AAA Problem

[WDW*Dreamer]

I have been a AAA member for a couple of years now. My primary reason for belonging is to make sure my DW and kids don't end up stranded somewhere with car trouble. This morning my wife had a flat tire taking the DD to gymnastics practice. She called me, and I told her to call AAA. That's why we pay for that membership....right? She called the number on our membership card and got a recording telling her that all the representatives were helping other members and she should try her call again later . She tried to call several times over the course of a half hour and kept getting this message. I ended up leaving work to go change the tire. Fortunately, we've not had to call AAA before for help; however, if this is how they respond, I'm not sure belonging to AAA is worth it.

Anybody else have a similar experience with AAA?

 

[kwelch10377]

I have never had that problem. Did she maybe call the wrong number. I know there are seperate numbers for member services and roadside assistance.

 

[si-am]

That's terrible! I have not had that problem with AAA and we've had to call them twice recently (battery, tire).

One thing that really made me angry though (while we're venting) is that our membership expired in May of last year. We were really waffling over whether to renew... finally decided to renew it in late June. But when we got the new membership cards, they were only good until May, our original join date. So we paid for a year and got about 10 1/2 months.

 

[Tuffcookie]

si-am, That's what they did to me too! I asked the lady at the AAA office about that and that I just assumed, because I didn't pay for the renewal when it was due, that my service was no good. According to her I still had service even though I hadn't sent a payment in This sounds crazy to me! I'll just bet if I had called for an emergency after the expiration date I would have been declined! So you mail 2 months after the expiration date and they keep the original expiration date? It sounds like a scam to me.

TC

 

[quentina]

I have been a AAA member for a couple of years now. My primary reason for belonging is to make sure my DW and kids don't end up stranded somewhere with car trouble. This morning my wife had a flat tire taking the DD to gymnastics practice. She called me, and I told her to call AAA. That's why we pay for that membership....right? She called the number on our membership card and got a recording telling her that all the representatives were helping other members and she should try her call again later . She tried to call several times over the course of a half hour and kept getting this message. I ended up leaving work to go change the tire. Fortunately, we've not had to call AAA before for help; however, if this is how they respond, I'm not sure belonging to AAA is worth it.

Anybody else have a similar experience with AAA?

Yes, I got stuck with a flat and they told me, it was not an emergency....they never came. I cancelled, never used since.

It may not have been an emergency however; I was stranded!!!!!

 

[si-am]

si-am, That's what they did to me too! I asked the lady at the AAA office about that and that I just assumed, because I didn't pay for the renewal when it was due, that my service was no good. According to her I still had service even though I hadn't sent a payment in This sounds crazy to me! I'll just bet if I had called for an emergency after the expiration date I would have been declined! So you mail 2 months after the expiration date and they keep the original expiration date? It sounds like a scam to me.

TC

Exactly!

 

[hereyago]

Say What?! I have been a AAA member for years. As in when I got my first car. I have never had a problem with them. They have changed my tire, I had a blow out a couple years ago. I call the help number on the card and then they will call me back to let me know which company-as in wrecker ,etc will be coming out.

 

[Dancemom03]

AAA just brought our camper home from PA earlier this week when we had a minor issue. There was some waffling and initial questions on the phone over if our local club would authorize it without towing our tow vehicle too but, in the end, all was well and communication very prompt.

The tow driver who hauled our TT home said the tow would have cost us $280 if we'd been paying OOP. No doubt in my mind that adding the RV to our standard AAAplus membership this year sure paid off...

 

[kathie859]

Let's see...
In the last 7 years, I have had at least 5 dead batteries which required "jumps" to start, at least 5-6 tows and the only problem I've ever had was on a Sunday when the key was locked in the car and I needed a locksmith. AAA couldn't find one on a Sunday and told me to call someone and they would re-emburse me up to $50 or $75...I forget which. We have two ancient cars and never drive without a cell phone and the AAA card

I've also found their travel reps can ususually get me incredible rental car deals--better than I can find online!

So AAA has been worth it for me. Oh, and when I bought a WDW ticket for DH 2 trips ago, they gave me a Diamond Pass for parking which I thought was nice

 

[pixiewings71]

I have never had that happen and I've called AAA many times, we've had them for years...oh probably 20+ now and I've never ever had any issues with them.

 

[momof1princess]

i've called AAA many times, but never for a flat tire. mine was always for a car dead on the side of the road (fuel pump, engine problem, etc.). my only complaint is that the wrecker service they always send is only 30 minutes away and takes over 2 hours to show up!

