Trying to figure out if Triple AAA membership is worth it …. (dangers, old)

[Cindi Waters]

Originally Posted by oceangaia

Often the best rate is the "Internet Rate" which is available to anyone booking online. The AAA discounts are over-rated. 30 years ago there weren't may alternative sources but there aren't many AAA discounts that can't be had by other means.

I've found that to be true in reference to internet rates, but sometimes it pays (me) for peace of mind to book through one agency (AAA) and get their (little) discount and be settled with it rather than go through another way to book a cheaper rate. But you're right in that it can cost less to go through the motel's internet service to book a room.

[BJfromVA]

Before I had AAA (about 35 years ago), I had brought a brand new 65 Mercury Tapaz. That car ended up in the shop more than on the road. Luckily, It would always break down around town, so I could get it towed to the dealer for repair. Well twice driving out of town/state, the car broke down. (both times at night, was close to a family member, and before cell phones.) Both times was able to find phone booths and call a family member to come get me. Both times it took hours to come get me. That's when I decided to get AAA Plus because I knew I would need over 5 Miles.

Even though they now have cell phones and better cars, and yes, some of the benefits are no longer needed. But I still have it for MY peace of mind. It's just like any insurance...I've been paying auto insurance for years, but only needed them 3 times. Been paying for health insurance for even more years. When I finally had to use them last year for the first time, they hardly wanted to pay anything. But left me with a big co-pay. But I'm still going to pay them. It should be called "in-case of" and not insurance.

Anyway one thing no one mentioned is that AAA covers you, not your vehicle. If other words, if you are riding with someone in their vehicle and they break down or have a flat, you can call AAA and they will come to your rescue. Also if I have about a month left and I haven't used my card, I've helped out friends and even strangers stranded on the road. One last thing for me is my favorite style shoe (Rebok) offer a 20% discount on their shoes.

To me, yes it is worth it.

[aslowdodge]

Originally Posted by Chas863

Yeah, but many people think they are saving SOOOO much money by getting their AAA discount on motel rooms. Most could probably get the same rate without being a AAA member. LOL.

And as for the roadside assistance service, I just checked my car insurance policy. As near as I can tell, it covers the same items that AAA does, but there is a limit to it. The limit is $75 per incident with a maximum of 3 incidents. It costs me $6 per year.

So in fact you are not being forced to subsidize all the other poorly prepared people as you mentioned on your insurance. The roadside assistance is separate and a choice. Will you be dropping that 6 dollar service since you don’t need it as you said? It looks like over your driving history you could have saved a few hundred dollars at best.
The aaa discounts aren’t great, but better than a sharp stick in the eye. I get a few bucks off airport parking and hotels I use the net and get better rates. The Monterey aquarium in California honors AAA discount but I found out when I went to pay the high admission price at the entrance and presented my card that you have to get the tickets ahead of time in order to get an a AAA discount.

[aslowdodge]

Originally Posted by TheShadow

How are you subsidizing anyone if you don't purchase membership? And who made you the judge of who should be driving?

Car parts fail. I had a timing belt drop off my car 15,000 miles before it was time to be replaced per the maintenance schedule (car was only 5 years old). Fortunately that was the only thing that had to be repaired, the damage could've been so much worse. Maybe they sweep the freeways every day where you live, but roads have crap on them that punctures even the best tires, little things like screws or metal objects that can't be seen when driving 65 miles an hour. I had a 6" long stainless steel dental tool lying in the road puncture my tire and stay in there. No amount of preventative maintenance or "responsibility" could have caused this not to happen. I consider carrying towing insurance to be the responsible thing to do.

Things like tools, wood, and random stuff can fly off other vehicles and strike your car shattering the windshield (as happened to a sibling). I once had to dodge a moon roof that flew off a car on a flatbed! Electronics can give faulty readings due to failed sensors, gaskets fail, thermostats can fail, bad gas can foul your fuel injector. Spouses don't always communicate clearly, and one sets their purse down in the car, only to have the other use the master button to lock the doors and get out (my hubby did that once, and my sister had her husband close the trunk with her purse/keys inside). Hey, nobody's perfect, and having a free lockout service eliminated the blame game and a lot of fussing. Before the days of automatic headlights, people often left the headlights on by mistake and depleted the battery. If there's no one around to give you a jump, what to do? Happy to say this never happened to me, but on rainy days, and before the days of headlight ding-dongers and portable jump start devices, it happened to lots of people. I drove in the mountains a lot (I lived there) where the nearest auto shop that's more than a glorified gas station (where they're guaranteed not to have a part for your make and model) is sometimes more than 50 miles away. Call and ask a tow truck driver what it would cost to tow you 50 miles or more. I guarantee that one tow pays for more than a year of membership.

Stuff happens, but I guess you're perfect, so stuff never happens to you. For the rest of us, there's AAA, or paying the tow truck guy whatever he feels like charging. Buy it, don't buy it, I don't care. To me, it's worth it. YMMV

This is exactly what I’m talking about. This is all valid information although I think that poster has just checked his insurance and realized that his roadside assistance was a separate charge from his insurance cost but assumed it was included all these years

[jbgusa]

Originally Posted by Jill_Schramm

My husband and I are planning a huge road trip this summer and on another thread someone mentioned joining AAA.

