AAA failed me!! I am so angry!

Ronni

Ronni

Well-known Member
Location
Nashville TN
I've had a AAA membership for years. I know little about vehicles, and for a long time I drove absolute clunkers because I was poor and it was all I could afford, so I always maintained a AAA membership, scraping up the money from somewhere for the yearly fee.

When I could afford it, I bumped my membership up to ... premium, or gold star, or whatever the name is of the level up from classic. It gave me some additional perks, amongst which was 4 free tows a year up to 100 miles each tow. I needed that this weekend to help my son out, who was driving home from a work gig (he works out of town a lot) and one of the steel struts? on his suspension sheared off, almost flipped the car, and left him with the front passenger side almost touching the ground. He called me in desperation after not being able to reach his one brother and the other was out of town, and his work buddies were 3 hours away. He was on the side of a small freeway that connects Kentucky and Tennessee, desolate, out in the boonies, in 90 degree weather.

He was about 80 miles away. I drove to meet him, calling AAA on the way to send a tow. They have never failed me before, but now, when I needed them the most, they completely blew it. Three hours later, (5 hours for my son) numerous calls to them with repeated promises that "the tow company will call you right back and let you know their ETA" and they finally DECLINED THE CALL! I have never heard of such a thing! They just politely informed me that they couldn't find a tow company who would take the call, so they were declining it, and good luck.

A very nice Sheriff's Department officer had stopped shortly after I got there, and he stayed with us the whole time, shared his water, spoke to the AAA dispatcher several times personally, and finally yelled at them when they said they were declining the call. Once that happened, he called his friend who has a tow company, and asked him personally i he'd do a favor and take the tow call. His friend showed up in 30 minutes and was happy to help. Had to pay for the tow though instead of getting it for free from AAA.

I am livid. I had no idea that a tow could just be declined that way. Yes, it was remote. Yes it was a long tow. But what the heck am I paying for if not for help when I need it????
 

Wow, that's terrible. Sounds like they have very few participating tow companies in that area.

Make a copy of the tow receipt and send it to AAA asking for reimbursement. It's worth a try, anyway. Good luck!
 
I would demand reimbursement if, and only if, your family members are covered, no matter where they may be, no matter if they do not live with you. Sounds highly unlikely to me, unless your son is on the policy. Why did your son need you to drive to his location? That sounds odd, to me. If he's on your towing policy, there would be no need for him to have you there. If he's not covered on your policy, then the whole thing was a waste of time. You cannot tell AAA that the car is yours, and that you were driving it. That's insurance fraud, and you don't want to go there!
 

treeguy64 said:
I would demand reimbursement if, and only if, your family members are covered, no matter where they may be, no matter if they do not live with you. Sounds highly unlikely to me, unless your son is on the policy. Why did your son need you to drive to his location? That sounds odd, to me. If he's on your towing policy, there would be no need for him to have you there. If he's not covered on your policy, then the whole thing was a waste of time. You cannot tell AAA that the car is yours, and that you were driving it. That's insurance fraud, and you don't want to go there!
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It wasn't fraud and I wasn't being dishonest. Either the AAA rules are different in your state, or you're a bit out of date as to their policies. No, Grayson is not on my towing policy, but as long as I'm there, AAA will tow anyone on my card. I vaguely remember a time when it wasn't that way, but it is now. I even called AAA before I started out to make sure I was remembering correctly and that they weren't going to give me any trouble, and was reassured that as long as I was with the person needing help, it was within their rules.

I will be demanding reimbursement. I've checked AAA policies to make sure I'm not missing anything. There is no restriction that would explain their behavior. It was simply a case of the tow companies they are contracted with in the area didn't want to take the job. Perhaps they didn't want to travel that far. Perhaps they didn't want to miss dinner...who knows? What *I* know is that I pay a premium for service that I didn't get, and that makes me angry.

