AAA

[Jstpssng]

Is anybody else a member? I dropped my RF tire over the shoulder of an icy road today. By the time that I got done I was well and thoroughly stuck, with the right side of the truck fully into the ditch. That's when I remembered that I'm an AAA member... I've been paying my dues for years but never needed them.
I made the call and they said somebody would be there within an hour; that was a bit after 4:00. By 5:00 I was out of the ditch, thanking him and down the road.
31/2 hours later I am still getting texts from them, stating

We are monitoring your roadside assistance request, at this time we are working to find the best available resource. We will provide you an update when we have an estimated time of arrival. If you need further assistance please reply with “Agent” to be connected to a AAA agent.

I even sent a return text stating that I am out and on the way home. Hopefully they won't send somebody else out looking for me.

 

[/pine]

Is anybody else a member? I dropped my RF tire over the shoulder of an icy road today. By the time that I got done I was well and thoroughly stuck, with the right side of the truck fully into the ditch. That's when I remembered that I'm an AAA member... I've been paying my dues for years but never needed them.
I made the call and they said somebody would be there within an hour; that was a bit after 4:00. By 5:00 I was out of the ditch, thanking him and down the road.
31/2 hours later I am still getting texts from them, stating


I even sent a return text stating that I am out and on the way home. Hopefully they won't send somebody else out looking for me.

Used to be a member for maps and "trip tics" (or whatever they were called)...also city guides/atlases tour books...
With the advent of GPS and roadside service riders on most auto ins. policies we gave them up...

 

[caver]

I dropped them a long time ago. They still send me letters like "don't let your coverage expire" like I'm still with them. Insurance companies are offering roadside assistance when I had it with Shelter and now USAA.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I cancelled my membership years ago, to save money I'm sure; I've been meaning to sign back up for a few years after having a few situations where they could have been helpful.

 

[notaz3]

Been a member for 50+ years.

 

[Wagtail]

I'm a member of the RACT (Royal Automobile Club - Tasmania). I've rarely needed to call for assistance but when I do I'm glad I have the service. The membership applies to 'you', not your vehicle and it's honoured in every other State in Australia plus internationally by other Clubs/Associations/Etc...

Discounts are applied to a membership card including, and this is the BIG ONE: 6 cents per litre off for petrol/diesel.

For me it's money well spent.

 

[kenmac]

Like some, I dropped them yrs ago

 

[scootr]

We are long time members. My wife drives late in the evening. And we both hate the DMV. I do all my registration work at AAA. No long lines, nice people and couches if you do wait a minute. Not giving it up even if I only use their DMV services.

 

[WM75Guy]

I have Onstar for all three vehicles. My wife had a flat recently, had her push the button, local guy was there in 30 minutes to change it. I have used the towing service when my old PU won't start. You get the first 25 miles free. Plus I get alerts when her car has an issue, in case she forgets to tell me. I can remotely monitor tire pressures, how long till the next oil change, etc. That is in addition to the stolen vehicle locate and shut down. I can call when the check engine light comes on, they do a remote diagnostics scan, and tell you whether it is safe to drive. Last time it was something simple, a glow plug had gone bad.

For me it is the peace of mind knowing if my wife has an issue, she is not sitting on the side of the road waiting for me to show up.

 

[Jstpssng]

I have two good come alongs with plenty of chain, and a nice pair of traction aids. Either of them would have gotten me out .

Everything was 60 miles away at the house, in my other truck.

 

[ponytug]

@Jstpssng Having the gear in the other truck is definitely Murphy's Law at work. Ouch.

We had a need for a tow a decade or ago, and long story short AAA refused to do anything reasonable. They would not tow to the nearest dealer (10Miles), nor to the nearest Costco (4miles), both of which had the odd ball tire in stock. All they would do was tow to a nearby service center (which did not have the right size tire and wouldn't be able to get it for two days). End of membership, after 30+ years.

My favorite AAA call was in Boston (Somerville). Due to a poor Y turn decision on my part, I had gotten stuck on some ice on a downhill driveway, and couldn't make it back into the road. Car is all of eight feet from the road, maybe six. 1:00am, call AAA, 1:45 or two guys in tow truck turn up, rolled down the window and ask
"That it?"
"Yes"
"No F@cking way. No f@cking way."
Roll up the window and drive off.
To this day, I don't know what their problem was. The two of them could have pushed it by hand. (It was on ice.) A J hook could have done it in under a minute. I guess they didn't like my haircut.

