You call AAA first and they come tow your car.
There's no charge if under a certain distance.

I just asked Tom, and he said that towing fees(for our AAA) depend on what kind of AAA plan you have. That the lowest plan is free towing for only up to 15 miles.

I have AAA plus so that covers a longer towing distance (100 miles). I think basic only covers 5 miles here, which is why I have the 'plus' plan.

I have the basic plan. Apparently only the first 5 miles are free. I would have thought that if the charge to tow the car without AAA was $65, that by using AAA it would have been a little bit less. Instead it was $10 more.
~Betsy

When first DD went away to school I asked a local garage guy about triple A and he claimed it wasn't worth getting....now I know that is only one person's opinion, but I have often wondered if he is right?
We never did get it for the girls....only a couple times could they have used it, oldest DD had a belt break and the garage there came and towed it back to fix. The only other time she could have used it was for unlocking her car and paying a locksmith. Second DD needed a batery jumped once and some other guys at the college did it for her. SO for us I guess it would have been a waste.

I am sorry you had a headache on top of your headache Betsy!

We had my old car towed a number of times by AAA (it was a lemon car for sure). We'd call & they'd tow it our mechanic, about 2-3 miles away. I think towing is free up to 7 miles if you have the basic AAA plan, which we do. We never had to pay anything that I know of.

I've had my car, DH's truck towed many times using AAA. I've never once paid for a tow. I believe that the first 3 miles are free here, but the tow truck driver always counted it as 3, even if it was slightly over.

I think someone was pulling a fast one on you, I'm afraid. We've had AAA for over 25 years and have had nothing but good experiences and service from them.

When first DD went away to school I asked a local garage guy about triple A and he claimed it wasn't worth getting....now I know that is only one person's opinion, but I have often wondered if he is right?

I have to disagree with him. I didn't have it for years...because, if I had a problem, I would just call DH...who would come or send someone to help me.
A few months after he died, I got a flat tire...and the only person nearby to call was his DB, who was in very poor health. Poor guy came and changed the tire, but I then told him that I was going home to sign up for AAA.
Have had it ever since. I've used it only 2-3 times, but I feel it's well worth it.

I've had AAA for over 25 years. The procedure has always been to call them to get a tow, not to call the tow truck directly.

Just to clarify - AAA called & sent the truck that charged $75.

I have the basic plan - first 5 miles are free.

I called the same tow company and was quoted $65 IF I did NOT use AAA.

I just don't see how AAA can save me money.

I've had AAA nearly 20 years; no problems. They've had to tow a vehicle that quit, unlock the car - with milk inside on a HOT day & responded very quickly to this one. They've aired a flat tire when none of the stations had working air hoses (few in our town). I hope I never have to be without AAA. I started with the basic & upgraded to Plus. I'm rarely more than 100 mi from a trusted mechanic so, if I break down, depending on where I am, I can get to someone I trust. I call AAA directly if I'm out of town, but in my town, I know who the provider is & call them. Haven't had any problems.

It's been worth it for me and for my family. We don't drive lemons but it seems like when something happens, we're far from home. I think my sister needed it twice on the Schuylkill Expressway after visiting me when I lived in Philly, my parents needed it on the Garden State Expressway. Personally, I've used it for two flat tires, including early in the AM on a major highway, on my way to the gym when I was single and had no one else to call and with my son on a major highway after running over debris in the middle of the road, when DH was at work. I've used it for towing when my starter went on my last car.

It's worth the peace of mind it gives me. Ten years ago, I had been driving for a year after I left the city when I got my first flat and I had no one to call except my sister who couldn't help anyway. I had no cell phone back then and I was plain stuck on the side of the highway. Thank God for the nice couple with a baby in the car that stopped and helped. I went right out and got a cell phone and AAA Plus.

How far did they have to tow the car? Was it more than 5 miles? If not, you should request a refund.

Betsy, it sounds to me like the tow truck driver overcharged you. If you contact AAA, they can straighten it out for you. How far were you towed?

I'd contact the AAA office too and ask if you were overcharged.

