Is AAA worth keeping if...........

[CathyA]

Thanks everyone. I'll have to sit down and really compare the 2. I really like AAA, but we have the "plus", and pay for our kids too, so it isn't cheap. Just don't want to have redundant coverage, but I'll bet that AAA has more to offer. We're like you Spartana.......we pay for the more expensive plan, since we could be pretty far from a reasonable repair shop. We've used it to tow a couple times, a dead battery, a lock out, etc.....so it's been worth it. I just wonder if the auto insurance "roadside assistance" would be rather slow and marginal.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I also use their services for things like vehicle registration

Yes it's easy to forget, but you really can't underestimate their value for avoiding the DMV and having to deal with the couple hour wait, the rudeness, the incompetence. Of course sometimes you still have to go to the DMV as AAA can't do everything. I get my car insurance through AAA, so I don't think it overlaps with AAA service (I don't think they are the cheapest for insurance but Gieco's quote wasn't cheaper at any rate, and AAA is so easy to deal with in my experience so far, customer service for most insurance is pretty bad).

[CathyA]

I'm really fortunate. In our small town, the wait is about 5-10 minutes at the BMV.

[Tammy]

I renew our plates online

[jp1]

I've not dealt with this but a friend has. Apparently in CA if you buy a used car who's registration has not been kept current, or that you don't get the title to at the time of purchase, it can be a nightmare. AAA will take care of that for you.

[Float On]

Spartana, When we had it I thought it was 4 miles for a tow but that may of been when we first signed up. I do know that even though we had the regular coverage that each tow was way more than 4 miles and the one time in Oil Trough AR the first place AAA towed my husband to was more of a back yard mechanic who said "well, maybe I can get the part in 2 weeks" so the tow driver offered to go on to the next bigger town 40 miles away where the parts guy stayed late to order the part so it would be there by 9 the next morning. I expected a bill for that extra tow and never got one. If we were back on the road a lot I'd renew the AAA. Currently we're only taking 2 bigger trips a year and renting a car (which AARP gives a big discount).

[Spartana]

Spartana, When we had it I thought it was 4 miles for a tow but that may of been when we first signed up. I do know that even though we had the regular coverage that each tow was way more than 4 miles and the one time in Oil Trough AR the first place AAA towed my husband to was more of a back yard mechanic who said "well, maybe I can get the part in 2 weeks" so the tow driver offered to go on to the next bigger town 40 miles away where the parts guy stayed late to order the part so it would be there by 9 the next morning. I expected a bill for that extra tow and never got one. If we were back on the road a lot I'd renew the AAA. Currently we're only taking 2 bigger trips a year and renting a car (which AARP gives a big discount).

That's great. I've heard stories of long tow jobs costing hundreds of dollars (and requiring cash up front) so it's nice to know even with the basic AAA they didn't charge you more.

One of my dreads is that I would get stuck in a small town where it would take 2 weeks to fix my old truck, at an exorbitant price, and I'd have to stay at the Bates Hotel while I waited (and where they charged $100/night "extra" for a dog). But with the 100 mile free tow I know I can probably get "somewhere" bigger.