"Doesn't that mean you're kinda rolling the dice every time you call them? I'd worry about consistency, especially late at night or in bad weather..."
Yeah, that's exactly my concern too. I've had AAA for years, and honestly, their response times have gotten pretty hit-or-miss lately. Last winter, I got stuck in a snowstorm around midnight, and it took them almost two hours to get someone out to me. The dispatcher said it was because they had to rely on whoever was nearby and available, which wasn't reassuring at all.
I guess my question is—does State Farm have any kind of quality control or vetting process for the third-party providers they use? Because if they're just randomly calling whoever's closest without checking reliability or customer feedback, then you're right, it's basically gambling every time you need help. I'd feel a lot better knowing there's some kind of standard or accountability in place. Has anyone here had experience with how State Farm handles this?
I get what you're saying about AAA being inconsistent lately. I had a similar experience about six months ago—flat tire on the highway, pouring rain, and it took AAA over an hour and a half to show up. The tow guy even admitted he wasn't their usual provider, just someone nearby who got the call.
"I'd worry about consistency, especially late at night or in bad weather..."
Exactly my thoughts. After that incident, I switched to State Farm's roadside assistance. I've only had to use them once so far (battery died at work), but they were pretty quick—around 30 minutes—and the guy seemed professional enough. From what I've heard, State Farm does have some vetting process for their third-party providers, like checking licenses and customer feedback regularly. I can't say exactly how thorough it is, but at least in my limited experience, it felt more organized than AAA's recent approach.
Still, roadside assistance is always gonna be somewhat unpredictable since they're relying on local contractors. No company can guarantee perfect service every single time...but I'd rather go with someone who at least tries to screen their providers consistently. Just my two cents based on personal experience.
I've had AAA for years, and honestly, I think it's always been hit or miss. About two years ago, my alternator died at 11 pm in the middle of nowhere. AAA showed up in like 25 minutes—fastest I've ever seen them. But then last summer, my wife's car overheated downtown, middle of the day, perfect weather...and we waited almost two hours. Go figure.
I get the appeal of State Farm or other insurance-based roadside assistance, but I wonder if they're really that different. My brother-in-law has Geico's roadside service, and he swears it's just as random. Sometimes they're quick, sometimes they're painfully slow. Seems to me like all these companies are pulling from the same pool of local tow services anyway.
Maybe the real issue isn't AAA specifically, but just the nature of roadside assistance itself—you're always rolling the dice depending on who's nearby and available at that moment. Switching providers might help temporarily, but I doubt any company can consistently nail it every time. Just my experience though...
Totally get what you're saying. I've had AAA for years too and it's always been a mixed bag. Honestly, I think you're onto something about the local tow companies. AAA or insurance-based services like Geico and State Farm don't usually own their own fleet—they just contract out to local towing outfits. So your experience really depends on who's available nearby and how busy they are at that moment.
A buddy of mine runs a small towing business, and he explained it to me once: AAA contracts with multiple local providers, and when you call, they basically put out a "bid" or request to whoever's closest or quickest to respond. If it's a slow night, you might get someone in 15 minutes flat. But if it's peak hours or there's bad weather, you could be waiting forever because everyone's tied up. Plus, some tow companies prioritize direct-paying customers over roadside assistance calls because they pay better rates.
Personally, I've stuck with AAA not just for roadside assistance but because of the membership perks—hotel discounts, travel planning, DMV services, stuff like that. For me, those extras make it worth keeping around even if the roadside help can be inconsistent.
I guess the bottom line is no matter who you're with, roadside assistance will always be somewhat unpredictable. It's just the nature of the beast...
"AAA contracts with multiple local providers, and when you call, they basically put out a 'bid' or request to whoever's closest or quickest to respond."
That's exactly how a tow driver explained it to me once when I was stuck on the side of the road. He said AAA calls can sometimes be lower priority because they pay less than direct customers. Makes sense why the wait times can vary so much, especially during busy periods or bad weather.
I've also noticed AAA's roadside service seems more inconsistent than it used to be—maybe because more people rely on it now, or fewer tow companies are willing to take their calls? Still, like you said, the membership perks are pretty handy. I've saved a decent chunk on hotels and rental cars over the years, so it's not all bad.
Curious though, has anyone tried switching to roadside assistance through their auto insurance instead of AAA? Wondering if that's any better or if it's basically the same deal...
