Moderating:
This is attacking the poster, not the post. That’s not allowed in MPSIMS. Don’t do it again.
I don’t think you are a dotard or can’t check your spam folder. And i didn’t miss that the vehicle is old. I also know that mistakes are common, and companies usually drop you a note when then intentionally non-renew. And i do think you are unfairly maligning AAA without bothering to learn the story.
Thanks for the insights, but not so much the uncalled-for rudeness and condescension.
This thread is getting heated. As it’s not in the pit, I’m closing it until tomorrow morning. If it generates a lot more reports after it reopens, I’ll probably close it for good.
This topic was automatically opened after 16 hours.
This was my thought. I’ve had my AAA membership on auto-renew for years. I’ve never had to take any sort of action to make a payment; they just automatically charge my credit card. I do, however, still get an invoice every year that basically says something along the lines of “This is just a reminder that your auto renewal is coming up next month. No payment is required for this invoice.”
But it is plausible that the OP for some reason never got that invoice, the auto-renewal went through anyway, and AAA rejected the OP’s payment because they were already paid up. And now the OP is a member of two auto clubs.
I’ll add that you don’t need to be a member of an auto club to get towing service. The towing companies are not part of AAA. They are contracted by AAA and it’s AAA who pays them, probably at a reduced rate. Anyone can call a towing company directly and pay them yourself to take care of you.
One thing for sure that I want to say to the OP is kudos for taking such good care of a car that it is still running well at 29 years of age. When I buy a new car, and even though I service it regularly and properly, it is like a 35 year old running back after just 5 years. It’s ready to be replaced! 
Problem is you don’t know anyone to call. And you’re subject to the police calling out over the radio for ANY wrecker to come and hook up your car. Then they have you over a barrel.
With AAA unless you’re blocking a lane on the highway, they will send someone in some reasonable time in almost all cases.
I’d there’s a blizzard and hundreds of cars are stuck within five miles of you, it’s going to be hours with or without AAA.
100% agree. I would never be without AAA or the equivalent. I was just explaining that you can (eventually) get towed without the membership. You won’t be stranded forever.
I am actually starting to think AAA’s discounts aren’t really all they’re cracked up to be, at least for me.
- Nowadays most of the big hotel chains seem to offer special rates for members of their rewards program that are even better than the AAA rate. The last time I stayed at a Holiday Inn I got a better discount for being an IHG Rewards member than I would have gotten for being a AAA member (And no, I don’t have any sort of status in their rewards program).
- The AAA discounts for tourist attractions are identical to the discounts I already get through work.
- Amtrak no longer offers a AAA discount. Nor does Super Shuttle (I did used to use this discount for airport rides)
That said, I still see value in being an AAA member, just for the roadside assistance. And it gets me a discount on their insurance, one discount that is still worthwhile. And I do still use the hotel discounts occasionally, if I’s staying at a smaller chain and don’t want to sign up for their rewards program.
I don’t remember ever paying for Trip-Ticks (which were cool) or maps. That was a benefit of membership. I wonder if they still have them though.
As for the OP I’m betting on auto-renew with the notification tossed as one of the massive number of AAA ads for insurance etc. you get.
That’s my hypothesis as well. Maybe OP can check their credit card statement
This isn’t correct. I’m a AAA member. I’ve never had to put in the make, model or year cars that I own. In fact the membership is tied to me personally not my vehicles. They will come and do roadside assistance if I call for any car that I am driving or a passenger in.
My wife and daughter are covered as well.
I think CG was implying that membership was higher when it was worth it to become a member for the Trip Tiks. Customized easy-to-read maps were a very unique and useful benefit of membership.
Take away the need for TripTiks and nobody really needs AAA anymore ('cept me).
They were free for members, but it was an incentive to BE a member. Last time I went there was at least ten years ago, but they did still have a version of TripTick, although it was basically a printed out version of Google Maps sheets. Not sure why anyone would need a paper map any more unless he’s a luddite.
TripTik tangent: In the 1930s Conoco Oil had their own personal travel guides called the TourAide. They were spiral bound and bit larger in format than the AAA offering. Besides the maps with the highlighted route, they had listings for lodgings along the way and descriptions and photos of regional highlights. Here’s an example from 1936
In case I need a tow near home, I’ve added the phone numbers for a couple of local towing agencies to my phone directory. And depending on which auto insurance company or credit card company you use, they may also offer a towing dispatch service as part of the deal.
When we did a road trip across the country in 2018 state maps were really handy in showing where we were in context. We used GPS also, but either you see a limited area or the screen is too small to read even town names.
Plus when my Prius was having 12 volt battery issues, AAA was great in coming to my house to jump it - though the trucks did not have a Prius battery. (This is normal battery, not the battery for being a hybrid.) And my wife used them once when she left her lights on while parking in an airport lot.
Well worth it still, for us.