Auto Costco - Roadside Assistance / Auto Club - $33.99 for 1 year! [Archive]

consumerPI

Nov 3rd, 2009, 12:39 AM

Costco, Roadside Assistance / Auto Club - $33.99 for 1 year! Plus free 90 piece kit.

This is potentially a very hot deal depending on the details of the roadside assistance. This appears to be separate from the Costco Emergency Roadside Assistance program. The carrier is "Auto Road Services, Inc."

If anyone has purchased this or looked into it, please provide the details of the service (i.e. one time use, "x" tows per year, tire repair service, etc.).

$33.99 plus taxes!!! Wow.

http://content.costco.ca/Images/Content/ProductLarge/194741cLL.jpg

http://www.costco.ca/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10330057&whse=BCCA&Ne=4000000&eCat=BCCA|20483|20738|20743&N=4009743&Mo=5&pos=4&No=3&Nr=P_CatalogName:BCCA&cat=20743&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-CA&Sp=C&ec=BCCA-EC12902-Cat20738&topnav=

aztecking

Nov 3rd, 2009, 12:51 AM

Sounds good, I don't mind giving it a try. I have to check it out instore though since i dont want to play 12.99$ for shipping....

Rekognize

Nov 3rd, 2009, 12:52 AM

Not a bad price, the kit is probably worth that much by itself

consumerPI

Nov 3rd, 2009, 03:15 AM

This is weird for a stand up company like Costco to be partnered in this "scheme".......

http://roadservice.com/home.htm

Looks like this company uses Roadside Assistance as a vehicle to help Costco and other "clients" sell other products like tires and batteries.

WEIRD.

Anyway, can someone post the details once you know them please?
Thanks.

brunes

Nov 3rd, 2009, 06:24 AM

They have these kits in store as well, as this coupon was in the weekly specials. They are probably cheaper in-store and you could check out the coverage. Anyone able to go look?

alkaseltzer01

Nov 3rd, 2009, 08:36 AM

So anyone can have this kit in their car and be eligible for the roadside assistance too?

Example, a member can buy this for a non-member and the non-member has roadside assistance?

henryan

Nov 3rd, 2009, 10:23 AM

Any detail for the road side service? how many km for each tow, etc.

marty5898

Nov 3rd, 2009, 11:11 AM

Any detail for the road side service? how many km for each tow, etc.

Found this:
http://content.costco.ca/Images/Content/Misc/PDF/Roadside_Assistance_ENG.pdf

but did not have time to read through it all.

ipassgas

Nov 3rd, 2009, 11:14 AM

The link above is for costco's roadside assistance, not the roadside assistance sold in the package in this thread (I don't think).
Costco roadside assistance is only 10km/tow and $3.25 per additional km!!!!

consumerPI

Nov 4th, 2009, 04:14 AM

story

Nov 4th, 2009, 04:56 AM

So this is just a kit and you register yourself online or something?

majesus

Nov 4th, 2009, 10:30 AM

Thanks for the Info OP

Looks promising, I may go get this, but like a few other members said, very interested in knowing the details of the Roadside coverage.

Fx45

Nov 4th, 2009, 11:19 AM

The kit itself looks worth the $30, so this seems low risk to me. Better than the $160 or whatever it is these days for a full priced CAA membership.

Rekognize

Nov 4th, 2009, 11:50 AM

The kit itself looks worth the $30, so this seems low risk to me. Better than the $160 or whatever it is these days for a full priced CAA membership.

CAA Plus is $100/yr

look30

Nov 4th, 2009, 12:00 PM

I would say this deal is COLD because I would NEVER touch anything else than CAA.
I used to have the CT roadside assistance and it was cheap but... it's per vehicle not driver like CAA so U will have to buy and extra one for the second vehicle.
It's VERY basic, only 20 km which is nothing , and it's subcontracted to shady towing operators like CT one .
I had to way 3 hours in a cold November two years ago waiting for the tow operator while at least 3 (three) CAA towing truck where hovering around doing nothing. It was an uneventful day and the CT guy was keep telling me that the wait time was 45 minutes... every time I was calling during those 3 hours.
When I called them back they said it's not in their hands but it was the rust bucket of towing truck driver who was not "a serious partner".

Keep this story in mind when getting on this "deal"....

brunes

Nov 4th, 2009, 12:03 PM

Checked this out tonight. Same price in store at $33.99 with coupon.

