AAA or another auto club?

[nboicepardee]

Good Morning everyone,
I am thinking about using another auto club other than AAA. I currently have the AAA plus because I like have the extended towing if needed, but I realized I don't think I have used any of their services in about 5 or 6 years and it is pretty expensive (around $89). Does anyone recommend another service that will be cheaper? I don't use their travel services or anything else. I just like having the peace of mind when I am on the road. My van is 8years old.

Thank you!
Natalie

 

[rock_doctor]

Can't help you as i also have AAA and have never used it. Contact your insurance company. Most offer AAA type services for a couple dollars more on you auto insurance bill. I know some insurance companies like Century 21 insurance give you free towing as part of the insurance plan.

 

[JB2K]

The first thing that comes to mind is to check with the company that insures your car (many insurance companies such as Allstate and USAA also operate auto clubs).

There is also the BP Motor Club (formerly-known as the Amoco Motor Club); they've been in the business about as long as AAA.

I noticed you said you were a "AAA Plus" member -- if you like the peace of mind (and your car isn't prone to breakdowns), maybe you can downgrade to the standard AAA membership?

 

[2Kds2K9]

I'm just going to say this. I've had AAA for several years now and had never used it until two weeks ago when I ran out of gas. Within 45 minutes, I was back on the road with 5 gal of gas and on my way to fill up. As far as I was concerned at that moment, the annual fee was worth every penny and then some.

 

[ShiPooOwner]

We switched from AAA to another auto club two years ago and learned the hard way that it wasn't a good idea. When we asked them to do a routing for us when we went to Cape Cod, nothing arrived in time for our trip. Since they didn't come through when we needed them, we switched back to AAA and have had no regrets. We pay a bit more but we have never been disappointed by their service.

 

[WeLuvDiznee]

I also have AAA. I haven't used it in a couple of years,then I think of canceling it,and BAM! I need them! AAA to the rescue! I would keep it.

 

[ssawka]

We have AAA and for us, the car insurance and hotel discounts alone make up for the annual dues. We only have the basic AAA though because we usually drive fairly new cars. The basic only covers 3 miles of towing, but anything over 3 miles is charged at $5 per mile. When my last car died, the tow truck driver told me that I should have had the Plus, but I told him that is was costing me $95 to have the car towed to my garage, and it was the first time in 7 years that I had to use the towing service. I think the normal price of Plus is $30 more than the standard membership, so I was still ahead than if I had Plus for those 7 years. I recently bought a brand new KIA, and KIA guarantees a tow to the nearest KIA dealer for as long as the warranty. Even with that, I will still keep AAA just for the discounts.

 

[powellrj]

I don't know how old you are, but if you are 50 or older you might look into AARP auto club, its cheaper than AAA and they use the same wrecker service in our area to tow you.

 

[Amy162]

I would definitely recommend checking with your car insurance company. I work for and have GEICO, and for about $1 per month, we have emergency roadside service, which is towing, lockout, jumpstart, etc. If you never use any of the other benefits of AAA, your car insurance company is usually the best way to go!

 

[Ericandjenng]

Every time I think about not spending the money on AAA, something happens to a friend or acquaintance that reminds me why I spend that money every year. Last year hubby & I were discussing the issue and a friend's battery died while they were at soccer practice with their 5 year old son. They were stuck until some stranger helped them with jumper cables. Do you want to take a chance on being stuck somewhere?

 

[Virgderon]

AAA has just come out with a rewards program in the south, with the idea that you would earn points toward paying your annual fee. Hopefully they will extend that to other regions soon.

Also, there are a lot of AAA discounts that people forget to use. I used mine almost everywhere at Universal Orlando, and they have a discount for Payless shoes, etc. etc.

I would downgrade if you want to save money, but I wouldn't get rid of it. It saved me endless worry when my 20 year old DD went off an icy road in Indiana last year. They have also helped out 18 year old stepDD when she locked herself out out of her car- twice!!

 

[safetymom]

I find by using the AAA discounts during the year I more than make back the money I paid for membership.

 

[Dismom55]

I about had a cow when hubby bought AAA membership last year while the rest of us were in Disney. But then I am the one using it, not so much for the towing but for the discounts I get in rental cars and hotels. We do not have good cars, so when needing to drive any out of town distance, I prefer to rent so I do not have to worry about break downs. The membership has more than paid for itself and now it is renewal time and I am about to send off the payment as it will again pay for itself over the next 12 months with a Disney trip next May/Jun and other outings planned over the next 12 months.

I guess I am a convert, never would have purchased the AAA membership if hubby had not just done it while I was gone. (his car broke down while we were gone, so he purchased the AAA to take advantage of the tow)

 

[AnnaS]

We have AAA plus also and have had it for years. All five of us are on it now. We have 3 new cars and only 1 older SUV (10 years) old. Have not used it much the past two years (since sons bought their new cars).

I still like to have it. I save 15% NY & Co. whenever I shop there and 10% at Payless. I know it's not much and I don't go often. We have also used it numerous times on Amtrak and the once on the Autotrain. We have used it for hotel stays here and there. I think we got a few dollars off with our Universal Tickets last month.

We also take the Safe Driving Defense course and get a discount when our time is up.

The best discount for now is one that I read from a Diser here - 15% a month discount for out TMobile Cell phone bill. This amounts to about $27-$30 a month.

I am sure I might have used it for some other things but these come to mind right now.

 

[horseshowmom]

I'm just going to say this. I've had AAA for several years now and had never used it until two weeks ago when I ran out of gas. Within 45 minutes, I was back on the road with 5 gal of gas and on my way to fill up. As far as I was concerned at that moment, the annual fee was worth every penny and then some.

I got it for my daughter when she started college. She's used it 3 times for being locked out of her car. She also used it once last year when she pulled out into traffic, and her car just died. Turned out her fuel pump went out.

All of the times, she got prompt, professional service. The last time they had to tow her, and she commented that she didn't even feel mildly uncomfortable getting in the truck with the driver (she's a very pretty girl and sometimes gets unwanted attention, but he was very professional).

She did have regular AAA, but I switched her to AAA Plus because she's doing pharmacy school rotations and is having to drive significant distances. Her car is older now, and I didn't want her to have to worry about a breakdown and getting towed home.

AAA has just come out with a rewards program in the south, with the idea that you would earn points toward paying your annual fee. Hopefully they will extend that to other regions soon.

I'm in the south and haven't heard about this yet. I'll check on it.

Also, there are a lot of AAA discounts that people forget to use. I used mine almost everywhere at Universal Orlando, and they have a discount for Payless shoes, etc. etc.

We use this feature a LOT. Last Christmas we took a trip to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge and got a significant discount in many stores (20-50%) plus a free discount book from the outlet mall office. My daughter's husband was impressed. He had no idea how much could be saved with AAA.

I use it frequently at hotels. One of our favorite hotels for a specific horse show (a Staybridge Suites) has a 2BR/2BA suite for $115 with AAA (normal rate is something like $250).

 

[Gina]

I was with AAA for many years, but really seriously hated their customer service. Finally protested with my purse and went elsewhere. Joined Better World Club and was completely happy, for less $$. Would still be with them, except that I switched auto insurance and now have roadside assistance through that.

But I can highly recommend BWC for a very pleasant and less expensive experience. My folks did find it extremely ironic and funny that I joined such a "tree-hugging" organization, me being one of those couldn't-care-less types, but I'm all for saving money and getting better customer service.