I tried numerous times to get a call through to my agent. No response. I finally reached her and she said she would mail me information re Earthquake Insurance. Two weeks passed and I received nothing in the mail. I called again and again for two weeks and finally got a call from a supervisor who I asked to inform my agent to correspond by email. Three days later I received an insurance quote for Earthquake. I immediately emailed that I wanted to initiate the Earthquake Insurance and it has been two weeks and several unanswered emails addressed both to the supervisor and my agent, and still no response. I will change to another office as soon as possible. read more

I've had them for 5 years. They're great - took care of everything very efficiently the one time I had an accident in 2011 and charge fair rates. If you get Pedro Acosta as your agent, consider yourself lucky - he's the best! read more

I just had a great experience at the AAA in Berkeley, in the DMV department. Margarett Tercenio went out of her way and called the DMV office when she was not able to process a renewal that was blocked on the computer. She has always gone out of her way to assist me but this was far and above what a typical employee would do. This is my first review and I was moved by the level of service that I received. D Boyd read more

Complete morons. They filled out the autopay info wrong and were charging someone else's bank account, caused me to lose a months interest on my new bank account of $41. When I called, the first girl wasn't intelligent enough to understand what I meant by "you guys probably didn't put the correct account or routing number in" and hung up on me, due to becoming too flustered. The second guy reluctantly fixed it but didn't have the decency to double check if it was done right. So I still have to call back and have someone make absolutely sure it was done correctly. It was like some kind of - one of those rides where morons pop out at you from the wall and freak you out every few minutes. read more

I only have the roadside assistance coverage. It is worth every penny, for the DMV services. The DMV folks are always so friendly and helpful. I had the unfortunate experience of being behind a woman who demanded her registration sticker, despite her unpaid tickets, and no smog certificate. She was awful to the staff, and they were super calm with her. They finally said, "ma'am, the line is starting to back up", and got her out of there. They said it to another guy that was lollygagging, too. I don't see this kind of scenario at the regular DMV. I was in and out in less than ten minutes with my new tags. read more

It has been almost a 1 1/2 year with AAA, and I am still very happy. Pedro Acosta is awesome; I had two incidents - (which were not my fault by the way)and had to call him to find out how to proceed. He immediately put me at ease and was very compassionate about my stroke of bad luck. The back office adjusters were extremely efficient in handling my claims and issuing repairs, etc. Oh, and they did away with the DMV fees, yeah! read more

AGE DISCRIMINATION in California is alive and well as I found out today when insuring a new car with AAA. I was told that my "driving history" required a premium increase of my overall rates on car insurance. There were no tickets, no accidents, no DUI's or other forms of poor driving indicators - just the fact that I am over 70 years. I have three vehicles insured with AAA and have been a member for over 24 years. I questioned the agent: if I was 18 years my "driving history" would requite a premium because of the lack of. If I was 40 my "driving history" would warrant a premium reduction, all things considered. I am over 70 years and my "driving history" requires an insurance 'premium' because of it. I asked the agent that all things remaining the same (driving record -address - cars insured, etc.) is this not age discrimination in its most blatant form? "Not age discrimination at all" was his reply - simply "driving history." You mean to say. I enquired, that with an excellent driving history with no accidents, no tickets and no payment of any kind necessary by AAA to be made on my behalf - my "driving history" now demands an automatic increase in fees? AND YOU ARE TELLING ME THAT THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY AGE? I asked him to give me and estimate of my insurance costs if I were 40 years and had the same vehicles, the same address and same driving record. I asked him how a "driving history" could warrant a substantial premium when the driver is under 25 years - a goodly reduction in fees when the driver is 40 years - and a substantial increase in fees when someone is retired without additional income, yet maintaining the "driving record" as if he were 40 years. He would NOT share the results of his comparison insurance fees estimate with me -all things considered. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck - what else can it be except AGE DISCRIMINATION! There are laws prohibiting insurance 'red lining' by area and zip code I am told. But it seems the most egregious form of discrimination, that of age, is alive and well and living and allowed to violate person's rights in the state of California. Joseph Caro 714-840-3942 read more

