# road side assistance



## couchman (Oct 10, 2013)

My memebership for roadside assistance is up in a week. I currently was using Elite (bought through Costco). Did use it once and service was great. However Costco has dropped them and they are now offering "Standard Plus Roadside assistance" $54.99 per year. I have read some reviews and they seem to be mixed. What are you people using. Other than CAA I have all the details on that one and are you happy.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Costco still offers DAA services other than the standard for $54.99 like the SOS Roadside Service Single Membership Package for $99 and a family plan for $169. I have a few friends on CAA, they are happy enough to stay with it though the prices are slightly higher and the wait times are a little high sometimes. I think it really comes down to the plan details and what works for you, each company has had both good and bad reviews.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

couchman said:


> My memebership for roadside assistance is up in a week. I currently was using Elite (bought through Costco). Did use it once and service was great. However Costco has dropped them and they are now offering "Standard Plus Roadside assistance" $54.99 per year. I have read some reviews and they seem to be mixed. What are you people using. Other than CAA I have all the details on that one and are you happy.



This question comes up every year on this forum.

I have used CAA when I was driving, because if my vehicle stopped because of a mechanical malfunction and I was unable to get it going, I could call CAA and have my vehicle towed all the way home, rather than find a motel at extra cost in a strange place on the highway waiting for a garage to be open to look at it.


This is especially *useful at night or a sunday *when most
garages are closed and nobody can help you fix it. 

http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/roadside-assistance-comparison.htm


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

I currently have a CAA Plus membership (family plan) and since I never use it, I'm considering opting for the emergency road side assistance endorsement from my auto insurer or cutting the cord all together. Has anyone considered one of these endorsements under their auto policy? The one I'm looking at you get: Emergency towing, Flat tire change, Battery jump start, Fuel delivery, Winching service & Vehicle lockout/locksmith services. For $40/yr you get up to 4 incidents per year (up to $100 each incident). You pay anything over $100 for any one incident.

I guess it depends on many km's you drive and how far a distance you tend to travel on a regular basis. Pick the cheapest plan you think will cover your needs.

One could always consider self-insuring, save up the money you pay on yearly basis and use those funds as your own personal roadside assistance plan.


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

For my 15-year-old car, I don't mind the CAA annual fee, basic membership for piece of mind.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Synergy said:


> One could always consider self-insuring, save up the money you pay on yearly basis and use those funds as your own personal roadside assistance plan.


Since I can change a tire myself.. know how to use booster cables.. haven't locked myself out since I was 16.. never ran out of gas before.. have a smatphone to look up services in case of.. I figure I'm ahead a few $ks by now

Are people in Canada scared to ask strangers or a friend/neighbour for a boost or for a drive to a gas station or for a winch? This has always been a simple solution and it takes about as long as waiting for a pro to show up.


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## birdman (Feb 12, 2013)

Quit BCAA 45 yrs ago and have never needed it since. I wonder how much I have saved since then, plus of course the income from the money. Like all insurance, the business is designed to make money and there is overhead which you pay for. In my opinion and provided you can afford the risk, self insurance is the way to go.


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## NorthernRaven (Aug 4, 2010)

couchman said:


> My memebership for roadside assistance is up in a week. I currently was using Elite (bought through Costco). Did use it once and service was great. However Costco has dropped them and they are now offering "Standard Plus Roadside assistance" $54.99 per year. I have read some reviews and they seem to be mixed. What are you people using. Other than CAA I have all the details on that one and are you happy.


There's two main categories of packages out there based on towing distance, and two main towing options. For distance, there's usually a "basic, short distance" plan, which provides towing for, generally, 5-20km depending on the provider. Presumably this is meant for city commuters, who will usually be close to a service station. A "long distance" plan generally provides towing distances of 160-250km. When towed, the plan will either tow to what they determine as the "nearest qualified facility", or to a facility of your choice. "Your choice" towing is fairly rare (obviously, the average tow will be more costly), and is mainly provided through CAA.

Aside from CAA, most plans whatever their branding are actually provided "white-label" by a few large companies that specialize in doing this (Sykes, AXA, Dominion/DAA, etc); they also provide many of the automakers' packages for new-car buyers. The underlying structure is going to be similar, with each of the branding partners paying for a slightly different mix of distance, calls, reimbursement, etc. Most of these (even CAA I think in many places) have contract arrangements with tow services, so you may wind up dealing with many of the same tow operators in small or medium sized towns. It will also be very hard to get reliable info on whether service is better with Plan A vs. Plan B, since anecdotes will be highly dependant on the where and when (Toronto on quiet midday vs. Lower Ruritania in a snowstorm). 

I was taking a look at this awhile ago, and the basic plans tend to run around $55-80, while long-distance plans are generally around $80-100 (before taxes). CAA is pricier, their long-distance ("Plus") plan generally (price and features different slightly by region) runs around $130 after tax (CAA also has a Premier plan for a bit more which provides one 320km tow, and some other goodies).

If you have a new car, you probably have some sort roadside assistance (anywhere from 1-5 years, I got 3 years from Mazda) for the vehicle. If you are picky about where you have your vehicle towed, a "your-choice" towing plan may be worth the extra cost. Some providers have a "pay-per-use" option - you pay a small annual fee, and then pay for each service call at their "preferred" rate with the provider; may be a good option when travelling far from familiar surroundings and just wanting a number to call, or to avoid being completely hosed trying to choose a provider.


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## NorthernRaven (Aug 4, 2010)

Here's the long-distance assistance plans I came across - most of these have a cheaper short-tow version as well. There's usually options for additional cardholders or family. Some don't cover motorcycles, RVs, or various sorts of heavier vehicles, or have an extra cost. I'll assume everyone can find their regional CAA plans.


Costco SOS Roadside - $100 - 8 callouts, 250km towing radius to their choice of nearest qualified service. Dominion/DAA.
Esso Auto Club Deluxe - $106.80 - 6 callouts, their choice max 160km. Sykes.
Canadian Tire Roadside: $100, 6 callouts, 250km radius to *your choice* of destination. Unlimited tows to Canadian Tire service centres. This package covers *a specified vehicle*, not the person as is usually the case. I believe CT does white-label service for some of the automakers as "Professional Dispatch Group".
TD Auto Club (available to TD credit card customers) - $80 (free for TD Gold Elite Visa cardholders) - 200km towing to nearest qualified facility. Provided by AXA (TD used Sykes until Oct 2013 and had "your-choice" towing then).
BMO Roadside Assistance - $100 (available to BMO Mastercard clients): unlimited callouts, to nearest qualified within 250km; Provider: DAA. Also, I believe all BMO Mastercard clients have free access to this on a pay-as-you-go basis, and BMO Cashback World Mastercard includes free basic ($70, short-tow) coverage.

Also, AXA (which provides the TD package), also has their own consumer brand, Vengo, which would let you buy the equivalent of the TD Auto Club package at around the same price. They also have an a la carte version that lets you substitute "your-choice" towing up to 150 or 250 km, but the pricing puts it at CAA levels, so you might as well just get CAA.

There's probably others wrapping a white-label product - I'd be interested in other packages people know about.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

NorthernRaven said:


> There's probably others wrapping a white-label product - I'd be interested in other packages people know about.


The chance you take with any of these services is what you can actually get when you really need the services.

*Some other things to consider: 160 to 250km tows
*
In this cold winter, standing at the side of a busy highway in sub zero winter weather waiting for a tow vehicle is not fun. You may or may not be able to sit in your own vehicle, depending on the nature of the breakdown and where it is located strategically. 

If you car is in a ditch, and totally disabled, and there is no risk of fire, you may be able to sit in it to stay warm..at least sheltered from wind chill, but that is not always the case.

