When you're broken down by the side of the road, your motor club card suddenly becomes your most precious possession. But with roadside assistance programs being pushed by credit card and cell phone companies — to name just a few recent entries to this field — how do you choose from the glut of plans available?
Before trouble strikes, it's important to choose a roadside assistance provider that meets your needs. Experts suggest weighing your options. "Be sure it covers the person, not the vehicle," says Doug McLendon, director of roadside programs for AAA, the largest auto club in the ... Back to article
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By jroihl
on 03/14/11
9:57 AM PST
We recently switched from many trouble free years with AAA to AARP (AllState) to save a bit. I locked my keys (and my phone and wallet with membership card) in my car in the underground garage of our public library. I borrowed a library phone to call AARP. I was on the phone with them for 20 min as they searched for my membership number under name, phone, address, but for unknown reason were unable to find my account and thus would not honor my membership but agreed to send "someone" and gave me the name of the company. With no phone I could not be called in the garage where it was extremely cold and the library was about to close. It turned out the women who was unable to find my membership had not relayed that I was in the garage and the "locksmith" was waiting out front. Once discovered he drove down in a totally unmarked truck with no uniform. When i asked what company he was from he named a different one from what AARP told me. He did not have the proper equipment but used something hand made like a coat hanger. Meanwhile the garage had emptied. Then he told me it would be $170+!!! and wanted cash. I am a 72 yo woman and did not chose to confront him . I did tell him I did not carry that kind of cash so he produced a credit card form but no proper way to run my card. Meanwhile the heavy metal grated door closed on us. I later found it would open when approached from the inside but did not know that at the time. When I reached my husband later he called AARP and they found my membership immediately but too late. They refunded $120 of the $170+ after many phone calls. No apology. No account fo the women I originally spoke with through they told me they identified her. Needless to say, we are returning to AAA . Who always took our word if the card was locked in the car and we produced it once unlocked.
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