hagerty's towing service? AAA maintains pretty good control over their contract stations since the contracts are what keeps the companies in business. Hagerty, on the other hand, would certainly offer any particular towing company so little business that pleasing them would not be too important.

While Hagerty might be a poor choice for towing service, I don't see how that reflects on their primary service which is collector car insurance. From what I've heard, they do pretty well in this regard.

[Christopher R.]

Re: Hagerty Nighmare

I too had a nightmare with Hagerty Towing. Called them, and they said sure they'd send somebody out to tow my '62 to my repair shop. The guy showed up 3 hours later. But I didn't mind so much as I was home. The guy who showed up was sketchy looking. But I'm no prize either, and I don't need a choir boy to drive a tow truck. Besides, I'm going to follow the tow truck with my car to the repair shop. What could go wrong?

Less than 1 mile from my house, the tow truck breaks down. Hydraulic fluid all over the street. I don't believe any of it got on my lacquer paint job. But I couldn't be sure because by now it's getting dark. No worry, we'll just all sit here at the side of the road while they send another truck. They promised that they would transfer my car to the new tow truck and we would continue on our journey. The thing is, I knew their driver was looking me in the eye and lying. I knew that for the company their truck was the priority. The company didn't know I was on the scene of the breakdown. After 1 hour, they did send a truck to get their tow truck with my car on the back. They went to their garage and I followed. Then they farted around for an eternity before we got going again. I feel it was a good thing I followed them because while their driver was sketchy, the tow company and yard were worse. Before we left the scene of the breakdown, the new guy won't tell me where he's going. They don't want me around. Then they proceed to drive to a bad neighborhood. This all took about 6 hours for a 45 minute tow. I called Hagerty numerous times while all this was going on. Cancel the tow. Send somebody else. Call the tow company. Nothing. Look, I know tow companies can have breakdowns. And I know that their employees are not trained in customer care skills. And that their yards are not located in high priced real estate areas. But these guys were scary. I thought they were stealing my car. Hagerty didn't seem to care much while I was on the phone with them while this was going on and the next day when I asked to speak to somebody about this.

Yeah, so why bother with Hagerty when AAA is a known good, and they cover your civilian car(s) as well.

[Joe R.]

Re: Hagerty Nighmare

I used AAA yesterday when the Opti-Spark died (again) on my 1996 Corvette. Perfect service and even delivered into my garage which is under my house.
Wonderful service and service mechanic did a great job. And it didn't cost me a single penny!!! Costs to belong but the towing is free.

JR

[Patrick T.]

Re: Hagerty Nighmare

To all the viewer's reading this thread:

I don't ever remember having a car towed but what is a reasonable amount of time to have a tow truck arrive onsite to tow your car or any car of yours ...1/2 hour or 1 hour? Do you insist on a flatbed or a standard crane tow truck? Thanks for any replies. Patrick

[Joe L.]

Re: Hagerty Nighmare

To all the viewer's reading this thread:

I don't ever remember having a car towed but what is a reasonable amount of time to have a tow truck arrive onsite to tow your car or any car of yours ...1/2 hour or 1 hour? Do you insist on a flatbed or a standard crane tow truck? Thanks for any replies. Patrick

Patrick------


With a Corvette you MUST get a flat bed tow truck. With the other type damage is very likely to occur.

[Michael G.]

Re: Hagerty Nighmare

Thanks for the heads up, but I've got Hagerty insurance, have been a AAA member for 26 years and would never consider using my insurance carrier's towing service. If you ever drive any distance in your 50 year old Corvette, purchasing AAA's premium membership - which provides up to 200 miles free towing - may prove to be a wise investment.

[Joe L.]

Re: Hagerty Nighmare

Thanks for the heads up, but I've got Hagerty insurance, have been a AAA member for 26 years and would never consider using my insurance carrier's towing service. If you ever drive any distance in your 50 year old Corvette, purchasing AAA's premium membership - which provides up to 200 miles free towing - may prove to be a wise investment.

Michael-------

I've had the AAA premium membership since it's been available for just that reason.

[Patrick C.]

Re: Hagerty Nighmare

I have AAA and have used them twice in 10 years with my 66 and 04. There in less than an hour and great friendly service. Would not be without it. Takes the worry out of driving these old cars.

[Paul Y.]

Re: Hagerty Nighmare

I have had the Hagerty Gold towing service for many years and have used it three time. I have had excellent tow companies and operators all with roll off flat beds and a quality tow right to my garage. I can't say enough good things about the service I have received. Maybe it was an answering service for after hours that gave a bad experience. It doesn't make sense to me unless, like life, everything is better in Colorado.

Michael-------

I've had the AAA premium membership since it's been available for just that reason.

[Frank D.]

Re: Hagerty Nighmare

I don't use insurance company towing on my classics or my modern cars.

AAA Plus is worth the few bucks it costs -- for various reasons I've had my '61 Corvette, '63 Corvette and '67 Chevelle SS-396 towed over the years. The first thing they ask is if you're in a safe place or need police assistance. They have nationwide, AAA certified tow companies already pre-positioned They aren't calling around trying to get "Sam the Sham" to pick up your car in Burnt Mattress, Idaho.

Tow trucks showed up between 20-30 minutes in each case, with seasoned, English-speaking drivers and as soon as they saw the cars their care went to another level. Even with the free towing it never hurts to tip the guy (or gal) up front telling them its for being 'extra careful'... These folks have hard, dangerous jobs and are often dealing with completely p!ssed off car owners, being nice goes a long way.

In two of the instances the drivers stopped to take pictures of the cars to share with others after asking if it was OK (I didn't object).

As far as classic car insurance I had reason to use National Corvette Museum on a claim and simply couldn't be more satisfied...

To the remark about these insurance companies, "...not knowing how the tow truck companies behave [sic]". Its not my job to tell management they have problems. If they aren't doing customer satisfaction surveys, vetting their sub-contractors and doing some trending on bad practices they don't need to be insuring my car...

[Ralph E.]

Re: Hagerty Nighmare

Here is one issue with AAA. If you are a new member you can only get the Basic Plan which provides fee towing for the first 3 miles. After 3 miles the towing cost is $4.00 per mile. Could get pricey! However, once you have been a member for one year you can upgrade AAA membership to the Plus Plan and get free towing for up to 100 miles. In my own case my daily drivers get free roadside assistance and my corvette gets Hagerty. Since reading these posts I am reconsidering and may be joining AAA.
I've needed to have my corvette towed twice. Once from my driveway to a local shop and once from a roadside breakdown which a Hagerty towing agent towed my car to my house. In that case, Hagerty choose a towing agent from 40 + miles away to pick my car up and deliver it to my house 5 miles away. They refused to consider the local to me guy for towing even after I made numerous pleas to them. It all worked out, but could have been done a lot easier.

[Michael G.]

Re: Hagerty Nighmare

AAA has three membership levels: classic, plus, and premier. Plus offers 100 miles free towing whereas premiere adds, among other things, one free tow of up to 200 miles.

[Walter F.]

Re: Hagerty Nighmare

I also have AAA for many years. When my oil cooler let loose AAA sent a tow company and the driver seemed more concerned about my 84 then myself. He insisted that we not drag it up on the flat bed because it was so low to the ground. He used some wooden ramps I had in my garage and took them to the shop so that no scraping would happen when letting it down. AAA is the best IMO. My car is Insured by American Collectors . i have had them for years. They keep adding to the value of my car without increasing my rates and without me asking.