The only upside to the whole deal is that my son, who has had a very low opinion of law enforcement, has changed his view considerably after the very positive and helpful actions of the Sheriff's officer who helped us out. Grayson and he bonded over guns, daughters and cars and spent the hours we were stranded having a very fun conversation. As difficult as this situation was, and as much as I'm annoyed with AAA, it was worth it to me to see Grayson so positive and upbeat about the experience with the officer. We had a long conversation about it as we were driving home, and he admitted to being very prejudiced, and was grateful for the opportunity to see law enforcement as just people, human and flawed and imperfect, just like he is. :)
 
I agree with last post by Ronni. Here in NY, the AAA member needs to be with the car in order for them to provide service to it. Many years ago, a friend was with me in my car when it broke down. I did not have AAA at the time, but she did, so she called and they came to help me out.
 
I had AAA for years. And in the past, they did provide great service, rescuing me out of a snowy ditch. But a few winters ago, we had an "ice' event when most of the roads were ice covered. Just a little ways from my home, my car just slid right off the road. The center of the road was higher than the berms, for drainage. I called AAA. At first, AAA said they would not service me, because I was "too" near my home. I then told them I was on a public road and not at home. I was told that they would not service my area, due to its being too far from a towing facility. They had no problem collecting fees from me ,"in my area".

I live in crowded Northeastern PA, not Idaho. While I do live in the "sticks", 250,000 people live within 15 miles from me, and there are several towing companies. We DO have roads and electricity. I live 3 miles from Interstate 80, and 380. (Previously my car broke down by my home and had to be towed, and two tow firms showed up.) If I wanted, AAA would put me in touch with a towing firm, and what ever deal there was, would be between us, and not AAA. What could I do? So I got a call from the tow guy. The conversation was about what could induce him to come "all the way" to where I was????? Apparently, it was some great trek, over untold miles, however money-and lots of it would make up for it. I told him to stick it. Then I remembered GEICO, and called them. Less than a half hour later, a tow truck showed up. I did call AAA and complain. I even called their main office in Florida, but all I got was a "yeah, that's tough" answer, so I dumped AAA.
 
AAA rule here in Pennsylvania is that the holder of the certificate of coverage must either be the driver or a passenger in the disabled auto. Going by that rule, if you were here in PA, your incident would not be covered, unless you would tell AAA that you were a passenger in the auto, which many have done and still do.

I spoke with AAA regarding this issue and they are well aware that ‘cheating’ does go on, but have little concern of it. As long as the certificate holder does not abuse the privilege of their tow policy, they really do not concern themselves with doing any investigating to make sure that the certificate holder is abiding by the rules. It’s figured into the policy rates.

So, I would be asking for some type of reimbursement or other compensation to help defray the out of pocket expense and also to help alleviate the stress that this has caused. BTW, I have been a AAA member for 27 years, even though I have the towing addendum on my auto policy.

Just a suggestion. Good luck.
 
I keep getting mail from AAA inviting me to get coverage even though I don't own a car. They say that I would be covered as a passenger. I did work previously for one of the people there and I guess that's how they have my address for where to send the mail.
 
AAA seems to be going downhill in their service. I am a member and I, too, am starting to have problems with them. I have been a member for a few years now and the service was always fantastic. Until this past winter that is. We were driving down my driveway, which slopes downhill and is a rock driveway and we ended up sliding off the driveway into the tree line. Absolutely got stuck. The road conditions were snowy and slippery.

I called AAA and they had a tow truck come out to pull us out. The tow truck showed up alright, but the driver had not prepared at all for the winter conditions. No chains on the tires, nothing. Even though he was called out to pull someone out of a ditch. He told us he couldn't help us, turned around and left. Called AAA, and they basically acted like we were terrible expecting a pull out. Yes, it was winter. I snows in Nebraska in the winter. Use tow services that are actually prepared to pull someone out in the snow.

The next day, I had sand and gravel dumped on the driveway. I called AAA again and told them a truck should have no problem pulling us out. They wouldn't even call anyone. Just kept saying the conditions were too bad.

