So AAA American Automotive Association sucks - 3 mile tow! (insurance, vehicles, GPS)
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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.
Ive tried different roadside assistance memberships over the years. I always kept AAA. The rest were bad or mediocre. Ive had AAA for 27 years. Yeah they ask a few questions but all you need to give is the address where you’re at after you give them your membership info.
If you have a basic membership they tow I think 7 miles or to the first repair shop/dealer. I have the plus plan RV trailer and motorcycle which tows me I think 100 miles if that’s what I want. The only thing is they do not tow commercial vehicles.
Sorry to hear you had problems.
Last edited by Electrician4you; 06-17-2018 at 09:59 AM..
I've had AAA for over thirty years and have needed assistance multiple times...never had a bad experience like the one you describe. I just have to give my membership number and location. I've heard that service varies by state and maybe even by specific area so you just may be in one of the poor service locations.
Yes, I believe basic towing is 7 miles free. But we have the extra towing mileage option (100 miles) because my husband wants our cars towed directly to his shop, no matter where we are.
I've had AAA for over thirty years and have needed assistance multiple times...never had a bad experience like the one you describe. I've heard that service varies by state and maybe even by specific area so you just may be in one of the poor service locations.
We also have the extra towing mileage option because my husband wants our cars towed directly to his shop, no matter where we are.
Agree above.
For the original OP.
I always keep a Garmin in car. Can get a used one on ebay for $20 bucks. The Garmin will provide the GPS coordinates - to provide AAA IF you are in the middle of nowhere.
Plans to vary but never ever heard of 3 mile limit. There are also family plans that take down cost even more.
I have AAA PLUS that will tow me up to 100 miles. There are other plans. For more or less money.
So slamming AAA is a tad difficult to comprehend.
I have a Garmin in every vehicle. All with lifetime map updates and all USED.
the only issue i ever had with AAA and a towing limit was when i was in virginia and needed a tow. they said AAA arizona would only pay for the first 5 miles, and i was responsible after that. i ended up not needing a tow though as i was next door to a shop that could do the needed repairs to my truck.
the other issue was an idiot tire guy that at first couldnt find my car, and when he finally did, he almost refused to change the tire because the rim was a universal fit rim and was lug centric instead of hub centric.
other than that though i have had no issues with AAA. and even if i have to pay for a tow over a certain number of miles, its no big deal to me, my insurance company will reimburse me for any tow bills i might have.
I have had AAA for over 20 years now and have never had a issue. The latest call was to get my wife out of a ditch. Gave them my membership number and where the car was and 20 minutes later the tow truck showed up and pulled her out. I got AAA plus just for the extra stuff you get like 100 mile towing. It is well worth the extra cost.
You sure your kid dialed the right number, and didn't just dial the number on some sign on the side of the road? You DID make sure the contact for "Roadside Assistance" is in her phone and labeled as such, and pointed out, right?
And then there's the fact that a phone should never be close to dying while in the car: it should always be plugged into a charger in case it's needed for emergencies. Also, speaking of phones, Google Maps will also provide exact GPS coordinates when needed.
I have AAA Premier (upgraded in the last few months), towing up to 200 miles, ++++. I have always been happy with them. I'm usually prepared for a lot of things, but there are just some things that can't be predicted. The last time I used it was when a fuel line blew as I was leaving work, they got a driver there quickly, kept me updated while I was waiting, and my truck was hauled to the shop of my choice about 30 miles away. After, they called to verify that I had been taken care of and to ask if I was happy with the service.
OP, your problem is that you failed to make yourself aware of the details of the plan you were buying, apparently making assumptions that weren't correct, and did not purchase a plan that would meet your needs. Your fault, not theirs.
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.
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience from AAA. I’m in California and have had the AAA premier for 5+ years, and have zero complaints. The reason for premier is they will tow and have towed my motorcycle twice. Once from 30 miles away and the 2nd time less than 2 miles.
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for 5+ years, and have zero complaints. The reason for premier is they will tow and have towed my motorcycle twice. Once from 30 miles away and the 2nd time less than 2 miles.
