AAA Roadside Assistance. Is It Worth It?

[oldrooster]

I had AAA open one of our rental houses in town.

Renter "forgot" to leave us the keys. AAA sent a locksmith.

Spook my parents had at one time rental property and they never failed to keep at least 1 if not 2 or more sets of spare keys due to those type of situations. also if you happen to need to make a quick repair and the tenant calls you about it or you notify them (however long in advance by law) and they "forget" to be home you still can get in.

 

[oldrooster]

Quote:
Also think of it this way if you do something very stupid and need a tow truck do you REALLY WANT your insurance company to know your stupidity and possibly hike up your rates or cancel coverage? I mean lets say your uncle Roy has a long driveway that is very windy and hilly and you forget to set the handbrake and the car rolls into his old John Deere and does no damage (or not enough that you can't rectify repairs for more than $100 on the tractor) and you don't care your old beater is a little more dented up but you need out of the ditch? I'd hate the agent to call me up and cancel my insurance or raise heck because I never had an accident report made.

 

[Carols Clucks]

I am not sure I would drive with out having AAA.

I have had old cars that needed regular tows, one is sitting out front as I type waiting for me to either get paid and have the tow truck drop it off or just fix it myself.

They have come out and replaced moms battery in the driveway. And yes it was more expensive than driving to get a battery and doing it yourself. But at the time my boys were too young to help and the battery was too heavy for an elderly lady and me to lift and put in the car. It was worth that $10 bucks!

My friend had a nice guy "help" her change a flat tire on a mountain road. After he broke off a few bolts she convinced him that his "help" was not needed and the tow truck was almost there anyway. They towed her, and her "helper" back to the next big town 2 hours away where she would not be stuck paying tourist prices.

I have new maps and dmv work done just last month. Sure beats waiting for hours at the DMV just to have the clerk find a way to NOT help you!

 

[goobhen]

I have had AAA since 1978 (probably before you were born, LOL). I dropped it for about a six year period. I had an older car, I had to have it towed twice in 8 months. After the second time, I picked AAA up again. I also got the extended towing, as I had to pay about $35.00 out of pocket because I was too far for the basic towing. I LOVE it, I have three vehicles and have had to have one towed twice to the car repair. I had to have my door unlocked, accidentally locked the keys in the car. This summer, I went to the grocery store, car was working just fine, came out one hour later (it was July 4th) and it wouldn't start....It was during the drought, evidently excessive heat is just as hard on a car battery as extreme cold. AAA to the rescue!! I highly recommend AAA to anyone. Is it expensive, I don't think so with the peace of mind it gives to me as a parent, a women who drives 80 miles, five days a week! I have three people covered by AAA, well worth the $$!!

 

[FlaRocky]

The other thing is, if you have a breakdown and are in a rural area, even your smartphone might not help if you don't have a good connection to get on the internet to look for a tow service. It can be hard to find someone, and AAA already has reputable companies lined up. You don't have to wonder who you are getting.

The devil can be in the details, however...if you own a trailer and get the RV membership, be sure you know what is covered. I was told that if I have a horse trailer with living quarters, it would be towed, but my bumper pull which does not have a LQ would not be. So if you have specific needs, be sure to check with them and find out which memberships cover what.

I will never use AAA again. I have horses and I pull all kinds of trailers. Boat, flatbed,bumper horse, and gooseneck horse. After being stranded 3 times by AAA, 1st bumper pull 2 horse,2nd boat, 3rd boat. I switched to USRIDER,they have NEVER let me down. No matter what I am towing. They will change a tire on a dually pick-up too. If you break down pulling a rig, USRIDER will send two tow trucks same price. I pay about $120. a year, but is so worth it to me. I cannot afford to leave a trailer on the side of the road. I refuse to leave my horses on the side of the road. Anytime I have been brokedown USRIDER has called me to stay in contact every 30 min. They also will set up overnight stable and lodging for you. Mileage is pretty good too.

I was traveling with a friend who ended up very ill, called USRIDER and they directed me to the nearest hospital and found a place to stable the horses.

Now that is what I call service.


Maye

 

[Godsgrl]

I have that too, BUT...you have to call them yourself and they reimburse you. It also has a limit of towing to the nearest service center, whereas with AAA I can pick anything in a 200 mile radius. Trust me, if you've ever had to pay for a long distance tow, it is worth it! They also help with unexpected expenses caused by something like this, something a lot of auto insurance programs don't do. Also, a lot of auto insurance programs won't tow RVs...even if you don't have an RV, the perks of the Premier RV membership are worth looking at for regular vehicles.

That's not how ours works at all. We call the 1-800 #, and they forward us to the company that handles wrecker calls. Then they send someone out to help us. No money changes hands on our end at all. We have 100 miles towing radius, which has come in very handy for us out here.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I'm really enjoying all of the responses about AAA.

 

[goobhen]

I forgot that when I lived in California our car broke down in the desert, the AAA tow truck would not tow the boat, just the car..Thank God I was young enough that I was okay that five people where sitting in plastic chairs by the boat for about four hours.. I don't know if that was a AAA or the contracted towing company, but I have to agree with FlaRocky that if you are towing something, you better check with AAA prior to purchasing it! I don't tow anything now, but my DH is talking about getting a pop-up camper, maybe I should double-check if AAA would cover towing for that prior to getting one!! Good luck!

 

[FlaRocky]

If you want to checkout USRIDER here is the information. WWW.USRIDER.ORG


They user a chart that shows what all they cover. I know on the 100 mile tow it is for your truck or trailer a $400.00 vaule, and if you are towing a trailer and both need a tow an additional $400.00 for the second one.



Goodluck on your research,

Maye

 

[NickyPick]

I definitely prefer USRider. I had AAA+ for years and yeah, they wouldn't help if you were towing anything. The other great thing is that the service works with the person, not the car, so if I'm in a friend's car that breaks down, I can call USRider for the assist, even if the friend doesn't have an account.
A couple of years ago, I was pulling a 2 horse bumper pull down I-45 and the front tire blew on the truck just south of Corsicana. We shot across 2 lanes of traffic, hit the cable median and ripped off both of the tires on the left side of the trailer. Truck was pretty dented in too. I called USRider and they send 2 flatbed tow trucks and called the state troopers to keep us safe on the side of the highway. Since we were just after a big turn, the trooper wouldn't let us unload the horse, so we had to lift trailer + horse onto the tow truck. It was pretty nerve-wracking. USRider kept calling me every 20 minutes or so, to make sure everything was going ok and even found a place to come with a trailer to pick us up so we wouldn't have to wait at the shell station for a friend to drive up and get us. The truck & trailer both got hauled down to Houston and it was all covered. All in all, a very good experience.