That “nearest repair shop” bit tripped me up once—ended up with my car at some random place I’d never heard of, not my usual spot. A couple more things I’ve noticed:
- Some plans only cover the car, not the driver. If you’re in a rental or driving a friend’s car, you might be out of luck.
- Watch for per-incident vs. annual limits. I thought I had unlimited tows but turns out it was capped at three per year.
Honestly, I agree—double-check your credit cards and memberships (like AAA or Costco) before paying extra for insurance roadside. It’s easy to pay twice and not realize it until you need help.
I totally get the confusion with the “nearest repair shop” thing—it’s not always where you’d want your car to end up. I’m just starting out with insurance, and honestly, all those little details are wild. Your tip about checking credit cards and memberships is gold. I almost paid for roadside twice myself... it’s easy to miss that overlap if you’re not careful.
I totally get the confusion with the “nearest repair shop” thing—it’s not always where you’d want your car to end up.
That’s exactly it. My last breakdown, the tow truck wanted to take my car—a German coupe I baby—to some random garage off the highway. I had to practically beg them to go to my usual place, and even then, they tried to charge extra. Honestly, I wish insurance let you pick your shop every time. And yeah, those overlapping benefits are sneaky... I found out my Amex covers roadside after I’d already paid for it through my policy. Feels like a weird game of “who’s got you covered?”
Honestly, I get wanting to pick your own shop, but sometimes the “nearest” isn’t all bad. Had a flat in the middle of nowhere once—my only option was a tiny garage that looked sketchy, but the guy actually knew his way around German cars better than my usual place. Still, the extra charges for going out of network are ridiculous. And yeah, overlapping coverage is like a game of insurance bingo... half the time I forget which card covers what.
I totally get the confusion with overlapping coverage—my glovebox is basically a filing cabinet of random cards at this point. I do wonder if the “nearest” shop rule is just a way for insurance to keep us guessing. Still, I’d rather pay a little extra than be stranded, but those out-of-network fees sting.