Roadside Assistance - worth every penny?

[ctchandler]

PP,
Gotcha! And now you understand my confusion.
Thanks,
C. T.

My roadside service doesn't work that way. I have to call the hotline and
wait for assistance to arrive.

[Prunepicker]

However, in your case above, I'd have just called information (or Googled
it on my smart phone) and gotten the number to my insurance company
and called them and had them transfer or give me the number to the
road side assistance.

I still would have needed my account number.

[ctchandler]

BBatesokc,
Don't quote me, but I believe locally they will bill you but that doesn't help when you are out of town. I have never waited for payment and when I was working I would drop by at lunch time and they wrote me a check in a matter of a minute or two. Now, it's a matter of about three to five days using the U. S. mail service. As for the check, I do online bill paying and have since the mid 90's when Weokie was the first to offer it free, but I do keep a check book with me for emergencies. I also was never given any maximum. If there is one, I never reached it and I have used the service a lot since the late 60's. I suppose it's all in what you want/need and State Farm has satisfied my requirements for a long time. If I felt the way you do about certain items, I would sign up with AAA in a New York minute (whatever that means, I guess that's fast).
C. T.

Not a fan of that type of coverage. I'd rather not mess with having cash, giving out my credit card number and I haven't owned a check book in a decade. I also don't want to have to wait to be reimbursed or told I paid more than they will cover.

[BBatesokc]

I still would have needed my account number.

Why? I never have my account number in front of me when I call. I just give them my name, DOB, address and possibly my SSN and they find my account - just like when I call Cox Cable, OGE, etc.

[zookeeper]

The bottom line is that Roadside Assistance programs pay for themselves for a lot of people. I've had mine through my insurance company for 20 years. It's so cheap it's paid for itself many times over. Once in the middle of nowhere in west Texas.

[BBatesokc]

The bottom line is that Roadside Assistance programs pay for themselves for a lot of people. I've had mine through my insurance company for 20 years. It's so cheap it's paid for itself many times over. Once in the middle of nowhere in west Texas.

I agree - just trying to determine if AAA considerably higher price is really worth it. We are gonna give it 1-2 years and then re-evaluate. Hard (if not impossible) to argue against the extremely low rates from insurance and cell phone providers though.

[tomokc]

I've been happy with AAA. They replaced a dead battery in my wife's car (same price as Hibdon and it saved me the interminable wait), transported an antique car to the shop, towed a rental car out of deep gravel in another state, and got my daughter's car to the shop in her college town. They've taken very good care of us.

[BBatesokc]

Anyone know if roadside assistance claims are a part of your C.L.U.E. report?

[ctchandler]

BBatesokc,
I won't pretend to know about the C.L.U.E. report, but excessive calls do get the companies attention. My agent was told to "counsel" me about four tow claims in a single year. I had a tow on Thanksgiving day and of course nothing was open, so they towed me home, then on Friday I had them tow it to my garage. My agent wasn't bothered, but had to call me and talk to me about it. She did say it could impact my insurance but I don't remember in what way. Nothing ever came of it.
C. T.

Anyone know if roadside assistance claims are a part of your C.L.U.E. report?

[BBatesokc]

BBatesokc,
I won't pretend to know about the C.L.U.E. report, but excessive calls do get the companies attention. My agent was told to "counsel" me about four tow claims in a single year. I had a tow on Thanksgiving day and of course nothing was open, so they towed me home, then on Friday I had them tow it to my garage. My agent wasn't bothered, but had to call me and talk to me about it. She did say it could impact my insurance but I don't remember in what way. Nothing ever came of it.
C. T.

I'm guessing the "She did say it could impact my insurance…." is a reference to your C.L.U.E. report. That is a report insurance companies use to help determine
what rate to charge you (think 'credit score'). I suspect any roadside assistance claims through your insurance provider's roadside assistance coverage will have a negative impact on that score. Cell phone providers and AAA would not have an impact on your C.L.U.E report as far as I know.

[kevinpate]

BBatesokc,
... My agent was told to "counsel" me about four tow claims in a single year. I had a tow on Thanksgiving day and of course nothing was open, so they towed me home, then on Friday I had them tow it to my garage. My agent wasn't bothered, but had to call me and talk to me about it. She did say it could impact my insurance but I don't remember in what way. Nothing ever came of it.
C. T.

Have the same car insurance and was counseled once. I was an adult in my mid 20's. My agent at the time had known me for over 20 years. Was getting into places, at times a bit foolishly, and then not getting back out. The counseling went along these lines -

He: Hey, I was asked to speak to you about having several claims for wreckers this year. Try to dial it back some. Maybe let someone else drive some.
Me: Sure thing.
He: Consider yourself spoken to. Say hi to Jan and Pat.

I had the same agent until he passed too young when I was well into my 30's. Good agent and a great man. Sweet wife and daughter too.

[ctchandler]

BBatesokc,
I agree totally but I have used them often and my rates have not gone up. I suppose if I had used them for four tows the next year, maybe it would have. I do remember that my agent told me that the average person doesn't have four tows in a lifetime (as far as insurance claims). The counseling had no effect on my use of the road service option. I don't know how AAA could have anything to do with your "C. L. U. E.".
C. T.

[ctchandler]

Kevin,
That's pretty much the way my agent handled it. Mine retired a year or two ago and I hated to lose him. I'm not unhappy with my new agent but when you have an agent for almost 40 years, you kind of get comfortable with him/her.
C. T.

[kevinpate]

Yes, ya do indeed. Like I said Tony was there long long before I could drive, as my parents' agent, and he was mine until he passed. At that time, I switched to an agent in Norman. He passed after a few years. I told number 3 he was expected to stick around for a long time. So far, so good.