roadside assistance programs

[rfuerst911sc]

For our daily drivers the wife and I have AAA and have used them for years. Have not had to use them very often ( once or twice ) but have been happy. We currently have Allstate insurance for the daily drivers and recently received in the mail an offer from Allstate Motor Club. Looks like the coverage is similar to AAA but no charge for second household member, covers any personal car you are in and is about $45.00 less per year. Anyone out there using Allstate Motor Club and are you happy with their service ?

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

From my limited experience and the experience of friends the bad hands people do not provide good claims service, they will drop you if they deem it financially beneficial (been with company less than 30 days and rear-ended while waiting at a traffic light or no claims in ten plus years and "overdue for a major claim" according to the bad hands folks).

I believe AAA is OK, we use USAA's service and have mixed reviews. I think the friends and relatives roadside assistance has been the most useful to us and our friends and relatives! It can even include overnight stays as necessary ;-) The Pelican Assistance Program appears to work rather well at times also. (We LOVE yall!!!! ;-)

[KFC911]

I can't remember what my AAA costs....'bout $75 for the 100 mi. towing option. Only used them once for a local tow, but I'd be leery about a lower cost alternative...sure, they'll take your $, but will they be there when ya need 'em? AAA is "proven" imo...

[VincentVega]

I have the State Farm version. Only had to use it a few times but they reimbursed tow bills with no issue. I prefer AAA as you can call them and they handle the rest but with smart phones and better internet access that value might be diminished.

[Jeff Higgins]

I have been on the Allstate roadside assistance program for about ten years. I've used it three or four times and have had great luck with it. No complaints at all.

A little story: About six or seven years ago my wife and I were on our Road King, riding over the North Cascades Highway (highway 20). Approaching the summit, the bike started cutting out. Turns out the then eight year old battery had had enough. We were out of cell phone coverage, so we couldn't call for help. We turned around, wound up coasting down the shoulder on the downhill parts, and managed to get it running a couple of times to limp it down in the small town of Newhalem. So, being a HOG member (Harley Owners' Group, a "PCA" for H-D owners) I called their Roadside Assistance, administered through Road America. The nice, barely English literate Cuban refugee somewhere in Florida (yes lady, "Washington" is a state, too...") assured me she would dispatch a tow truck post haste.

Five hours later, still no truck. Called back and was assured they were "working on it". So I called the Allstate number, and had a truck there in less than 45 minutes. The guy asked me if we were the folks on the Road America call - "you would have sat here all night; no one in the valley responds to those anymore. They don't reimburse enough to make it worth our while."

So, while driving down Highway 20 in the tow truck, we had to stop for gas. The guy running the gas station had a couple of tow trucks sitting there. He saw the bike on the flatbed, so he came out to chat me up a bit. He had gotten the Road America call as well, and told them he "was busy, and had no trucks available".

I don't know if this is regional or what, but it might pay to check with some local tow companies to see who they prefer to deal with. Allstate has gotten high marks from every one I've subequently asked. They pay the bill with no muss, no fuss, which means everything to the tow companies. Road America (at least around here, at that time), on the other hand, was squeezing them for all they were worth, refusing to pay their bill, but rather assigning their own scale to which they paid. The tow operators I asked about it said Road America's compensation would not even put gas in their tank to make the call. Every one of them were letting their contracts expire, and doing their best to be "busy" until they did expire.

So, it pays to make a few calls. See what the operators will and will not work with in your area.

[Seahawk]

AAA here, no other experiences.

However, AAA has paid for itself over and over on hotel discounts. They often beat the military or corporate rates.

I have a meeting in Philly early next week and he difference in the rate at Marriott on line (I'm an Elite something) between the normal rate and the AAA rate was $75.00 per night.

Edit: Their iPhone app is great as well.

[Rot 911]

Get the AAA gold card for you and your wife. Cost you around $110. Adds more towing distance and other services. Covers what ever car you are riding in, not just your own car. My favorite example (Souk if you are reading you will remember this): A few of the old Gruppe B guys got together for a car show up in Indiana some years back. One guy hot rodding his 911 in the parking lot (used to be a member on this board) got a stuck gas linkage and slammed into the curb. Broke the front wishbone. Car is going nowhere. I call AAA, they send out a tow truck, look at my card to write the number down, and delivered the car to my friend's driveway! As I recall the driver even managed to get the car off the flatbed and into the garage.

[Joeaksa]

Another vote for AAA gold. Having three antique cars makes it so that at least once a year you will prolly need a tow somewhere. Having 100 miles coverage works pretty well in my case.

If I ever remove my brain and get a Prius, may let the AAA coverage lapse.... but I doubt it.

[Zeke]

AAA all the way and never anything All-Stale (bad).

I think the big advertisers on TV depend on new sign ups to survive. Somehow that's the model. I don't even think they see trading customers is a bad thing. There has to be some money in the new customer or they wouldn't spend the millions they do.

They certainly don't see holding a customer for life as profitable unless that customer never files a claim. My company (USAA) just raises and lowers the rebate to offset claims. As it should be.

[teenerted1]

aaa is the way to go and the additional discounts are nice.

FREE MAPS

[bell]

I have geico and their roadside assistance, pretty cheap....
Have used it 4 or 5 times.
They basically call the same contracted people that aaa uses.....so the” turn around” time is the samei had aaa for years....but couldn't justify the cost for how rate I used it..

They also pay 1 hour diagnose fee when towed to a shop....coincidentally I work for a shop

[Dantilla]

I used to pay AAA for my wife.

...Then I realized that I'm the guy with a truck and flatbed trailer, and all my friends call me when they are in a jam.

Cancelled AAA, and if my wife ever needs me, I'll go get her.