AAA worth it? I have Allstate

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arsenebould
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AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by arsenebould »

Guys,

I have Allstate as insurance which doesn't offer roadside assistant. I wanted to know if AAA is worth? Which one should one guys basic ,plus etc

Thanks for your guidance.
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LowER
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by LowER »

I used AAA 32 to 16 years ago when I bought a new vehicle and now again starting a few years ago. I have used it once during the last several years and was very happy that I had it. I used the service a handful of times in my earlier life and was always thrilled then too. I think that I've gotten some discounts at hotels before and maybe a car rental as well.

If you have a newer car and/or under-factory warranty, I doubt that you'll need it.
john94549
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by john94549 »

We have AAA and love it. I have a very cranky 1994 Buick, which tends to laugh at me from time to time as I try to start it. Bought a AAA battery a few years back. It failed, and they replaced it. No charge. They'll be at your house within the hour. George, the mechanic from Concord Tow (a AAA provider) is an absolute hoot.

Several years back, I owned a Toyota Tercel, and I always seemed to need a jump for one reason or another. No problems. My wife's BMW just "stopped" one night on the freeway in Oakland. CHP called AAA, they were there jiffy-on-the-spot. Hauled the car back to Lafayette.

No money "up front" with AAA (unlike insurance companies). You just sign the service slip. Well worth the money.
Last edited by john94549 on Sat Dec 21, 2013 6:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
S&L1940
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by S&L1940 »

You never know, flat, mechanical breakdown, you gotta call someone...
Except for AAA most of the service comes from one of several outsourced providers; AAA seems to use more reliable folks.

Most insurers I have used over the years have included coverage in their policies (supposedly at no extra cost)
Been with Liberty Mutual for awhile but have also used Geico & 21st Century with satisfactory results when needed.
I think Allstate at one time had their own 'auto club' but I dropped out when they kept raising the cost and they put through my credit card when I specifically said I was not renewing. So, go with AAA as your best option
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YttriumNitrate
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by YttriumNitrate »

arsenebould wrote:I wanted to know if AAA is worth? Which one should one guys basic ,plus etc.
The answer, as usual, is "it depends"...if you have a long commute and an older vehicle it's usually worth while. This year, I started commuting 65 miles (each way) in a 1989 Chevy s10 pickup truck. I have the plus membership to get 100 mile tows covered. I ended up using it twice and considering each tow would have cost more than the AAA membership, it was definitely worthwhile.

Now, I'm doing the commute in a 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage (~49 MPG :D ) and will drop AAA next year since the car comes with 5 years unlimited miles roadside assistance.

If I had a shorter commute, I'd probably just drop the coverage or go down to the regular plan.
Geologist
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by Geologist »

I use the maps and Tour books and find them worthwhile. AAA is also a source of discounts for hotels, although you might have similar discounts you get from elsewhere.
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cheese_breath
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by cheese_breath »

I had AAA insurance for over 30 years but finally dropped it last year due to increasing rates. However, I kept my AAA membership specifically so I could use their road service and discounts. AAA road service is available nationwide, and unlike some plans you don't have to pay first and file for a refund later. I've used it several times without any problems.
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VictoriaF
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by VictoriaF »

I get AAA discounts on Amtrak that compensate for the annual membership.

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yatesd
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by yatesd »

I have the regular membership for my wife and myself. It is worth it for us.

- I am out of town pretty often and it is good to know my wife can get help.

- When traveling and booking directly with hotel sites the AAA rate is usually cheaper

- AAA discounts on tourist stuff has come in handy numerous times (trains, aquariums, amusement parks, etc.

- I have used their auto service probably once every 5 years.


If I didn't drive or travel much it might be less useful. I've had mixed value with their travel books. I have even used them for notary services...
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JMacDonald
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by JMacDonald »

I would not drive without my AAA membership. Two summers ago I was towed 60 miles in the middle of a road trip to the nearest dealer. It turned out some little rodent chewed on some wires under my vehicle while I was camping. All I had to pay the driver was a "Thank you." I hate to think how much that would cost if I didn't have AAA membership.
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Stonebr
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by Stonebr »

The hotel and motel discounts easily pay for the AAA membership. The maps and travel guides come in handy.

