I've been a AAA member since I got my license at 16 over 47 yrs ago). Bought all my daughters' memberships when they got their licenses, telling them how to use it if they need a jump or a tow. I'm the 1st one they call when they have a problem, so they've never had to use it (that I know of). I've done my share of pulling them home, cleaning jumper cables, etc. I've never used my membership card for a tow or jump.
Yesterday in the snowstorm that hit here in Michigan, my daughter calls and says she slid over the curb in a turnaround of a median. She had tried to call me but I was on a conference call and by the time I got back to her, she had a tow truck on the way but was teary and frustrated because of the runaround she was getting.
Here's the story: She slid up over the curb and over the top of a steel sign pole remnant sticking up out of the ground. A previous car (tracks still there, sign on the ground) had hit in the same spot and taken out the sign. Right rear wheel of her car was now lifted off the ground with the post wedged under her rear door rocker panel.
When she called AAA and told them what happened, they said "Oh you hit something, that's an accident, call your insurance company".
Insurance company gave her the runaround presumably because there wasn't any damage (yet). Made her file a claim over the phone before they'd send a tow truck to take her to a collision shop.
I got there before the tow truck (2 hr wait, not unusual in a bad storm, no complaint there) with a jack. Looked underneath and the post stopped an inch or 2 short of ripping a brake line. No damage other than a slightly dinged rocker panel. Jacked up the car off the post remnant. Tow arrived, and he and I decided best way to get her clear was to winch the car sideways a foot or so, pulling it off the jack. He had us sign a "damage waiver", no problem there. Pulling it sideways worked, but the jack did damage the rocker panel some as it didn't "roll" in the snow, it pivoted up as he winched. 5 minutes of his time and she was on her way again with a slightly banged up rocker panel.
I told her to call the insurance company and cancel the claim.
My beef is that AAA refused to send a tow truck to someone who was in distress. Someone at work said that AAA once refused to send a truck to pull them out of a vacant lot they were looking to purchase because they were "off the road". They had hit a pocket of sand about 20' off the curb.
I'm going to call AAA and voice my complaint that after 40+ years of paying annual dues I wasn't aware of the "fine print" in my "roadside assistance". I suspect I'll not be renewing my membership.
Yesterday in the snowstorm that hit here in Michigan, my daughter calls and says she slid over the curb in a turnaround of a median. She had tried to call me but I was on a conference call and by the time I got back to her, she had a tow truck on the way but was teary and frustrated because of the runaround she was getting.
Here's the story: She slid up over the curb and over the top of a steel sign pole remnant sticking up out of the ground. A previous car (tracks still there, sign on the ground) had hit in the same spot and taken out the sign. Right rear wheel of her car was now lifted off the ground with the post wedged under her rear door rocker panel.
When she called AAA and told them what happened, they said "Oh you hit something, that's an accident, call your insurance company".
Insurance company gave her the runaround presumably because there wasn't any damage (yet). Made her file a claim over the phone before they'd send a tow truck to take her to a collision shop.
I got there before the tow truck (2 hr wait, not unusual in a bad storm, no complaint there) with a jack. Looked underneath and the post stopped an inch or 2 short of ripping a brake line. No damage other than a slightly dinged rocker panel. Jacked up the car off the post remnant. Tow arrived, and he and I decided best way to get her clear was to winch the car sideways a foot or so, pulling it off the jack. He had us sign a "damage waiver", no problem there. Pulling it sideways worked, but the jack did damage the rocker panel some as it didn't "roll" in the snow, it pivoted up as he winched. 5 minutes of his time and she was on her way again with a slightly banged up rocker panel.
I told her to call the insurance company and cancel the claim.
My beef is that AAA refused to send a tow truck to someone who was in distress. Someone at work said that AAA once refused to send a truck to pull them out of a vacant lot they were looking to purchase because they were "off the road". They had hit a pocket of sand about 20' off the curb.
I'm going to call AAA and voice my complaint that after 40+ years of paying annual dues I wasn't aware of the "fine print" in my "roadside assistance". I suspect I'll not be renewing my membership.
