Triple A (road service) rant

[Topzide]

This is the number one reason that I have a car trailer and 2 trucks that can tow. This is the DW rescue service! Have only had to use it twice in the 20 years that I've had the trailer. Moved plenty of other cars and the tractors!

 

[jyoutz]

Check the details of their offer, see how they get service dispatched. Everybody is cinchy on service now. They only pay for tow to nearest repair facility (Walmart, Pep Boys, etc. not necessarily dealership). Customer would pay out of pocket for a different facility (unless closer distance). They just contract with local towing companies, these are (for the most part) not franchise services. There are no real service satisfaction guidelines. For most of the companies offering roadside, the most they will offer is free or reduced price on your next bill.

On the flip side, depending on where you live, towing is going way up so insurance to pay for some of the bill may be worth it to you. Locally, a 10 mile tow (accessible, on road) is 200 + (2/per mile after 10), flat tire change 75 +, jump 50+. Accident recovery is 250+, 35/day storage. Off road recovery is 100 to show then 2.00/foot + regular towing fees. Most companies won’t let their trucks off the asphalt.

My policy will let you choose the repair facility, but it must be in the nearest town.

 

[stuckmotor]

1 - I know they contract out all their work. Generally why I tip the tow truck driver as it's not costing me anything other than my membership.

2- I find it hard to believe that 30 miles north of a city with a population of 150,000 people they (Triple A) doesn't have coverage.

3 - Triple A told me they had coverage, just that they couldn't get someone to him at least until the next day.

Like I had mentioned, BFE Maryland on 68 going to WV to move. Had to walk to a gas station to make a call (luckily gas station was open as this was before I owned a cell phone).

Sorry, having a kid on the side of the road at 9PM out in the middle of nowhere telling him you won't be able to get to him to the next day is pushing my customer service expectations, particularly where the only place to sleep is in your car on an off ramp.

A basic business principal on service plans is you pay more on different plans because the benefits increase, but by the same token, the company offering those plans make more gross profit.

I know I had at least 100 milage coverage for towing on our family plan, and at worst, they should have been able to take him somewhere within 6 hours of the initial phone call IMO.

Check the details of their offer, see how they get service dispatched. Everybody is cinchy on service now. They only pay for tow to nearest repair facility (Walmart, Pep Boys, etc. not necessarily dealership). Customer would pay out of pocket for a different facility (unless closer distance). They just contract with local towing companies, these are (for the most part) not franchise services. There are no real service satisfaction guidelines. For most of the companies offering roadside, the most they will offer is free or reduced price on your next bill.

On the flip side, depending on where you live, towing is going way up so insurance to pay for some of the bill may be worth it to you. Locally, a 10 mile tow (accessible, on road) is 200 + (2/per mile after 10), flat tire change 75 +, jump 50+. Accident recovery is 250+, 35/day storage. Off road recovery is 100 to show then 2.00/foot + regular towing fees. Most companies won’t let their trucks off the asphalt.

Thanks,
I usually want it towed to my house. It sounds like I'd best stick with AAA.

 

[jyoutz]

Thanks,
I usually want it towed to my house. It sounds like I'd best stick with AAA.

If your house is in the nearest town, my company will authorize towing anywhere in the nearest town. Most insurance companies are the same.

Edit: you can also negotiate to pay for part of the bill if you want to have it towed a bit farther than the nearest town.

 

[2515R Dude]

How long does it take for a Geiko truck to arrive?

I used it twice, both in remote areas. Ones 30 min and another 40 min. Both times it was more than 20 minutes from the nearest city.
And per my request they towed me to my home which was about an hour, hour and a half away, not to the nearest town's garage.

 

[stuckmotor]

That sounds much better. Thank you.

 

[Sigarms]

Well, there is a process to submit for reimbursement. Filed online and included detailed attachment.

Per their instructions, need to call in 24 hours to follow up on it, which of course I will do.

 

[Ken45101]

It's been many years since I wasted money on AAA. Only one out of fours calls (in ten years) did they show up. A "bait and switch" operation (promise service and don't provide it.)

Ken

 

[Sigarms]

It's been many years since I wasted money on AAA. Only one out of fours calls (in ten years) did they show up. A "bait and switch" operation (promise service and don't provide it.)

Ken

I can honestly say other than the issue with my son not getting service, I never felt that AAA was a waste of money.

I can think of a couple of "local" late nite tows that, yes, I had to wait an hour or so, but really never a bad experience (added those tows saved my butt).

That said, we never buy our vehicles new, and we are down to a 98 truck, 2001 sedan, 2008 SUV and a 2017 coupe (which my father left me after he passed) and my company truck.

Reality is the odds are we will most like have more issues than someone owning a new vehicle (at least I would think LOL). I will have to wait and see how they handle my reimbursement that I submitted for if I stay with them or not.

That said, I'm certain for what I've paid for my "gold membership" for the times we've used them for as long as I've had them, they haven't lost money on me.

On that note, anyone know if a tow company only charges one way or round trip when they tow? For 65 miles one way on my sons tow, I'm not complaining, but it is what I would consider a pretty penny. That said, the guy was a lifesaver that Friday night, but the invoice ultimately will be paid by my son on what I'm not reimbursed for (his car, his insurance).

 

[jyoutz]

I can honestly say other than the issue with my son not getting service, I never felt that AAA was a waste of money.

I can think of a couple of "local" late nite tows that, yes, I had to wait an hour or so, but really never a bad experience (added those tows saved my butt).

That said, we never buy our vehicles new, and we are down to a 98 truck, 2001 sedan, 2008 SUV and a 2017 coupe (which my father left me after he passed) and my company truck.

Reality is the odds are we will most like have more issues than someone owning a new vehicle (at least I would think LOL). I will have to wait and see how they handle my reimbursement that I submitted for if I stay with them or not.

That said, I'm certain for what I've paid for my "gold membership" for the times we've used them for as long as I've had them, they haven't lost money on me.

On that note, anyone know if a tow company only charges one way or round trip when they tow? For 65 miles one way on my sons tow, I'm not complaining, but it is what I would consider a pretty penny. That said, the guy was a lifesaver that Friday night, but the invoice ultimately will be paid by my son on what I'm not reimbursed for (his car, his insurance).

I hear that tow companies do charge for both ways, but I’ve always retrieved the vehicles myself so never had to pay for the return trip. I don’t even know what they charge because Allstate pays them directly for emergency towing.

 

[Mi-Troll]

I had AAA for over 30 yrs and needed their towing service a number of times, in and out of my state. I realize that they farm out the towing, I was left sitting on the side of the road many times. I was out of state and needed a tow, called AAA and the towing company never showed up. I had to find a local company, the driver just happened to be the chief of police for the town and before I said who my insurance company was, he told me that the worse insurance company he dealt with was AAA. As soon as I got back home, dropped AAA

 

[Sigarms]

Well, I submitted my claim on Monday morning.

Per instructions, I was supposed to call back within 24 hours which I forgot to do yesterday, so I called this morning to follow up.

They pulled up my membership number after I gave it to them, they saw the claim filed this past Monday, and informed me that a check for $530 went out in the mail yesterday to reimburse me for the tow for the full amount.

128 miles round trip, and may not be the cheapest tow, but the guy was a life saver picking up the phone on a Friday night doing it unlike the other two tow trucking companies closer to Columbia, but further away from where our son got stranded.

Very surprised, and unlike Friday night, will end up keeping my membership with that kind of service. Keep in mind, they aren't my car insurance company.