It's been a long time since we needed their road service, but that's a good thing. :happy
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mcrunyan
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by mcrunyan »

Don't know how this works in every state, but in SoCal we can take care of most DMV transactions at a AAA office rather than the DMV. Just spent a pleasant half hour in AAA to take care of a few watercraft transfers that would have been miserable to deal with at the DMV. So even though I haven't needed to call them for roadside service it has been worth it this year.
john94549
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by john94549 »

OK, we get it. AAA is good, moving right along. Seems there's a consensus.
placeholder
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by placeholder »

arsenebould wrote:I have Allstate as insurance which doesn't offer roadside assistant.
?? http://www.allstate.com/auto-roadside-s ... erage.aspx
eddiejov55
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by eddiejov55 »

If you get AAA then I would go "AAA plus" due to the towing services. Standard AAA gives you 3 free miles of towing and then you're billed a per mile charge (I think $3.50). If you go AAA plus, then you get 100 free miles for the tow. This is the biggest benefit to AAA in my opinion.
Mick
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by Mick »

Since everyone is raving about them I thought I would share some negatives (though we still have AAA).

1. Email newsletter is mainly trying to sell you things. About impossible to wean ads from them without stopping potentially meaningful stuff.
2. AAA Travel service seems to be more expensive than any other option.
3. Hotel/restaurant/etc discounts are about the same as AARP. WIth AARP they look at me and say ok, with AAA they want to see the card.
4. They have AAA dollars which gives you a percent of what you spend towards your renewal. This is through sites like Walmart.com and others. Must initiate the transaction from AAA website. Does not include any special offers (like Amazon free shipping). Half the transactions we did did not go through as coming from them until we filed a claim.
5. Went into office for maps and things but found google maps to almost be better and easier.
6. Seems like you will get at least a weekly snail mail from them selling something.

All that being said, since our car is 10 years old and we like road trips I think it is worth it for the peace of mind.
carolinaman
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by carolinaman »

I have had AAA for many years and find it very worthwhile, primarily for car service or towing in the event of a breakdown. I have used towing service 3 times in about 10 years. One time our car brokedown about 40 miles from home on Saturday night. AAA sent a tow truck and he towed us to our home and I had my son repair car the next day. Other times, I have had AAA tow the vehicle to the repair service of my choice. The other benefits of AAA can be beneficial but the reason I use them is for towing/repair. If you have breakdown far from home, you are at the mercy of tow truck operators and repair shops. AAA makes sure you get help from creditable people at a fair price. Also, it is comforting to me to know they are there to assist if my wife has a breakdown and I am not available to help. Our children are older now, but it would also apply to our kids when they were at home and driving, especially my daughter.
Sconie
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by Sconie »

I purchased an AAA membership in order to obtain a 20% discount on a Penske truck rental during a cross-country, one-way, move several years ago. At the time, and in that situation, it was definitely worth it, however, after keeping the membership for a couple of years, I decided to let it lapse----the benefits and advantages just were not worth the annual cost.
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frugaltype
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by frugaltype »

mcrunyan wrote:Don't know how this works in every state, but in SoCal we can take care of most DMV transactions at a AAA office rather than the DMV. Just spent a pleasant half hour in AAA to take care of a few watercraft transfers that would have been miserable to deal with at the DMV.
Same thing in RI. I would not be without AAA, since one of my cars is a classic oldster, but I've used it for the other one as well.
lightheir
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by lightheir »

I'll be a lone 'might want to dissent' voice.

I used to have AAA. It was fine. Back in pre-internet days, the travel guides you could get were really helpful but now with internet, they're nowhere near as useful.

Most credit cards have a emergency service auto phone line. You will still have to pay for the towing, but they use prenegotiate rates so you won't get ripped off. Both Visa and Mastercard have them and they're free. Just read the card benefits section of your card and you can read about it.

I have had 2 flats tires in the past 12 years, and no car breakdowns en route. (Honda Civic and Prius). I am capable of changing flat tires on my own, and in both cases with the flats it was actually invariably faster than the towtruck assist, which takes typically 45 minutes just to arrive, or if you're further out, 60+ minutes (nearly 2 hrs was the estimate I got at one remote area that was an hour out from town.)

If I had paid AAA $100/yr for those 12 years, I would have spent $1200 for 2 flat tires, both of which I fixed myself so I would have used AAA zero times. That's a pretty steep fee in the long run. In my opinion, if you aren't afraid of changing a flat on the road (you shouldn't be) and your car is well maintained (nothing special, and my Honda Civic was 10 years old), you might want to reconsider an AAA membership since it's probably cheaper and not more inconvenient to just use your credit card's prenegogiated rates.