My college aged DD has AAA, but has never used it. We plan on renewing it next year again anyhow (unless I hear enough reasons in this thread not to. :-).

I'd call AAA if I were you. Something isn't right.
I've had AAA for 25 years or so and it's worth every penny. Even if it's just peace of mind. I upgraded to AAA Plus and when I had my car towed 50 miles to my garage, it didn't cost me a dime....instead of $300.
Of course a garage guy might say it's not worth it. He wants the $$$$. He's so wrong though.
Besides the roadside service, AAA offers so many more services.

DH and I have both had to have our vehicles towed over 100 miles, so it is definitely worth it. They also will get you into a car with the keys locked inside, give you a jump start, etc.

We have AAA Plus. You can't just get it, you have to have the regular AAA for a year (I think) before they let you upgrade.

I haven't had AAA in quite a while but I'm wondering if the tow is free only if AAA chooses the garage? When I had the service I was never charged for a tow, but I don't remember requesting any specific repair shop. AAA usually offers excellent customer service so they'll probably give you a refund - if for no other reason than the rep who handled your call didn't explain the charges to your satisfaction.

If you decide to cancel AAA, check for discounts with the companies that handle your other insurance policies. We dropped AAA after purchasing a house. Turns out we save quite a bit of money by having home, auto and roadservice with the same company - they offer discounts for multiple this and that.

Well, I called AAA. The car was towed 17 miles. AAA would have covered the first 5 miles and I would be responsible for the next 12 miles at what they call the prevailing rate. That rate would have been $6.25 per mile!

I did not pay the AAA rate. I paid $65.00 total to the tow company which is approximately $3.85 per mile.

I have tried to use our AAA membership for various discounts over the years but have never found that it was worth it. Especially at motels - the senior discount is usually more than the AAA one. The only other service that I used to use was their maps, but these days it's just as easy (and faster) to just look it up on the internet or use our navigation system.

I'm canceling our membership. It's just not worth $100 per year to me. JMHO

AAA also said it would not matter what service shop I took the car to.

Thanks for your comments!
~Betsy

I had AAA for years for myself, daughter and granddaughter and have never had to pay anything extra. However, the last time my daughter called them they said they wouldn't come again after that call as she had used them too many times in this year. We had the smaller policy. I know the time has expired and I don't think she ever got a renewal notice. I will have to check with her about it as I hate to have them without it, especially my granddaughter.

I no longer drive, so don't need it for me.

There's a lot of things to look at here. How much does AAA cost? I have no idea. Just checked the site and looks like it's about $100/yr and up. But the tow that you got "free" from AAA cost you everything you paid to AAA up to that point. So if you've had it 5 years and this is the first use, that "free" tow cost about $500.

My sister used to have AAA. After about 5 years and the time or two she really needed them she waited hours upon hours and I finally convinced her it would be far better to put that money into a "fund" to draw on when she had trouble. She since wished she had done that far sooner.

I could see a situation where if you're going to drive a long trip it might be worth it for the "peace of mind", but with today's modern technology, like Onstar, even a cell phone, internet service and the like, AAA is far less beneficial. But that's my opinion and I realize some will disagree.

AAA is insurance. Period. It's also a service contract, like you'd buy for your wash machine. Some people feel that paying $20/month and getting a "free" $75 service call once every ten years is a good deal and saves them money. I don't see it as peace of mind. To me, a cell phone gives me far more peace of mind. I can call for help if I'm stranded.

Now as far as the tow having two rates. I fully understand that but it seems to be missed by many. Insurance companies ALWAYS pay more than someone who pays cash. Go to a dentist and you generally get a 5% discount. I had a recent emergency room visit and got a 50% discount for paying for the visit from what the insurance company would have had to pay. This is why insurance is so costly.

From the tow company's point, I understand and would do the same. AAA does not pay the company promptly. If they accept payment from them, they're probably going to wait 6 months to collect their money. They still have to pay for the gas to come get you, the payment on the tow truck they send to you and the wages of the guy who comes to help you. I'd be charging more than a $10 penalty if it were me.