The agent on the phone was wonderful, and the service was fast and competent, but the service man was grumpy and unpleasant. Too bad that he didn't know that he was working for me, at least indirectly. read more

Very friendly and professional. I have all my insurances (cars, house) with this office. I am a very satisfied customer... The staff are so honest and helpful. read more

By far the worst service experience I have had in a long, long time. I had a simple question -- is AAA able to send an international driving permit to me in Europe? They already offer this service by mail, but it was unclear whether they would send the completed document to a foreign address. So I called the membership services number. No answer. Then I called the local branch near in Berkeley near my home. I pressed the voice menu item for member services, and wound up being connected to someone in Oklahoma. he had no idea what an international driving permit was, and told me to call my local branch office. When I told him that was the number I called, he then informed me I had to press 0 to actually talk to someone in that office. So I called again. The woman who answered didn't know, and didn't even seem to know what an international driving permit was. First she tried to send me to the AAA web site. After about 10 minutes on hold, she finally told me, "We can't do that here." And so I ask, is there somewhere else where they can do that. She didn't know and transferred me to someone else. That woman also couldn't give me a straight yes or no answer, and then said, :Let me connect you to someone who might know," and send me to voice menu hell. And so after at least a half hour, I got nowhere. What a bunch of stupid, incompetent people. I'm cancelling my membership. read more

I've been a member of CSAA for over 20 years. i have always had pleasant experiences with the Berkeley staff. My agent, Mr. Pedro Acosta, has been there for over 15 years. He's terrific. Pleasant, down to earth, and does whatever he can to make you experience there as pleasant and fruitful as possible. I have home insurance, multiple-car car insurance, motorcycle insurance and long-distance towing service with CSAA. I do my DMV work there and get my maps and travel info from them. Someone pleasantly greats you when you enter and makes sure that you are taken care off. This is a business model that should be copied by others. Keep up the good work. read more

Ugh! I'm on hold because they can't find my homeowner's policy. They have my name, my address, and my money. I've been a customer for 21 years. Last year my policy lapsed because they changed the billing policy to pay-in-full BEFORE the policy took effect (which I didn't know). When I went to the office to straighten it out, they couldn't reach the secondary insurer. I was standing there, checkbook in hand, with a house that was uninsured, and there was nothing they could do. Of course there was. After I waited. And then talked to a manager. And waited again. And I'm still waiting. I'm still on hold and have been on hold for 20 minutes. Because they can't find my policy. I copied this from a previous review because I was about to say the same thing: Their best agent is no longer there. That is, Pedro Acosta. He is smart, efficient, caring and knows the business and the contacts. He responds and has the answers: how refreshing! He can be reached at 510-228-6615 and is now associated with Farmers. Unfortunately, I may be stuck with CSAA because Pedro can't match the customer loyalty discounts. But if this keeps up, it might be worth it to switch. read more

This is probably my best experience ever in a AAA Office in California. Exceptionally professional, competent, friendly, efficient and effective staff/first class service. Easy to get to, easy to park, convenient hours of operation. I needed an international driver's license and walked in without an appointment. The staff was very helpful and effective. I observed their behaviour to other customers, which was also very patient and professional, as well as friendly. read more

Amen Orly. I was referred all over the place to receive a promotion that they advertised. Multiple numbers were provided. No one knew what was going on and when they finally referred me to an independent auto repair place for an inspection, the company hadn't heard of the promotion. Sigh. read more

Luckily, I haven't gotten myself into a situation where I've had to file any claims... so all I can talk about for now is DISCOUNT TICKETS! We all know that AAA members get sweet deals on various travel-related booking things and cheaper amusement parks/museum tickets, but did you know you can also buy movie tickets at AAA? For cheap! Like... cheaper than Costco cheap! Sure you can limit yourself to $5 Tuesdays at your local theater or try to only go during matinee viewings so keep your per ticket cost as close to $10 as possible (lol what are they regularly now... $15? O.o $20?! Scary stuff)...but why restrict yourself when you can get tickets from AAA? I'm closest to AMC theaters and at this AAA location, I can get a ticket for $8.75! How's that for a deal?! (You can only buy up to a total of 8 tickets per day, across all AAA's so don't get any ideas if you are tryna buy bulk to gift to people, lol). But yea... Other AAA branches, depending on the theater branches they are closest to (AMC, Cinemark, Century, even Brenden... you know.. the fancy recliner chair ones!), they'll usually have discount tickets available for members to purchase. Definitely take advantage of this perk! read more

