I have been a AAA member for 15 years. My husband and I, as well as 3 other family members. I just received a letter that they will not be renewing my membership for “disproportionate use of services.” I called to talk to them about it and they would not tell me exactly what that meant, but referred me to AAA.com to read all the reasons that this could happen. There is no appeal process. I called again to cancel my membership and get a prorated refund for the months not used. No again. AAA sets the roadside assistance calls to 4 per year per person. Two members have used all 4 of their allotted calls while 3 members haven’t used any. So, we have used 8 of our 20 allowable service calls this year. The article says that if you buy it, you should use it to make it worth the money. Unfortunately, AAA will make sure that if you use it, you can’t buy it. Definitely not worth it.
IMHO, AAA allows 4 roadside service calls per year per membership. If you have additional associate members on your account, you don’t get 4 per person, it’s still 4 per membership/account total.
Seems like you need 5 separate memberships/accounts at $100+ for each to get 4 tows per person.
(xviii) You are permitted up to four (4) Road Service calls in a Membership year including for Motorcycles and RVs, if applicable. We may determine that your Road Service usage is excessive. In making such determinations, we consider the cost associated with Road Service calls, call frequency over multiple Membership periods, and other factors. We reserve the right to impose surcharges and/or Road Service limitations, downgrades of a Membership type or cancellation of your Membership, without prior notification. If you require more than four (4) Road Service calls in any single Membership year, you may be required to pay a fee for Service and/or tows back to the closest responding facility; tows to other destinations will be at prevailing rates for towing Road Service.
I am not affiliated with them, but I do have their plus membership for the extra 100 mile tow factor & have had it for years. Last used about 2 years ago for a tow & a few years ago for a lockout (old car). My insurance co includes $75 for a tow , but only about 5 miles.
Actually we are all allowed 4 service calls per year. When I check our account online it has 4 allowed for each of us and the number that each of us has used. All I am saying is that we signed up for the service and paid what they asked. We didn’t abuse the system because they are the ones that set the usage limits and the membership guidelines. We didn’t use any service calls for most of the years that we have had AAA. They didn’t send a warning letter or suggest any change in status. I was very satisfied with the service until the cancelation letter. After so many years of loyal membership I expect better customer service and loyalty in return.
You are right, I apologize. I looked at the terms for an associate member & as long as you paid the $33+ for each member after the free additional one & they all are in the same household you are all entitled to 4 calls a year each (Associate members receive all the same benefits & services as the Primary). It’s unfortunate that they consider your account with excessive usage. They seem to be taking advantage of the (xviii) clause that I posted above. That is their way out of claiming “disproportionate use of services".
I’ve had it for years with no regrets. Used many of their services but the best has been my Cal handicapped placard. Med clinic who signed the medical reasons for handicapped parking said do NOT go to DMV. Takes forever.
Instead, go to AAA. Did that and was out in minutes with my parking placard.
Don’t feel alone, they cancelled me and my 3 other family members without a letter letting us know. I found out while sitting on the interstate when a tire blew out. Like you we had 4 service calls for each person on the account. I had been using AAA since 2012. Of course the cars got older and the service calls increased. I don’t recommend using them.
Member since '75. Dropping now. They sold me a battery June '21. In April '22 it was dead. I called, asked them for a jump and to plan to drop in a new battery. No. they no longer SELL batteries. Who knew? And, they would not give any warranty on the one they HAD sold me. Sent a young guy out to jump it and he mis-connected the cables, started a small fire under my hood. Would not tow because I had only asked for a jump (he was in a tow truck). He called them (AAA) they said they would have to start a new ticket and he could come back. He also told them he was afraid he had “fried my electrical system”. I called someone to tow. No refund from AAA. Prices have increased. I’m looking for a club that I can count on like I used to count on AAA. They have offered me nothing for my time, damage, tow or battery.
Southern California resident here…yes. Definitely worth it here just to avoid the California DMV! Also, I took advantage of the free 1 year AAA membership through T-Mobile. Even better!
I used AAA for years when my kids were little & my husband was gone a lot. It was helpful… but there were no cell phones then either. Now, I find my insurance , cell phones, & AARP membership easily made the decision to drop AAA. My hotel perks & AARP discounts are usually the same percentage as AAA, and you can’t get both! Also, Club South has been terrible the last couple of times I had to call them. They couldn’t even find the Atl airport because the dispatcher was in Tennessee! And once I broke down a block from their office & it took 2 hrs to find me! No more Club South! I have used the service in other parts of the country and it is tons better. I think I would join another AAA , but definitely not Club South!