They absolutely did not come when we needed them. We ended up getting the car out ourselves, but dented the heck out of the front and rear bumpers and fenders. I wish now I would have had AAA pay for the damage. I will look for another roadside assistance co.
 
I have a roadside assistance benefit on my Allstate car insurance. Several years ago, my car was in my garage with a dead battery, so I called Allstate roadside assistance. I live in the middle of a huge urban area... but I had to wait all afternoon until almost 7pm for them to arrive... all the while they kept telling me he is on his way?! The next day, I called my Allstate insurance agent to tell him about my bad experience and he said Allstate guarantees this service... so Allstate gave me several months of free car insurance!! Today, because my car is old, I have AAA plus my same Allstate roadside assistance. I recently used AAA to get a replacement battery [they provided the battery.] While the experience wasn't perfect, they did go the extra mile to help me and it was done in a timely manner.

.
 
From the AAA website: "AAA membership benefits follow you, the member named on the card and are not to be used by others. As a member, you are covered in any vehicle you are driving or riding in at the time of disablement. Associate memberships are available for other family members. Visit "Manage My Account" to add associate memberships."

Sorry, whether or not someone at AAA gave you an "OK" to drive out to your son's breakdown site, and get free towing for him, you were not driving or a passenger in your son's car when it became disabled, and he is not on your policy, so, by the above, he was not eligible for free towing.

I'll drop out of this thread, now, since it seems that many, here, are fine with what you did, and I don't want contentious "stuff" going back and forth.

NOTE: If anyone has another AAA policy statement that gives free towing to anyone a AAA member drives out to help, during a breakdown, just copy and paste it, here, and I will have learned something new, today. Thanks!
 
If someone is there with the driver, that makes you a passenger. Period. Move the car a couple of feet if that's what it takes. I mean seriously. I guess AAA really relies on anyone not using the service. I will never contract with them even when I get a car of my own.

When my dad needed a tow, his insurance company covered that and a rental car.
 
I've had very good service from AAA over the years, and even recently when I stupidly left my lights on and the battery ran down

My coverage, though, is only for me as a driver or passenger. If you want coverage for other family members, you have to pay for it.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I had AAA for years. And in the past, they did provide great service, rescuing me out of a snowy ditch. But a few winters ago, we had an "ice' event when most of the roads were ice covered. Just a little ways from my home, my car just slid right off the road. The center of the road was higher than the berms, for drainage. I called AAA. At first, AAA said they would not service me, because I was "too" near my home. I then told them I was on a public road and not at home. I was told that they would not service my area, due to its being too far from a towing facility. They had no problem collecting fees from me ,"in my area".

I live in crowded Northeastern PA, not Idaho. While I do live in the "sticks", 250,000 people live within 15 miles from me, and there are several towing companies. We DO have roads and electricity. I live 3 miles from Interstate 80, and 380. (Previously my car broke down by my home and had to be towed, and two tow firms showed up.) If I wanted, AAA would put me in touch with a towing firm, and what ever deal there was, would be between us, and not AAA. What could I do? So I got a call from the tow guy. The conversation was about what could induce him to come "all the way" to where I was????? Apparently, it was some great trek, over untold miles, however money-and lots of it would make up for it. I told him to stick it. Then I remembered GEICO, and called them. Less than a half hour later, a tow truck showed up. I did call AAA and complain. I even called their main office in Florida, but all I got was a "yeah, that's tough" answer, so I dumped AAA.
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Geico has one of the best roadside assistance policies I've ever dealt with.
My son on my policy had a habit of running into things that couldn't get out of his way in younger years...He's now on the other side and drives the flatbed,always has a good story and pictures.
My money is on these tow truck companies are not getting paid in a timely manner from AAA,apparently a frequent occurence,which is not your problem,I completely get it.
 
