I have been fortunate enough to have not one car problem in the last 12 years... until the last few…read moreweeks! I found myself stranded at the carwash about 3 weeks back. My starter had decided it was done. It was 108° outside, and we called AAA. We were very specific that we did not need a jumpstart (we had already tried that). We clearly told them, "we just need a tow home" (which was only a mile away!).
AAA told us they would come get us in 45 minutes. An hour went by, and no truck. So we called them again. They said, "Oh, we got the wrong address. It will be another 45 minutes." We were annoyed and very hot. It was even worse to know that we were just a mile from home, but not in an area where it was possible to push it all the way there by ourselves.
So we waited. And then some totally unfriendly guy from Armada Towing showed up... IN A MAINTENANCE TRUCK! He said he was there to jump the battery. We told him that we had clearly requested a tow truck, not a maintenance truck. He then glared at my boyfriend's Star of David tattoo and immediately turned his back on us, got in his truck without a word, and left us there... STILL STRANDED in the miserable heat.
We waited for a bit, thinking maybe he called for another truck, but then we thought about how he treated us like he didn't want to talk to us. So we called AAA yet again. They said they already sent someone from Armada Towing. So we told them about what happened, and that we still were there in need of a tow. So they said they would send another truck. By now it was 3 hours after my car broke down. The sun was just beginning to set, and we were totally bummed out. Here we pay our AAA membership dues (for several years), and this is what we get? We called back after more than 45 minutes, and ask them again. Apparently, the guy who came earlier from Armada Towing told his company that we "refused service" and not to come help us. This is what they told AAA, so we then started to file a complaint over the phone while they were looking for another service to come get us.
I finally couldn't take it any longer, and decided it would be better to just pay out of pocket to get towed home quickly. I looked up towing services in the Austin area, and came across Lone Star Towing. Two of the friendliest men (James, the owner; and Carl, the driver) were there in about 7 minutes, They were so pleasant and had the true Texan spirit. I really was happy to have someone there to help, and with friendly smiles on their faces. They got us home immediately for $65.
And funny enough, we got a phone call from AAA just as soon as Lone Star Towing showed up. They said, "We will have another truck out there in 40 minutes or more." We told them don't bother! AAA is supposed to reimburse me for this, but I am not holding my breath on that anymore.