The discounts also have been unimpressive. Almost any other discount rate will be the AAA rate, which I think of more as a 'nominal' rate. If you're that price sensitive that you are reconsidering a hotel booking because you can't get an AAA discount, you'll find that you'll save a lot more just by shopping for hotel deals with minimal effort or using price-compare engines to pick a better rate (and often times those better rates or sales don't allow combines with AAA discount.)

I'd at least think about what you're getting with the AAA. At least for me, the 'peace of mind' was not worth it at all given the credit card overlap coverage and infrequency of on-road tow situations.
Last edited by lightheir on Sun Dec 22, 2013 6:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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frugaltype
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by frugaltype »

Mick wrote:Since everyone is raving about them I thought I would share some negatives (though we still have AAA).

1. Email newsletter is mainly trying to sell you things. About impossible to wean ads from them without stopping potentially meaningful stuff.
2. AAA Travel service seems to be more expensive than any other option.
3. Hotel/restaurant/etc discounts are about the same as AARP. WIth AARP they look at me and say ok, with AAA they want to see the card.
4. They have AAA dollars which gives you a percent of what you spend towards your renewal. This is through sites like Walmart.com and others. Must initiate the transaction from AAA website. Does not include any special offers (like Amazon free shipping). Half the transactions we did did not go through as coming from them until we filed a claim.
5. Went into office for maps and things but found google maps to almost be better and easier.
6. Seems like you will get at least a weekly snail mail from them selling something.

All that being said, since our car is 10 years old and we like road trips I think it is worth it for the peace of mind.
They will stop the postal and email stuff upon request. I don't get any of it.

I used to use google maps, but for any long trip I now use Rand McNally. A real road atlas/map has it all over those multiple small pages of google maps printouts, esp. if you are lost away from the part you printed out. This is also much cheaper and more reliable than forking out for GPS.
lightheir
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by lightheir »

Off topic, but I really can't understand how anyone would consider paper maps superior to modern GPS anymore. This may have been true in the early days of GPS, but nowadays GPS systems are so robust and so excellent (even the free ones on a phone) and even inexpensive (get perfectly good used ones for $100 with lifetime map updates) that it's not even close to a comparison, GPS is so much better.

Even the whole nostalgia for 'getting lost and finding new routes/places you wouldn't have with GPS' is vastly overrated, as the GPS frees you up much more often to go exploring without anxiety as you know it'll always give you a reliable out if you venture too far off the beaten path - my GPS has both taken me down better, safer, more reliable routes than I would have ever found on a map, as well as allowed me to go wandering off in backroads safely.

GPS reception today is excellent and road map coverage is near-complete across the US. Use something like Google maps and your GPS map will be way more up to date than any paper map, AND give you more stops of interest.

GPS won't serve on its own as a tour guide or route stop guide, but it certainly frees you up from the micromanagement of looking and worrying about all the turns and highway merges, and allows you to focus on making the trip as enjoyable as possible. I wouldn't go back to paper maps, ever, given the robustness of GPS now.
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JMacDonald
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by JMacDonald »

lightheir wrote:Off topic, but I really can't understand how anyone would consider paper maps superior to modern GPS anymore.
I use AAA maps, use Google maps, and have a Garmin. Each of these has its own uses. I do a lot of long distance road trips. AAA maps are essential for me to plan those trips. I do not always want to go the way a Garmin would direct me. The AAA maps help me see alternative routes I may want to go. A Garmin is no help for that.
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lightheir
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by lightheir »

JMacDonald wrote:
lightheir wrote:Off topic, but I really can't understand how anyone would consider paper maps superior to modern GPS anymore.
I use AAA maps, use Google maps, and have a Garmin. Each of these has its own uses. I do a lot of long distance road trips. AAA maps are essential for me to plan those trips. I do not always want to go the way a Garmin would direct me. The AAA maps help me see alternative routes I may want to go. A Garmin is no help for that.
Ok, that makes more sense. I use google maps which I consider far superior for planning purposes but in the absence of that a paper map would be a decent (albeit inferior) way to plan a route before going GPS.