 

[marymouse]

I have never had any issues and I use them frequently. In the past year I have had 2 dead batteries, a flat tire, 1 tow, and 2 locked up key issues. I dirve about 750-1000 miles a week for work and I have never had any issues. I did wait way too long for a battery jump once and got an apology letter from AAA. It is soooo worth whatever I pay.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

si-am, That's what they did to me too! I asked the lady at the AAA office about that and that I just assumed, because I didn't pay for the renewal when it was due, that my service was no good. According to her I still had service even though I hadn't sent a payment in This sounds crazy to me! I'll just bet if I had called for an emergency after the expiration date I would have been declined! So you mail 2 months after the expiration date and they keep the original expiration date? It sounds like a scam to me.

I don't think it's a scam. I've had AAA forever. This year I thought I paid my renewal fee but apparently I forgot. I had a tire blowout one day several weeks back. When I called for service (not realizing my membership had lapsed months earlier) they told me my membership had expired but that it wasn't a problem, I could pay it over the phone right then via credit card and they'd send someone right out. I'd never had that happen before but I was very happy they accomodated me as I wound up having my car towed quite a distance as it was a holiday weekend and we couldn't get the locking hub off the tire, etc. AAA has never disappointed. We do a lot through them, too.

 

[SandrA9810]

never had an issue with AAA. But may I ask why you would need them for a flat tire?? I've been changing tires since I was about 10 with my sister. My mom bought used tires that had a tendancy to blow out. My family also had a history of driving cars into the ground, so i learned how to do things on my own without being stranded. Always keep tranny, starter, and brake fluid, oil and coolant, and good tool set in the car at all times.

That said, i got a flat while on I-4, and they provide free roadside help by state farm. The guy showed up just in time to screw the lug nuts back on. My time isn't worth it to wait for them.


I hope you have better luck with them next time. It's never been an issue for me.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Has the OP been able to reach anyone at AAA to find out why the Emergency Road Service number was advising members to call back later?

In over thirty years of being an AAA member, I've had a couple of 'issues' (a message claiming I wasn't with the car in pre-cellphone days, when there's NO way the truck could have arrived in the five minutes it took to get from my apartment to my car; not being considered an emergency in bad weather because I wasn't stuck on the road).

On the other hand, when I got a flat tire just off the Tobin Bridge in Boston and the rep asked if I wanted her to send the State Police while waiting for the truck, I first refused. When she came back on the line and I told her someone [in a hurry] had almost hit my car otherwise safely in the breakdown lane, a cruiser was there in about two minutes.

Locked keys in a rental car on the other side of the country in the middle of the night? My home AAA office contacted a local affiliate and the tow truck was there before I got back to my car! I have, overall, no AAA issues at all.

 

[DawnCt1]

We had AAA for years and for years it was a great benefit, affordable and worth the security. Then I noticed that the fees continued to escalate. With closer scrutiny of our automobile insurance policy, USAA, I found I had the same coverage available for a fraction of the AAA cost, so I dropped it.

 

[KAMLEM]

never had an issue with AAA. But may I ask why you would need them for a flat tire?? I've been changing tires since I was about 10 with my sister.

Good for you, not everyone can or wants to change a tire. Even if I wanted to I would not be able to because my tires are huge and weigh too much for me to lift. Changing tires is a service they provide, why should she be chastised for using that service?

 

[KAMLEM]

We had AAA for years and for years it was a great benefit, affordable and worth the security. Then I noticed that the fees continued to escalate. With closer scrutiny of our automobile insurance policy, USAA, I found I had the same coverage available for a fraction of the AAA cost, so I dropped it.

Are you sure that the USAA coverage is the same as AAA? I know that I have towing coverage but that's only if I'm involved in an accident and the car is undriveable. It doesn't cover things such as breakdowns or flat tires.

 

[KAMLEM]

One thing that really made me angry though (while we're venting) is that our membership expired in May of last year. We were really waffling over whether to renew... finally decided to renew it in late June. But when we got the new membership cards, they were only good until May, our original join date. So we paid for a year and got about 10 1/2 months.

If you wanted it to be a "new" membership starting late June you would have to pay the one time enrollment fee again. It's probably more cost effective to do it the way they did it.

 

[Tina]

Good for you, not everyone can or wants to change a tire. Even if I wanted to I would not be able to because my tires are huge and weigh too much for me to lift. Changing tires is a service they provide, why should she be chastised for using that service?

No Kidding! Why would I want to get filthy and ruin my work clothes, changing a tire that AAA could change for me?