Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2011 06:21:49 GMT
From: Jackie Strouble
Subject: Re: AAA
If anyone is interested, here is an alternative to Triple A.
I looked into AAA when I was commuting from N. Chatham to Sanford for night classes. My sole interest was to be covered for roadside assistance in the event of an emergency. I’m not the least bit interested in all the “perks” such as trip planner, hotel discounts etc. For my needs, I thought their price was exorbitant. I think it’s now around $80/year for the basic membership?
Fortunately, I learned that my auto insurance carrier, which is State Farm, offers a roadside assistance insurance package for the very affordable sum of $13.00/year. This price has remained the same for the last eight years.
This is not a “club” or a membership, it is insurance coverage which is added to my car policy. It covers any and all imaginable roadside emergencies and is comparable to AAA in that regard.
The differences are: In the event of an emergency, I contact the vendor (tow truck, locksmith, etc) directly. They show up and do what needs to be done and I pay the bill. I send the receipt to State Farm and they send me a check for the full amount (no deductible).
Since this is not a membership deal, I believe that only the car listed on my insurance policy is covered (not 100% sure about that).
I’ve only used this service once, when I managed to lock my keys in my car (hilariously silly story in retrospect… maybe I’ll tell it someday!). Anyway, the results were extremely satisfactory. I had my reimbursement check within a week.
So, over the years I’ve paid $104 in premiums, about twice what I’ve gotten out of it. That’s why insurance companies are rich and I’m not. But it’s way better than the $600+ I would have paid to AAA!
If you are like me, trying to save a buck in every way possible, then you might want to check with your own insurance company to see if they have such coverage available. If so, you should do a little research, compare it to the services AAA offers, and make sure that it covers your needs.
Cheers — Jackie