Still, if I had one option to pick for autonav, it would be GPS, every time. Paper maps wouldn't even make it onto the list if I had google maps on a desktop.
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JMacDonald
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by JMacDonald »

lightheir wrote:
JMacDonald wrote:
lightheir wrote:Off topic, but I really can't understand how anyone would consider paper maps superior to modern GPS anymore.
I use AAA maps, use Google maps, and have a Garmin. Each of these has its own uses. I do a lot of long distance road trips. AAA maps are essential for me to plan those trips. I do not always want to go the way a Garmin would direct me. The AAA maps help me see alternative routes I may want to go. A Garmin is no help for that.
Ok, that makes more sense. I use google maps which I consider far superior for planning purposes but in the absence of that a paper map would be a decent (albeit inferior) way to plan a route before going GPS.
I use Google map all the time in planning; but Google map lack details that a AAA map can have, for example, take a look at the Indian County Map from AAA.I look for interesting places to stop while planning my trips. The Google map is really good for giving me the distances between places to help me plan how long me drive will be.
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VictoriaF
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by VictoriaF »

lightheir wrote:
JMacDonald wrote:
lightheir wrote:Off topic, but I really can't understand how anyone would consider paper maps superior to modern GPS anymore.
I use AAA maps, use Google maps, and have a Garmin. Each of these has its own uses. I do a lot of long distance road trips. AAA maps are essential for me to plan those trips. I do not always want to go the way a Garmin would direct me. The AAA maps help me see alternative routes I may want to go. A Garmin is no help for that.
Ok, that makes more sense. I use google maps which I consider far superior for planning purposes but in the absence of that a paper map would be a decent (albeit inferior) way to plan a route before going GPS.


Still, if I had one option to pick for autonav, it would be GPS, every time. Paper maps wouldn't even make it onto the list if I had google maps on a desktop.
When I drive I use printed Google maps at various scale from a snapshot of the entire route to details of tricky turns to the blowup of my destination. But on several occasions, Google misled me and paper maps revealed the truth. After having been lost a few times some of which were in inopportune circumstances, I prefer extra preparation and duplication of the sources.

Victoria
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

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scubadiver
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lightheir
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by lightheir »

VictoriaF wrote:
lightheir wrote:
JMacDonald wrote:
lightheir wrote:Off topic, but I really can't understand how anyone would consider paper maps superior to modern GPS anymore.
I use AAA maps, use Google maps, and have a Garmin. Each of these has its own uses. I do a lot of long distance road trips. AAA maps are essential for me to plan those trips. I do not always want to go the way a Garmin would direct me. The AAA maps help me see alternative routes I may want to go. A Garmin is no help for that.
Ok, that makes more sense. I use google maps which I consider far superior for planning purposes but in the absence of that a paper map would be a decent (albeit inferior) way to plan a route before going GPS.


Still, if I had one option to pick for autonav, it would be GPS, every time. Paper maps wouldn't even make it onto the list if I had google maps on a desktop.
When I drive I use printed Google maps at various scale from a snapshot of the entire route to details of tricky turns to the blowup of my destination. But on several occasions, Google misled me and paper maps revealed the truth. After having been lost a few times some of which were in inopportune circumstances, I prefer extra preparation and duplication of the sources.

Victoria
I'd guess this was before. I had this experience 8 years ago. The modern GMaps is very up to date. I don't know the details but at least in my recent experience, it's been even more up to date than any local map, with immediate updates of local highway renovations and airport roadway interchanges that both my Garmin and local phone books maps failed to update for nearly 6 months.

I still agree it's a good idea not to go blindly to your destination just relying on GPS on the fly though - common pitfalls that everyone's experienced are getting thrown onto a traffic-laden major throughfare at bad hours, lost sat signal in large urban cities, and even some roads that aren't ideal (sometimes getting sent down a dirt road instead of the paved one just a mile away.) However even with all the caveats, I can't make a case for paper maps anymore at all - Google maps prep + on the fly GPS is so far superior that unless you have no access to either, I feel it's anachronistic to say a paper map is still superior for direction finding. (Trip guides are still useful, but I put that in a different category.)
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AAA
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by AAA »

We had AAA for many years but switched to the roadside assistance program offered by AARP when adding our children to AAA seemed too expensive.

AAA was very aggressive about getting me back as a customer. I can't tell you how many phone calls we got with caller i.d. "AAA Retention." I kept telling them to leave me alone and they kept calling. Finally, after a while the calls stopped only to come back again after a few months. I practically screamed at them to leave me alone. The calls seemed to have stopped but recently I got a mailing from AAA with new cards and asking me to renew. They are relentless.

