CAA or ???

Joe Bass

Joe Bass

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So I have had Esso Auto Club for about 15 years or so. $150 for family for the year. I completely forgot that they are closing up shop this year, so I have to find a new autoclub.
I need this to cover multiple cars and drivers, and obviously they have to tow/ flatbed motorcycles. I very rarely travel to the US, or put of province (except Quebec) by vehicle. Most of my time is spent locally or Muskoka.
I don't even know if there are any companies other than CAA.
What do you guys use, and how do you like them?
Thanks

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haven't shopped auto clubs in years and wasn't a fan of CAA, so I'm not sure if anything new or better is out there, having said that...

used these guys for at least 6 years now... came through every time for my personal and work vehicles. had em all, breakdowns, flats, tows, ran out of gas once....

US based, huge organization, and coverage and discounts for when I travel to florida


https://www.americanmotorcyclist.com
click on roadside assistance
 
I only know of Cdn Tire and TD Bank. Cdn Tire enrollment is for each registered vehicle (no family plan that I know of). TD is only with their Visa Elite.

CAA is getting picky now. I used to just be able to give them my card # and have them assist any vehicle anywhere so it was very much a 'family plan' (for instance if my son broke down in Thunder Bay, give my # and they would go get him, no issues). Now they say I have to produce my card, so unless I am there they wont assist.

Obviously I am with CAA and for my personal issues they have been great.
 
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I was looking around a few months ago and i didn't find anything better than CAA.
I pay $120/yr and it includes motorcycle towing. I think i get 200kms total and a maximum of 4 calls/yr.
As for them being picky, i havnt had that issue. Ive almost never had my card on me and once left m brother with the car and they didnt even ask for his ID.
 
I only have had CAA...no complaints.
Towed from Airport after leak on departure but had to run anyways. Tow on 407 when tranny went.
Trackable with APP or they text you confirmations and updates on arrival time.
Drivers also always called to confirm just minutes away.

Basic is useless so $120 for CAA plus...motorcycle tow also includes bicycle tow.....you know for when you ride to the DQ (it could happen lol) and then you get a flat. HI CAA Come and get me before my ice cream melts...lol

The best part is it is no longer vehicle specific.....so if you are on a trip with a friend, family member etc, and lock keys, run out of gas or mechanical breakdown etc...you are still covered with that vehicle as you have the membership.
 
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CAA usually has some kind of deal at the motorcycle show and probably elsewhere. Haven't had any issues with them, although, once I had to renew my membership with the tow truck driver.
 
Still have to have CAA Plus for bike towing? Can Tire is the other I know of, never used. I used to have basic CAA ages ago, but haven't had any auto club for decades.
 
Riceburner said:
Still have to have CAA Plus for bike towing? Can Tire is the other I know of, never used. I used to have basic CAA ages ago, but haven't had any auto club for decades.
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Now that you mention it, I think there was a mid tier when I re-upped a couple months ago. I still went for Plus for the longer towing distances... I think? I must have had a good reason
 
AAA/CAA is the only sizeable Auto Club organization still in existence in all of North America. Even they have been feeling the pain of declining revenues over the past 5-10 years. People just aren't spending money on stuff like that as they once did. Their biggest revenue streams these days are insurance and travel sales; not the traditional Auto Club membership fees.
 
Green Meenie said:
AAA/CAA is the only sizeable Auto Club organization still in existence in all of North America. Even they have been feeling the pain of declining revenues over the past 5-10 years. People just aren't spending money on stuff like that as they once did. Their biggest revenue streams these days are insurance and travel sales; not the traditional Auto Club membership fees.
Click to expand...

I've been with CAA for over 10 years and the approximately $1500.00 in fees has bought me a couple of boosts and a tire change IIRC. Cars and tires are a lot more reliable than before and for a lot of people, money is tight.

I do plug CAA travel insurance as they don't have the cut-throat exclusion clauses.
 
nobbie48 said:
I've been with CAA for over 10 years and the approximately $1500.00 in fees has bought me a couple of boosts and a tire change IIRC. Cars and tires are a lot more reliable than before and for a lot of people, money is tight.

I do plug CAA travel insurance as they don't have the cut-throat exclusion clauses.
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I've been with them for 10 years, and my membership has easily paid for itself. I'll generally need a tow at least once per year, a single tow at minimum pays for the membership. Most trucks will charge somewhere around $80 just to hook up before they take you anywhere.

Last year they towed one bike from Markham to Etobicoke, and another bike from just east of London to Toronto (think the driver said it would run about $300-400). If for whatever reason I have to pay for a tow, CAA has always reimbursed me quickly and painlessly.

Even the years I don't use it myself, there's always a friend that needs a tow at some point.

I cannot endorse it enough
 
I've used CAA Plus for a few years now and I've been happy with the service. Been towed a few times, and my girlfriend ran out of gas one winter and they promptly took care of her.
I have had the issue where they want the card member present, (it's my girlfriends' membership - peace of mind for when she's driving with the kids), and the dispatcher was insistent that she be there with card in hand. Because I've had more use from the card than she has I've learned to say that, "yes, she's here", knowing that the driver rarely asks to see the card, and doesn't seem to care if you don't. I keep the member number on file in my phone.
Good service, and pays for itself after one use. (Motorcycle tows are crazy expensive).
 
CAA plus, had it for years, used to its max, discounts on hotels and dinners it pays for itself quite quickly. There is a huge list of places that offer a CAA discount but it does take some effort to find out which. I never check into a hotel without asking if there is a CAA discount.
 
CAA here.

I used it to tow a bike home that I bought and I couldn't ride it home. Was pretty good for that.

When I had a car collision a few years back they refused to send the tow until the Police arrived. That ****** me off.

My bike died in a gas station and needed a boost. They apparently don't do boosts on bikes so they sent a flatbed. Took awhile but it got me home.
 
slowbird said:
CAA here.

I used it to tow a bike home that I bought and I couldn't ride it home. Was pretty good for that.

When I had a car collision a few years back they refused to send the tow until the Police arrived. That ****** me off.

My bike died in a gas station and needed a boost. They apparently don't do boosts on bikes so they sent a flatbed. Took awhile but it got me home.
Click to expand...

The first two things aren't really what they're meant for though. Last one, YMMV - one guy boosted my bike and escorted me home, because he *really* didn't want to strap it down.

Lifetime use of CAA - I think three tows (one car, two bike), two boosts (one car, one bike) and two keys locked in cars. Pretty happy with it.

(Side note, I have one experience with AAA and they were useless - they couldn't find me in New Jersey, I couldn't even get them to acknowledge that Secaucus existed)
 
I have CAA+ and have used it a couple of times for bikes and more than a few times for various vehicles over the years. I see it as fairly cheap insurance.

For those of you thinking about travel insurance and if you travel more than once a year look at the paid Elite travel credit cards. You usually get the first year free, and often get $300 in free points to use for travel after first purchase and it includes travel insurance/cancelation insurance/loss and car rental insurance etc for anything booked with the card plus, depending on the card, you get free passes to the business lounges in airports. I have the BMO Elite one and the fee is $150 a year BUT that's still cheaper than me buying travel insurance for me and my wife when we travel and the other perks become freebies. Many of the lounges have free food and open bars so we get a nice start (and end) to our vacations.
 
Could you show them the card through the app? That way anyone can install the app and have the valid card with them.

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Thanks all. It looks like CAA + will be what I will get.
The fact that I only drive old vehicles and am not very good at mechanical stuff, I need it.

sent from my Purple LGG4 on the GTAM app
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