AAA Auto Insurance
Anyone who has taken a road trip is aware of the existence of the American Automobile Association, commonly referred to as AAA. For a reasonable fee, any driver can become a member of this, the largest auto club in North America, and receive benefits ranging from emergency roadside assistance to free maps, from a discount on rental cars, to discounts at automotive supply stores. What most people may not realize is that one of the other services of the club is AAA Auto Insurance.
Like most modern auto insurers, AAA invites prospective customers to fill out an online form in order to get a quote - which they stress is an estimate, based on basic information, with some default assumptions, including the presence of anti-lock brakes. Unlike other insurers, once a customer has their quote in hand, and the accompanying confirmation number, they must either call their local office or actually go in.
If you separate the services of AAA's auto insurance from their general club membership, the features are about what you'd expect from a mainstream insurer. They offer liability and personal medical coverage, collision and comprehensive. Unlike Progressive and Farmer's which have recently included special pet riders as part of their collision and comprehensive packages, AAA only covers pets injured while inside a car that crashes as part of the "personal property" allowance.
alarm system, the car owner can expect to get some discounts on the auto insurance policy.
What AAA does offer, that other companies do not, is a chain of "rapid repair" centers, that are intended to reduce customer wait time and increase communication between claim adjustor, mechanic, and customer. Some customer reviews have lauded this institution, others have stated that while the costs reflected are about 15-20% lower than other repair shops, in the event of a total loss this can work against you. Several consumer review websites claim that in order for a vehicle covered by AAA to be considered "totaled," repair costs must meet or exceed 115% of the vehicle's blue book value, as opposed to the 70-90% of value that other mainstream insurers allow, however, there is nothing specifically addressing such policy details anywhere on AAA's general website, so potential policyholders are advised to ask about this before committing to any coverage.
Despite this, consumer sites such as epinions.com are overwhelmingly positive. Oft-mentioned positives are friendly, competent customer service, low rates even when one's driving record isn't stellar, home/auto discount bundles, and a surprisingly liberal policy regarding rate increases after an at-fault accident (for one consumer the monthly premium increased by less than five dollars).
Is AAA auto insurance a well-kept secret? Perhaps more people aren't using them because one must first be a club member to even access decent online information, but considering that club benefits and insurance benefits often complement each other, insurance shoppers would be well advised to at least get a free quote.
|
|