Currently stuck in a freezing vehicle for almost 2 hours. Priority calls have been made ahead of us. The amount of roadside assistance vehicles are REDUCED on New Years. I'm seriously in tears writing this review. No one should have to wait 2 hours in a 30 degree car. My hands are cold, my lips are chapping, and my feet are freezing. Fuck AAA. Insurance that still cost a shit ton of money, and no fucking help. I understand if people need help before us but we're about to have severe health issues after this fucking wait. We are freezing... The car only needs to be jumped... read more

This place is ridiculous. We showed up 15 minutes after they opened to get an international driver's permit and not only are their computers down, but the camera to take a photo was locked in a cabinet to which only a manager could open and the manager wasn't due to arrive for another 45 minutes. But hey, they said we could just drive another 20 minutes to Rockridge. Great! Thanks for wasting our time. read more

Ive had nothing but trouble with this company for the past year. From customer service with the road side assistance, telling me my family is not on plan, to the actual insurance. I aaded my son a year ago, premium went up, he has been driving a year and unfortunately he got in an accident. Someone hit him!!!! Now they are saying he is not covered. Everytime we call we get different information. I will definitely be canceling my policy and looking into legal action. read more

I have been a member of CAAA for my auto insurance for over 40 years (since 1971); and my homeowner's insurance since 2002. I didn't have a personal agent before Pedro Acosta became my agent in 2001. My experience since he became my agent, is night and day! He has been a consistently fabulous agent, always helpful, always prompt getting back to me, always able and happy to answer my questions. I'm so, so grateful to be able to rely on his knowledge and advise. When I've received offers from other auto insurance companies claiming they will be less expensive than CAAA, I don't even bother to find out if their claims are valid because I want to keep my wonderful agent. read more

First, this review is more about the AAA organizational as a whole, although our experience with the local branch in Berkeley has always been positive. I recently had a fantastic experience with calling in a "change in home insurance problem." I was majorly confused with the process. The person I spoke to, Phyllis M., could easily have just sent me to another department. Instead, she sent me forms to fill out, processed them for me, and kept me updated on what was happening! This not only saved me a huge amount of time and frustration describing over and over again to one or more people my problem before reaching the right place. Her kindness and helpfulness indicated that "costumer service" at AAA was not just about getting as much money from me as possible. Moreover, her attitude to what I consider stellar customer service, was "just doing my job." Any company that hires, trains, and encourages employees like this is the kind of place all businesses should be. read more

They simply do not answer the phone! I am a AAA member. Very simple question...what does a AAA Disneyland Park Hopper cost. First agent sounds disoriented, child crying noises in the background (where is this call center?) puts me on 27 minute hold. Second call (I am an optimist) nice guiy Tom answers right away and sends me to car insurance desk where they have no idea about Dland but can quote me car insurance prices. Third call (I am an idiot) the agent just hangs up. All three calls were 6-20-13 to the Berkeley Office on University Ave. if anyone there reads Yelp which I am sure they do not! read more

AAA has always been good. It used to always be more expensive, but I am not sure that that is still the case. I had a property covered by another insurer newly insured by this office. I worked with Monica Mui, who is great because she answers her phone when you call. A small thing, but it makes a big difference when you actually need to speak to your agent. She is also really helpful, willing to take care of proof of insurance letters for the bank and has her act together. The coverage ended up being better and cheaper than with the previous insurer. read more

So much better than waiting in line at the DMV! My plates were stolen and I tried to make an appointment at the DMV, but couldn't be seen for weeks. I arrived at Berkeley AAA right at 8:30 and was out before 9am, same day! Derek was friendly & helpful and I would recommend this location to anyone looking for quick and pleasant service. read more