The other issue is how many occupants are in the car?.. and how do THEY get home? 

Most towing companies have their policies that includes 'NO RIDERS", so that may present a dilemma on the spot for you and your family to get back home...or to the nearest shelter and then arrange then to get back home.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/tow-truck-industry-ontario-drafts-new-rules-1.2610604

I suppose if you are a single driver and there is enough seat belts, in the truck, usually no more than 2 extra sets
in a truck cab, then the driver may allow you to ride back with him, but in most cases you may be left on your
own to get back home. So in some cases, you would need to call a taxi to get to the nearest Greyhound station
to get back home, or wait in a motel for a day or two to get your vehicle repaired.`

I found a taxi fare estimator for Toronto just as a thing of interest. Assuming your vehicle breaks down on the 401 inside the GTA and you need to get to Oshawa (as an example).
....the taxi fare could be as much as $110
and that is only about 60km depending on where your car breaks down on the 401.

Some intercity taxi rides may be negotiable with the driver, but if it costs about $110 for 60km, using that number as an example, a `flat rate negotiated`160km ride may be double that ($200+) and a 250km taxi ride maybe even more.

But, if you have a baby or a couple toddlers whinning constantly that they want to go home..you may be at the point where you pull out the plastic and tell the taxi...`just get us home please!

A taxi ride of 160km to 250km will be *very expensive *in most cases if that is the only way to get
home, so it is a larger component expense of the overall roadside assistance package.


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## Jim9guitars (May 5, 2012)

I'm a confirmed CAA member, they get top marks from direct experience from me.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Jim9guitars said:


> I'm a confirmed CAA member, they get top marks from direct experience from me.


Jim... (and yer 9 guitars...I only have 5 now :biggrin

Have you used your CAA membership? If so, for what reason and how responsive were they?


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## PharmD (Dec 21, 2011)

I have the TD Auto Club as part of their All Inclusive Account and I just wanted to add that in January 2014 I had to get my vehicle towed and while they did not give me the option to tow my vehicle anywhere they did give me numerous options. The place they tow my car was actually probably 15 minute drive away and there are many closer places. I would call it your choice within the area you are.

Their service provider was fine in my circumstance as well. They took a while, but it was about -30 degrees that day so it is to be expected.


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## amitdi (May 31, 2012)

What are the pay as you go services? BMO is one, are there any other? I just drive in the city, so I would prefer a pay as you go towing and repair even if it costs a bit more.


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## NorthernRaven (Aug 4, 2010)

amitdi said:


> What are the pay as you go services? BMO is one, are there any other? I just drive in the city, so I would prefer a pay as you go towing and repair even if it costs a bit more.


It looks like Canadian Tire used to have a pay-per-use option, but it doesn't seem to exist currently.

Vengo has a $20 annual fee Mini plan for pay-per-use access to their roadside assistance. They are the consumer brand of AXA, which powers TD's Auto Club and I think some of the vehicle manufaturers.


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## Jim9guitars (May 5, 2012)

carverman said:


> Jim... (and yer 9 guitars...I only have 5 now :biggrin
> 
> Have you used your CAA membership? If so, for what reason and how responsive were they?


I signed up about two years ago because I like that they cover me no matter what vehicle I am driving. As it turns out I have only needed them with my own car. Last year I woke up to a dead battery, they had a truck there to give me a boost within 20 minutes and sent me a text to alert me he was 5 minutes away. He got me started and pointed out that my battery was the original one that came with this car and might be on it's way out. He said they carry, sell and install new batteries on site, which proved to be useful the next day. I did some price checking in between and found their prices were competitive. Last month the starter died and again, they arrived fast, tried to boost and then towed me to a service center of my choosing. I used to have Canadian Tire but they took a lot longer to show up each time and only covered the car I registered as my own. That, plus a bad experience with their service centre prompted me to look around.


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