I have to say that my respect for AAA, whatever it was before, has taken a significant nose dive.
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by joelly »

AAA is great. I have the plus one and it is for both me and hubby. I drive a lot for work and my car can broke down anywhere anytime so having AAA gives a peace of mind.
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VictoriaF
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by VictoriaF »

AAA wrote:AAA was very aggressive about getting me back as a customer. I can't tell you how many phone calls we got with caller i.d. "AAA Retention." I kept telling them to leave me alone and they kept calling. Finally, after a while the calls stopped only to come back again after a few months. I practically screamed at them to leave me alone. The calls seemed to have stopped but recently I got a mailing from AAA with new cards and asking me to renew. They are relentless.
May be they are calling you because your name is AAA?

Victoria
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cheese_breath
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by cheese_breath »

VictoriaF wrote:
AAA wrote:AAA was very aggressive about getting me back as a customer. I can't tell you how many phone calls we got with caller i.d. "AAA Retention." I kept telling them to leave me alone and they kept calling. Finally, after a while the calls stopped only to come back again after a few months. I practically screamed at them to leave me alone. The calls seemed to have stopped but recently I got a mailing from AAA with new cards and asking me to renew. They are relentless.
May be they are calling you because your name is AAA?

Victoria
Yes, it must be very embarrassing to have AAA quit them.
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AAA
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by AAA »

VictoriaF wrote: May be they are calling you because your name is AAA?
LOL. I didn't even think about that ! My name here refers to bond ratings, not roadside assistance.
555
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by 555 »

AAA is one of the most unethical organizations I have ever dealt with. I wouldn't touch them with a stick.
tj
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by tj »

This post about AAA's insurance call center is a bit disturbing:

http://aaafinkcostamesa.blogspot.com/
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by bungalow10 »

Can anyone compare AAA to State Farm's Roadside Assistance program.

AAA basic for our two cars would be over $70/year. State Farm's program is $15/year.

Our cars are high mileage and I've been commuting several times a month to a location 150 miles/home, so I want an emergency towing service (or if my vehicle battery dies, etc).

The State Farm program seems like a no-brainer, but I'm sure there's something I'm missing...
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Toons
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by Toons »

I canceled AAA about 5 or 6 years ago.
When I did use their service it was for Maps and "TripTiks". :shock:
I chose to go with Geico Roadside assistance for each vehicle.Fortunately I have not needed assistance as of yet,My autos are somewhat "New". :happy
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bearwolf
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by bearwolf »

bungalow10 wrote:Can anyone compare AAA to State Farm's Roadside Assistance program.

AAA basic for our two cars would be over $70/year. State Farm's program is $15/year.

Our cars are high mileage and I've been commuting several times a month to a location 150 miles/home, so I want an emergency towing service (or if my vehicle battery dies, etc).

The State Farm program seems like a no-brainer, but I'm sure there's something I'm missing...
I think what you are missing is that if you use the insurance roadside assistance program it counts as an insurance claim. If you use it a couple of times you get dinged by the insurance company for too many claims and they will raise your rates or possibly drop you as a customer. This was a topic on a recent clark howard podcast.

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JMacDonald
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by JMacDonald »

I wonder what you would find if you do a side by side comparison of the two plans: questions like: do you have to pay up front for an emergency, how far will the plan tow you without cost, do you get to choose which repair shop you are towed to, will the plan change your flat tire, will the plan unlock your vehicle?

I take long road trips and have AAA Premier. I think it is worth it: http://www.calif.aaa.com/home/membershi ... rison.html
Last edited by JMacDonald on Tue Jul 22, 2014 9:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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flyingaway
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by flyingaway »

I used AAA to have someone to change my flat tires, although I might be able to do it myself, or sometimes people might stop to offer help. If my car breaks down, at least I know whom to call. As for the AAA maps, I think they are good for planning, although I have a Walmart map book and a GPS. I never used AAA insurance or their travel agents.
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by flyingaway »

There was once I was on a trip and the road was blocked for some reason. My GPS could not find an alternate road. I have to drive into a nearby Walmart to buy a map atlas to find my way out.
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mike143
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by mike143 »

My wife's parents had her on theirs. Once we were living together they said she would need to pay her portion. It was cheaper to add both of us to our Amica insurance than to pay the AAA just for her.
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MtnTraveler
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by MtnTraveler »

