# I Was Quietly Fired As An AAA Auto Club Customer **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 22, 2024, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199 "2024-06-22T14:16:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/21 "2024-06-22T18:04:15Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > They offer great hotel discounts, similar to AARP. The card pays for itself with just one or two hotel stays. I have literally never (in hundreds of hotel stays over the last 20 years) found the AAA discount better than I can get simply by being a loyalty program member or and other offer the hotel brand is offering. Unless you are walking in off the street (I posted about that experience once on these boards) and are quoted a $499 price for a $199 hotel room, and you get a $50 discount with AAA. I expect to encounter this once or twice in my remaining lifetime. In the 1980s and 1990s it was more common to get a worthwhile discount with AAA because it was harder to compare prices and it was more common for me to stay at non-chain properties. I stopped checking years ago. In fact I’m booking a hotel right now and the Hilton Honors and AAA rates are identical. I believe all three of Hilton, Marriott and IHG guarantee that the loyalty rate will not be higher than any other direct booking rate. I can’t remember the last time I used the AAA discount at a hotel. I have used it at the occasional museum or attraction that offers it but that is $2 to $5 and pretty soon I will be getting a better price by being old enough. You don’t calculate the value of the discount from the rack rate. It’s from the best available rate (with the same cancellation terms) available to you without AAA. I have AAA because I have looked into the program offered by my credit cards and I’m not convinced they are as good, and confirmed by experiences of people I know who ditched it and relied on the credit card coverage. I can add a towing rider to my auto insurance but it would cost more than $85 PER CAR and only applies to our cars, not rentals or any random borrowed car I happen to be driving. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/22 "2024-06-22T18:07:09Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Do they even know what car you drive? I’ve never informed them. They know that the last tow was an old car but that’s about it. That’s what they would be going off of. They don’t need perfect information, just playing the percentages. If you call them for service on a 5 year old car, their data tells them it’s a one-off. You call them for service on a 30 year old car, their data tells them it’s the start of a pattern. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/23 "2024-06-22T18:14:23Z")
Whatever. What is more likely, they dropped OP without notice because of one tow on an old car or they dropped OP because they neglected to pay? ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/24 "2024-06-22T18:19:34Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > One call per year per household is enough to turn their business model upside down very badly. They literally need 80+% of customers not to have a call each year in order for the $85 to pay off. Because they are paying the tow truck hundreds per call on average. Yeah, but it’s not like governments don’t know this which is why every state has an insurance ombudsman that is in charge of enforcing that all insurance agencies in the state are complying with relevant statutes. States can vary widely on the allowed practices but what they’re all pretty uniform on is the form of communication and disclosure that must happen. Insurance companies hate having any sort of regulatory scrutiny because it becomes a whole thing so they’re generally willing to be quite flexible about making their customers happy if it feels like the fuckup is on their end and the customer knows what their rights are. It’s very easy to call up a company and ask them for proof that various forms of disclosure that were meant to be sent to you were indeed sent and if there’s an area where they can’t find proof of compliance, then you get kicked up to a higher level of decision maker who has a wide latitude to make things right with you. Double check that they did indeed follow any appropriate behaviors before you look into any other next steps. ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/25 "2024-06-22T18:22:56Z")
Since AAA is an automobile club, **your AAA membership covers you rather than your car**. That means that YOU are covered for Emergency Road Services in any vehicle your are driving or riding in as long as that TYPE of vehicle is covered. You could be in a friend’s car and, if it breaks down, you are covered. That’s not me saying that. That’s from AAA ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/26 "2024-06-22T18:29:51Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > They offer great hotel discounts, similar to AARP. The card pays for itself with just one or two hotel stays. I’ve heard that many hotels have a policy that, if a customer ever asks “Do you offer a discount for \_\_\_\_\_?”, the answer is always “Yes”, and it’s all the same discount, and even if you’re a senior citizen AND a student AND a veteran AND an AAA member and whatever, it’s still all just one discount. So that discount card might not be worth as much as you think. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/27 "2024-06-22T18:33:47Z")
I know it’s equivalent to other discounts but I’m not a member of AARP and I don’t qualify for the other ones. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/28 "2024-06-22T18:49:21Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > They may not have dropped OP for using the service, but for driving a 30 year old car. They don’t care what kind of car you are driving. You have the service available to you in any car you might be driving. It is coverage for you personally, not a particular car. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/29 "2024-06-22T18:52:16Z")
There is an extremely simple way to find out what’s going on, but the OP is refusing to do it. Why? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/30 "2024-06-22T19:09:51Z")
Because it’s Saturday? 🙂 Maybe they’ll take our advice. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/31 "2024-06-22T20:59:55Z")
In an incredible coincidence my wife just booked a stay at an independent (non chain) resort and saved $45 on the stay. So my wrongness in this thread just went up exponentially. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/32 "2024-06-22T21:02:10Z")
Haha. Just one more and you’ll pay for the card. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/33 "2024-06-22T21:02:35Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Whatever. What is more likely, they dropped OP without notice because of one tow on an old car or they dropped OP because they neglected to pay? Oh quite. It’s much more likely this some screw-up somewhere, either on OPs part or on AAA’s. It’s just not impossible that what they are positing is true. Unlikely for sure, not impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/34 "2024-06-22T21:03:12Z")
Not sure why my posts appeared in opposite order than I posted them in. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2024, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/35 "2024-06-23T01:38:56Z")
The one time I tried to use AAA, they were utterly useless. I had a flat on Mass. 122 about halfway between Petersham and Barre. They claimed they could not find 122. Eventually I decided to change the tire myself (with, eventually, the help of a kind Mass. State cop). Four hours later they called to find out if I was still there. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2024, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/36 "2024-06-23T04:15:16Z")
Are you sure you didn’t call AA? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2024, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/37 "2024-06-23T05:38:58Z")
I’ve been a gold card member since I think 1998. I’ve never used the tow service on my own car but once. I’ve used it about 8 times for friends, boyfriends and my brother’s various POS cars. All they require is for me to sign the slip for the tow operator. I don’t think they even have my car info. I don’t see it stored in the app. I agree with others. This is just a billing mixup. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2024, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/38 "2024-06-23T05:50:43Z")
Zombie? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2024, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/39 "2024-06-23T12:13:53Z")
They don’t usually even have me sign anything if I don’t need a tow - for example, if all I need is a tire change/repair. I guess giving my account number when I call is good enough for them to get paid ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2024, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199/40 "2024-06-23T12:59:58Z")
Just saved $30 on boarding fees for Pluto with an AAA discount. Hope that doesn’t torch my membership. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-quietly-fired-as-an-aaa-auto-club-customer/1003199.md?page=3)