AAA Auto club, Is it Worth it?

[imgone52]

Roadside service is like insurance. You pay and hope you never need it. But if you do, you want prompt professional service. My families' experience shows AAA is tops. We tried the biggest RV club's roadside assistance one year. First time we called, no response in one and a half hours. We called back they had yet to get a tow service to answer a phone. All three services they called were more than 80 miles from us. We were in an area serviced by at least 6 tow service companies (none of which wanted to work for the RV club). We saved $20.00 that one year.

We are now back with AAA plus RV. They cover all of us and our vehicles including the RV and my equipment trailer. The truck shows up and you show ID. You get the service you need with no limitations on tow distance. I pay a little more but I get far better service if and when needed.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Only if you drive a Ford, for dependable cars you don't need it. OK, it's a joke... But I had a ford that broke down a lot, and had AAA, and waited hrs for responses..and got hit with the "we only tow 3 miles" BS. I gave it up years ago, those were some pretty expensive "free" maps.

 

[ultrarunner]

CSAA was the only company writing Home Owners Insurance a few years ago when many companies left the California market and others were not taking new clients.

Mom has been a member for 54 years.

The maps and other insurance services go along with membership... and I especially like doing routine Department of Motor Vehicle Services at the CSAA building... very convenient for registration services.

We have not had a tow in years...

 

[CurlyDave]

I have always had good luck with AAA.

I was sold the first day I had it. Signed up at 3:00 PM and later that evening say 7:00 my van started to pull to one side on the freeway. This was in the days before cell phones.

I pulled off at the next exit and as luck would have it there was a bar on the surface street about 100 yards beyond the exit. Parked in front and used their pay phone to call AAA. It promptly started raining.

AAA truck took about 30 minutes to get there, but I was warm, dry and somewhat entertained. And then I got to watch the guy change my tire in the rain through the window of the bar while I had a beer.

* * * * *

The other good thing about AAA is that if I am in the car, the car is covered. A lot of my friends and hunting buddies don't have any kind of coverage, and needing a tow out in the back country can get real pricey.

There have been a couple of times I could just call AAA and get a car where I was just a passenger towed. Avoiding the question: "OK, how do we come up with $200 to get home?" is priceless.

I pay the extra to get 100 miles of towing. This is well worth if you can work on your own vehicle. Getting it towed home instead of to a repair shop can save thousands if I can fix it myself.

 

[kenmac]

. But of course to have their auto insurance and/or homeowners insurance, you have to be a member, and so far I've not been able to beat their insurance.
.

Never been a member of AAA until last year .Like you, Got a quote for insurance that I couldn't beat anywhere else. Had to become a member to get their Home & auto insurance.

 

[k0ua]

I'd never thought about that. Of course I don't have a laptop, but I understand about the Internet rates being better. When we go to West Virginia, there's a Days Inn there that we like and I always make our reservations online before we leave home.

I guess one of these days, I'm gonna have to get a wireless laptop.:laughing:

Bird check out getting a smartphone, ( I just bought the wife a new Droid Razor) it has WIFI and if you are not in a "hotspot" you can still get on the internet with the 4G connection. With the large screen and "razor sharp" graphics and text you can really do a lot on these new smartphones. Or check out an Ipad or equivelent device. The battery last way longer than laptop batteries and comes on nearly instantly. I have several laptops, but I am impressed with this Droid think.

James K0UA

 

[JB4310]

Never been a member of AAA until last year .Like you, Got a quote for insurance that I couldn't beat anywhere else. Had to become a member to get their Home & auto insurance.

Interesting, I didn't even know they offered insurance, Can you get the higher limits, with umbrella coverage from them too?

I'm getting surprisingly decent insurance rates right now, but wouldn't hurt to compare. I'm getting road side assistance with every vehicle from liberty insurance, they have a phone number right on the id card. don't know how their coverage is compared to AAA but can't be much less than those 3 miles.

Bird check out getting a smartphone, ( I just bought the wife a new Droid Razor) it has WIFI and if you are not in a "hotspot" you can still get on the internet with the 4G connection. With the large screen and "razor sharp" graphics and text you can really do a lot on these new smartphones. Or check out an Ipad or equivelent device. The battery last way longer than laptop batteries and comes on nearly instantly. I have several laptops, but I am impressed with this Droid think.

James K0UA

The smart phones require extra monthly charges that are probably more the he pays for his cell service now.

But I was thinking about an Ipad for Bird also, I bought my kid a $140. Ipod that I thought was just for music. A little while after we got home from the store I get a call from this odd number I did not recognise. It was my 12 year old kid calling me thru an internet site from his new gadget, which is not even a phone :confused2:

This is the small Ipod touch, but they have all these new tablet type of devices with big screens that allow internet access. You could theoretically have one of these and pay nothing for phone or internet access as long as you were close enough to a wifi signal.

The prices on these things are falling like a stone, soon we will all have one just for no other reason but that they are so affordable.

JB

 

[charlz]

We did the Homeowner and vehicle insurance with them at first as well. But eventually their rates were not the lowest anymore and we moved away from it.

Like CurlyDave I wanted the higher towing limits so I could most likely get the vehicle home so I could do the work. Out in the boonies if there even is a garage within 5 miles of where you broke down... do you want them working on your vehicle? How bad is 'the only game in town' going to nail you on the repair cost?

 

[kenmac]

Interesting, I didn't even know they offered insurance, Can you get the higher limits, with umbrella coverage from them too?

I'm getting surprisingly decent insurance rates right now, but wouldn't hurt to compare. I'm getting road side assistance with every vehicle from liberty insurance, they have a phone number right on the id card. don't know how their coverage is compared to AAA but can't be much less than those 3 miles.

JB

I got my AAA through an independent agent. They max they have is 500 on liability limits.I Had to go through another co. (underwriter) for xtra liability . I believe my towing states they will tow to the closest repair shop. I also have my life insurance with AAA. They beat everyone else on the cost

 

[ultrarunner]

I got my AAA through an independent agent. They max they have is 500 on liability limits.I Had to go through another co. (underwriter) for xtra liability . I believe my towing states they will tow to the closest repair shop. I also have my life insurance with AAA. They beat everyone else on the cost

Mom had no trouble getting a 1 million umbrella...

I could be the offerings vary from State to State.