# Is CAA worth it?



## Sherlock

Anybody have it? CAA Plus is $113/year (basic membership won't work for me because I also have a motorcycle and you need CAA Plus for them to tow motorcycles). Do you think it's worth the cost?

I've never had CAA because I've always kept my cars well maintained and reliable, and the 3 times I've got a flat tire I've always put my spare on myself. But if you get the CAA Mastercard you get CAA points with which you can renew your membership so essentially you get membership for free. Does anyone here do this?


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## Plugging Along

It is if your vehicle breaks down unexpectedly. 

Our other vehicle was getting old so it broke down three times in a few weeks. My kids were in it two of the times. It was worth the member ship for us. 

If you can do most of the stuff yourself and don't have little ones depending on the car then it might not be worth it as much.


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## lightcycle

If you travel often, CAA membership gives you some pretty decent discounts on car rentals and hotels.


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## Sherlock

I drive a well maintained reliable vehicle. Should I still get CAA?


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## mind_business

It's like buying a lottery ticket ... eventually you 'might' be glad you bought it.


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## RBull

I've never had it before either but am now looking at it. I've mostly had newer vehicles with warranty etc. 

I don't know for sure but I am seriously considering it for 3 reasons. 

1. coverage of my motorcycle for flat tires, dead battery etc. this can be costly and a big inconvenience if it happens
2. 2 of our cars are now out warranty 
3. we are retired & soon to be retired and plan to do a lot more traveling. Discounts may help at some accommodations and trip planning assistance may be beneficial


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## wendi1

I think it's worth it for kids and people who cannot, for whatever reason, change their own flat tires. 

I don't have it (but I do know how to change a flat tire, and I carry jumper cables in my older car). The problem is, on the days you want it most (when your battery dies on the coldest day of the year), everyone else is in line in front of you.


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## Plugging Along

The other thing for you to be aware of is that there is a regular membership and the gold one. For years we just had the regulars, and if we really needed the benefits of the gold, would just upgrade before we called. Now, CAA has changed their policy the gold benefits will not kick in for 24 or 48 hours. This is primarily with towing if your need to be towed more than 20 km. 

If you need just the flat tire service, or the boost then the regular service may be good enough. I look at it as insurance. I travel a lot and am driving a lot, so for me it really peace of mind.


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## Sherlock

I've never heard of regular/gold before? Where did you get this info? On their website, you can get Basic, Plus, or Premier.


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## Plugging Along

Sorry, I meant basic vs premier. My new card they gave me was gold.


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## birdman

Haven't had it for over 35 years and have probably saved $3,500. in annual premiums plus the interest thereon and the best part is that I have never needed their services since I left. In my opinion, if you can afford the occasional problem, self insure and you will be much further ahead. I just took a quick look at BCAA financial statements and they took in $56 million in membership fees and the cost of roadside assistance (which is the only service I would use) was on $16 million. Insurance is expensive.


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## FrugalTrader

Costco offers a service called DAA which costs around $80. The beauty of that service is that it covers all drivers in a household in any vehicle. For example, if I was driving a friends vehicle (or even a passenger), and it broke down, it would be eligible for DAA service.


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## carverman

wendi1;223069[B said:


> ]I think it's worth it for kids and people who cannot, for whatever reason, change their own flat tires.
> [/B]
> I don't have it (but I do know how to change a flat tire, and I carry jumper cables in my older car). The problem is, on the days you want it most (when your battery dies on the coldest day of the year), everyone else is in line in front of you.


Changing a flat tire at -20c is not a fun thing. First of all, you will be off the side of the road somewhere with traffic whizzing by you at 120kph..so if the flat tire is on the traffic side..you have to be especially careful not to be in the right hand traffic lane..imagine trying to undo frozen wheel nuts with a transport truck going past you while you are struggling with a rinky-dink wheel wrench (useless) that the car manufacturer supplies. In most cases you can't even get those nuts off because they are torqued on so hard with a garage air wrench that you need gorilla strength to even try to budge them! Changing a flat tire at night is extremely difficult.

