Definitely NOT your grandmother's emergency road service anymore! I swear, I'm seriously considering cancelling my 49-year membership. My car broke down on the way home from an errand on Saturday, September 4th, 2021. I'm not tech-savvy, but managed to call AAA on my (older) android smartphone. I wanted a tow home, so I could call Tuesday morning and be towed to my mechanic, after the long holiday weekend.
Catering to a younger generation with urging 'app' usage by a virtual assistant, is NOT acceptable to an older generation. It practically takes an act of congress now, to speak with an operator! I detest this stuff, because it doesn't take into account your phone battery is dying and you're not tech-savvy, while waiting for a live person!
WELL . . . what ensued next, was beyond nightmarish! I swear to God, you can't make this stuff up! I was told on my first call that a flatbed truck (which my older car needs) would get to me in roughly 30 minutes. I'd placed the call at 1:10pm. Now, it's AFTER 2:00 and I call again, inquiring about my lift. I'm told the first company "cancelled" my order, because I was out of range for them.
It's blistering 100 degree weather, and I'm in my early 70's, with a body that's subject to overheating, which is a real health concern. I'm now told by the AAA operator, that a truck would be arriving to tow me "soon." When I inquired what "soon" meant and kept pressing this operator, I was assured the driver's ETA would be around 2:50pm.
Once again, NOBODY ever came to my aid. A man (retired cop) living on the street where I was stranded, allowed me to sit inside his house, and we gave the AAA person HIS phone #, for when (more like "if") the truck arrived. IT NEVER CAME.
This kind man called AAA again on my behalf, and was told a truck would be there to take me home at 4:26pm. I'd already waited in blistering heat, I was feeling a bit faint, had animals at home that needed me, and at this point, I'm so frustrated I wanted to break down and cry~ except I was too enraged to do so.
Finally, this nice man (Juan) said, I'll drive you home! I left my car with a note on the windshield, to please not to ticket or tow. Incidentally, AAA won't tow an unattended vehicle. I begged em to let me hide the key on the car, so a driver could hook it up to his truck and bring it to my house, but no deal. "It's against company policy," I was told. I left with this generous fellow Juan, hoping my car would be safe on a public street over the weekend.
Now, comes Tuesday morning. Once again, I phone AAA and ask that a flatbed truck be dispatched to my home, so we could pick up my car (only 8 minutes away) and take it to my mechanic for repair. I even spoke to the manager, pleading for him to make an exception, as it's 7 in the morning, I had already called 19 different cab services, and the ONLY one that answered and took my request, called me back and said, "sorry, you're out of our range." This was Pasadena Cab Company! I'm in Altadena, which is slightly north of downtown Pasadena!
Triple A USED TO BE a solid, reliable and respectable emergency roadside service. I've urged many people to get covered by them for roadside assistance~ but they've radically deteriorated. I think the problem is, they no longer have their own fleet of trucks. They farm out the work to independent companies, who aren't very reliable, and leave ya hanging in 100 degree heat, because you're "out of their range!" At the same time, AAA doesn't bother to let ya know they've located a different company to help you out of your predicament!
First, how DARE AAA be so careless as to give your request for service to a company who "isn't in range" of where you're stranded~ and second, how DARE they risk a senior's health and well being, by making her wait over 3 HOURS for roadside assistance! BTW, a flatbed tow truck FINALLY arrived, called the kind neighbor who'd given me a lift home, and by then it was after 4:30pm.
Shame on you, Triple A!!! You're gonna have to compensate me BIG time for this disaster! read more