In article >,
The Real Bev > wrote:

> Bill wrote:
> >
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > I'm wondering if it is worth it to buy a AAA membership for the roadside
> > > assistance. I have a Citibank Mastercard, and they have something called
> > > "MC ASSIST", which provides just about the same services that AAA offers
> > > --
> > > jump-starts, towing, gas delivery, and tire changes (not sure if they
> > > offer
> > > locksmithing).
> > >
> > > So has anyone ever relied on their credit card's roadside assistance? Is
> > > it
> > > as good as AAA's? If my credit card's is as good as AAA's, then there's
> > > no
> > > reason for me to pay an extra $60/year for a AAA membership.
>
> Is it that much for a single membership where you live? I think it's only
> $47
> (one card, which is enough) in California.

That $47 gets you three tows of up to 5 miles each - Not worth the
effort to bother, in my case. YMMV. For me, using up the entire card on
one "incident" would have been extrememly unlikely to get me anyplace
useful. Of course, you can't get to the "plus" version without wasting
the $47, so it's a "gotta do it" thing.

> After a year you can upgrade to
> 100-mile tows for $75.

$68 for me when I renewed last year (and the year before) - Where are
you getting tapped for a $75 price?

The "Plus" version is the only way to fly. 4 tows, up to a hundred miles
in any direction from point of hookup. Never mind the tire service, gas
delivery, jump starts, car unlocks, and all the rest of the "stuff" that
you can use the card for. That hundred miles per tow is the deal-maker
for me - If it breaks on me and I can't fix it on the spot, I should
still be able to get the car back home (where I've got the tools and
most of the supplies topractically rebuild it from the ground up) from
just about anyplace I'm at all likely to be. Even if it DOES mean using
up the whole card for one incident.

Having that thing has saved my bacon a couple of times now - It'll pay
for itself, AT LEAST, and possibly "make you a profit" the first time
you actually put it to use for the "main" purpose. (My last tow would
have been over $170 if I was paying cash - Close to triple the price of
the card! And I've still got three more of them left on the card.)

Handy fact for those who like to "hit the sauce". One that's usually not
mentioned very loud, but does exist: "Free ride home" from the bar. AAA
would rather have you call 'em and use your card to get you a towtruck
to drag you and your car home at closing time than have you DUI. They'll
make *NO* fuss about it at all, treating it as "just another one of your
4 freebies" - no different than if you were to call them up and tell
them you need a tow 'cause the engine just exploded and the wheels fell
off. Dial 1-800-AAA-HELP, and tell 'em "I'm drunk. Send a towtruck to
Joe's bar" and they'll do exactly that, without a peep - now or in the
future - of protest about it.

--
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