This has gone too far....I just can't believe it....It took close to 45 mins to tell me that the attraction ticketing system is down.....Why do I even bother pay for your membership.....to add insult to injury....they now have a 4 dollar fee for all DMV transactions apparently they have not taken enough of my money.... I wish there was a better alternative to AAA read more

gotta say if it wasn't for Derick I wouldn't be writing this review. The guys at the counter are all good but Derick is the man. 98% of the stuff is straight forward but for the 2% remaining Derick is your go to guy. He's gotten me sorted out in no time every time I went there. Today he saved me $162. the DMV system showed I owed that even though I had paid registration on time (and had a late smog) I was ready to hand over the cash when I thought "I'd better ask Derick" so I did, he took one glance at the screen and said "you're good - just $20 for the plates" then he asked for my old rear plate (I was there because I lost the front plate), I obliged and he goes "you know there're 2 plates there..." David Blaine style (the 2 plates were stuck together all this time) so he cancelled the transaction gave me my old plates and the $20 back. Thank you and good night. read more

We've been here twice in 4 months, both for auto insurance needs. We got two difference insurance agents and both were friendly and efficient. Today I went to get an auto quote and left with a policy that provided double my original coverage (from Mercury Insurance) for LESS money. It pays to check on auto insurance rates one in a while. I also got a free trunk tote organizer and my significant other got a $20 Amazon giftcard emailed to him for "referring" me. The giftcard was voluntarily offered by my new insurance agent, since I had no idea it was even an option. We are happy with the service and products offered here. read more

The worst. The staff cannot answer questions about their own website. They give out misleading information. What a waste of money and unnecessary frustration. read more

I am giving 1 star because they have been illicitly taking money from my bank account without my authorization. I have been paying by check for over 25 years that I've had my policy now, and apparently was late for a few payments. Without notification or permission, they used the routing number on my check to simply do an electronic withdrawal of $118.50--and they used the name "STATE OF CALIFORNIA--CA". I wasted over 2 1/2 hours on the phone with Citibank and the 916 number they gave me for a State Of California Public Service agency that the bank said was the party taking my money. The agency gave me another number, they gave me another, and so forth until my morning was wasted. I finally talked to an employee of Citibank who verified that it was AAA taking my money. I wasted a lot more time with them, asking how it's possible that AAA can just take my money with no authorization. I was told that they had my checks and if I did not want my creditors to do automatic withdrawals then I had to write them and let them know that---"but you don't have to pay by check". "Tell me, what is the purpose of a checking account if you aren't going to use any checks? Who has time to drive or walk around to all the utilities and pay in person with cash?" Basically, with Citibank your money is not safe. I am closing this account as soon as my checks all clear. That is another review, of course, so back to this. WHo ever heard of writing each and every one of your creditors to tell them not to take your money with unauthorized electronic withdrawals? Who has time to waste doing that? It has to be the way around: the only way they can do automatic transfers is with the customer's permission. As far as I'm concerned, this is just filthy, illicit, deceitful & disgusting, not to mention outright wrong. It should be illegal and I am going to investigate whether it is. I have a feeling other insurance companies are not really any better, but customers be warned. Be sure to check your bank statement carefully each month and see what is going on with your money. read more

I want to start off by saying this is the best insurance ive dealt with and the best service theyre willing to do anything to help you out . It feels good to know that youre insurance has youre back on wtr you need . If youre looking for car insurance i would highly recommend them as there one of the top in my book thanks so much for youre help read more

AAA towing is the BEST! Shout out to Kenan, who was awesome! Arrived so fast, very professional, took all the worry away, drove our car over the bridge- all done with big smile. Thank you Kenan- you are the man!! We love AAA Roadside Assistance & Towing read more

My battery needed a jump start. It was 11am on a Monday. They guaranteed service within 90 min. and would update with phone calls. Two hours later, nothing. No service, no phone call. Called them. They said should be there within 12 min. 20 min later I called THEM again. Now they say not to expect any service for at least 60 more min. Thank God I was in a safe location. I realize things can get busy, BUT please call with updates. Don't force me to keep calling you to find out you are not coming read more

