We just dropped a habitual $140 for our two-member AAA family. They’ve come in super handy over the years, from long-distance towing to jumps to gas help.
Is this outdated? Google maps, GPS, and Priceline have eviscerated much of what we used to use AAA for (how many used to pour over the new TripTik in wonderment?).
Our insurance (Geico) has a similar plan (towing, jumps and emergency gas) for a fraction of the AAA fee. Anyone jumped ship or do insurance tows not work out so well?
I had to use AAA for a flat a couple months ago. I like knowing they are a phone call away.
They’re good if you need a tow, and they also are a pretty good travel agency.
In addition, your membership gives you discounted hotel rates that can make it easily pay for itself. Unlike Priceline, you can choose exactly what hotel to stay at, and you very often get better service and better rooms than through a hotel aggregator. You usually pay the same rate as if you go through Orbitz or the like, and since the hotel keeps all of the money, they’ll give you better rooms.
I don’t know about Geico specifically, but I think most of the insurance company towing plans are pretty comparable. They’re just reimbursement plans, so it’s not like you have to worry about there being an out-of-network tow truck or anything. Just read the fine print about maximum distance and such, but I think you’ll find them pretty similar.
Towing makes it worth it. In these parts I also get dental insurance through AAA, but it’s a local thing. You can also renew drivers licenses and registrations at AAA offices here in RI. I know you can get some travel and hotel discounts through them also, but I have other ways to get those.
I had a GEICO towing plan, it was through a sub-contractor. Their tow guy wrecked a strut on the front of my car loading or unloading it on a flat-bed and they refused to pay saying I couldn’t prove their tow truck did it. GEICO wouldn’t help, so I dropped them and will never go back. I’ve never had a problem with AAA, and their guys have gone above and beyond for me a couple of times.
Unless you live in one of the handful of metro areas where AAA actually operates trucks themselves, you’re going to get a subcontractor either way. There’s a pretty good chance it’ll be the same towing company regardless of who’s covering it.
They are all subcontractors, but the subcontractors for AAA are subcontracted by AAA, and AAA takes responsibility for what their subcontractors do. GEICO said they weren’t involved, I had to deal with the subcontractor directly, and the tow truck operator was a sub-subcontractor.
If you get a bad tooth, do they yank it out with a tow truck?
I’ve had AAA for about 30 years now, ever since I got my license. Definitely saved me many times over when all I had was a beater, but even with new cars they’ve been a lifesaver. Can’t imagine being without any protection, was just wondering if Geico et al service (speed of tow, etc.) was compareable. Sounds like AAA is still the way to go.
I’ve also been relying on Priceline’s travel services since the 90s (speaking of cars, remember when they used to do gas?). I’m a veritable proselytizer for P’Line—they have consistently beat every other travel site out there. Almost every trip has had us in a 4-star or better hotel for the rack rate on the other services’ 3-star rooms.
Yes, there are rare exceptions (and then P’line’s price guarantee makes up for it), but by and large they’ve saved us thousands of dollars over the years. Their star ratings are reliable and unless you need to be within a few blocks their neighborhood maps are very well drawn.
Yeah, but through a subcontractor.
Have you ever actually had a situation like that with AAA? I’ll admit that they’ve probably got a bit more leverage over tow companies, being the 800 pound gorilla in the room, but I doubt they “stand behind” their subcontractors any more or less than any other roadside assistance provider.
If all you’re using AAA for is the roadside assistance coverage (and you don’t need the perk of being able to use it when you’re in someone else’s car) switching to the vastly cheaper insurance-provided one seems like a no-brainer to me.
I love AAA and cannot even count the number of times they’ve saved me from dead batteries, flat tires, etc. And the hotel discounts have saved me I don’t know how much. I used to love their TripTiks too, although GPS seems to have made those pretty much obsolete…
Yes I have. They hooked a heat shield loading a car on a flat bed and paid to have it welded back on. In another case they dented the hood on my car, I let it go because I knew the tow driver as a friend of a friend and the car was getting scrapped soon anyway. He explained to me that his boss was going to have to pay for the fix if I filed a claim. He couldn’t believe I was going to let it pass.
I have towing through my auto insurance and my mobile AT&T family plan. The latter costs something like $2.99 a month. I’ve not had to use a towing service very often in my life so not a lot of experience with the various options. However, the battery in the car died a few month ago. Called the AT&T customer service line. Tow truck showed up within 30 minutes. Tried to boost it. Couldn’t get it started. Loaded the car on the flatbed and towed it to my mechanic. No hassle. No questions. No charges.
I’ll just echo what RealityChuck said, if for no other reason than the discounts you get for being a AAA member. My local UPS store gives a nice discount, for example, so it isn’t just hotels and such.
If you filed a claim with who? You can file a complaint with AAA, but they’re not going to pay for the damage done by one of their subcontractors out of their own pocket. Maybe the company you dealt with through Geico would have been more worried about pissing you off if you were a AAA customer instead, but who knows.
At any rate, I think the exceedingly rare situation in which one’s car is damaged by a recalcitrant towing company that might be more likely to listen to AAA than a major insurance company is not worth the extra $100 a year.
Long time AAA member.
Despite the availability of GPS (on my phone and a separate unit) I would rather have the maps and a Trip Tik on-hand in case things go wrong. Also, I’m a Gold member so I can get the longer tows and RV towing. I have also used it to tow friend’s vehicles in the past.
I have towing with my insurance but that’s only as a backup in case AAA was busy or not available. I would always AAA as my primary, though.
Careful. Use their emergency services too often for their liking and they’ll hike your insurance rate.
When they did that to us, we changed from Geico to AAA insurance (actually Travelers provided through AAA).
I wasn’t clear before. GEICO was telling me that the towing service (equivalent to AAA) was not their subcontractor, that I had to deal with them directly. They simply marketed those services. If the towing service had been a subcontractor of GEICO I think they would have paid to satisfy a complaint from GEICO, but GEICO did nothing at all for me. I should have been clearer about that, I think you can understand my aggravation with GEICO in that case.