AAA Road Service - What they don't tell you

[Coppersmith]

If you are a traveling salesperson or some other similar job where you drive a "car" for your work, isn't that vehicle technically a commercial vehicle? Now drive an SUV instead and you have a vehicle that is technically in a trucks and vans classification and they may scrutinize the claim more then for a regular sedan used for same purposes.

Bottom line is the insurance industry is about profits first, especially for the top officers or any investors, then try to get out of as many claims as possible on technicalities.

I once was a delivery driver for a major pizza chain. Technically, if you are delivery driving, you are supposed to have commercial insurance on your vehicle, but the pizza shop doesn't tell you to do this. That would make the job unprofitable and they would never get any drivers. Nor could the pizza shop afford to pay for the insurance without making a cheese pizza cost $20. Instead they tell you if you are in an accident, take the lighted sign off your car and take your logo'ed shirt off and put it on inside out.

 

[electrofelon]

If you are a traveling salesperson or some other similar job where you drive a "car" for your work, isn't that vehicle technically a commercial vehicle?.

There is likely a bit of ambiguity as to what a "commercial vehicle" is for AAA purposes - not sure if they define that or not. Here in NY one can get "commercial plates" for a pickup even if it's a personal vehicle. Then a vehicle could be personally owned and registered but used for commercial purposes and vice versa.

 

[K8MHZ]

There is likely a bit of ambiguity as to what a "commercial vehicle" is for AAA purposes - not sure if they define that or not. Here in NY one can get "commercial plates" for a pickup even if it's a personal vehicle. Then a vehicle could be personally owned and registered but used for commercial purposes and vice versa.

In Michigan, pick up trucks must have truck (commercial) plates on them, but an SUV built on the same chassis can be plated as a passenger vehicle.

 

[petersonra]

Years ago I had AAA. I had an older car that broke down for some reason don't remember what and I had to have it towed so I called AAA. They came out and took me to the garage and then dropped me off at my house. A few days later I got a letter from AAA canceling my membership. The letter said it was for excessive uses. I used it once the whole time I had it. So I called them and asked. They said my car was more than 7 years old so I only got to use it once after the car was 7 years old before they would cancel me. Apparently they had some kind of a sliding scale based on how old the car was and how many service calls you were allowed before they would cancel you. I never was able to get a straight answer from them on this point but it didn't really matter since they canceled me.

 

[spark master]

AAA can not tow you off a major high way. I found out the hard way. Not allowed.
I said I'll push it to the exit ramp 200' away.
Nope, not good enough.

Only highway certified tow trucks can tow on the highway by the proper authority.

 

[kwired]

AAA can not tow you off a major high way. I found out the hard way. Not allowed.
I said I'll push it to the exit ramp 200' away.
Nope, not good enough.

Only highway certified tow trucks can tow on the highway by the proper authority.

Would be real tempting to slash tow drivers tires if he came out to where you are at and ended up telling you that.

 

[Fulthrotl]

AAA can not tow you off a major high way. I found out the hard way. Not allowed.
I said I'll push it to the exit ramp 200' away.
Nope, not good enough.

Only highway certified tow trucks can tow on the highway by the proper authority.

i've had AAA for 23 years. i've carried their insurance on vehicles, home, etc for as long.

their insurance is higher premiums than others, but i've never had a bad experience with
AAA, save one. they insure my work vehicles, all of them.

work van, pulling a trailer, blew it's tranny on imperial highway right near the 57.
AAA dispatcher blew it, sent an 18 wheel wrecker, who refused the tow when he got
there. they sent someone else, who also refused the tow. i ended up getting my own
tow, paid $300 for it.

when it comes to claims, i've had clumps of them. my insurance reflected that as a result,
the following year, but i've never had any issues, save that one tow call mentioned above.

but i had a year where an $11,000 motorcycle was claimed three times in six months.
$10,000 and $8,000 and $3,000. during that same time, i lost a high end car stereo
valued at $8,000. and had $2,500 worth of damage to the vehicle when the theft occurred.

the other time was last year. new caddy with 10,000 miles on it, $18,000 damage.
two other claims in addition.

they never even blinked, or haggled. ever.

but, if it doesn't work for you, don't do it. i've got premier, with RV and motorcycle
insurance. it says, right in the fine print, that they will tow the vehicle if it's offroad,
if you have the $25 a year adder.

i have a plated 390 husky dirt bike, and a 500 beta dirt bike. if i get those stuck,
you'll most likely need a gps coordinate and a snatch strap for the recovery.

they said, no problem. i believe them.

 

[spark master]

Would be real tempting to slash tow drivers tires if he came out to where you are at and ended up telling you that.

They don't even come out. The AAA phone operators know all the DOT rules, and abide by them. They tell you straight out, get the highway dept tow service to tow you off the highway to a local road, then the AAA guy can tow you.

 

[spark master]

Call the AAA, and tell them your stuck on the NYS thruway. Let me know what they say.

 

[ceknight]

Call the AAA, and tell them your stuck on the NYS thruway. Let me know what they say.

A few years ago I had AAA tow a car off the NYS Thruway. They said "we'll have someone there within 25 minutes". And they did.

 

[electrofelon]

A few years ago I had AAA tow a car off the NYS Thruway. They said "we'll have someone there within 25 minutes". And they did.

Yup me too. Not sure what spark master is talking about

 

[qcroanoke]

We've has AAA for years, not once have we been told they wouldn't tow it or given any grief about how old the vehicle was.
The only stipulation was someone had to be there with the vehicle. They didn't even ask what make or model.
Came and hooked to it and delivered it to where I wanted it to go. A couple of times it wasn't even my vehicle as long as I was there or
someone with a AAA card they towed it.
But then again I live in Virginia.......

 

[Fulthrotl]

But then again I live in Virginia.......

you don't even have to be in virginia.

i had a flat one night, on the 105 freeway at about 1 AM.
right front tire failed on the trans am, road debris.
got it slowed down, took the first offramp, the tire didn't
demount, and i got off the freeway, crossed imperial,
and ended up stopped here:

http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr66/FulThrotl/MH Forum Posts/dahood_zpspuatkgzd.jpg

it's not a good place. i called AAA, gave them the address.
then i turned off all the lights, sat quietly, and tried to disappear.
after a few minutes, there was a tap on my window. i opened
my eyes, and there was a cop standing there.
he asked what i was doing there. i said flat tire.

he asked if i'd called for roadside service. i said yes.
he said he'd wait there until the wrecker showed up.
he went back, turned on the flashing lights, and we
sat there.

after about ten minutes, a flatbed showed up. the guy
got out. hispanic, gang tats on the forearms, looked
like a genuinely nasty dude. he looked around,
and HE looked scared.

he didn't change my tire. he loaded the car on the
wrecker, and took me up the road a ways to compton,
where it was safer, unloaded the car and changed the
tire there. the police stayed until we had loaded up the
car and departed.

i've no complaints with AAA roadside service.

 

[qcroanoke]

you don't even have to be in virginia.








i've no complaints with AAA roadside service.

I forgot about changing flat tires, my daughter has used that several times,
she has had more flats than you can shake a stick at......
I on the other hand have never needed that service. But I will use it if I have a flat.
Too old for that stuff anymore.......

 

[goldstar]

Call the AAA, and tell them your stuck on the NYS thruway. Let me know what they say.

Not sure what the rules are for the NYS Thruway but if they're anything like the NJ Turnpike you can only tow with a flatbed and you have to be authorized by the NJ Turnpike Authority to hook up a vehicle that's stuck on the roadway. I believe if you have to tow a vehicle from somewhere off the NJ Turnpike to another location and if you need to use the Turnpike to get from one place to the other you can do so but only with a flatbed.