AARP Roadside Assistance

[RJM62]

Does anyone have any experience with AARP roadside assistance? Their deals seem to be a bit cheaper than AAA, and the trip interruption feature seems more generous; but I'm wondering if as many tow operators, etc. accept the AARP plan. It would be kind of useless if no one accepts it.

I would need at least the mid-level plan because where I live, a five-mile towing limit would be useless. The AARP program is underwritten by Allstate. I'm also thinking about enrolling my parents in it.

Thanks,

-Rich

 

[gprellwitz]

I like the AAA discounts at hotels, etc. Probably AARP gets comparable discounts with AARP membership,, though.

 

[Sac Arrow]

Maybe in 30 years.

 

[Henning]

Does anyone have any experience with AARP roadside assistance? Their deals seem to be a bit cheaper than AAA, and the trip interruption feature seems more generous; but I'm wondering if as many tow operators, etc. accept the AARP plan. It would be kind of useless if no one accepts it.

I would need at least the mid-level plan because where I live, a five-mile towing limit would be useless. The AARP program is underwritten by Allstate. I'm also thinking about enrolling my parents in it.

Thanks,

-Rich

Are you/your parents Allstate customers? If so you might get a better deal direct. When I was adjust property on cat storms for them, they took better care of their 'little old ladies' than anyone else I ever adjusted for.

 

[RJM62]

Are you/your parents Allstate customers? If so you might get a better deal direct. When I was adjust property on cat storms for them, they took better care of their 'little old ladies' than anyone else I ever adjusted for.

No, neither of us are Allstate customers. I recently switched back to Geico from USAA because Geico came in about $300.00 / year less for the auto and home combined. I have no idea why because I had no claims, but USAA threw a whopper of a premium increase at me at renewal time.

The downside of switching was that Geico won't write the towing rider unless I take collision and comp, so I'm going to go with either AARP/Allstate or AAA for that. On paper, AARP comes out the winner. But again, I'm wondering if their provider network is strong.

My parents have Electric Insurance, which I never heard of, but they swear by them. Apparently they don't write in New York any more, according to my dad, but they're grandfathered. I'd like them to have some sort of roadside assistance plan, and I'm willing to pay for it. But I want a good provider network, even more so for them than for myself.

Thanks.

-Rich

 

[Henning]

No, neither of us are Allstate customers. I recently switched back to Geico from USAA because Geico came in about $300.00 / year less for the auto and home combined. I have no idea why because I had no claims, but USAA threw a whopper of a premium increase at me at renewal time.

The downside of switching was that Geico won't write the towing rider unless I take collision and comp, so I'm going to go with either AARP/Allstate or AAA for that. On paper, AARP comes out the winner. But again, I'm wondering if their provider network is strong.

My parents have Electric Insurance, which I never heard of, but they swear by them. Apparently they don't write in New York any more, according to my dad, but they're grandfathered. I'd like them to have some sort of roadside assistance plan, and I'm willing to pay for it. But I want good provider coverage, even more so for them than for myself.

Thanks.

-Rich

If it's the same network Allstate uses, it should be alright, you can ask them for the provider list.

 

[RJM62]

If it's the same network Allstate uses, it should be alright.

Okay, thank you very much, sir. I'm under the impression that it's just Allstate co-branded with AARP, so it should be the same. I'll call them and ask tomorrow to make sure.

My parents make a ton of long trips downstate to see the grandkids, and dad's getting a bit long in the tooth to be changing tires and such. He's a strong man who's already survived cancer and a heart attack, but he forgets that he's not a young fellow anymore.

-Rich

 

[denverpilot]

I was going to say to add direct also. But I see you can't. That's odd. It's really cheap if you can do that. Our towing add on is $7 for five vehicles.

 

[RJM62]

I was going to say to add direct also. But I see you can't. That's odd. It's really cheap if you can do that. Our towing add on is $7 for five vehicles.

Yeah, that was the only downside of switching. Geico restored my 10-year status, and by the time the other discounts for safe driving, no tickets, the DDC I took from AARP, years licensed, the multi-car discount, and whatever else they could think of were factored in, they came in about $300.00 less than USAA with higher coverage limits.