Olivia said:
If someone is there with the driver, that makes you a passenger. Period. Move the car a couple of feet if that's what it takes. I mean seriously. I guess AAA really relies on anyone not using the service. I will never contract with them even when I get a car of my own.

When my dad needed a tow, his insurance company covered that and a rental car.
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Um... you'd need to actually be riding in the car to be a passenger. Ronni drove her own car to the location, so obviously not a passenger.
 
AAA coverage is for the person, not the vehicle. So no matter what vehicle I want service for, as long as I'm present, AAA will service me...that's what I've been told each time I've called for service for a vehicle not my own. It's not the first time I've requested help for someone else. I've done it for Ron, for a roommate, for a couple of my kids over the years. I'm always very up front when I call for service. I tell them it's not my vehicle, I'm not there, and I'm told the same thing each time, as long as I'm there with my card, service will be provided.

Up to this point, I've had good service from AAA, and I've had a membership for 15 years now. But it's all been local. Maybe across town, from one county to another, but still, in the greater Nashville area. This one seemed to be problematic simply because of the distance involved. No one wanted to drive 80 miles out of their area I guess.

Part of the reason I have always kept my AAA membership current is because I take driving trips out of state, sometimes one state away, sometimes several, and I've always felt a sense of security that my AAA membership is there to back me up should there be a problem. So I'm glad this happened under this particular circumstance when I wasn't too terribly far from home, and found another solution to the problem. Now that I know how flaky their service can be when there's distance involved, I'm going to check my insurance and see what kind of roadside assistance is offered, and deal with any future problems that way I don't need the uncertainty of AAA's dubious service when it's not a local call.
 
I have it, the cost $131.00 for 1 year. I have used it 2 times over many years, once when I had a half flat tire, but unsafe to drive on. I waited one hour and when a good samaritan had a pump and inflated the tire for me and I called and canceled the call and went on our merry way. The second time the alternator went out and we were traveing on an Interstate Highway.. I called and waited about an hour and half till the service showed up. We were to far in miles from our home for them to tow. We were towed to a repair garage and waited 4 hours to get a new alternator. A normal $175. repair cost $380. I don't travel like I use to and have thought about canceling, but still keep it.
 
As a State Trooper, I changed many tires on the turnpike and interstates. One of the services we supply is to change a tire for those that are incapable for whatever reason. We do it in pouring down rain or cold and snow. A minimum service charge on the t’pike by an independently owned garage is $75.00.

Over the years, I was often offered tips ranging from a few dollars to one elderly lady offering me a $50.00 bill. I was absolutely never tempted to take the money. The old cliche, “Thanks is good enough for me,” stands true. All that I needed was a smile and a thank you.
 
I took the initiative to call AAA headquarters in Florida and I spoke with someone in customer care. The question that I posed to her was, “If my son’s car broke down and needed towed and I went to where his car was to check out the vehicle, would I be able to use my AAA card to take care of the towing charge.”

The answer was “No.” If he resided in my home, I could add him to my policy, otherwise, he is responsible for the tow charge. I made up the next part telling the lady that I have done this before and AAA paid the bill.

She then told me that what I did was against AAA policy. I would have to be either the driver or a passenger in that particular vehicle for the tow charge to be covered. To my surprise, she said that even if I would have had a flat tire while riding my bicycle, AAA would pay the bill to get me going again.

This is how how or why people become confused by the rules. Someone is not interpreting the policy correctly.
 
I'm back on here to say that I also called AAA. The more I thought of it, the more absurd it sounded, when the OP explained how a AAA policy holder could, apparently, drive from one disabled vehicle to another, bestowing on stalled-out drivers the benefits of free towing, courtesy of her AAA coverage, just by virtue of her showing up there! No way! If the OP can post the new regulation that allows her to do what seems to me to be a flagrant violation of policy, I'm all eyes!
 
from one disabled vehicle to another, bestowing on stalled-out drivers the benefits of free towing, courtesy of her AAA coverage,
Click to expand...

If that was accurate AAA would have gone out of business decades ago.
 

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