BEWARE of AAA Club NEW "NO" Roadside Assistance & Lowering of Premium RV Coverage -

[ReiMan1776]

I have been a member of AAA "American Automobile Club" for 47 years. There are different chapters and currently am a member of the AAA Southern California.

Recently, I had two trailer blowouts with a few days of each other.

Here is the letter I sent to the head office:
Hello:

I have a RV travel trailer, tire blow out on 4-9-21 Requested help changing tire. . The rep told me I would get a text within 15 minutes letting me know who was assigned. I had good a good cell signal


Nobody called back until 4 hours later when I received a voice mail, no text message updates, stranded me and I ended up changing the tire myself. I have the RV Premier membership. Oh, 4 hours later the voice mail I received said he was working on getting someone. Oh I get it, AAA probably offered a very low amount for service and nobody would respond.

On my return two days later I had a second blowout and now know how bad made in China tires are. Now I have no spare! I was 18 miles on highway 76 East from I-15 on this one.

Called and got a AAA representative, never heard back from anyone and had to leave my trailer abandoned for several days until I could go back and change the tire myself.

Tried calling six or more times back to your roadside service number and kept getting recordings and on hold for as much as 20 minutes until hanging up each time. No call back, no text messages, just sitting by the road for two hours until a stranger who owned the property I was in front of helped get my trailer safely off the road shoulder.

Went to AAA office in Encinitas CA, manager out, no help.

Filled out review form that was emailed to me and did get a call back the next day from an AAA representative.
Have heard nothing else. Since that call two days ago.

So now after 47 years I want to cancel my membership and want a full refund for the past year.

So far my brother, girlfriend, and another friend canceling, working on more….

Also discovered your recent downgrade to RV premier towing from miles to a $500 limit which is nothing with a large travel trailer.

Photo of my membership card I am waiting to tear up.

By the way, I am a senior, was traveling by myself in a rural area and obviously nobody cared…..

The AAA roadside assistance number should be relabeled to the “customer no service number”

Regards,

UPDATE: They called me, apologized and offered me a free year of RV premium service upon my renewal die date this year.

Since then a good friend of mine also a long time member ran out of gas close to a major town. Guess what, he could not get through to anybody at AAA. Did the online text, got a reply it would be several hours to get gas sitting on 100 degree heat.

And now for the "three strikes you are out" for me. I had a dead battery late Saturday night. Called AAA and THEY DO NOT ANSWER THE PHONE. You get put on hold until you just give up. I did the text / chat thing, got a reply that it would be 35 minutes,,,,,, waited, and hour later tried calling again, on hold nothing. I had to call a friend to jumpstart me.

Oh, got a call from tow truck driver after I was already home.

AAA is a disgrace. I will be joining Coach-net and also bought myself a portable jump starter. I will visit my local AAA office and ask to see the manager so at least I can tell my story, then CUT UP MY CARD

ALSO - Note AAA has downgraded the RV coverage, used to be miles, now it is a lousy $500 per event which woefully LOW!

Oh, almost forgot, my girlfriend was visiting her mom in Omaha NE last week, had a dead battery, called AAA who sent someone out who sold her on a new battery. They reversed the leads when installing the new battery and FRIED the electrical system. The car had to be towed, $1500 in damage she is out of pocket for. AAA says they will reimburse her but she has to wait.

[geotex1]

Umph!

Good Sam Roadside Assistance is getting similar complaints around the camping community. Not good.

[Ynot4me2]

Oh my. That's frustrating when you pay for a service and get nothing in return.
Thanks for the heads up.

[Grandesigner]

Has anyone done a cost analysis of the big 3, Coach-Net, AAA and Good Sam?
Not cool when they change policies in the middle of your agreement...

[Redapple63]

Has anyone done a cost analysis of the big 3, Coach-Net, AAA and Good Sam?
Not cool when they change policies in the middle of your agreement...

And don’t honor either by sheer ignoring of the customer. Sad

[offtohavasu]

Not making excuses for them by any means, just trying to analyze the the situation. I wonder if AAA and the tow truck companies (they're contracted not direct employees of AAA) are experiencing the same worker shortage that is prevalent in this state (CA). We are having the most difficulty ever in hiring people right now. I have my thoughts why, but will save that for another show.

[ReiMan1776]

I am sure they are having worker issues, however there is simply NO excuse to not answer the phone, NONE. This is in many cases is a safety issue.


The problem with service providers likely a combination of them low balling and shortage of workers. I am self employed, seen first hand people unwilling to go back to work as they have been getting more on unemployment.

Yes, finding people who are willing to work and not substance abusers here in California is a real issue. It is incredible to me that at Walmart they have even locked up motor oil due to the rampant theft problem.

And that is why I love to leave in my RV, meet fellow campers enjoying the outdoors, am 7 days away from a week at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

At the opposite end of AAA no service is a much better experience with Grand Design in general / customer service and more recently EXCELLANT customer service from Dexter Axle Co with brake issues I have. I posted elsewhere on that one.

Regarding cost comparisons mentioned above, what is the cost of unreliable or worse yet no service? I signed with Coach-net after reading many reviews, seems to be the only one right now that has positive reviews.

[ReiMan1776]

It happened again! While waiting two hours to get my dog into an urgent care center I ran my battery down listening to the radio. Called AAA and yep, could not get a human, long hold, got the text option, tried it, replay said estimated wait time 35 minutes. So an hour later started calling AAA,,, again just got the recording "someone will be with you shortly!

Yeah right, had to wake up a friend to come jump start me. I have since bought a portable emergency jump starter. Logged my 3rd complaint with AAA. They called me begged me not to cancel, offered to refund my dues and pay for next years dues but that is not an answer to the issues they are having.

[Deadhead88]

What exactly would you like them to do. If there is a labor shortage they cant magically snap their fingers and send somebody. Your best bet is to get a refund and move on.

[minnow101]

Not for nothing but three calls (2 flats & a dead battery) in such a short period of time would get you cancelled anyways.