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Rogar
5-16-12, 6:08pm
I had bought AARP roadside assistance insurance a couple of years but have decided to discontinue all dealings with AARP due to their nagging junk mail. Last year I was in a remote area in the sandhills of Nebraska and had car trouble. I had no idea of the nearest town with some sort of services and would probably have been in an uncomfortable situation if stranded. Fortunately I limped 50 miles into Valentine, Nebraska and found a mechanic and motel. I thought then I should get insurance again and have sort of put it off. I've looked into AAA and it's slightly pricey and I really don't need all the maps and other benefits.

Any opinions or recommendations on this?

Gregg
5-16-12, 6:58pm
We had AAA for years, but now get just as much or more through our State Farm auto policies. I don't remember exactly what the cost is, but its pennies per month. Much cheaper than even the base AAA membership.

I grew up in those sandhills you're talking about. From the sound of it you may have driven right through my family's place! Pretty country, but it can be a LONG time in between cars going by if you get stuck. Cell phone coverage isn't perfect out there, either!

Alan
5-16-12, 7:14pm
We use Good Sam's (http://www.goodsamclub.com/) for when we're out and about in the motorhome. It also covers our cars. I like the peace of mind it brings.

razz
5-16-12, 8:08pm
We use CAA for peace of mind plus we get discounts that add up over the year if you use them.

SteveinMN
5-17-12, 6:03am
You might want to look at Better World (http://www.betterworldclub.com/). Their prices are comparable to lower than AAA and they can cover some different vehicles, too.

We go through our insurance company. We're usually close to home and, if not, I have a smartphone I can use to find out who provides auto service locally. Cheaper than AAA or Better World and we really don't need the "extries" they offer.

jennipurrr
5-17-12, 7:04pm
I would check your car insurance company first...often they are a lot cheaper than other options. I kept this insurance when I had a commute and w/older car, it was not expensive. Now both DH and I work close to home.

fidgiegirl
5-17-12, 7:14pm
I had Better World for a year and didn't need, but had the weird feeling that they wouldn't have been able to help me out, anyway. I got away from AAA when I learned how much pro-auto lobbying they do. Their free maps were nice in the day, but now with technology I don't feel we need them.

We have insurance roadside assistance.

There was one time I wish I had it and didn't, but obviously I lived to tell the tale so it wasn't such a big deal.

My sister had an older car in college and she wisely sprang for the more expensive AAA and it saved her a BOATLOAD of money in the end. She bought the RV version (at that time, $80/yr) and so she could get the car towed home (60 miles) instead of to the nearest shop (standard AAA is 3 mile tow, if I remember correctly) so that she could have options as far as repairs and not have to just spring for them on the spot. She maxed out her allowable tows I believe two years in a row! AND she's a worrywart, so this was an outstanding option for her. In that case, money very well spent.

rosarugosa
5-17-12, 7:27pm
We have our cars insured with Liberty Mutual, and they offer a roadside assistance program even if you don't carry towing & roadside assistance coverage. So basically, you have a number you can call and they dispatch the towing service. If you don't have coverage, then you pay for the services. This actually seems like a pretty good deal to me, because I'm willing to "self-insure" for the cost of a tow, but I like the idea of being able to tap into that type of dispatch service.
I suspect that other insurers may have something similar.

ApatheticNoMore
5-18-12, 3:00pm
I have AAA. I don't love their lobbying either, but I am pretty skeptical Better World has the kind of coverage AAA does. And well they may be lobbying for every evil in the world, so hey don't go with them if it bugs you too much, but they are EASY to deal with, member owned and therefore they provide real customer service to their members. That is why I also have insurance though them, most insurance companies were horrible to deal with, member owned AAA was easy. It's all about the customer service. And they are open weekends.

I've definitely used their other services. I use their books on cities to choose hotels and attractions. I don't always travel with boatloads of techno stuff, but I travel with AAA guidebooks (and I never fear that *THEY* might get lost or stolen - ha say that about your smart phone). I've also used them to avoid the DMV whenever possible. Avoiding the DMV whenever possible alone is probably worth the membership. I've used the AAA card for discounts on hotels and so on as well.

Weston
5-18-12, 3:29pm
Had AAA for many years. Each year they seemed to get worse and worse. Had a couple of incidents where they left me in a bad neighborhood for way too long.

The final straw was several years ago where I was stranded for hours on a busy highway and every time that I called, AAA claimed that they had sent out a driver and I wasn't where I claimed to be. I even had a state trooper get on the phone with them to confirm my location. Finally one of their drivers found me exactly where I said I was almost 3 1/2 hours after I called.

We then switched over to roadside service through our insurance company (Liberty Mutual) much less money and much, much better service.

Rogar
5-18-12, 3:39pm
Thanks for the help everyone! I looked it up and I actually already have roadside assistance through my auto insurance with State Farm. I called them and they have a toll free number to call, just like AAA I suppose. Unfortunately, they don't seem to put the number on any of the insurance cards I carry and I had to call my local office to get it, which seems like a slightly dirty trick. I and will put it with my other car documents in the glove box. I think something like AAA might give me a little more peace of mind just because you hear about people having positive things to say about them. Well, except Weston. But being a frugal sort of person, I think I will make do with what I have and take my chances. Anyway, the discussion probably saved me some money, so thanks.

Greg, the sandhills are very pretty indeed! I would like to go back. My time was cut short because of my car troubles. I'll bet it was an interesting place to grow up.

Tiam
8-8-12, 12:23am
So far I haven't had a bad deal with AAA, but they changed their policy and it is more expensive now. It wasn't cheaper with my own insurance company, but maybe it's time to switch insurance companies.

Tussiemussies
8-8-12, 12:34am
We use AAA and I have needed their help desperately twice and the first time they told me that it would be awhile until they got to me since the person was on another job then the second time they were there right away. Both times they quickly did what needed to be done right away. The one time my car and I had be towed an hour to where I lived and they brought the car to the garage. The second time was this winter, we had gone to a party and it was snowy and freezing cold outside. We left to go home and our battery was dead. They were there within 10 minutes and had us back on the road right away. I felt so bad for this guy working on our car when the weather was so bad. I would never give up our AAA service, my husband feels the same. It is peace of mind when you are out there on the road...

shadowmoss
8-8-12, 9:39am
I had roadside insurance with my cell phone. Insures whatever car you are in with your cell phone. I helped a friend when we were traveling one time. I do think I also have it with Liberty Mutual as that is where my Jeep insurance is. If you don't use it, it looks like an unnecessary expense. If you do, you would pay twice what it is at that point. I did use the ATT cell roadside insurance a few times, and they were good.

chord_ata
8-9-12, 4:28pm
I'd use the insurance company if they had a dispatch service.

Since they don't, I use AAA.

awakenedsoul
8-9-12, 5:26pm
I've had AAA for years. I love it. It's saved me several times. They also will come replace your car battery for you, too. That's been really convenient for me when I had to get to work. I haven't used their Triptix recently, but I like those for roadtrips, too.