Honestly, I get the redundancy thing, but I’m not convinced stashing keys or relying on family is the answer. With my car, I’d rather pay for a premium roadside plan (like AAA Plus or even the manufacturer’s concierge service). Insurance roadside always feels like a gamble—never sure if it’ll ding my record later. I’d rather keep those two worlds separate, even if it costs a bit more.
Insurance roadside always feels like a gamble—never sure if it’ll ding my record later. I’d rather keep those two worlds separate, even if it costs a bit more.
I get what you mean about wanting to keep insurance and roadside separate. I’ve always wondered, though—does anyone actually know if using insurance roadside shows up on your claims history? I’ve heard mixed things. Like, is it just towing or lockouts that might get flagged, or does it depend on the company? I’m all for saving a few bucks, but not if it’s gonna mess with my premiums down the line. Anyone ever had their rates go up after using insurance roadside?
I’ve actually been down this road—used my insurance’s roadside for a dead battery and later found out it showed up as an “incident” on my report. Didn’t count as a claim, but when I switched carriers, the new company somehow saw it and asked about it. My rates didn’t jump right then, but it made me paranoid. Guess it really depends on your insurer and how they code stuff. With AAA, never had that problem… just paid and moved on.
Funny, I’ve always been a bit wary of AAA just because their wait times used to be brutal in my area. But I hear you on the insurance thing—my last Benz had a flat and I called my insurer’s roadside. Next renewal, my agent started grilling me about “vehicle usage patterns.” Maybe it’s paranoia, but ever since, I just pay out of pocket or call a specialty service. Not sure there’s a perfect option... depends who you trust less, I guess.
I get where you’re coming from—insurance roadside can be a double-edged sword. A lot of folks don’t realize that even a simple tow or jumpstart might show up on your CLUE report, which can affect rates or trigger those awkward “usage” questions. If you’re risk-averse, paying out of pocket or using a third-party service keeps your insurance record clean. AAA’s not perfect either (those waits are real), but at least it doesn’t touch your policy history. It’s all about what kind of paper trail you’re comfortable with, honestly.