I ended up spinning the tires with my sister jumping up and down on the rear bumper to melt enough ice to creep back up to the road. "Tread life? What tread life?"

Good Sam is a different story.

All the best,

Peter

 

[jyoutz]

I haven’t seen the need because I have the same roadside services available with my Allstate auto insurance.

 

[JSanders10]

20+ year member. With a child still in college 5+ hours away, it's peace of mind more than anything.

 

[oosik]

The only time I've ever needed help - we were on an outing with the Top 'O the World Four Wheelers in Anchorage, AK. Plenty of help there in all outings. Otherwise - I go offroading all the time. BUT - I learned invaluable lessons from my 20+ years in AK. What to do - when to do it - when not to do it.

I've never been a member of a club like AAA. Where I go and where I may get stuck - only something like a BIG tracked vehicle could provide any help.

 

[Cub 7275]

I dropped them a long time ago. They still send me letters like "don't let your coverage expire" like I'm still with them. Insurance companies are offering roadside assistance when I had it with Shelter and now USAA.

We used to do that to but found out if you use the roadside assistance service through the ins co your rates can go up. Since then we carry AAA for roadside assistance. But like everything you have to read the fine print for what is covered, like trailers, and how far they will tow.

USAA? After several decades of paying them I'm about to drop them since they encourage substandard vehicle repair with craptastic "recycled" junkyard parts. The body shop put a severely corroded impact bar (the real rear bumper behind the plastic cover) on my son's car. Reading the fine print I'd have to pay the difference between cost of the junk part and a new one. Putting a potentially 10 year old used part on a 3 year old car is not acceptable here in the rust belt! Not cool. For several reasons it seems USAA is not the company they once were.

I have two good come alongs with plenty of chain, and a nice pair of traction aids. Either of them would have gotten me out .

Everything was 60 miles away at the house, in my other truck.

Lol, yep thats the way it seems to go most of the time.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

We used to do that to but found out if you use the roadside assistance service through the ins co your rates can go up. Since then we carry AAA for roadside assistance. But like everything you have to read the fine print for what is covered, like trailers, and how far they will tow.

USAA? After several decades of paying them I'm about to drop them since they encourage substandard vehicle repair with craptastic "recycled" junkyard parts. The body shop put a severely corroded impact bar (the real rear bumper behind the plastic cover) on my son's car. Reading the fine print I'd have to pay the difference between cost of the junk part and a new one. Putting a potentially 10 year old used part on a 3 year old car is not acceptable here in the rust belt! Not cool. For several reasons it seems USAA is not the company they once were.

Lol, yep thats the way it seems to go most of the time.

We're dropping them when our membership is up, later in the year. My daughter was driving my truck, had a problem and called AAA and had it towed to her house, under her membership. Called them later, under my name, to have it towed to repair shop. Wouldn't tow it; said one tow only on same problem. Said "adios, mf"!

 

[scootr]

We're dropping them when our membership is up, later in the year. My daughter was driving my truck, had a problem and called AAA and had it towed to her house, under her membership. Called them later, under my name, to have it towed to repair shop. Wouldn't tow it; said one tow only on same problem. Said "adios, mf"!

Honestly - I think you may have been expecting too much there.

 

[tradosaurus]

Good Sam is what I have. I only got it because Texas Farm Bureau dropped my roadside assistance because I used a tow twice within 24 hrs.

When they reinstate my this year I will drop Good Sam and then ask a sarcastic question of how many tows is too much.

 

[Torvy]

I've had AAA+ most of my life. Parents used it and passed it along to all of us. One time my alternator went out on a weekend in the middle of nowhere Nebraska, at night. I drove through the countryside without headlights until the battery died, AAA towed me to the nearest town (up to 100 miles) and repeat the cycle all night until I got home (Grand Island to Sioux Falls).

I like that they cover you even if you are just a passenger in another car. The membership is not as valuable as it used to be (with the trip things) but I have had more good luck than bad with them. The biggest problems have been bad local tow service at times (or just busy times).

 

[deserteagle71]

Wife and I both had AAA coverage. Then one day she had a flat tire while driving on a good wide gravel road on the outskirts of town. AAA refused to come out, stating their policy did not allow them to respond to anything off pavement. So we dropped AAA coverage. That was some years ago yet I'm still getting solicitations to join again. I'm not the only one whose has been refused service because the affected vehicle was not on pavement. Here's a screen shot of someone else complaining: