Any suggestions for alternatives to AAA?

We've had AAA for probably close to ten years now but for various reasons (they dropped MC coverage from our membership unless we pay more a while back, now the payment seems to have been misplaced and we're getting nastygrams despite having paid and their internal investigating is going a little weird) we're considering alternatives.

Only that there doesn't seem to be much of an alternative - I know I can get MC breakdown cover via AMA and the classic bikes have the Hagerty coverage, but what can we do for the modern cars that preferably isn't via our car insurance?

There's always the "pay as you go" option.

just drive and don't worry about things breaking down... i drive mostly old junk, and i've never been stranded away from home..

Like most insurance, it's priced where you will pay in more than you receive in benefits. If it wasn't, well that wouldn't be a very good business model. Pay as you go

I just needed the MR2 with two damaged tires recovered and that would have cost a heck of a lot more than the AAA membership if I had to pay the extortionate towing rates out here.

The "get your wife to drive the truck out to you with a trailer" is also not a workable plan for various reasons I don't want to discuss on a public board.

National Motor Club ? I have never used them but they are like AAA only different. Maybe someone here has experience with them.

I think there's an offering from one of my credit card companies for roadside assistance. Being from a credit card company, it's probably some sort of scam, but you might check that out.

While I haven't tested it yet, I put my 87 Goldwing on my MC insurance policy's roadside plan since AAA won't cover bikes unless I pay them metric dollars. Are the insurance company roadside plans notoriously bad or something?

My State Farm insurance offers road side assistance for any vehicle I have covered with them. From the multitude of beater cars on liability, The others on classic insurance and the Kia with full coverage. It has been that way for almost 20 years that I have been with them off and on. Just built in.

I have never even considered AAA. Another monthly payment just seems superfluous.

In reply to oldtin:

If you buy auto insurance the price is based on a bunch of factors to try to reflect the company's risk in insuring you and your car.

But, if you buy AAA and drive a fleet of ridiculous junkers, AAA still charges you the same 90 bucks/yr. (or whatever) that they would charge you if you only owned brand new Hondas and Toyotas. They don't change the "premium" to reflect risk.

So, if you drive reliable cars, and you're buying AAA every year, you're subsidizing the service for people like me who always have at least one beater in the line-up (sometimes all beaters). I've never gone a year without getting a tow off AAA, usually more than one, not to mention the locked-keys-in-car services here and there. Also, I could be wrong, but I think AAA pays tow truck operators less than an individual would be charged, so you as the member are benefitting from AAA power in the market.

FWIW, AAA is a not-for-profit, not a "business."

In reply to wae:

I've heard that, if you use the roadside assistance through your insurance, it can affect your premium, just like any other claim. Obviously, YMMV, but that might be part of the explanation.

I'm a big fan of signing up for aaa broken down on the side of the road and getting towed right away. I figure it pays for itself with that one tow and it's there if I need it for the rest of the year.

I used to have Verizon, they had an option for basic roadside coverage for like $6 a month. it was your basic tow up to 10 miles, jumpstart, bring you a gallon of gas type of service. Used the towing a couple of times it was decent

My experience: Without AAA, finding a tow truck driver to tow more than a few miles can be a challenge in small towns. Last year, I had to call around for hours to find someone that could a.) tow a motorcycle and b.) was willing to take me home, 35 miles away.

I guess I should talk to the good neighbour insurance as we're insured with them anyway, at least about getting the Harley on there. After needing a tow with that twice last year...

Without any sort of coverage, the local towing companies charge cubic dollars for tows. I had to get the Miata over to the local race shop a couple of months ago and couldn't drive it - the cost of the tow exceeded what I would have had to pay U-Haul for a dolly or trailer and how much I'd have to feed the F150. One of the reason why I bought the truck, but that doesn't help if the truck itself need to be towed.

wae wrote: I think there's an offering from one of my credit card companies for roadside assistance. Being from a credit card company, it's probably some sort of scam, but you might check that out. While I haven't tested it yet, I put my 87 Goldwing on my MC insurance policy's roadside plan since AAA won't cover bikes unless I pay them metric dollars. Are the insurance company roadside plans notoriously bad or something?

Gasoline credit card companies typically offer a roadside plan.

MAKE SURE YOU SAVE YOURSELF HEARTACHE IF RELYING ON INSURANCE.

having towing coverage thru your insurance is NOT THE SAME as roadside.

Roadside is a service, coverage means insurance.

Fighters and SAMs?

I just used my AAA card last night. Wife hit a pothole and punctured two tires. We've got RV+, so we can get towed 100 miles, instead of the standard 3(?), and that also covers towing motorcycles.

I'd hate to know what last nights 7 mile would have cost, without AAA. It was also nice to just pull the card out of my wallet and call the number on it, rather than having to search (using a smartphone probably makes this easier, but still...) for a towing company.

I switched over to http://www.betterworldclub.com

I had the same beyond awful customer service from AAA...they sent me a cancellation notice when I sent in an address change...wtf. A simple phone call would have solved the problem, but they cancelled the policy instead.

I've read that using insurance "auto club" coverage can cause premiums to go up.

Check out Good Sam. They offer a lot of the same services as AAA.