The package had a tag that said, up to 3 tows for the year with a $60 CDN max. per tow. WTF?

Doesn't just talking to the tow truck guy cost you $60? What the hell does $60 get you? Any tow truck operators know?
It's usually $50- $60 hook up fee than $2-$3 / km I think.

Which, IMO, makes nearly all auto clubs a total waste of money. How many times has your car been towed in the past 10 years? I know for me, with two cars, it is zero.

What are the odds your car is going to brake down at all, let alone more than 30-40 KM from a garage - because that is how far it would have to be to make a $100 auto club worth it.

All Mastercards (and most Visas) have roadside assistance through Master Assist or 1-800-VISA-TOW. The trick is there is no "free coverage" - you call their 1-800 number and pre-negotiated rates are charged to your card.

I look at it this way - roadside assistance is just another form of insurance. You are paying $100 - $200 or whatever / year insurance in cas eyour car breaks down you you't have to pay for the tow. If you think the odds of your car breaking down are pretty low, then it is not worth it.

There is no point in subscribing to roadside assistance just to have a 1-800 number to call because all credit cards offer that service for free anyway. The only difference is you have to pay for the tow.

If your car was new through the dealer over the past 5-10 years it probably comes with it's own roadside assistance anyway - my Hyundai and my previous Mazda both did.

story

Nov 4th, 2009, 12:19 PM

These clubs is good if you have an older car. They just won't start out of nowhere. In BC, I bought Road Side Plus from ICBC so I have car rental on any claims.

maniacshopper

Nov 4th, 2009, 01:45 PM

stealth

Nov 4th, 2009, 02:51 PM

I havent needed a tow since I got CAA 3 yrs ago. Before that, I'd get one every 18months or so. Same car.
Sucks.

There arre times when I'd want a fair bit of miles for a tow...I have amechanic near my house that I deal with exclusively and dont get ripped off. If my car broke on the way to the cottage (about 170kms away) I'd want to bring it back here rather than take my chances on a vulture or clown mechanic near the breakdown.

Rekognize

Nov 4th, 2009, 03:02 PM

If my car broke on the way to the cottage (about 170kms away) I'd want to bring it back here rather than take my chances on a vulture or clown mechanic near the breakdown.

I have CAA Plus and it's up to 200km towing :)

Godfather

Nov 4th, 2009, 03:34 PM

Here's a scan of the road side assistance program that comes with this package:
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/6526/scan1cv.th.jpg (http://img196.imageshack.us/i/scan1cv.jpg/)

pshch

Nov 4th, 2009, 07:06 PM

Here's a scan of the road side assistance program that comes with this package:
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/6526/scan1cv.th.jpg (http://img196.imageshack.us/i/scan1cv.jpg/)

...program is limited to 60$ per incident...program is limited to 3 incidents per year including one tow event...allow 45 days to receive you own roadside assistance card...roadside assistance is not available until you receive your roadside assistance card...

FerrisB

Nov 4th, 2009, 07:25 PM

one tow costs about the same as a CAA membership.

At least! My last tow was from Toronto to Barrie and it was $250.

CAA Plus with 200km is totally worth it.

I made the mistake of getting roadside assistance with my PC Financial Car Insurance. The one time I had to call I was informed I would have to pay for every km over 10, and on top of that they would ONLY tow me whatever mechanic was closest to my location!! If I wanted to be towed somewhere else I would have to pay for the entire tow!!! (the closest mechanic was some run down dump named Sunrise Auto). I had to complain loudly and speak with 2 managers before they finally agreed to tow me to my VW dealer. I canceled the next day.

brunes

Nov 4th, 2009, 09:05 PM

my dad has CAA. I'll tell you he's had his car towed home at least 7 times in the last 6 years.

it was well worth it, if you drive an old car. Not everyone drives a brand new car. one tow costs about the same as a CAA membership.

Or you could just maintain your vehilce properly....

7 times in 6 years? Give me a break. My 1999 Dodge Neon is the biggest POS car you can ever get, but it has never broken down, because I maintain it properly.

chen0289

Nov 4th, 2009, 09:17 PM

is there a list how much each service cost? since its covered up to $60 per service? a boost is not going to cost more then $60 is it? is it covered only for the registered driver, or per car like Canadian Tire is?

also on a site note, does any roadside assistance provider tow when the car get into a accident and is unable to be driven? or does the broken car have to be in working condition?

almuf

Nov 4th, 2009, 10:15 PM

if you need 90 piece kit, then it is a good deal.
but if you are going to buy for Road Assistance. it's crap for me.

if you are not driving very old car,keep your car proper, it should be enough. if you get broken on the way, you pay the tow once :)my car never broken down last 7 years so i saved 700bucks not being a member of CAA:)

orion_pax

Nov 5th, 2009, 12:22 AM

Or you could just maintain your vehilce properly....

7 times in 6 years? Give me a break. My 1999 Dodge Neon is the biggest POS car you can ever get, but it has never broken down, because I maintain it properly.

There are some things that no matter how much maintenance you do, it might be faulty. A couple of weeks back I had a flat tire which I couldn't change myself because the dealership tightened the bolts so tightly, it wouldn't budge. So I had to tow the car to a garage in the middle of the night. The tire was just 1 year old and probably saw less than 10K kms

RaidZero

Nov 5th, 2009, 01:11 AM

Or you could just maintain your vehilce properly....

7 times in 6 years? Give me a break. My 1999 Dodge Neon is the biggest POS car you can ever get, but it has never broken down, because I maintain it properly.

You have no idea about cars and, if what you say it's true, you are very lucky. A break down can happen regardless of how good you maintain your car. Then you will need towing. I had such a problem recently, and I had a towing shark tow me 5 kms. He charged $120, and I was in no position for negotiating. Then I got CAA Plus for $100 and change, and they towed me 20 kms to my mechanic without any issues, and would have towed me back or to another mechanic if the first one was not adequate.

Billa-786

Nov 5th, 2009, 01:15 AM

Or you could just maintain your vehilce properly....

7 times in 6 years? Give me a break. My 1999 Dodge Neon is the biggest POS car you can ever get, but it has never broken down, because I maintain it properly.

Crap can happen even if you mantain your car. the one year I decide not to get roadside assistance, because the previous year went eventless,...and I end up stranded by the side of the highway. Tow cost me more than a membership, not to mention I had it towed to a 2nd choice mechanic. IMO CT gold membership is the best. for $100 you get 5 calls and 250km limit, along with a coupon for 1 free oilchange (approx$30 value) and sometimes they even have additional offers. If you can't afford an extra $6 / month for full roadside assistance coverage on your older vehicle, you shouldn't really be driving a car in the first place.

Riddick

Nov 5th, 2009, 07:56 AM

Crap can happen even if you mantain your car. the one year I decide not to get roadside assistance, because the previous year went eventless,...and I end up stranded by the side of the highway. Tow cost me more than a membership, not to mention I had it towed to a 2nd choice mechanic. IMO CT gold membership is the best. for $100 you get 5 calls and 250km limit, along with a coupon for 1 free oilchange (approx$30 value) and sometimes they even have additional offers. If you can't afford an extra $6 / month for full roadside assistance coverage on your older vehicle, you shouldn't really be driving a car in the first place.
Me too. A couple of years ago, I was not going to renew my CAA membership as I never needed or called them. Then, I got stranded north of Barrie, caught in a snowdrift/ditch in the middle of a big snowstorm. All I needed was a tow of about 10 feet to get my car back on the road, and CAA was there to save me. To think I was 3 days from letting my membership expire!

majesus

Nov 5th, 2009, 10:40 AM

majesus

Nov 5th, 2009, 10:47 AM

Here's a scan of the road side assistance program that comes with this package:
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/6526/scan1cv.th.jpg (http://img196.imageshack.us/i/scan1cv.jpg/)
Thanks GodFather! :)

...program is limited to 60$ per incident...program is limited to 3 incidents per year including one tow event...allow 45 days to receive you own roadside assistance card...roadside assistance is not available until you receive your roadside assistance card...
Auto Costco - Roadside Assitance / Auto Club for $33.99 for 1 year is very misleading. I hate BS advertising like this, should be outlawed.

pshch

Nov 5th, 2009, 11:05 AM

There are some things that no matter how much maintenance you do, it might be faulty. A couple of weeks back I had a flat tire which I couldn't change myself because the dealership tightened the bolts so tightly, it wouldn't budge. So I had to tow the car to a garage in the middle of the night. The tire was just 1 year old and probably saw less than 10K kms

Of course id depends on your build but buy a 24" breaker bar for 15$ and you will be able to unlock virtually any bolt.

Sinoed

Nov 5th, 2009, 03:11 PM

The CT membership service depends on what plan you get.

No.. I think CT service is universally bad unless you happen to get very lucky. I had a Gold membership once, and never again.

One freezing night in February I locked my keys in the car so I called Autoclub to help. I sat for 1.5 hours before a tow truck arrived. Exhausted but happy to see an Autoclub truck arrive I ran out and the guy rolled down his window saying "Can I help you..?". Confused, I replied "Aren't you going to unlock my car..?". And he said, "Umm.. no, that's the other guy who is doing your car". I tried to talk to him, since I could see no reason why on earth it wasn't possible for him to do a five minute job but he said that it was company policy, trucks were assigned on a rotating basis and I'd have to wait. He then rolled up his window and proceeded to sit in the parking lot filling out paperwork while I waited for another hour for *my* tow truck.

After being stuck for 2.5 hours the 'other' truck arrived and unlocked my car in five minutes and was gone. I was pretty unhappy so I called CT customer service several times over the following weeks. Everytime I called I was told that *someone* was looking into it, there would be a followup and they would let me know what had happened and why I was stuck needlessly like that. Eventually I gave up, and no one bothered to ever call me back.

I called to cancel my Autoclub membership and literally sat on the phone for over a half hour arguing with a guy who kept trying to 'sell' me the service, promising me that Autoclub was never like that. It took forever but I was finally free of CT (or so I thought!). A few weeks later, my VISA statement came in complete with charges for AutoClub which had been renewed without my consent. When I called customer service about it they refused to do anything since they apparently had no record of me calling to cancel my membership. Unfortunately, I had to get VISA involved and go through a chargeback process to straighten the mess out.

On the few occasions I've had to use CAA drivers are super friendly, tow trucks arrive fast and I've never had any problems.

FWIW, I'd buy this for the auto kit, but seriously think twice about using any of the *towing services*. A few dollars will save you a ton of aggravation.

consumerPI

Nov 10th, 2009, 03:51 AM

This deal is looking worse and worse. Was at Walmart tonight and they have 2 Auto Emergency Kits from "Superex" for $24.97 and $34.97. The more expensive one just has more junk in it. All three claim to have up to $180 worth of free Raodside Assistance for 1 year - probably from the same company.

So, if you don't need the junk, "Roadside Assistance" can be had for as little as $24.97/year. But I use the term "Roadside Assistance" loosely here and it will get you hardly anywhere if you need a tow. A Big pass for me and may simply pick up a Canadian Tire membership again.

brunes

Nov 10th, 2009, 07:09 AM

Me too. A couple of years ago, I was not going to renew my CAA membership as I never needed or called them. Then, I got stranded north of Barrie, caught in a snowdrift/ditch in the middle of a big snowstorm. All I needed was a tow of about 10 feet to get my car back on the road, and CAA was there to save me. To think I was 3 days from letting my membership expire!
You guys talk like CAA is the only tow company that exists... you could have called any tow company in existence to tow you out of a ditch for < $100.

If you are so worried about this once-every-5-years-accident then you should just take the $120 every year and put it into a "tow account", and use that to pay the tow bill if and when it ever comes. After 10 years you will have so much extra in it you can go on a weekend vacation or something.

You guys need to remember - insurance companies (and yes CAA is an insurance company, they just sell "tow insurance") do not make money unless the odds of you using the insurance are lower than the premium. They have actuaries who make sure this is the case, and set their prices accordingly. You will *never* come out ahead in the long haul paying ofr insurance. Tow insurance is silly because the resulting cost is not a life-affecting cost. It is not like car insurance or homeowners insurance where the potential bills are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars or more, which is why it is smart/required by law to purchase those insurances.

Do the math.... CAA and similar services are no better than buying extended warranty at Future Shop.

chen0289

Nov 15th, 2009, 11:22 PM

so does it mean if we need a boost, we pay $60 max? or we pay anything thats over the $60 mark?

tigger03

Nov 16th, 2009, 12:18 AM

Not only have I had to use CAA for myself, I've also used it for family members (towing their broken down car to a mechanic). I've used it to tow, boost my battery, and even unlock my car b/c I left my keys inside (twice!!)

It covers me as a driver, and having the card also entitles me to other perks such as discounts (see their website) and even maps for long roadtrips.

Whether I use their services or not, $100 for a peace of mind is always there.

Nov 16th, 2009, 12:21 AM

My interpretation is you will get $60 back per incident.

RaidZero

Nov 16th, 2009, 12:32 AM

You guys talk like CAA is the only tow company that exists... you could have called any tow company in existence to tow you out of a ditch for < $100.

If you are so worried about this once-every-5-years-accident then you should just take the $120 every year and put it into a "tow account", and use that to pay the tow bill if and when it ever comes. After 10 years you will have so much extra in it you can go on a weekend vacation or something.

You guys need to remember - insurance companies (and yes CAA is an insurance company, they just sell "tow insurance") do not make money unless the odds of you using the insurance are lower than the premium. They have actuaries who make sure this is the case, and set their prices accordingly. You will *never* come out ahead in the long haul paying ofr insurance. Tow insurance is silly because the resulting cost is not a life-affecting cost. It is not like car insurance or homeowners insurance where the potential bills are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars or more, which is why it is smart/required by law to purchase those insurances.

Do the math.... CAA and similar services are no better than buying extended warranty at Future Shop.

You are right and wrong... Rigth, CAA is not the only towing company. There are others. I am not sure how much the others are charging in NB, but in TO they are damn expensive.
A few weeks ago I had a problem with the transmission at one of my cars while driving in Toronto. It was 1:00 AM and it was cold and raining. I had to wait for an hour for a tow truck, which charged over $100 to tow me home, which was only a few kilometers away. Since haggling was not an option, I payed.
If I would have had a CAA membership, I would have saved right then and there a few bucks. But no, I did not have one. I got it though the very next day. A week later, when it came into effect, I called them and they towed my car to a mechanic. He fixed the car, but it may have been one of those guys who says "I have to change your engine as well", I guess you know the type. If he would have been like that, I would have called CAA again and moved the car to another mechanic, or home.
How much do you think I would have spent without CAA? A few years out of that towing fund, at least.

zombie999

Nov 16th, 2009, 01:05 AM

I would have called CAA again and moved the car to another mechanic, or home.
How much do you think I would have spent without CAA? A few years out of that towing fund, at least.

CAA will NOT re-tow your car. One tow per incident.

consumerPI

Nov 16th, 2009, 03:24 AM

Technically, CAA and CT will not tow you from the same place that they towed you to. Unless of course you lie and make something up or you push your car down the street to another address - but that's borderline fraud?

I'm still not convinced in getting a membership, but to each their own. This really is like insurance. You mentioned that you would have been out at least a couple of years from the "towing fund", but if you look at the last 10 years or 5 years, we each need to ask ourselves, how much have we spent on towing related services?

I used to purchase CT/CAA every single year. But over the past couple of years, I decided to forgo it as I determined that over the last 10 years, I've needed two tows and one battery boost. Definitely less than the $800-1,000 that it would have cost over that period.

.......
If I would have had a CAA membership, I would have saved right then and there a few bucks. But no, I did not have one. I got it though the very next day. A week later, when it came into effect, I called them and they towed my car to a mechanic. He fixed the car, but it may have been one of those guys who says "I have to change your engine as well", I guess you know the type. If he would have been like that, I would have called CAA again and moved the car to another mechanic, or home.
How much do you think I would have spent without CAA? A few years out of that towing fund, at least.

consumerPI

Nov 16th, 2009, 03:25 AM

That's my guess as well.

My interpretation is you will get $60 back per incident.

chen0289

Nov 16th, 2009, 06:31 PM

That's my guess as well.

so whats the "standard" rate in the industry for a boost?

kooblu

Nov 16th, 2009, 10:59 PM

i just went with CAA as well. couldn't start my car one time but after a few tries it started, lucky me. then it couldn't start at all but luckily it was at home. turned out to be corroded terminal on the battery. the feeling of can't start your car is not fun, especially on a cold day or maybe stuck on the highway. especially when your family is in the car too. it's great that it covers any car as long as the coverage person is there. so if your dad/friend/wife, etc. needs a tow, just drive to them and they're covered. great if you have multiple cars too.

and yes it is like buying any insurance, totally agree with that. like life insurance, you buy it cause you never know. think of this, the chances of you getting in an accident and getting killed is more likely than your car breaking down. some may think vice versa. either way makes you wanna buy the "insurance."