AAA rant

[rfuerst911sc]

Came out of work yesterday looking forward to four days off. Fired up the Boxster, put it in reverse and backed out of my parking spot. Went to put it into first and something let go in the shifter/cables Oh great ! Did the usual looking/probing but in a parking lot with business casual attire not going to get much done. So I called AAA and waited. Now when I called in I was very specific on make/model but I did not specify a flat bed, I didn't think I had to. One hour later a tow truck shows up. As soon as the driver hopped out he said his truck will not work for this car. So he called into dispatch and asked for a flat bed........dispatcher gets into a pissing contest with the driver !!! They were using walkie talkie type phones so when the driver was talking I yelled out send a fuxxxxg flat bed ! So about 30 minutes later here comes the flat bed. The original driver was nice enough to stay with me. So now I'm talking to the flat bed driver explaining that I will have to be in the car to push the clutch down so the car will roll............he say's can't do that Turns out AAA has cameras in their tow trucks and the drivers are constantly monitored, any involvement by the customer they are written up/reprimanded! So now I have to have greasy hands/pants driver in my car while other driver mans the winch. Now I'm pissed so I made the guy in the car remove his hanging key ring, his flashlight so my seats don't get ripped. Of course he has no idea where anything is so I have to instruct him but I can't touch the car ! What a joke. Finally got it loaded and delivered to my house but their rules ( I'm sure driven by lawsuits ) are just rediculous. End of rant.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Have to agree. My last few experiences with AAA were similar - way too burdened by bureaucracy (probably resulting from their being taken advantage of by people for years, now being forced to cut costs like everyone else). At the end of the day though it's a simple cost / benefit equation and their service isn't worth the cost so I don't join. Haven't been a member in about 5-6 years and despite having had two incidents of being stranded by disabled vehicles, I've never had a problem (handled it the old fashioned way, made a few phone calls, got a tow dolly the next day, brought the car home and fixed it).

You don't need AAA. You need the willingness to have a small bit of flexibility and resourcefulness if things go bad as they inevitably will once in a while.

[Rob Channell]

I agree on the May not be worth it comments.
My daughter's car would not start one afternoon. I Called AAA since we had become recent members at work. I wanted the car towed to a specific garage about 10 miles away. They told me it would be around $114. I said no thanks and dialed my regular tow guys I call if I need the 911 towed. I ask them how much for a tow from location one to location two and I get the answer $60, same as usual. I keep their number in my phone so I have someone good I can contact just in case.

[JJ 911SC]

That sucks.

It has not get to this point yet North of the border, probably because we are not overwhelm by contingency lawyer yet...

As for the flat bed, when I call CAA, told them it was an 83 911 and ask for a flat bed, she mentioned that it was in the computer!!! It turn out that they use a database that list what truck is needed for every call they get.

[fastfredracing]

One of my customers was going off about them yesterday.
She comes out from work at 3 am to a dead battery. Calls AAA. She tells them she needs a jump. Dispatch says great, but it the car does not start, and they send out a call for a jump start, that they will not be able to tow, and will have to open another claim , and she will have to wait for the tow truck again. Dispatch talks her into a tow instead.
Tow truck driver shows up with roll back, but the battery is so dead, that the shifter interlock will not let the car come out of gear . Tow truck driver does not have a jump pack ......

[CurtEgerer]

Daughter gets a flat tire at night on the highway. The tow truck eventually arrives. Daughter calls back and says the tow truck driver can't find the jack. I get him on the phone and ask if he doesn't carry his own jack? "I do, but we have to use the factory jack". I said it's a friggin Durango with a steel frame - put the jack anywhere you want! 10 minutes later, another call to inform me that the spare tire is nearly flat and he doesn't carry compressed air with him! He puts the tire on and instructs her to drive slowly 1 mile to the next exit where there is a gas station that he's 'pretty sure' has an air hose .....

[cashflyer]

Turns out AAA has cameras in their tow trucks and the drivers are constantly monitored, any involvement by the customer they are written up/reprimanded!

This is bull. The tow truck drivers are independent members of the AAA network If that tow company has such a policy, it is that company - not AAA.

I had my 911 towed to the shop last month after the water pump went out. The driver brought a flatbed but didn't want to winch it up on there for fear of damaging the front valence. He asked if I could crank it long enough to drive it onto the truck, which I did.

I drove it onto his truck, at his request.


Our family has had AAA for a very long time, and I have had only one bad experience with them. That issue was with Tanya Bergstresser at AAA Mid-Atlantic in 2008.

