AAA - anyone still use?

[stvrowe]

I dropped AAA over 35 years ago shortly after needing a tow and quickly discovered that AAA varies depending on the state you were in and not the state of your residence.  Long story short, I was out of pocket big $ for a tow when traveling.

I have towing and labor insurance on each of my vehicles for $6.63 per 6 months/vehicle.  Much less than AAA and much better coverage. 

Trip tickets were a nice benefit but today with GPS navigation on smart phones, it seems quaint if they still offer it.  I don't see what value AAA adds to the mix.

 

[sancho57]

Hey Bob, I have a AAA membership, I got it primarily bc of the roadside assistance. But there are other things they offer that is very useful. The DMV services they offer are very good. I can pay my vehicle license fees and get my registration stickers right on te spot with out waiting. As far as traveling yes there are GPSs but they have travel books of things to do, sites to see in the places we will go and along the way, makes planning inadvance easy. They also offer car insurance but I dont have it. I used to years ago they were very good when I made a claim and covered me when I moved out of state. They got a bit pricey so I dropped their insurance. They offer travel services to. I havent used them yet butas I just retired in Sept and still getting used to it and figureing out what to do, Im sure Ill be checking them out very soon.

Most of this is really personal preference . What works for me may not work for others and visa jersey.

 

[jtwood]

I live in SoCal and have been a member (Auto Club of Southern California) and insured by them (auto and home) for about 20 years.  The service is terrific, especially if you have a problem in the car.  The rates are competitive.
You can do trip planning either on line or in their offices - they still have travel agents in the offices.
They have a phone app for your use to either contact them or avail yourself of their services.
They offer discounts on all sorts of products and services, retail and restaurants by showing your card or using it online, especially for travel.
There are different levels of membership for the "towing" service, with different benefits depending on what you need.  The top level even has locksmith service if you get locked out of your home, not just your car. 
I first joined and got their insurance at the recommendation of a friend who owned a large auto body shop.  He had his personal auto insurance with them, and told me that they were one of the few companies that would pay for original parts on covered repairs.

Steve

 

[semenza]

I dropped AAA over 35 years ago shortly after needing a tow and quickly discovered that AAA varies depending on the state you were in and not the state of your residence.  Long story short, I was out of pocket big $ for a tow when traveling.

I have towing and labor insurance on each of my vehicles for $6.63 per 6 months/vehicle.  Much less than AAA and much better coverage. 

Trip tickets were a nice benefit but today with GPS navigation on smart phones, it seems quaint if they still offer it.  I don't see what value AAA adds to the mix.

I don't think it is like that anymore. As far as I can find the same benefits apply nationwide. If it was a Basic / Classic level membership that is only good for a 3 mile tow. After the first three you pay the rest. 

Do you get your towing through insurance company?  And what do you get for the price?  Just curious.

Seth

 

[stvrowe]

I dropped AAA over 35 years ago shortly after needing a tow and quickly discovered that AAA varies depending on the state you were in and not the state of your residence.  Long story short, I was out of pocket big $ for a tow when traveling.

I have towing and labor insurance on each of my vehicles for $6.63 per 6 months/vehicle.  Much less than AAA and much better coverage. 

Trip tickets were a nice benefit but today with GPS navigation on smart phones, it seems quaint if they still offer it.  I don't see what value AAA adds to the mix.

I don't think it is like that anymore. As far as I can find the same benefits apply nationwide. If it was a Basic / Classic level membership that is only good for a 3 mile tow. After the first three you pay the rest. 

Do you get your towing through insurance company?  And what do you get for the price?  Just curious.

Seth

Hi Seth,
A summary of the roadside assistance coverage:
-Towing to the nearest repair facility
-Gas delivery
-Changing tires
-Performing labor where the breakdown took place

The AAA coverage I had years ago had no limit on length of tow in the state I had the coverage in (i.e. - to the nearest repair facility).  Woe to those who break down in another state where the coverage is different.  The tow was about 50 miles to the nearest repair facility (dealer).  I don't worry about that with my insurance coverage.

 

[JayStPeter]

When I was in college, my summer job one year was working as a laborer renovating a building.  One whole floor was AAA doing the triptiks.  There were a lot of pretty young girls putting together the packages so there was always a lot of work to do on that floor.

 

[McNally Family]

We joined AAA in December of last year (2017), and placed a membership card into each of our 3 children's stockings.  All of our children drive, but also ride with their friends.  Since the benefits are attached to the card itself, and not just to the automobile, we felt it was beneficial for our children to have that protection regardless of whose car they were in.  In my opinion, it is cheap insurance (and peace of mind for us), against our kids being stranded somewhere with an empty tank of gas or dead battery.

 

[semenza]

I dropped AAA over 35 years ago shortly after needing a tow and quickly discovered that AAA varies depending on the state you were in and not the state of your residence.  Long story short, I was out of pocket big $ for a tow when traveling.

I have towing and labor insurance on each of my vehicles for $6.63 per 6 months/vehicle.  Much less than AAA and much better coverage. 

Trip tickets were a nice benefit but today with GPS navigation on smart phones, it seems quaint if they still offer it.  I don't see what value AAA adds to the mix.

I don't think it is like that anymore. As far as I can find the same benefits apply nationwide. If it was a Basic / Classic level membership that is only good for a 3 mile tow. After the first three you pay the rest. 

Do you get your towing through insurance company?  And what do you get for the price?  Just curious.

