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Yup! I did that for a co-worker one time, because his car wouldn't start. All AAA requires is that the person with the card that is covering the service be present when the service truck arrives.
When I was living with my parents for a brief time 2 years ago my car developed issues a block away from their house on my way to work. I went around the block and back to the house, parked, went inside and asked to borrow their spare car, and dad had my car towed up to the shop they use, on their AAA membership (we all have Plus).
This happened to me too! Nephews birthday party, locked keys in car, didn’t realize my membership
Lapsed, and a lady at the party called AAA and said she had been my passenger. I don’t know if other services es like the ones with insurance do this, or if they cover the car instead of the member.
So been paying for an AAA membership for the whole driving family and finally needed a tow from roadside assistance. What a pain in the arse. The kid was really upset that the car broke down and was nowhere she really knew - and she gets a damn computer menu. Then it kept badgering her for a zip code - seriously? She didn't even know the neighborhood she was in let alone the zip code. Finally with her phone battery slowly dying, she gets a live person who is asking a million account related questions till finally my daughter is like - wouldn't you like to know where I am incase my phone dies? And is trying to give her the coordinates from the street signs she is physically standing under - while the girl is telling her to hold so she can "pinpoint" it on the map for the tow truck driver. OMG - how infuriating. Then for the final - I'm never again paying AAA another penny moment - they tell her they only pay for the first 3 THREE miles of towing and charge $4.50 a mile after that. How many people break down THREE miles from their known service stations? Called me, I called roadside assistance from the insurance company and the tow truck was there within 15-20 minutes and THEY covered towing for the first 20 miles. And they were a hell of a lot cheaper then AAA. Lesson learned. And now shared.
Interesting. I've used AAA roadside assistance numerous (>20) times over the past couple of decades and always had a complete opposite experience. A menu simply asking if I was calling about roadside assistance, then routing me to a person. Never once have I been asked to enter a zip code into a computer menu. Are you sure she called the correct number on the back of her card? there are like 3 or 4...
NY. THere's a a couple of towns near each other where Main Street and Old Post Road intersect. Trick question, but I think I made my point. A cross-street isn't necessarily enough, especially when you're not really sure of where you are. Which, if you need roadside assistance, you probably aren't.
We have had AAA for years. now we get it through our insurance but it's nearly the same cost of about $70/year. It's hard to see many years when it pays for itself, then again we don't tow a car 189 miles. But neither do most people. Even if you get the basic plan it's a yearly expense that is about equal to a tow to the closest shop, $70 or so. This means we would need to call them once a year to break even, you need to use the service twice in a year to actually get a financial benefit and we don't need to do that.
I get it for my wife's peace of mind. And there is value in that. But no it rarely pays for itself unless you are breaking down a whole lot.
I've called them quite a few times for other people if they needed a jump or locked their keys in their car, so on average I use them at least once a year. So worth it.
Not knowing the zip code for the area she was in, hardly equals a lack of geographical awareness. The AAA rep. had no business asking her that. I have already demonstrated in another post that I can find any location with just the names of the streets, using Google Maps. Who keeps track of what zip code they are driving in anyway? I have never seen a road sign: Entering Zip Code 12345.
And if she had a smartphone, it would have been simple to look it up herself.
I've never been asked for a zip code when I have called AAA. Municipality and state, plus street address and/or business where I was located.
Just the names of streets? Nothing else? OK - 4th and Washington Streets, and 19th St and 7th Ave. Nothing else, because you act like it's some God-given gift that no one else but you has.
Yeah, AAA is perfect and the daughter is an idiot.
What a lovely bunch you are.
I've been stuck with a flat where there is no address to give. Before cell phones and GPS. They flat refused to come to fix it. I called back and raised hell. Someone finally showed up. You need to remember that he people coming to do the tow aren't AAA they are contracted and some are less than savory.
Circumstances vary depending upon the location; in larger cities, AAA maintains its own towing fleets. But in a medium- or smaller-sized community, one tow operator might predominate, and AAA will contract with that operator.
Time of day (or week) can also be a factor; we could always look forward to a surge in business on Monday mornings after customers had left their vehicles idle for the weekend (and of course, they all wanted immediate service).
"We have met the enemy, and he is us." (Walt Kelly)
NY. THere's a a couple of towns near each other where Main Street and Old Post Road intersect. Trick question, but I think I made my point. A cross-street isn't necessarily enough, especially when you're not really sure of where you are. Which, if you need roadside assistance, you probably aren't.
OK, which towns?
Old Post Road in Wappingers Falls, NY doesn't intersect Main Street.
Old Post Road, Marlboro, NY doesn't intersect Main Street.
Old Post Road, Bedford, NY doesn't intersect Main Street.
Old Post Road, Armonk, NY doesn't intersect Main Street.
Old Post Road, Rye, NY doesn't intersect Main Street.
Old Post Road, Seaford, NY doesn't intersect Main Street.
Old Post Road, Hauppauge, NY doesn't intersect Main Street.
Old Post Road, Mount Sinai, NY doesn't intersect Main Street.
Old Post Road, Setauket- East Setauket, NY doesn't intersect Main Street, though it comes close.
A cross-street isn't necessarily enough, especially when you're not really sure of where you are. Which, if you need roadside assistance, you probably aren't.
I don't see how that follows, at all. Why would your car be more likely to break down when you're in a strange location? Since people typically drive similar routes every day and go to the same destinations over and over, the chances are very high that if you have a breakdown, you'll be on the way to work/school, on the way home, actually AT work/school/home, or in some other familiar place.
Interesting. I've used AAA roadside assistance numerous (>20) times over the past couple of decades and always had a complete opposite experience. A menu simply asking if I was calling about roadside assistance, then routing me to a person. Never once have I been asked to enter a zip code into a computer menu. Are you sure she called the correct number on the back of her card? there are like 3 or 4...
That is odd, I've never been asked for a zip code, either.
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