Recently, I listened to a cashier at Safeway gathering her three customers in line to commiserate about costly AAA memberships. She described how she wasted almost $400 in the last five years because she’s never had to use any of the services. She’s planning not to renew this year.
AAA’s annual renewal usually brings up the question of “Did I use it last year?” and the resulting decision to renew always brings a little pain for me. In the last couple of years, I can only remember using them to unlock a door. But in the 90’s it was a life saver when my friend’s car hit a huge rock heading back from skiing at Crystal Mountain. The weather had turned rough, the roads were icy, and we were one of eight victims of that rock slide. It was wonderful to have them tow the car all the way back to Seattle. That scene repeated itself at different ski areas two more times during and soon after college.
I must remind myself that I have to treat this as insurance, and as my truck ages, there’s a greater chance I will be using it. Most people don’t ask themselves if they made any claims on their car insurance in the last year, when it’s time to renew. You are paying to insure the future period, and if you made it through the last period without any claims - all the better. Lee and I both have trucks that we intend to keep for the long haul. Lee’s truck is turning nine this year, and mine, eight, so these are the years to have roadside coverage.
In my evaluation, I admit I neglect to take into account the discounts we receive over the year, which turn out to be many, from hotels to frame shops. It even works in our beloved Vancouver B.C. where a little help to ease the strain on exchange rates is much appreciated. The total amount we save annually must be at least 3 times the membership fee of $89 (for Plus.) We also order the maps with ease, though I’m not sure how much these are really worth.
Now, if you decide you should have roadside assistance coverage, should you go with AAA or buy it as part of your regular car insurance policy? Does it depend on the amount you would expect to save in discounts during the year?
