Do people still use AAA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another fan of AAA here. I have had friends who use other services (like those that "come with" their cars) and they have found at times that those other services are very slow or don't have affiliated tow operators etc. in many areas, which only makes waits much longer.

AAA had to help me out four times in one year when one of our cars was having ongoing issues. They always came quickly. They've come to my house to get me into a car when DH locked the keys inside. They've replaced batteries (twice) in cars that had croaked in parking lots.

And I love that when you call them, the FIRST thing they always ask is: "Are you in a safe location?" This matters to me. If I were someplace I felt unsafe, I absolutely would tell them so and know they would send help or contact cops or whatever. The fact that they have this question as the standard start of their script for talking to you is very smart of them.

We also get maps and guidebooks from them a LOT. If you paid for those items they'd really get expensive. Their maps are excellent (and yes, some of us do still need real maps even with GPSes).

AAA has one of the very few real, in-person travel agencies where you can walk in, sit down and plan an entire trip with an actual human being who knows all the shortcuts for finding the best deals on airfare, train tickets, hotels, rental cars, etc. We had AAA plan an entire vacation to the Southwest and it was great (and if there are any problems, say, with a car rental place or hotel, you can have them call AAA directly and AAA will be your advocate with them -- these places have an incentive to keep AAA pretty happy since AAA can send more business their way).

We also have gotten foreign currency at AAA for international trips. Really handy as not all bank branches have actual currency, in case you want to have currency in hand when you arrive and not have to depend on very expensive currency exchange booths at airports or in city centers.

Yeah, big fan of AAA. We use the heck out of their services and products like the maps and travel stuff so we get our money's worth.

I see they offer DMV services also. Have you ever tried those?

[Anonymous]

We are in Pennsylvania and have used their DMV services. Our college-aged son bought his grandmother’s car in Colorado, but we wanted to register it in Pennsylvania (his home state.) The problem was he and the car weren’t going to be back in PA for several months. AAA walked us through the process of how to make this happen.

Many hotels offer discounts for AAA (I think it’s 10% at Hilton chain) and some outlet malls also have discount books that are free with a AAA card (but cost something like $5 without.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are in Pennsylvania and have used their DMV services. Our college-aged son bought his grandmother’s car in Colorado, but we wanted to register it in Pennsylvania (his home state.) The problem was he and the car weren’t going to be back in PA for several months. AAA walked us through the process of how to make this happen.

So they don't actually do any work, jsut provide information then? I was hoping I cuold hand them some paperwork and they'd process it for me, but I guess that's asking a lot!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks like AAA is $75/year for their cheapest plan, and it ties to the driver not the car. I may get that, as it's cheaper than paying per-car through our insurance (we have 3 cars).

It’s actually a great benefit. A friend was at my house one night, had a flat tire, AAA came out and changed it at no cost. Because I was there. Also one night, pretty late night, my battery died. AAA came out, it was at the end of it’s lifespan, so they replaced it right there and I was on my way. Saved me a trip out to do it myself at a later date.

[Anonymous]

I have it for peace of mine and an old car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nope. I dropped them about 15 years ago and have used Audi roadside assistance ever since (free with car for first 4 years). AAA has all these B.S. rules that led me to drop them. My car wouldn't start in a parking lot in the dead middle of winter in the northeast and I was in the parking lot freezing. I asked them to tow it to a shop so I could get a battery replacement (literally a FIVE MINUTE DRIVE away) and they refused to do so because "if we are able to start your car, we do not tow it". Well, they were able to jumpstart it, THANKS, and the battery died again WHILE I WAS DRIVING. All car functions ceased and it was a miracle I was able to maneuver the car off the road going 40mph. At that point I was blocking one of two lanes of traffic into town and backed all the way up to the interstate looking like a damn idiot blocking 100s of cars. The police came out and had to move my car off the road. And THEN, THEEEEEEENNNN AAA came back out and towed it the remaining ONE MINUTE to the shop. F*ck you AAA!!

We use it. I love that they come to wherever you are to jump start batteries or replace them, tow, fix tires - they’ve been great and fast. I also use the guide books. Order online and shipped to your home for free. I also get maps! I got a USA map and put it in my sons room for wall art. I usually keep a maps of places I frequent often incase GPS goes down - which has happened to me!

It is also a travel service and they provide discounts which I’ve used for hotels ect.

[Anonymous]

I use them and like them. I drive an older car and have gotten my money's worth this last few years.

[Anonymous]

Last winter my car battery kept dying on me. One day I was in a parking lot and the car wouldn’t start. The AAA guy came out and changed my battery with a new one. The price of the new battery was very reasonable. Haven’t had any more battery problems since.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I’ve been a member for 20 years. We just used it last week, when my car was packed to the hilt and we were about to head out on a 5-hour drive, only to discover we had a dead battery. The service vehicle arrived in 15 minutes, the mechanic was very pleasant and professional, and we had a new battery in less than 10 minutes. I highly recommend.

[Anonymous]

Yes and I love it. I used twice and they were very professional and fast.

[Anonymous]

I switched from AAA to Allstate Motor Club. It’s cheaper and gets an overall better rating. No complaints In the 5 years since the switch and have used their services multiple times.

[Anonymous]

Have had AAA since 1989.

[Anonymous]

I have it and I like it. The plan I have covers a tow of up to about 125 miles which covers the places I usually go on weekends. My car is 11 years old so having AAA gives me some peace of mind. Also, I used it once when I locked my keys in the car, they had them out very fast.

[Anonymous]

Yes for tire plug, battery change, my daughters flat tire on the other coast. They have never let us down.

[Anonymous]

The lobbyist that AAA uses in the DC area has some really weird, outdated opinions. I don't my money to support someone like that and we use our insurance company now.