Comments | vandebeast: Calling all AAA members and former members

vandebeast

Calling all AAA members and former members

Jul 12, 2008 22:20

I'm wondering if anyone who has used AAA has any opinions on their services. Positive/negative whatever. What do you think the services are worth, which ones have you used?

I've got a membership offer from AAA and am trying to decide whether I should accept it or reject it. (75,000 miles on my car might be helping me to ponder this question.)

Comments 10

mg4h July 13 2008, 05:16:35 UTC

We have it, we've used it almost exclusively for towing service. On the one hand, when we need them to tow or fix the car, they do show up - but they do not do it quickly. The fastest response I've ever had was just short of an hour, and that was inside the city limits, during the middle of the day - not during rush hour, and not a holiday ( ... )

shoebox_bird July 13 2008, 11:31:38 UTC

Definitely worth it. I've had two tires needing replacing, and know people who have needed towing. It's usually only $60-100 per year, so it's not that bad considering.

Plus you get lots of other discounts - travel, restaurants, etc.

tg2k July 13 2008, 13:51:48 UTC

I agree. The peace of mind seems worth it. It's not that I can't afford towing or anything, even...but it's nice to know there's just one number I need to get it taken care of.

They also give you free maps of anywhere their offices have, and yes they have their "Triptik" things that are guides from one major area to another with hotels and sites and stuff on the way...which isn't as useful if you have a GPS.

Also they give you free gas if you run out, and help get you in your car if you get locked out. At a higher tier of service, they pay your deductible if you are on a trip at least 100 miles from home and your car is destroyed in an accident. (A lot of this is quoted from hereI think they offer their own insurance policies as well, and their offices have additional features...like doing passport photos, drivers license renewals, an auto purchasing service ( ... )

shoebox_bird July 13 2008, 15:30:52 UTC

Oh, I don't drive out here at all - just take the bus / cycle. :). But I'd doubt it. (Though I think you can get coverage in Canada / Mexico)

tg2k July 13 2008, 21:50:12 UTC

I figured you weren't driving (would need new license and all anyway)...and in your case, AAA probably isn't worth it ;-).

Thread 6

mh75 July 13 2008, 19:16:11 UTC

They've always been fine to me, and i like having the insurance, so i always carry them.
Although its worth mentioning that there are other options out there:

Good bye, AAA! After thinking about it for a while and missing my cancellation window (because I had it on auto-pay) last year, I finally pulled the plug on my AAA membership and switched to the Better World Club. It costs about the same as AAA and provides pretty much the same roadside assistance, but they also offer roadside assistance for cyclists and don't lobby against environmental protection.

(something i have saved for the next time i need to re-up.

vandebeast July 14 2008, 18:06:21 UTC

AAA's lobbying efforts has always been one of the reasons I am a bit hesitant to sign up.

jgs July 16 2008, 18:05:22 UTC

We use our AAA membership a lot. Ours is the gold card membership (AAA Plus), which gets us free towing up to 100 miles and some other perks. (We once used it for a 150-mile tow. Totally worth it. We've also used it for a number of shorter tows.) It costs around $100/year and covers the two of us. (Rob is added on to my membership for a small fee - I think around $10-$15 ( ... )