AAA, AARP or other for roadside assistance

Chuckanut said:
FYI, the Good Sam club is having a 1/2 price Memorial Day sale for its towing service in case you car breaks down - $50 a year. That's the price for cars. Adding your RV is also 1/2 price for this sale. And they will tow your car however miles it takes to get you to a service center. No mileage limit. My previous AAA membership had a 5 mile limit. West of the Mississippi River, 5 miles is not enough.
Click to expand...

Thanks....
It's a pretty good offer, and covers boat trailers for ~$5 more when looking at autos.:flowers:
 
Chuckanut said:
I am curious.... If you use the towing insurance does that get you dinged for making a claim? I've heard some insurance companies will consider it a paid claim and may raise rates.
Click to expand...



I was told it did….and it is usually just thrown into the policy without determining need (i.e. do you already have other coverage).
 
jazz4cash said:
I was told it did….and it is usually just thrown into the policy without determining need (i.e. do you already have other coverage).
Click to expand...

Yeah, I declined it recently as I have AAA. They always try to throw that plus car rental in to pad the bill. Also AFAIK AAA is not assigned to a specific car - it’s whatever I’m driving when I need help. Another one - Mexico coverage. I don’t drive my car into Mexico.
 
We just signed up for AAA a few weeks ago, gonna give it a try. DH bad back will not allow him to change tires anymore and in case of need for towing, it's there.

Does anyone use their travel trip planning assistance? My brother raves about it.
 
Really? Fourteen years later this is all being rehashed?
 
roger r said:
After all of the good info, I'm just about to sign up for the AARP plan. Thanks. If the 5 mile towing is a show stopper, they have an more comprehensive policy that is similar to AAA's, but still much cheaper (think it's $70). My State Farm has a towing clause that is about 10 bucks a year, but think I'll still go for the AARP road side assistance for $37 to cover anything else and have some peace of mind while travelling.
Click to expand...
My State Farm roadside coverage worked great both times I used it. Good Sam absolutely stunk!
 
pacergal said:
We just signed up for AAA a few weeks ago, gonna give it a try. DH bad back will not allow him to change tires anymore and in case of need for towing, it's there.

Does anyone use their travel trip planning assistance? My brother raves about it.
Click to expand...

One upon a time before 2000, but we use the internet in general now. Searches alone provide so much info. Online maps are very smart.
 
Always prompt service w/AAA but ditched them a few years back to save some $$$ and use GEICO's roadside assistance (obviously, have auto insurance w/them).

Again, prompt service with GEICO.

Seems as though something happens every year or so as far as flat tire, dead battery, etc...so it's worth it to us.
 
I am 59 years old. I needed roadside assistance twice in my life. Once it was included in my new car warranty. The other time I really, really needed it was on a lonely mountain pass in Colorado in winter - with no cell reception. I had to flag down a passing car.
 
I miss not being able to go to the AAA office and walk out with a bundle of maps and tour books. Their tour books are a good source of well edited information on a state I know nothing about. But.... unlimited towing with Good Sam beats the 5 mile limit of AAA. And emergency service is the main reason to have the subscription. I can buy tour books and maps all over the place.

And with this sale Good Sam services are less than what AAA wants for their very limited towing service.
 
audreyh1 said:
Also AFAIK AAA is not assigned to a specific car - it’s whatever I’m driving when I need help.
Click to expand...

This is true, I've used my AAA membership to help a woman who was stranded at the side of the road and to help a neighbor with a flat. AAA doesn't care who owns the car.
 
I have AAA+ which gives me a 100 mile tow and I think I pay about $85 a year in Southern California. When I was working I drove 70 miles each way and I used that long tow to get back home once and it didn't cost me a dime. The driver just loaded the car on the flatbed truck we jumped in his cab which had no a/c in the middle of summer, gotta say it was a sweaty ride in rush hour traffic. I've also used their battery service twice which is so convenient and tire changes a few times.
For what it costs it's well worth it to me.
I think you can only upgrade to the Plus service after you've been with them a year.
 
RetiredAndLovingIt said:
I have AAA+ which gives me a 100 mile tow and I think I pay about $85 a year in Southern California. When I was working I drove 70 miles each way and I used that long tow to get back home once and it didn't cost me a dime. The driver just loaded the car on the flatbed truck we jumped in his cab which had no a/c in the middle of summer, gotta say it was a sweaty ride in rush hour traffic. I've also used their battery service twice which is so convenient and tire changes a few times.
For what it costs it's well worth it to me.
I think you can only upgrade to the Plus service after you've been with them a year.
Click to expand...

