Thread: Does AAA suck?

So I joined AAA a while back and today my car wouldn't start . This is the first time I've called them since I joined.

Well, I've been sittign here for three hours now and no sign of them. Do they always suck this bad or is this an exception?

Relatively common.

When they show up stoned out of their mind at 9pm, that's a bonus.

Short answer? No.

How long it takes a tow to show up depends on the availability of tow trucks in the area, and how busy traffic is.

It's noon, so the tow drivers are probably on their lunch break and/or stuck in traffic. Call again.

Edit: 3 hours?! Forget what I said about traffic.

Originally posted by iceman
So I joined AAA a while back and today my car wouldn't start . This is the first time I've called them since I joined.

Well, I've been sittign here for three hours now and no sign of them. Do they always suck this bad or is this an exception?

exception. they have bailed me out in buttfuck northeast kingdom in blinding snow with no shops open for 60 miles late at night.

and they don't make fun of you when you lock your keys in the car. twice in the same day.

Hey, cut 'em a break, the guy was 3/4's of the way out to Dr.C's place before he found out he didn't need him, now he's gotta drive all the way back here.

They have pulled me out of a snowy ditch in Northern VT with a smile for free..

Went skiing with my girlfriend one time and she locked her keys in her car. They were there in less than 40 minutes.

Originally posted by basom

and they don't make fun of you when you lock your keys in the car. twice in the same day.

heh, I guess I couldn't work for AAA, then.

you sir, would not dare laugh at me. would not dare

you're right, you'd probably hit me with your diamond wand or bite me with your gigantic teeth.

I got $900 worth of towing from them, free. That doesn't suck (Trinity alps -> Yreka, Yreka ->Redding) Took less than 3 hrs for the truck to show up, too!

Originally posted by iceman
you're right, you'd probably hit me with your diamond wand or bite me with your gigantic teeth.

not to mention what's possible with the tiara

Originally posted by basom
not to mention what's possible with the tiara

Let's not even go there.

C'mon, where the fuck are these guys?

They saved me and SheRa's collective asses in the middle of nowhere earlier this year. They showed up in about 2 hours, which is remarkable because the nearest town was 1 1/2 hr drive away!

However, they took two hours last Tuesday from a town that's a 10 min. drive away. Pissed me off. The following vent/rant is VERY DULL TO READ. My advice: move on to the next post or thread. Proceed with caution.

[boring vent/rant]

I called at 7:15 and here was the conversation:

Them: Ok... so you're Mr. Uber Scheist, right? and your at 100 Uber Street, in Dullsville, right?
Me: Yup, except I live in Ubertown, which is near Dullsville.
Them: Ok. We'll send out a truck. They'll be there in 45 min.

At 8:00, they call and said the truck is backed up and won't be there for an hour.

At 8:45, they call again and said the truck is very backed up and won't be there for another hour.

. I decide to go into town and run an errand with my other vehicle. They call at 9:15 and say that the truck is at my house and ready to pick up my vehicle.

Here's a synopsis of the ensuing conversation:

Them: Where's the keys?
Me: In my pocket. You guys said the truck wouldn't be there for another 1/2 hour.
Them: Well, he's there now. We can't hold him there. We'll just tell him to leave and you can call back in for a new claim.
Me (now pissed to high heaven): Hell no! Keep him there, and I'll get back in 10 min. You guys misjudged the time, not me. Don't make me pay for you're mistake!
Them: I understand, but they're an independant, subcontracted company. We cannot hold them there. We [AAA] have absolutely no authority to do so. I'm sorry. Please call back with a new claim and we'll schedule a new tow for you.


Now I'm pissed as all get out. I drive like crazy out to my place in hopes of somehow catching the tow driver and directing him back to my place so I don't waste another 2-3 hours.

As I do that, he passes me in the other direction, towing my vehicle. He stops and tells me that the AAA person was an idiot, and kept insisting that my house was in Dullsville even though he told the AAA person that the road was just outside of Ubertown.

At least the driver was cool about it and towed my vehicle.