Seth

Hi Seth,
A summary of the roadside assistance coverage:
-Towing to the nearest repair facility
-Gas delivery
-Changing tires
-Performing labor where the breakdown took place

The AAA coverage I had years ago had no limit on length of tow in the state I had the coverage in (i.e. - to the nearest repair facility).  Woe to those who break down in another state where the coverage is different.  The tow was about 50 miles to the nearest repair facility (dealer).  I don't worry about that with my insurance coverage.

First one on the list is a big difference for me. I don't want to go to the nearest facility. I want to go to where I  want it to go.

Then again  ..... big difference in price. Just depends what  "features" are important to each individual.

Seth

 

[stvrowe]

I dropped AAA over 35 years ago shortly after needing a tow and quickly discovered that AAA varies depending on the state you were in and not the state of your residence.  Long story short, I was out of pocket big $ for a tow when traveling.

I have towing and labor insurance on each of my vehicles for $6.63 per 6 months/vehicle.  Much less than AAA and much better coverage. 

Trip tickets were a nice benefit but today with GPS navigation on smart phones, it seems quaint if they still offer it.  I don't see what value AAA adds to the mix.

I don't think it is like that anymore. As far as I can find the same benefits apply nationwide. If it was a Basic / Classic level membership that is only good for a 3 mile tow. After the first three you pay the rest. 

Do you get your towing through insurance company?  And what do you get for the price?  Just curious.

Seth

Hi Seth,
A summary of the roadside assistance coverage:
-Towing to the nearest repair facility
-Gas delivery
-Changing tires
-Performing labor where the breakdown took place

The AAA coverage I had years ago had no limit on length of tow in the state I had the coverage in (i.e. - to the nearest repair facility).  Woe to those who break down in another state where the coverage is different.  The tow was about 50 miles to the nearest repair facility (dealer).  I don't worry about that with my insurance coverage.

First one on the list is a big difference for me. I don't want to go to the nearest facility. I want to go to where I  want it to go.

Then again  ..... big difference in price. Just depends what  "features" are important to each individual.

Seth

Actually, it is my choice of the repair facility.  My car broke down in Atlanta and I live in Arkansas.  Is it reasonable to have my car towed to my preferred mechanic 600 miles away?  I think not and seriously doubt that AAA would do so either.  I had it towed to the nearest Pontiac dealer in Atlanta passing multiple repair shops on the way. 

Regardless, my opinion of AAA is: fool me once shame on you, fool me twice - you are not even going to get the chance.  Bad experiences stay in my memory a very long time.

 

[pixelated]

They've never given me any problems with towing to my choice of  repair shop. In one case, it was a 60ish mile tow and across a state line.

 

[Tinker]

I carried AAA for many years. I never used it until one day, got a flat on my pickup truck and had left my jack in one of my other trucks at home.  i was some 50 miles from home, so i decided to give AAA a call.  I had them for over ten years and never had placed a call.  When a mechanic arrived, he wold not accept AAA. He would do the job, but AAA would not pay.  I called AAA (that was back in the day when pay phones were common). I was told they do not service commercial vehicles. I said "Fair enough" and paid for the road service.  About six months later, my wife got a flat tire. When road service showed up, they towed the car to their shop. They insisted AAA would not cover the tow or the repair, but did fix the flat and sent her on her way with the bill.  When i got home, i called AAA and they insisted they would not cover a commercial vehicle.  I insisted that my wife car was not a commercial vehicle, in fact, she would not even drive a commercial vehicle as all of my trucks were standard shifts.  I ended up paying the bill and dropped AAA.  That was nearly 52 years ago. I still get add mail from AAA wanting me to join. I have never called to ask they stop sending those mails, I just use them to start a fire in my wood stove.
Tinker

 

[semenza]

I carried AAA for many years. I never used it until one day, got a flat on my pickup truck and had left my jack in one of my other trucks at home.  i was some 50 miles from home, so i decided to give AAA a call.  I had them for over ten years and never had placed a call.  When a mechanic arrived, he wold not accept AAA. He would do the job, but AAA would not pay.  I called AAA (that was back in the day when pay phones were common). I was told they do not service commercial vehicles. I said "Fair enough" and paid for the road service.  About six months later, my wife got a flat tire. When road service showed up, they towed the car to their shop. They insisted AAA would not cover the tow or the repair, but did fix the flat and sent her on her way with the bill.  When i got home, i called AAA and they insisted they would not cover a commercial vehicle.  I insisted that my wife car was not a commercial vehicle, in fact, she would not even drive a commercial vehicle as all of my trucks were standard shifts.  I ended up paying the bill and dropped AAA.  That was nearly 52 years ago. I still get add mail from AAA wanting me to join. I have never called to ask they stop sending those mails, I just use them to start a fire in my wood stove.
Tinker

Aah Hah !!    Now I know you must be fibbing. Since you are only 39 years old.  [tongue]    [big grin]

Seth

 

[Tinker]

But I managed to pack a lot into those 39 years. Just like you manage to stuff your systainers.

 

[SilviaS7]

I drive about 45 miles one way to work every day, so I pay for the AAA Plus which allows for I think 100 miles per tow.  My insurance provides roadside assistance but I've found they are not as quick as the two companies that service for AAA in my area, and I'd have to pay by the mile beyond a 10 mile tow with my insurance without a way to increase it unless I increase all my deductibles, which I don't want to do.  So for me, it's worth it if I just have one tow per year because with my luck it's always 50+ miles from home that I need it.