Triple A (road service) rant

[ultrarunner]

Like many legacy companies the way it was is no more.

I have AAA tied to other insurance and with the way things are in California I don’t want to add sourcing new insurance on my plate.

I do know several tow operations are no longer affiliated citing low reimbursement.

Insurance… like a good neighbor State Farm is there until they are not or All State your in good hands until they drop you.

Areas of my city are also redlined after dark so another hill to climb.

 

[caver]

I had AAA for a few years and then my insurance company started offering free towing. I switched carriers a few years ago and they too offered free towing with an 800 number. Now I realize very few things are fully free. My guess is they don't want some car sitting beside the road for days available for theft from someone with a rollback.

 

[grsthegreat]

I dont bother with AAA. My auto ins company reimburses me for any tow to nearest licensed repair facility.

 

[JJT]

80+ years of driving between my wife and I, only one tow each in all that time. I did 50K miles/year for 30 years of my work career, wife was 25K miles/year for the same 30 years.

If I have an issue, I'll call a wrecker, no need for AAA to complicate things.

 

[ericm979]

The last time I needed a tow AAA didn't have anyone available. I called a local company that we'd used before and they send a truck right out. It was up in the mountains too. I think we still have a AAA membership but I'm not sure why.

The tow was because I went around a corner in my VW Golf R and hit a rock I didn't see until I was on top of it. It punched a hole in the plastic oil pan. I shut it down immediately and saved the motor. It's now got a steel pan.

 

[jyoutz]

I guess I'm stupid... I pay a little more for an annual membership. Have at least 100 mile range on it.

They did tell me I can submit the tow charge for reimbursement.

That's going to kick the kid in the nuts after he has no clue what his car is going to run him after a mechanic looks at it next week most likely. Have no clue how much money the kid has in his account now, but he's finding out quickly that running back home because he has a girlfriend is costing him more than he knows.

Adding towing to my Allstate auto insurance policy is cheaper than triple A. And they dispatch a tow truck immediately after you contact them.

 

[D&D]

Insurance… like a good neighbor State Farm is there until they are not or All State your in good hands until they drop you.

Areas of my city are also redlined after dark so another hill to climb.

Penn Mutual dropped us (quit the whole state) I then had a heck of a time finding a new insurer because I was now considered high risk from being dropped

Redlined? The no parking zones or???

 

[ultrarunner]

Penn Mutual dropped us (quit the whole state) I then had a heck of a time finding a new insurer.

Redlined? The no parking zones or???

Sections of the city tow trucks will not venture after dark...

 

[D&D]

Sections of the city tow trucks will not venture after dark...

Ah, of course..

 

[drssg]

IMO, AAA has lost most of its relevance in recent decades.

I used to use them to make airline reservations, before anyone could do it on the internet.

On a driving trip, they would provide a custom Triptik that mapped out the whole route, with construction zones marked. Tour books provided details for hotels and campgrounds in the area. This is now also easier to handle on a smartphone.

A benefit of the towing service was that I could call the main AAA number, regardless of my location, and they knew the network of towing services in the area. These days, I suspect it's not a big deal to just look that information up on a smartphone when needed.

About the only benefit I see left is the insurance angle. I can pay an annual fee and probably not be surprised by an unexpected towing bill.