When I had my store we got affiliated with a national warranty service to do repairs on computers covered by their "extended warranties". They would expect us to front the money for all parts, get no profit on it, and then do a repair for a flat rate. I put my foot down and told them they're paying our rates or they can hire someone else. They refused, but found no one who would do the work for them. (I just snipped a long ironic story so you wouldn't be bored by it)

I wish I would have shopped around for my transmission service. I had it replaced instead of repaired. Yes, it was an ouch but it is an honest shop.

People I know who have had experiences with AAA have mixed reviews. If it's a storm and your car won't start, don't expect quick service. Often not even the same day. Not worth it to me. Last time a friend and I were driving back from Wisconsin and her car broke down. We hobbled as far as we could and she called AAA. Nothing much going on and it still took nearly 3 hours to get a tow. I certainly wasn't impressed.

Cynic, I agree with you 100%. Your comparison of AAA to an extended warranty is right on. I've already cancelled my membership and wish I had done it years ago.

My AAA card shows that I've been a member since 1974.

AAA has always told us that they will tow you, at no charge, to the nearest facility that can repair what's wrong. So, that can be over 5, or 7, or 15 miles, depending on where you are.

About 30 years ago (when I was single), my car broke down on the northbound 405 freeway, a little ways south of the 405/5 interchange (sort of near where Fluor Corporation used to be). A wonderful CHP officer stopped to see what was wrong, and he called AAA for me. He even sat and waited with me until the tow truck showed up, just to make sure I was safe. The CHP officer told me that when they call AAA, they HAVE TO respond to the scene within 45 minutes. The tow truck was there in about 35 minutes.

Because it was the middle of the night (around 3:00 a.m.), the guy towed me home and told me to call AAA again in the morning (or afternoon, depending on when I got up - LOL), and not even say anything about having been towed during the night. He said I should just tell the person that I went out to my car to go somewhere and the car wouldn't start... So that's what I did, and AAA sent a tow truck out to tow me to be repaired.

With regular CAA one gets a limited number of short tows (shorter than in earlier years, I think). I'm not sure whether one qualifies for one longer tow; with Plus, one gets at least one distant tow, possibly more.

One also gets a limited number of boosts (5?) per year, out of gas, lock-outs, etc., as well.

I didn't used to carry it, as I had a good friend who'd help when I had need ... but I buried him a couple of years ago.

Daughter bought CAA Plus for me for Christrmas about three years ago, I've renewed. Used it once, to tow son's van home (told him he should pay some of subscription that daughter'd paid). I'm pretty sure he didn't - he's cheap (I'm frugal).

When I had accident last year, police called tow truck, cost upward of $200. for in-city tow. Haven't been able to find out whether, had I had cell phone and called CAA *immediately*, so I could tell cop they on their way, I could have avoided that fee.

I can't see a good reason why a female who's in good health who's old enough to have a licence, can't change a tire on her own, unless she's driving a truck.

Have a great (still spring) week.

ole joyful

I have AAA and the main thing I have used it for is locking my keys in the car, or should I say the kids locking the keys in the car:) I think it is worth it, I have had them tow my car also come and change my tire when it is flat when I was pregnant.

Stacie
girlsingardens

My AAA Plus is under $70/year. I'm not positive but I think it was $62.50. They've always helped promptly. I agree it's not for everyone but it works for us. I admit I can't change a tire but even if I could, I would not have wanted to any of the times I needed to since I was always on the side of a busy highway, once around 4am, and once I wasn't sure how extensive the damage was (I ran over a big piece of lumbar that was lying across the road).

I could put the money elsewhere but who would I call for help instead, especially when I'm not close to home? I've used it about once a year so I'm probably at least close to even, probably ahead considering the couple of long distance tows we've used. I would not have wanted to drive my old car on the trips we went on if not for having AAA.

They do have limits. It's not to be used as a support service for someone driving around a lemon. It's an emergency service.

You should always call the AAA telephone number for service, not the tow company.

Besides the occasional battery jump, occasional tow, occasional keys locked in the car, occasional flat tire - our AAA membership is handy for theme park tickets and that 10% discount on Target.com purchases.

I pay $64.00/year for basic AAA (Florida).