I have looked at their website a few times now and am feeling skeptical. First it seems that they have many membership categories all with different pricing and a different hodge-podge of benefits, some of which I am positive we will not be needing. And I am left wondering if it is still worth it if there are quite a few offered benefits that we know we will not be using.

Example — the “classic” membership for $68. I am assuming this is a yearly fee, although they do not make that clear on their website, which is already leaving me skeptical.

The benefits:

2. Jump starts and battery service. In the past ten years, we have needed this precisely one time. And what we did is simply call a tow and had them jump start the car. So, I guess with AAA it would have been “free,” although would we have had to wait longer?

You left out flat or punctured tires. Jacking up a car is risky, even if you can handle putting on a spare. We have had two of those on the last five years.

Originally Posted by Jill_Schramm

3. Tows … up to 5 miles each. Five miles is not a long distance for a trip to a repair shop. Very iffy benefit. We will be doing a lot of driving in remote or even very remote areas, the chances that if we have a breakdown we will only need a 5 mile tow are slim.

The "100 mile option" is not much more money. While we have never used the "over five miles" feature one of our users regularly goes to eastern Long Island and eastern Pennsylvania. Thus we have the "Plus" but not the "Premier" membership. Member towing rates for amounts over the 100 mile limit are $5 per mile.

[Chas863]

Originally Posted by TheShadow

How are you subsidizing anyone if you don't purchase membership?

Do you and Aslowdodge understand what a "rhetorical question" is? Apparently not.

Nowhere have I claimed that I was subsidizing anyone's AAA membership! My rhetorical question was intended as a response or reason WHY I'M NOT a AAA MEMBER!

Sorry that my writing goes over your head. I'll try to use more one syllable words in the future.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by Chas863

Many motels will give discounts for just about anything. Here's just a few: AARP, Senior Citizen, Veteran, Government Worker, First Responder, Healthcare Workers, and many more that I can't think of at the moment. Most don't even ask to see a membership card although occasionally you'll find a motel that does want to see the card.

The AAA discount is almost always better than the AARP one. It's usually the best discount for the chain I use when traveling except for one where you book 21 days in advance and it's non-refundable. Since I don't always know exactly what night I'll need to stay three weeks ahead of time, I rarely use that one.

AAA isn't going to be beneficial for everybody. I get the 100-mile towing because I drive a long distance regularly.

[saibot]

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

Don't know where you are from, but I have the So Cal Auto Club of AAA and by far the biggest benefit is being able to do a lot of DMV business at. About the only DMV service you can't get at AAA is driver's license renewal or test. That alone is worth its weight in gold.

I agree. I've been an member of the Automobile Club of Southern California for 35 years now and have used it more times than I can count. My husband is a mechanic, we buy and drive only used cars and do a fair number of car registrations and title transfers, and going to AAA for those is 1000x faster and friendlier than going to the actual DMV. My sister was so disappointed when she moved to the Midwest and found that AAA there doesn't have DMV services.

I've also used their notary service, and once in a while I still go in to pick up a paper map of some new place we are going because I enjoy looking at and using paper maps.

Over those 35 years I've had basic flat tires, blowouts, dead batteries, locked out of the car, you name it, and AAA has bailed me out multiple times. We now have the premium service because we want our cars to be towed directly to my husband's shop even if we are 200 miles away. We also have two (soon to be three) kids living at home who drive and having them enrolled with AAA gives us some peace of mind.

I also enjoy the member's magazine (Westways) and have gotten great tips for getaways, scenic drives, and restaurants from it. So I highly recommend AAA for anyone living in SoCal at any rate.

[Chas863]

[quote]

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

Don't know where you are from, but I have the So Cal Auto Club of AAA and by far the biggest benefit is being able to do a lot of DMV business at. About the only DMV service you can't get at AAA is driver's license renewal or test. That alone is worth its weight in gold.

I'm from Florida and the only time I have to go to the DMV office is once every 8 years for driver's license renewal. I can do everything else from home.

I've purchased vehicles, sold vehicles, and renewed my tags every year right from the comfort of my own home. I get on the computer, click a few keys, and it's done. My new license plate or sticker comes in the mail in a few days. I don't belong to AAA and don't have to go their office for anything... and of course don't have to pay them anything either. Perhaps other states need to catch up with Florida... in more ways than one.

[ChessieMom]

I have used the towing service many times. (My membership covers 100 miles). My son is on my membership, and he has used it for both towing and for a dead battery. I have called AAA twice for a dead battery. First time they replaced it IN THE PARKING LOT. Fabulous service. 2nd time, the gave me a pro-rated price on the new one as the old one was less than 4 years old, and still under warranty. They did not have the battery on their truck, so they drive to another location, and met me BACK AT MY HOUSE, at 11PM, and put the new battery in. I have nothing but good things to say about them. I have been a member for 28 years.