We had AAA for over 20 years due to our job & family travel. The last 10 or so years we pd for the top package, so we had 4 service calls each, for a total of 8 tows or service calls a year. I will say the last 4 years we have used it a lot. We confirmed numerous times over the years that we could use a service call even if it wasn’t our car, but we were with it. We both have big families and a few times we were with family when we had to place service calls for a tire change, locked out keys, towing etc. In 2022 we called in to pay for our renewal that was coming up and boy were we surprised. We called on a Saturday, and it was clear the gentleman we got, didn’t want to be at work on the weekend. Anyway, he told us that AAA had looked over our account and based on several factors, they had decided not to renew us and he told us that we could never be AAA members again. We have never let our membership lapse and like I said, we have been members around 20 years. He told us we were sent a letter (which we never received) telling us we could not renew. When we told him we never received such a letter and could it be sent, he told us in a very rude way, no, to bad but it couldn’t be mailed out again. We asked if the criteria could be explained to us and again in a rude manner he told us he didn’t have time to go over it and he didn’t have to go over it with us. We asked to speak to a supervisor and he refused, then said he was a supervisor and he had told us all he could and would tell us. We have looked over our membership and we never broke any rules. What is clear to us is we were actually having to use it and well, they don’t seem to like members that actually have to use their service. We were always polite and even tipped the drivers that showed up to help us. We have always been happy with them but this ending situation has tarnished our entire membership. We have since researched and found that out of companies that offer this kind of service, AAA ranks low, in the 20’s for the best companies. We have chosen another company to join that offers the same services for less and they rank much higher in customer service satisfaction. I won’t name them because this isn’t a marketing form. Even if AAA called us today and offered us a free year, I think I would tell them, no thank you. They won’t members that pay for a service they never have to use, so I wouldn’t join AAA!
I have been AAA member for decades.
I find the number 1 benefit is the cost of insurance. I save 3-5 times my annual membership fee on my car insurance premium. I occasionally get a discount on a hotel or some other services.
I used to depend on trip tick and travel books. But the internet has eclipsed that.
I have had some jump starts and tows over the years. Don’t know if I would break even on those alone.
So yes it is worth it to me.
I have had a AAA membership for 20 years. I have used it to change flat tires, jump me off, tow, unlock my rental car, and get hotel discounts. I purchased a membership for each grandchild away at college or commuting over an hour each way to college daily. It was a great peace of mind to know that they had a safe option for assistance if their cars broke down or had a flat, etc. in a city where they did not know anyone to call for help. And yes, the tow trucks don’t get paid enough to make it worth their time. I know. I was married to one, and he would not sign up to tow for AAA.
We’ve been members for over 30 years Starting when we moved to one and then another new state and had no one we could call for help. We’ve had tows, jumps, and even the best 2 batteries ever, put in hy AAA. Discounted tickets, hotel rooms and more. We bought memberships for our sons when they were in college, too.
The easiest and best car buying experience I ever had was when i used their car buying service almost 20 years ago before the internet was widely available. A dealer drove the car, which I ordered sight unseen, to my bank where i met him, got the keys and signed the papers with the bank’s rep who handed him the check. I got a great deal on a brand new minivan for thousands less than the sticker price.
AAA has been well worth it for us.
Our first experience needing AAA was a debacle. My wife and I were recently rear-ended on a desolate highway in Lake Tahoe. Our care was not drivable and needed to be towed. We told AAA the precarious circumstances, including the fact we were stranded on the side of the road with cars whizzing by and that we felt vulnerable. The agent said she would make our case “high priority”. When we didn’t hear back for about a half-hour we called and were shocked to hear that our “high priority” call had been CANCELLED! because apparently they couldn’t find an acceptable place to deliver our vehicle. Nobody had the courtesy and/or professionalism to notify us that our ticket had been cancelled and no tow truck would be sent. I later sent this message to AAA and got a very weak reply saying that they couldn’t research our incident because it occurred in California and we belong to the Oregon AAA club. Very ironic and humorous that AAA’s motto is “AAA Gives You Peace of Mind on the Road” eh. We will be cancelling our worthless membership.
Heh, you got to finish the story for us. How’d you get out of there?
We called the towing service offered through Audi. Should have called them in the first place.
I had a membership with AAA since 2016. Over those 6yrs. I added my daughter, her s/o, her s/o’s mother. During that time we used all the services it offered. Towing, lock out, battery, fuel. My daughter used it more than the rest. But, not over her limit. Well, I ended up just getting an account for myself due to the rest not wanting to help paying when renewal came around. I guess AAA didn’t like that (who knows). I don’t know. Because just last month I received a letter from them stating they were not going to renew my membership. Which was up for renewal this September. I called and asked why. They responded with there was disporportionate services used. I’m like what do you mean. Your daughter used the towing services 4 times, her s/o used services 2 times and I used the services 2 times. All over the course of the 6yrs. So, I said, "well don’t we each have a certain amount of services to use each year? Their response, “yes”. So, then what is the problem? Well, you’re not the only customer we had to do this to, there’s a whole lot others we sent the letter out to. I tried getting my point across that isn’t this the reason you all offer these services? To be used when needed? I understand your point but, we’re still not going to renew. We’re sorry. Really?! So, my opinion is AAA is not worth it, if you’re going to be penalized for using the services.
AAA member since I was 16 so going on 25 years. As a kid, I drove unreliable vehicles and it paid off many times over. In the last 15 years or so, I have rarely needed a tow. Given the current towing rates of $100 hookup and $5 per mile you only need to use it once to justify it.
In addition to towing, I use the AAA discount at hotels from time to time. This often in about $10 per night savings.
All in, I plan to continue my AAA membership. It doesn’t cost much and can provide a massive benefit when you need it.
Now that I am retired and no longer able to change a flat tire looked into the 3 seperste policies that AAA offers but declined due to my car insurance provides limited towing, free battery jump , free lockout & maybe a deal if you ever run out if gas.
I called my insurance co. about this question, of using towing and getting a rate increase. They said that doesn’t happen, but I don’t think I believe them!