By Chris Smith
FMCA Executive Director/CFO
As I sit down to write my January column, it is late November, and all I can think is, “Wow, what a wild month it’s been” — in a good way!
FMCA Roadside Assistance Program
On November 1st, FMCA, in partnership with SafeRide RV Motor Club, announced new pricing for the FMCA Roadside Rescue plan. It not only covers the member’s RV but also their cars — and their dependents’ cars — for the same great price.
As FMCA members, you have the opportunity to lock in this new $69 rate for one, two, or three years with a corresponding one-, two-, or three-year FMCA membership. The plan is available to FMCA members in the United States and Canada. To sign up for the FMCA Roadside Rescue plan, visit FMCA.com/roadsiderescue or call (877) 581-8581.
FMCA Connect-On-The-Go
And that was just the beginning . . . With connectivity on the road playing such a key role in the RV lifestyle, we weren’t ready to give up on the idea of a Verizon mobile internet plan for members, even with the disappointing first attempt. After months of negotiation, on November 8 we finally were ready to unveil this new Verizon mobile hotspot plan. We worked hard to make sure the new Verizon deal was going to be valuable for our members and was an offer that would not vanish into the night.
With the FMCA Connect-on-the-Go Plan, you receive a special members-only rate for Verizon unlimited 4G LTE data service. Users can enjoy up to 25GB of high-speed data each month (you will see a decrease in speed for the remainder of the billing period should usage exceed 25GB). The plan costs $49.99 per month (plus applicable taxes and fees) and includes the mobile hotspot device for only one cent. The best part is you can lock in this low rate when you sign a two-year agreement with Verizon. We’ve been advised a similar plan is priced at $90 to $100 per month if you purchase through a Verizon retail store.
The Verizon Jetpack
Your Verizon jetpack kit will arrive via two-day shipping at no additional charge. It comes with a minimum one-year manufacturer’s warranty. Insurance options are available and presented during the online enrollment process. Be sure to allow extra time for your package to arrive if you use a mail forwarding service.
To take advantage of this special offer, one must be an active FMCA member with dues paid in full for at least two years at the start of the service period.
Some Challenges
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that even the second time around we encountered some bumps in the road. Some members initially experienced challenges when trying to activate their new device, while others had issues trying to combine FMCA’s offer with their existing Verizon plan. Knock on wood, the setup issues seem to be behind us now. I am very proud of the FMCA staff who worked diligently with each individual member and directly with Verizon to help get these issues resolved.
We know this is not the ideal plan for every FMCA member; some of you may receive greater savings using an employer or military discount. Some of you may be grandfathered into a pre-existing hotspot offer that provides a little more data, or you may require more data because you work from the road. Quite frankly, the first Verizon offer we rolled out last summer turned out to be too good to be true. The current offer is a reliable plan for the average FMCA member. We hope you take advantage of the savings.
To sign up or learn more, visit FMCA.com/Verizon. Please note you MUST sign up for the plan via the online portal link above. You cannot sign up over the phone or at a Verizon store. Although the FMCA staff is not able to sign you up for the plan, please feel free to contact the Member Services Department at the FMCA national office with questions.
But wait, there’s more. Oh, you thought that was it? I told you we’ve been working hard for you! On November 15, we introduced FMCA’s TechConnect+ Benefit Package.
FMCA TechConnect+
It is designed to bring travel-friendly technology offers to FMCA members. For just $49.99 per month, you receive a mobile data plan plus access to technology-related discounts.
The month-to-month, the no-contract package provides members a Sprint mobile hotspot with unlimited 3G-4G LTE service. It includes 300MB of roaming coverage per month. Members also must pay a one-time rental fee of $39.99 for the hotspot device.
In addition, the package currently includes a 15 percent discount from CellBooster.us and a 10 percent discount from WiFiRanger.
CellBooster.us is a certified reseller of SureCall products. SureCall offers award-winning cellular signal boosters designed to improve call quality and data speeds on all North American cell carriers.
WiFiRanger offers products designed to boost weak Wi-Fi, to secure public networks, and to connect universally to all your devices.
We are negotiating other tech-friendly offers to bundle with the benefit package. Members who sign up for Tech Connect+ will be notified via email as new discounts become available.
For information about TechConnect+, visit www.FMCA.com/techconnectplus or call (800) 543-3622.
Please note:
that the mobile hotspots provided through Connect-on-the-Go (Verizon) and TechConnect+ (Sprint) are for use in the United States only. Canadian members, you may purchase these plans for your U.S. travels, but please be aware that the plans do not cover use outside the United States. I don’t want you to be surprised with a high bill if you try to use the devices in your home country! Also, devices can be shipped only to U.S. addresses, and special arrangements may need to be made if the billing address differs from the shipping address. We are working on similar mobile internet offers with Canadian carriers, and we hope to roll these out in the coming months.
So, yeah, November was quite the ride! Not to mention, by the time you’re reading this, my third child (a boy!) will be about 4 weeks old. I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing holiday season and wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year! Safe travels in 2018!