But they wouldn't do the towing rider without the comp and collision coverage, which wouldn't make much economic sense for the old cars I drive. So I was looking into the AARP plan. Then my parents stopped by tonight and I mentioned it to my dad, and I learned that they don't have any roadside coverage. I think they really need to have it at their age.

-Rich

 

[Henning]

Actually, collision and comp negate the need for towing as you can use the "Roadside Flare Assistance Plan" to deal with it. Saves you money on repairs as well.

 

[RJM62]

Actually, collision and comp negate the need for towing as you can use the "Roadside Flare Assistance Plan" to deal with it. Saves you money on repairs as well.

In Brooklyn they used to say just leave the car under the Gowanus Expressway with the key in the ignition and $10.00 on the seat for gas.

-Rich

 

[Ghery]

I have AAA. A tow job some years back when the fuel pump on my Jeep Wrangler gave up the ghost halfway between Oregon and home paid for a large number of years of membership. No, I don't have the basic membership (thank goodness). Would have been about a $250 tow bill and my regular insurance would not have covered it. They want the car towed to the nearest place it can be fixed. Had a runaround with them about 30 years ago on that when a coolant hose blew on an MG Midget I was driving. Had it towed home, not to the nearest shop. Home was the nearest place it was going to get fixed. Finally won that discussion with the agent. Glad I have AAA for tow jobs. They don't come often, but when they do they can be expensive.

AARP? I won't give them a dime. I'd put this in Spin Zone if we get into that subject.

 

[frfly172]

Stick with triple A ,that's their business .AARP are to busy backing the new health care and trying to sell you supplemental insurance.

 

[flyingron]

Check your auto insurer. I always tend to forget about it, but my insurance provides it. I think I've used it exactly once when I was stuck somewhere and needed a jumpstart.

 

[Everskyward]

My insurance covers towing. I used it once to get towed from a trailhead in the mountains to a small town.

 

[RJM62]

I learned something interesting about AAA that makes it pretty much useless to me. You're only allowed to join at the basic level, which limits the tow distance to five miles, and can't upgrade until you've been a member for a year. That's kind of pointless where I live. I'm not going to buy a year of membership that's basically useless. So I guess it's back to AARP.

-Rich

 

[Ghery]

I learned something interesting about AAA that makes it pretty much useless to me. You're only allowed to join at the basic level, which limits the two distance to five miles, and can't upgrade until you've been a member for a year. That's kind of pointless where I live. I'm not going to buy a year of membership that's basically useless. So I guess it's back to AARP.

-Rich

Interesting. That wasn't the case when I joined a bit over 10 years ago.

 

[RJM62]

Interesting. That wasn't the case when I joined a bit over 10 years ago.

Things change, Ghery, lol.

I even called AAA on the phone to try to beg a waiver, because one thing that AAA offered that AARP didn't was a plan with a 200-mile tow limit. That would cover my parents for all but a few miles of the longest trip they typically make by car, to my younger brother's family's home in Long Island. It also would cover a rental car or other transportation back home for them. I liked the idea that they would have that option anywhere along the route of the longest trip they generally make, enough so that I was willing to cough up the $119.00.

For my own needs, the 100-mile plan would have worked. I'd say more than 99 percent of my driving is within 50 miles of where I live. But had I signed my parents up for the 200-mile plan, I probably would have taken the same for myself. And most likely, neither my parents nor myself would need to use it, and AAA would be $238.00 richer right now.

But no dice on the waiver. I even suggested a waiting period before the higher benefits kicked in so they would know I wasn't trying to scam them, but no joy. You have to have the basic membership for a year, with fewer than three roadside calls, before you can upgrade.

It seems like a foolish policy to me. I can't think of too many people where I live who'd sign up for a plan with a 5-mile towing limit. We have longer stretches than that between houses on a lot of roads up here.

-Rich

 

[denverpilot]

I bet they had people signing up for a month, towing 200 miles, and dumping membership.