Recently I visited the the AAA office in Berkeley shopping for car insurance. I knew I would need an agent that had a lot of patience. I had some unusual concerns with what insurance I would need to cover my family. I got the perfect guy, John Le. There's a reason he has all those awards behind him. He listened and presented my options to me in a way I could understand. I knew I needed to look no further. Sign me up! I gladly recommend John Lee and AAA to everyone. read more

Worst customer service EVER. As a company, I don't know where to start, I was hit by someone with AAA insurance. my assigned claim agent Laura Gonzalez never once returned and Email or phone call. After calling half a dozen times I finally caught her in her office and she said to take my car to Cooks Collision in Berkeley. She also said I didn't need and appt. (this was NOT TRUE) I headed over in my classic 76 Triumph Spitfire, which broke down on the freeway where I was nearly Killed pushing it to the side of the exit and cars went by me at 80mph. On top of all that, Cooks refused to even look at the car because it was a 1976!? Laura Gonzales, please get another job, you might be the worst thing to happen to the insurance industry since its inception. read more

I called the local number shown for the Berkeley office and despite listening to every option in the endless phone answering bot could only get recorded messages assuring me that the office was open Saturday till 4 pm. Checked the website as well which showed Saturday hours till 4pm but noted hours might be different on Memorial Day .. OK fine. Took my about to expire car registration papers and drove to the office only to find a half dozen people staring at a printed sign in the door saying the office was CLOSED for the Memorial Day Holiday. HOW HARD CAN IT BE to put a message on your voice mail telling people .. or to update your website !!!! CSAA used to be a good company but service gets worse year by year. They can't seem to find even marginally competent staff and you can't trust anything they say. A while back I called to change coverage on one of my vehicles ... only to find a month later when I strangely received a credit on my bill that they had instead dropped my insurance coverage totally ... leaving me driving uninsured for a month! Had I had the misfortune to cause an accident during that time would they have paid for my claims ?? ... NOT likely. read more

Who doesn't like AAA, even fixed my tire in my garage, and showed up an hour before estimated time.

i hate going to DMV its always a nightmare, I'm so glad i went to AAA , the staff was very nice and friendly , when i walked in a lady greeted me with a smile and asked how she could help me after i told her i needed to register my car she walked me over to the dmv desk wow how nice of her i was in and out of there in 10 mins not like dmv which takes about 2 to 4 hours thanks AAA for taking the nightmare out of registering a car i will always go to AAA great customer service ! and fast in and out read more

AAA is not the cheapest insurance around but they are the best when it comes to service and honesty. Rita at the main office in Berkeley worked with me for over an hour to get the best package of insurance and finding ways for me to save $$$ Love ya Rita!!! read more

Had another good experience with AAA today. My car was stuck. The insurance company that insures me said they would tow it for free. After waiting a couple of hours, I gave up on them. I have AAA roadside assistance. They said they would be there in 45 minutes. They showed up in under 30. Friendly and fast read more

The Berkeley AAA has drastically declined due to gross incompetance at management level. Aubrey Calderon does not even know basic insurance nomenclature. Their best agent is no longer there. That is, Pedro Acosta. He is smart, efficient, caring and knows the business and the contacts. He responds and has the answers: how refreshing! He can be reached at 510-228-6615 and is now associated with Farmers. read more

Waited 2.5 hours this evening for a tow from a San Francisco parking structure. That's right. 2.5 hours before they even arrived. Clearly let AAA know ahead of time that the maximum height in the garage was about 7 feet. Confirmed this with them twice. When a tow truck finally arrived, it was a very old, large flat bed truck operated by an independent jobber. Nice enough guy who was zero help. The AAA service over the phone was incredibly poor, and so completely unconcerned or empathetic, one star is overly generous. They deserve none. We have been AAA members for 20+ years and requested help maybe twice during that time for only minor things. For the $100 a year membership, it was completely worthless. Much better to save your money and call a tow company directly if you really need one. You'll likely have to pay for the tow anyway, if it's over 5 miles. The AAA staff (when you can reach a live person -- not Ursula the robo CSR) was mostly unconcerned. Absolutely canceling our membership. Stunned that a formerly quality company like AAA has sunk so low. But they have. Don't overpay for false security. read more