The tow company that responded to my side-of-the-interstate breakdown did over $250 damages to the front of my pickup truck when they winched it onto their flatbed. When I complained to AAA Mid-Atlantic, it was Tanya Bergstresser who informed me that the towing companies are independent from AAA and that AAA has no authority over them or ability to settle my claim for damages.

[Rot 911]

I have had nothing but great experiences with AAA here in the Midwest. I have the AAA Plus. Years ago up in northern Indiana some of us Pelicans (most no longer posting) where hotrodding in a big parking lot after a car show. One member's 911 had the accelerator stick and he hit a curb, breaking the a-arm. Was about 10 miles or so from his house. What to do? I called AAA and they towed the car to his house and even backed it into the garage. Excellent service.

[Don Ro]

Damn! Sorry to hear.
.
Locked my dog in my Abarth - - - two flat-beds showed up:
.

Anyone use AAA Roadside Service? My first call...Top drawer!

[Manny Alban]

I've had to use them twice in the past four years. Both times were top notch service. Each time they took less than 45 minutes to arrive and texted me periodically to let me know how far away they were. The most recent was with my concours prepped 914 that lost a fuel pump. Driver treated it like a Bugatti. Super careful not to scrape the bottom when loading and unloading. Only thing he asked me to do was have my friends help in lining up the car to his flatbed (fortunately 914's are light and easy to push). He never had to get into the car. I've always heard nightmare stories about AAA. Maybe I live in an area where the folks working for AAA are just very good.

[Nostril Cheese]

I've always had good results with AAA. I've met more interesting characters getting towed than for any other reason I can think of..

One of the most interesting was getting towed out of Joshua Tree with the wife. The driver only brought a single cab truck and we were going 75 miles away. Wife is sitting in my lap. We drive up this sketchy ass road to the guy's house to get his OTHER rig, which was his baby.. Double cab, flames on the doors, everything was chromed, massive sound system., bull horns on the hood.

Brings us lemonade in mason jars while we wait for him to take the car off the single cab and put it on the double cab. The whole time he's pointing to all these abandoned mine shafts around his property, talking about buying up the mineral rights and stuff..

We get in the rig and head back into LA. He then starts talking about how the tow job is just to pay the bills while he studies quantum physics. Sure enough, the truck is full of college textbooks. Tripped out dude.

I gave him a $50 tip.

[Don Ro]

"I gave him a $50 tip.
~~~~~~~~~~

.
What was in that lemonade?

[ckissick]

I've never had any problems with AAA. Nothing but the best service. With my list of old cars, I wouldn't want to go without it.

[widebody911]

I've had very good luck with AAA, and I always try to remember to ask for a flatbed, and even in the cases when I didn't request it, then sent one anyway. I have had issues where the driver gave me flak for a car being too low, but they've never flat-out refused to tow it.

[Nostril Cheese]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

"I gave him a $50 tip.
~~~~~~~~~~

.
What was in that lemonade?

He did a great job. Treated my car perfectly and it was important to him that we were comfortable as we drove home. Had a really interesting conversation and the guy clearly cared about his job and his truck.

I felt he earned a tip.

He did try to refuse...

[Don Ro]

I know the feeling!
Back before I changed my own moto tires, I'd give the mech. a $10 bill prior to his starting.
"Here ya go - I know you won't scratch my rims."
Worked every time.

[rfuerst911sc]

My AAA membership is due for renewal in October and I won't be renewing. I'm an RV owner and Good Sam club offers road service for the same price with UNLIMITED tow miles ! They cover the RV and ANY vehicles in the card holders immediate family which in my case is my wife and I. And the in car camera for AAA vehicles is REAL at least in the truck I rode home in. Not only is it a camera it also has audio. I pointed to the device on the windshield and asked the driver if that's the camera and he responded yes. That's when he told me it's also listening to us. I gave the camera a one fingered jesture and said your rules are bull****.........driver loved it !

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

... I gave the camera a one fingered jesture and said your rules are bull****.........driver loved it !

Great and pretty funny.

Sam Club deal sound pretty good. Not available here as they left the country, they just could not compete with Costco up here.

Burger King is moving up here... Love the Whopper but that is another thread

[rusnak]

AAA discounts on hotels might save you $10 to $20 per night on rooms, just depending. Sometimes AAA rates are higher. But the tow, lockout, etc service alone is worth the membership fee.

Try to get a tow truck at 3AM WITHOUT AAA. No bueno. And you'll get ass-raped on the fee.

[rfuerst911sc]

Sams club vs. good sam club is two different venues. Good Sam club is RV based vs. Sams club being Walmart based.