Roadside Assistance Plans

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Thinking I should have one. Opinions welcome on whats good/or bad..........
 
Even though I have always paid for them through insurance company... For a few bucks a year the coupek times I have been stranded I have just called family and completely forgotten that I could have called and gotten a tow, tire aired up, etc.
 
I was thinking the same thing. My newer car will be losing it's roadside in less than 10k. I was going to look into AAA but wasn't sure what my options were.
 
Originally Posted by Brybo86
Even though I have always paid for them through insurance company... For a few bucks a year the coupek times I have been stranded I have just called family and completely forgotten that I could have called and gotten a tow, tire aired up, etc.


I've heard some insurance companies will view this as a claim and increase your rates if you use it more than once. Not sure if it's true but I am skeptical on using my current insurance if that's the case.
 
I have State Farm and I think it costs $4 to add it. I've never used it but I keep paying it just in case Imhave a really unlucky streak someday. One of the things it does is reimburses you if you run out of gas. I don't know if AAA does that.

I also have AAA just because my wife was a member before we married and she just added me to her policy. I've used it twice over 8 years: for a lockout and for when I hit a deer at 60 mph. She has used it for tires and a dead battery. I like being able to use their trip planning services and access to their maps and travel books.
 
Originally Posted by Elkins45
......I like being able to use their trip planning services and access to their maps and travel books.


Wait...what? You mean they still offer that and people still use it. Interesting. I just assumed with GPS and internet resources, people didn't use that anymore.
 
American Motorcycle Association gives you road side assistance for free, plus it covers all vehicles in your family.
My daughter when away for college used it a few times, once even to get her keys as she locked them in the car.

I dont believe in buying insurance for silly stuff like this but with the AMA Subscription ($49 a year) and annual auto renew you get it for free, so why not?
Also you are supporting a good cause as the American Motorcycle Association fights for your motorcycle rights and you get a really cool magazine a few times a year.
Turned out good for me, saved my daughter with her car a few times, keys, battery, tow and plan worked perfect, she never had to pay anything.


Here you go - Click - AMA


______
 
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I had a discussion with our insurance agent about this less than 2 weeks ago.
As far as Erie Insurance is concerned,
- roadside assistance does not count as a claim. Just a note, if you will. I have made one such call and Erie cut me a check for that amount. It did not raise my rates (Erie doesn't raise the rate because of one or two roadside assistance calls).
- the roadside assistance covers only 10 miles of towing, above that, you end up paying per mile. If you generally travel in smaller towns then you may want to get AAA. She herself has AAA.
- For me, it is $4/vehicle, peanuts compared to $1200/year I pay otherwise. So I leave it in place.
Originally Posted by jcartwright99
Originally Posted by Elkins45
......I like being able to use their trip planning services and access to their maps and travel books.


Wait...what? You mean they still offer that and people still use it. Interesting. I just assumed with GPS and internet resources, people didn't use that anymore.

My uncle who worked with IBM (now 84) used to use these resources from AAA until 2 years ago. Now he is homebound due to health issues but pretty sure he would still be using them.
 
Originally Posted by jcartwright99
Originally Posted by Brybo86
Even though I have always paid for them through insurance company... For a few bucks a year the coupek times I have been stranded I have just called family and completely forgotten that I could have called and gotten a tow, tire aired up, etc.


I've heard some insurance companies will view this as a claim and increase your rates if you use it more than once. Not sure if it's true but I am skeptical on using my current insurance if that's the case.


We had geico roadside, they towed my wifes car for a mechanical issue, and they put a COMP claim on my insurance.

We switched to progressive, and had one roadside flat tire service and they did not put a claim on.
 
Roadside assistance with my ins company costs $2 per car per 6 months. Never had a problem with them--their checks always came within days after I emailed them. Issue though, is that they only reimburse me $75, and even local towing costs $100-200 (depending on exactly how far I am from my mechanic's shop). So I use AAA, which after a 90 day trial period, lets me buy AAA Plus, which gives 100 miles of free towing. YMMV.
 
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I've had the AAA Plus for years. 100 miles of free towing. Used it a couple times. I think once it was 104 miles so they made me pay $5 per mile so it was an extra $20. The driver was not happy the whole way though. Last few times I've used it, I've had them tow it to my mechanic's shop or a friends and it was in the 30-60 mile range.
 
I'm not a motorcycle rider and cannot speak to that aspect of roadside assistance, but I can +1 the recommendation for AAA.

On a cross-country trip few years back I wound up with a possibly-overheating Subaru and no tools. I called AAA first thing in the morning to find an AAA-approved repair shop. I called the shop, confirmed that they could get me in, then called AAA to set up the tow. I was back on the road in the early afternoon.
 
This very much depends on the type of (rather the age of) car you drive.

My early 2000s VWs are always one repair away from the tow truck. Therefore, I have the highest level of AAA, and sleep well at night.

If you have newer cars, the insurance or cell-phone coverage might be sufficient for the basic lock out/flat tire/gas type of service.
 
Our family has had AAA for many years and they have come and changed flats and jump started dead batteries on a number of occasions. For us the discount we get on hotels pretty much offsets the annual fee.
 
I have roadside assistance thru my AMFAM auto policy. Costs about $14 annually. Only used it once for a jump start.
 
Originally Posted by jcartwright99
Originally Posted by Elkins45
......I like being able to use their trip planning services and access to their maps and travel books.


Wait...what? You mean they still offer that and people still use it. Interesting. I just assumed with GPS and internet resources, people didn't use that anymore.


GPS doesn't know how to optimize your route or give you suggestions for stuff you might want to see along the way. The Tour Books are really good as well if you're looking for suggestions of places to visit when planning a trip or want to know details about motels, restaurants, museums, etc. I could just use my phone for the route but I would definitely miss the Tour Books.

We probably recoup most of the annual fee in discounts, especially airport parking.
 
CAA/AAA plus is the way to go. Had it for years. Have used it for bikes a few times. The membership pays for itself with the discounts I get using it at hotels, restaurants, etc.
 
We've had AAA+ for years and it is very reasonable. Rarely use it but when you do it pays off. 100 miles free towing. Also cover card holder as a passenger in any other vehicle. Keeps me from rescuing stranded kids in the middle of the night while riding in a friends beater!
 
^^ Agree with that, in fact its the only time we ever had to use any type of roadside service and that was my daughter up in college. It certainly is peace of mind knowing she could call them at anytime, which she did 3 or 4 times over 4 years of college.
They were great and never cost her a penny. That was with AMA and happy with them as I posted already but any service is peace of mind for a college student.
 
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