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The point is, all of these services are going to be very very similar...because by and large they all just call AAA. You gotta wonder, if you are AAA do you give priority to your own direct members? Probably.
I used to rent quite often for both business and pleasure so odds were there but those two events were over many many years of rentals. At the end of the day, none of us have frequent needs to use any roadside service. The blowout I had last Dec was the only one I can recall in many years.
I used to rent quite often for both business and pleasure so odds were there but those two events were over many many years of rentals. At the end of the day, none of us have frequent needs to use any roadside service. The blowout I had last Dec was the only one I can recall in many years.
Yep, agreed. I had a flat earlier in the year and it was the first flat I've had in 25 years.
As fyi re AAA costs, my pickup won't start and needs a new fuel pump, so it needs to be towed about 15 miles for repair. I have AAA basic, with 5 mi tow. Also happens to be time for renewal of my card. I call AAA and ask about towing cost beyond 5 mi and told usually $6-7 per mile. AAA Plus is 100 mi towing. My renewal cost for Basic with 3 drivers is $118, and if I want Plus it's $202. I ask about renewal, telling csr that not sure I want to renew as only 1 vehicle does not have manufacturer's roadside assistance. She tells me that if I renewed today, she is able to offer me a year of Plus for $130. I renewed at Plus and after Labor Day will have my truck towed for repair. So call at renewal time and see what discounts they are offering.
Also re AAA services, I highly recommend the Mobile Battery service. They bring battery to you. Not only are they cheaper, but you get a 36 month replacement, with 60 months prorated warranty.
You gotta wonder, if you are AAA do you give priority to your own direct members? Probably.
AAA doesn't work that way. AAA doesn't come to you in a tow truck. AAA is a middleman.
The tow truck that comes to you is a local gas station or towing service under contract with AAA. The local gas station agrees to provide the service at a contracted rate, which is less than the rate for retail paying customers. The system works OK if they're not busy and there's a truck available. But if they're busy, like in a snow storm, they get backed up and, from my experience, take the retail paying customers first. People are cutting in line ahead of you. In fact, that's exactly what a local gas station told me. And that's why many of the reviews say that the quoted time-frames were not met. It's second class service. I want first class service and am willing to pay for it, particularly if and when I'm in such need. Also, when a middleman is involved there are more opportunities for miscommunication and missed signals.
That is, and isn't true. AAA does operate a fleet of roadside assistance vehicles. I have numerous times had AAA specific vehicles arrive to answer my roadside call (basically every time). The flat tire I had changed earlier this year through Lexus Roadside, a AAA branded and wrapped vehicle is what arrived. They do also dispatch third parties when their vehicles are unavailable, or in areas where they don't have vehicles. But, for tire changes and lockouts and batteries and fuel I've always been sent a AAA vehicle like this:
Here is a AAA Tow Truck:
AAA even has physical repair facilities:
Clearly this is something that you're very passionate about. What do you do in order to receive "first class service" if you have a flat tire and you are traveling? Do you sit on the side of the road and read Yelp reviews and try and contact some mechanic or towing company directly? Seems like a lot of work to me. Not all gas stations even have tow trucks or any ability to respond to a roadside call.
I've definitely gotten what I consider "first class service" from AAA, and its basically free as I make the cost of the membership back many times over every year just in discounts. The flat this past year, he plugged it right there on the road and didnt even need to mount the spare, I had to force him to take a $20 tip. And he arrived in 10 minutes....in his AAA owned and operated vehicle.
That is, and isn't true. AAA does operate a fleet of roadside assistance vehicles. I have numerous times had AAA specific vehicles arrive to answer my roadside call. The flat tire I had changed earlier this year through Lexus Roadside, a AAA branded and wrapped vehicle is what arrived. They do also dispatch third parties when their vehicles are unavailable, or in areas where they don't have vehicles. But, for tire changes and lockouts and batteries and fuel I've never been sent a tow truck. Its a vehicle like this:
Here is a AAA Tow Truck:
Clearly this is something that you're very passionate about. What do you do in order to receive "first class service" if you have a flat tire and you are traveling? Do you sit on the side of the road and read Yelp reviews and try and contact some mechanic or towing company directly? Seems like a lot of work to me.
I've definitely gotten what I consider "first class service" from AAA, and its basically free as I make the cost of the membership back many times over every year just in discounts
You're on fire here I think I have to get another bag of popcorn! Who could have thought a thread on tow trucks would drive such passion on a Lexus forum.
You're on fire here I think I have to get another bag of popcorn! Who could have thought a thread on tow trucks would drive such passion on a Lexus forum.
You can get poor service anywhere. I’m sure what sort of vehicles they operate depends on the region and the area. Around here they definitely operate their own vehicles.
Nothing is perfect, I just don’t see a better solution. You never mentioned what you do to ensure that you get “first class service” when you need some sort of roadside assistance...if you are on a highway somewhere out of your area and you need help...who do you call? Do you just start calling gas stations until you find one who even can respond?
As for the discounts, why would I want to spend the time to try and figure out how to get the discount elsewhere when I can just type my AAA number in and get it that way? Easy.
Im not passionate about this at all I’m just interested as to why AAA seems to make you so angry.
I think I have to get another bag of popcorn! Who could have thought a thread on tow trucks would drive such passion on a Lexus forum.