[/boring vent/rant]

Originally posted by Ubersheist

Them: I understand, but they're an independant, subcontracted company. We cannot hold them there. We [AAA] have absolutely no authority to do so. I'm sorry.

That basically sums up why AAA can be inconsistent. AAA themselves don't provide the tow ucks/locksmiths etc. Everything depends upon what the nearest garage to wherever you are at the time is. I have been told that a truck will arrive within an hour and it showed up in 10 minutes. Adn I've been told it will arrive in a half hour and waited for two.

wow, he's right, that stuff uber wrote really was lame.

Yeah they suck, for a variety of reasons including their lobbying efforts.

Originally posted by homerjay
wow, he's right, that stuff uber wrote really was lame.

Hey, I warned you that it would be dull!



I just had to air it out, get it out of my system... If it was still lingering in me from Tuesday, you can only imagine how pissed off I was at the time!

AAA subcontracts local shops to do the towing, so a lot of the time the local shops will put their customers first(who pay more for towing) than AAA calls. But its not uncommon to wait 3 hours. AAA sucks about getting there on time. If you have USAA on the other hand is great.

Another thing, AAA wont tow the car twice for the same problem. I'll usually have to get the car to the garage with AAA and have USAA tow it home if I cant fix it in the shop.

Also they wont tow cars with expired tags, so make sure you swap tags before if thats going to be an issue.

Hell yes, they're always trying to make you feel bad because you went on bender last weekend, spent your whole paycheck and got got your 4th DUI when you all you really intended to do was go out for just one beer, but you know how one thing can lead to another. Those fuckers just don't understand.









Oh, AAA. Nevermind.


Seriously,
AAA does not suck when you are 800 miles away from home and your wife and kids are stranded on the side of the road calling you wanting to know what to do. Damn, I AM glad that they didn't have to wait for more than 30 minutes though.

Originally posted by CantDog
Another thing, AAA wont tow the car twice for the same problem. I'll usually have to get the car to the garage with AAA and have USAA tow it home if I cant fix it in the shop.

They've done it for me......

Originally posted by teledave

Seriously,
AAA does not suck when you are 800 miles away from home and your wife and kids are stranded on the side of the road calling you wanting to know what to do. Damn, I AM glad that they didn't have to wait for more than 30 minutes though. [/B]

well, yea, AAA is always good about 'priority calls' - whenever you say you feel unsafe where you are

but it does make you wonder why the contractors suddenly can get there sooner.

AAA's hotel discounts are usually enough just to pay for the membership.

CantDOG-

my state farm ins. also offers emergency towing reimbursement, for about $1 extra/month- you have to pay out of pocket for the tow (from ANY company/service) but I've always received a check within a week of submitting the receipt for towing, and they've never really asked reasons why either.

I've used them many times, and most call has Been positive. I've had a few dumbass drivers (Oops, sorry I dropped your truck off the rack!) But overall, they've been an awesome investment.

I've Gotten two tows in the same day for the same problem. It once took me two 100 mile tows to get from San Francisco home to Tahoe, cost me nothing and didn't take any longer than it would if I had driven myself anyway.

You might want to check if you can add roadside assistance to your car insurance. The policy might not be as good as AAA, but if you're on good terms with your insurance agent you might be able to swing some things. I did on mine for $5 every six months (cheapest I've ever heard of), and within three months I blew my engine and needed a $350 tow. Even though the tow was 100 miles longer than they covered, I wrote a sad college student sob story and got all of it covered.

It's all about submiting dealing directly with local towers and submitting a claim instead of calling AAA and dealing with middlemen and 3+ hour waits.

AAA is pretty nice if you're ever planning a trip - you can go to their offices and pick up free books, maps, etc. Plus ... you can get great discounts at hotels, some restaurants, and at LensCrafters (random, I know) and other retail places.

The one time that I've called them was when my friend left her lights on and the battery went dead. A random AAA contracted towing guy showed up, and hopped out of the truck with a Santa hat on (yes it was around the holidays). On the front of the hat it said, "I've been nice." He jumped out, said hello and turned his hat around, to which it said ...

"I've been naughty!"

Freaks.