I believe the reason for the poor AAA service is the fact they don't pay
enough for the road service calls or towing. They set a fee for each
service and it is ridiculously low. Therefore most places around here won't
affiliate themselves with AAA. My dealership don't, and most of the first
class repair facilities in this area don't either. So the customer winds up
dealing with operations that may or may not be first quality repair
facilities or even worse, no local establishment will honor the AAA program
rendering their membership useless.
Andy, 56-3200
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-oletrucks@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-oletrucks@autox.team.net]
On Behalf Of jack halton
Sent: Sunday, April 04, 1999 4:38 PM
To: MarkNoakes@aol.com; oletrucks@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: AAA (was Re: [oletrucks] My Not-So-Excellent Adventure)
I don't want to stray off topic here, but old trucks are inherently
breakdown prone, so roadside assistance is a matter of importance to us all.
Miq, you be the judge.
I have been a AAA member since 1977 and am growing increasingly
disenchanted. Their newsletter, at least in Florida, is a 30 page travel
brochure touting cruises, bed and breakfast places, and Vegas gambling
junkets. I am bombarded with junk mail for all their subsidiaries selling
insurance, health plans, burial plots and God knows what else. I work near
their Florida headquarters and as anyone who has ever passed it (Heathrow
exit on I-4) can attest, it's about the size of the Pentagon, with moats,
fountains, and the water bill to run the lawn sprinklers alone could
probably rival that of a small city. Fine, but the last two times I needed
emergency service I waited HOURS
and it took dozens of calls to get a tow truck. First time was when I threw
a fan blade in my truck. I told them to send a rollback and what shows up? a
dolly-type wrecker. The driver agreed it would not be a good idea to try to
flat-tow my truck, and called in for a rollback. Waited another 45 minutes.
New driver told me AAA no longer contracts with any wrecker services, they
just use whoever is available, and this is to save money!
Second time, I'm in my daughter's Jetta and a tire goes flat. I'm dressed
for work, can't figure out the jack (instructions are in GERMAN for
Chrissake) so I call AAA on her cell phone and TWO HOURS later the guy shows
up, swears he just got the call. This after I call AAA every fifteen
minutes, get a different operator each time after a menu quagmire of "Please
Hold, your call will be answered in the order received..." In short I am
thoroughly disgusted with AAA and I pay $160 a year for this( 3
drivers/cars)? Both of these breakdowns were in urban Orlando, clear weather
and off-peak daylight hours. I know the AAA operates different "Auto Clubs"
in different areas, is it just the Florida club that sucks, or is it like
this everywhere? It seemed like the California AAA was much more automobile
oriented, they had a magazine with road tests and they operated diagnostic
facilites where you could get an independent mechanical appraisal done. Even
a lab where you could get engine oil analyzed, telling you content of
various metals so you would know when you had bearings going bad etc.
If anyone has similar AAA problems, or actually knows of a good alternative,
please let me know. I feel like I really need an emergency roadside plan as
I drive my truck a lot, but it sure seems AAA is going in other directions
these days.
Thanks, I feel better now!
Jack / Winter Park FL
-----Original Message-----
From: MarkNoakes@aol.com <MarkNoakes@aol.com>
To: oletrucks@autox.team.net <oletrucks@autox.team.net>
Date: Sunday, April 04, 1999 2:29 PM
Subject: Re: Re: [oletrucks] My Not-So-Excellent Adventure
>I used AAA when my Suburban's 283 finally went a couple of years ago. . .at
>2AM on the way home from working late. Fortunately I had a cell phone with
>me since I was on a divided four lane and not near a gas station or
>convenience store.
>
>Make sure you emphasize that the vehicle that they should look for is an
old
>truck; they went round and round looking apparently for a NEW Suburban
>before finally stopping to check my "old" truck. . .even though I had
>mentioned the year in the description on the phone-in.
>
>Mark Noakes
>58/56 Suburban
>Knoxville, TN
>
>
>In a message dated 4/4/99 4:58:58 PM, you wrote:
>
><<I got AAA plus coverage for this very reason. You get 100 miles of FREE
>towing. I've used it twice (both 70+ mile tows) and it has paid for itself
>in peace of mind and towing bills.
>
>Skip Boylan
>'55-2 big Window Shorty>>
>
>
>oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
>
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
|