I've had AAA for 14 yrs and called them a handful of times. On a purely cost analysis basis, I've lost money. Thing is that while one tow was in town and easily could of been taken care of the other situations weren't. Two have been when we went off the road in a snowstorm and AAA was there in less than 15 minutes (one of the times we were in rural Utah so it was quite impressive). The other time they towed our rental off the edge of a mountain side (pulled off the road, found out it was mud and half the car slid off the mountain). Two tow trucks and 5 hrs later there was no fee from AAA for getting the rental car back on the road. That was worth everything I have ever spent on renewal fees!
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VictoriaF
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by VictoriaF »

Every year at the renewal time, I was thinking about dropping the AAA membership but ultimately was deciding to continue. A couple weeks ago, it has paid off when my battery died. If I knew that it was just a dead battery, I would have asked someone for a jump-start and driven to a mechanic. But I did not know, and I was stressed about it, and I wanted a low-risk way to diagnose my car's problem and take it from there. AAA has fulfilled my goals. Perhaps, I have paid more for my AAA membership over the years than the net benefit I have received from them, but it enabled me to save a lot on not replacing my 1997 Civic, yet.

I also have received some small discounts on Amtrak fares, but I could have saved more if I had ordered my tickets much earlier. Considering that ordering tickets much earlier is not always practical, the Amtrak discount counts for something even though it does not fully justify AAA membership.

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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by placeholder »

bearwolf wrote:I think what you are missing is that if you use the insurance roadside assistance program it counts as an insurance claim. If you use it a couple of times you get dinged by the insurance company for too many claims and they will raise your rates or possibly drop you as a customer.
That varies by company and mine does not use roadside claims in determining rates plus everything I've read on the subject indicates that you would have to have a number of claims in a short window to cause any concerns so one or two a year are not going to cause much of a problem.
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by placeholder »

I don't know how all insurance companies handle their roadside programs but mine provides an 800 number to call to get assistance and if they dispatch it's no upfront cost if you stay within the plan parameters.
bungalow10
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by bungalow10 »

bearwolf wrote:
bungalow10 wrote:Can anyone compare AAA to State Farm's Roadside Assistance program.

AAA basic for our two cars would be over $70/year. State Farm's program is $15/year.

Our cars are high mileage and I've been commuting several times a month to a location 150 miles/home, so I want an emergency towing service (or if my vehicle battery dies, etc).

The State Farm program seems like a no-brainer, but I'm sure there's something I'm missing...
I think what you are missing is that if you use the insurance roadside assistance program it counts as an insurance claim. If you use it a couple of times you get dinged by the insurance company for too many claims and they will raise your rates or possibly drop you as a customer. This was a topic on a recent clark howard podcast.

BearWolf
For State Farm, Roadside Assistance is a non-rateable claim. It can't increase your rates. I think for the difference in cost, adding Roadside Assistance through State Farm is the better option for me.
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Ervin
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by Ervin »

I have had AAA for about 10 years for both my spouse and myself. Every year, the AAA membership more than pays for itself when booking hotels. Most hotels will give you 5-10% off as a AAA member. It's also true that no hotel has ever asked me for my AAA card.

One year, we had a lot of trouble with car batteries both on our own and on rental cars (go figure); they came out 4 times without a problem, ended up replacing our car's battery, great experience always. I used them, despite having independent coverage through my carmaker's roadside assistance. They always show up fast (15-30 minutes), their employees are good in my (n=4) experience, their phone operators are helpful, I really can't complain about anything.

Given the service experience and the membership paying for itself, I don't think twice before renewing it. One big difference between their coverage and insurance company coverage AFAIK is that AAA is per person, as in you are covered even if you are a passenger in somebody else's car. That gives me a lot of piece of mind for when my spouse travels with a friend. Plus I never have to worry about my roadside assistance being reported as a claim.

P.S. Neither my spouse nor I commute to work.
Last edited by Ervin on Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Riverstwo
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by Riverstwo »

I have never spent money on AAA and have never used it or had to use it. I am 55 years old.
keystone
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Re: AAA worth it? I have Allstate

Post by keystone »

My personal opinion is that it is not worth it.

I had a membership 20 years ago and my car did not start so I called AAA. They showed up 2 and a half hours later. That got me thinking, what if I ever really needed them? Would I enjoy waiting extra time for a AAA truck or would I rather pay outright for the best possible service? It was a no brainer to me so I cancelled my membership. I have not needed them since, so I figure with all the $$$ I have saved from membership fees in 2 decades, I can pay a premium for whatever emergency service I need and still come out way ahead. It also pays to buy reliable cars.
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