My wife called for a tow 50 miles from home and was told tow truck driver was not allowed to let caller (wife) to ride with them because of Covid.
Was told to call Uber or Lyft for ride.

I had to go get her and I beat the tow truck drive there as she would have been left there.
 
I have "Towing and Labor" coverage on my auto insurance (USAA). It's good for 50 miles and costs about $15 per vehicle per year.
 
braumeister said:
I have "Towing and Labor" coverage on my auto insurance (USAA). It's good for 50 miles and costs about $15 per vehicle per year.
Click to expand...

The danger there is that some insurance companies will ding you with a claim they have to payout if you use the service. Some will. Some won't. USAA has a good reputation, so I hope they would not ruin it by treating a tow claim like an accident claim.
 
Chuckanut said:
The danger there is that some insurance companies will ding you with a claim they have to payout if you use the service. Some will. Some won't. USAA has a good reputation, so I hope they would not ruin it by treating a tow claim like an accident claim.
Click to expand...

Would they just raise the towing portion of the premium? AAA, at least in Michigan, says that they will drop you for excess use.
 
RetMD21 said:
Would they just raise the towing portion of the premium? AAA, at least in Michigan, says that they will drop you for excess use.
Click to expand...

I varies by company. But, getting dropped by a company for any reason can make getting new insurance more expensive. So I am told.
 
JARON46 said:
My wife called for a tow 50 miles from home and was told tow truck driver was not allowed to let caller (wife) to ride with them because of Covid.
Was told to call Uber or Lyft for ride.

I had to go get her and I beat the tow truck drive there as she would have been left there.
Click to expand...
My tow was pre Covid but I just googled it and saw that even back then drivers are not required to let you ride in the cab. I must have got lucky, but that's also a bit concerning. That would have been a pretty expensive UBER trip.
 
Chuckanut said:
The danger there is that some insurance companies will ding you with a claim they have to payout if you use the service. Some will. Some won't. USAA has a good reputation, so I hope they would not ruin it by treating a tow claim like an accident claim.
Click to expand...

I think they are fine. I only used it once long ago, and they didn't call it a claim. Pretty remarkable experience -- not a tow but I locked my keys in the car. Called AAA, which I had back then, and they never answered. Kept calling for over an hour, just listening to it ring. Finally called USAA and they had a locksmith there in ten minutes. I was sold.
 
Chuckanut said:
FYI, the Good Sam club is having a 1/2 price Memorial Day sale for its towing service in case you car breaks down - $50 a year. That's the price for cars. Adding your RV is also 1/2 price for this sale. And they will tow your car however miles it takes to get you to a service center. No mileage limit. My previous AAA membership had a 5 mile limit. West of the Mississippi River, 5 miles is not enough.
Click to expand...

Well lucky me..
I signed up for the Good Sam Auto and trailer package ~$55 , as I'm getting a used boat trailer and it's been decades since towing something big and a trailer I don't know the history about, and we are planning a 1,000 mile trip.

Days later I am returning home from doing a restaurant run in our old car.
Come up to the stop light and put on the brakes... all is fine for a second or two and then the pedal goes to the floor.. So I pull a Freddy Flintstone and push harder like I can put my foot on the road :LOL:
Thankfully nobody was crossing the street and no car in front as I stopped about 1 car length into the intersection. :eek:
I put the car in neutral, wondering why the brakes failed and when the light turned green I drove slowly with emergency flashers going the 4 blocks home and into the driveway..
Looked under and break fluid is dripping out from the brake line.

I did the online request for a Tow and while I had read lots of bad reviews, it was fast within 20 minutes , a flat bed came which was nice, and took my car to the shop I picked out of 5 presented via the online request.
Good Sam also texted me a few times to see if tow showed up , how was it , etc.
That tow alone made the yearly coverage worth it :flowers:
 
Sunset said:
I did the online request for a Tow and while I had read lots of bad reviews, it was fast within 20 minutes , a flat bed came which was nice, and took my car to the shop I picked out of 5 presented via the online request.
Good Sam also texted me a few times to see if tow showed up , how was it , etc.
That tow alone made the yearly coverage worth it :flowers:
Click to expand...

I'm glad my tip paid off for you. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

P
So disappointed with my Honda experience
2 3 4
Replies
77
Views
5K
Koolau
Koolau
sengsational
Medigap Shopping: Closing the Book & Rate Increases
2 3 4
Replies
77
Views
4K
JoeWras
JoeWras
E
For Musicans - Music Notation
Replies
9
Views
404
razztazz
R
2HOTinPHX
At Will Employment anyone use this option?
2
Replies
25
Views
919
athena53
athena53
S
Getting a European phone number
2
Replies
40
Views
3K
target2019
target2019

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom