Had a client get denied for a battery jump but then approved for a lockout literally two days later—same car, same location. Makes zero sense. I’ve called Progressive myself to try and get a straight answer on limits, and all I got was “it depends on usage patterns.” Not helpful. Honestly, it feels like they’re making it up as they go along. I tell people to treat roadside like a backup, not a guarantee, because you never know what mood you’ll catch them in.
Had something similar happen last summer—locked my keys in the car at a rest stop, and Progressive sent help no problem. Two weeks later, battery died in the same parking lot, and they said I’d “exceeded my usage” or whatever. Ended up calling a local tow guy and paying out of pocket. Now I just keep jumper cables and a spare key hidden (magnetic box under the bumper is a lifesaver). Roadside’s nice when it works, but yeah… wouldn’t count on it as my only plan.
Now I just keep jumper cables and a spare key hidden (magnetic box under the bumper is a lifesaver).
That’s smart. I learned the hard way too—my S-Class battery died at a remote golf course, and roadside said I’d hit my “limit” for the year. Since then, I keep a portable jump starter in the trunk. Not cheap, but it’s already paid for itself. Roadside’s convenient, but those usage caps are easy to miss in the fine print.
I get the appeal of a jump starter, but honestly, I’ve had mixed luck with them—especially on older cars with big engines. Sometimes they just don’t have enough juice. I still swear by a good set of heavy-duty jumper cables and hoping someone nearby is willing to help out. The magnetic key box is a classic move, though... saved me more than once when I locked myself out at a show.
I still swear by a good set of heavy-duty jumper cables and hoping someone nearby is willing to help out.
Same here. I’ve had one of those compact jump starters fail on me in winter—just couldn’t turn over my old V8. Cables are heavier, but at least they always work if you can flag someone down.