Dead Battery; This happens a lot in severe winters such as we are having, and with older batteries beyond 4 years. Trying to start a frozen car with a partially charged frozen battery on a -25c morning..
well..no body expects that to happen, and everyone gets caught,unless you change your battery every 3 or 4 years. In those extreme temperatures, even CAA gets overloaded with calls and the wait times can run several hours or even a day or two before they come around to your place. If you are caught with a dead battery on an expressway, they will usually come much faster. 

So other than a mechanical or electrical fault that renders your car undriveable, these are the two main things that people need roadside assistance,


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## dave2012

I just bought CAA the other week. I already have coverage on our vehicle, but I figure the savings just in booking hotels (and others) that offer CAA discounts will pay for the basic membership. Something to consider if you have the opportunities to take advantage of the discounts elsewhere.


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## Four Pillars

Sherlock said:


> I drive a well maintained reliable vehicle. Should I still get CAA?


Nobody can answer this.

Can a well maintained reliable vehicle break down?

CAA is just insurance - you have to think of the ramifications if your car breaks down and decide from there.


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## NorthKC

I don't have CAA as my extended warranty on my car came with 24hr Roadside Assistance (will have this for the next 7 years). However, growing up, we never had a need. We've always made sure to keep a little bit of cash with us to pay tow truck driver (nowadays, most if not all now come with CC receipt book) and we all knew how to change a tire. Sure, I've done it at -25C at night but at least I can do it.

CAA is definitely good for those who doesn't know how to jump start a car or change a tire or they cannot physically do so. Bottom line, always keep a little money on hand and on your CC if you don't have some sort of roadside assistance.


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## hystat

I think it's worth it. I have it and I'm a licensed mechanic and my car has roadside assistance on it from the manuf. 
I like the 250km towing. I can get my vehicle home where I can fix it cheaply. One home repair vs. some highway-side garage will pay for many years coverage. 

I would avoid the competitive programs where the car is covered instead of the driver. The response times can be 3 or 4 hours when their call center located in the US or wherever gets backed up. 
CAA seems to be 10 minutes in my area. 45 minutes in a blizzard. I have the option of calling the local CAA garage direct. 

The CAA shop in town gives a coupon for $100 when you show them your receipt for CAA premium membership. That's 4 free oil changes. No brainer.


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## carverman

hystat said:


> I think it's worth it. I have it and I'm a licensed mechanic and my car has roadside assistance on it from the manuf.
> *I like the 250km towing.* I can get my vehicle home where I can fix it cheaply. One home repair vs. some highway-side garage will pay for many years coverage.


I had it for about 3 years after I could no longer change a tire due to disability. I used to travel to a trailer park in the summer and it was about 100km from my house. 
My Dodge truck brakes seized up twice on me on the highway and that was the main reason + changing a flat tire that I got it.

The fact that CAA could get me home on a sunday night (towing up to 250km) when CTC, and other garages along the way were either closed or no mechanic available,
was a comforting thought. I only used them once in the 3 years and that was when a brake line split on me, they had to load the truck on a flat bad and take
me to a garage of my choice (where I live), to have the brake lines replaced.


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## couchman

I did not know about DAA..I was just about to join CAA for the 1st time.My car is 7 years old with 200k on it so not such a bad idea. Any one have ant issyes with DAA. Was just on there web site and seems to be a good service.


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## brad

I've had it for the past year and am happy: they're allied with AAA in the US, and my car broke down there; everything was taken care of quickly and professionally. Plus I get a discounted CAA membership through my auto insurance provider, and you can get CAA/AAA discounted rates at many hotels.


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## Karen

I've always bought new cars and taken them in to the dealers for regular maintenance, so they're always kept in good shape. However, I've been grateful for my BCAA memberships quite a few times - things like having left my headlights on so the battery ran down overnight and my car wouldn't start in the morning - my own fault, of course, but that was no consolation. A couple of times I got stuck in the snow in a shopping centre parking lot; BCAA came and got me out both times. Another time my 1999 Chev Malibu just quit on me in the middle of heavy traffic. BCAA came very quickly and towed me to the dealers; the problem turned out to be with the alternator.

I wouldn't be without my BCAA membership.


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## the-royal-mail

I think the key with CAA is to look carefully at what you are getting for the money. wendi1 is right. I needed them twice this winter due to ridiculous cold weather and the car not starting despite it being plugged in. When you need a boost, everyone else needs a boost. My wait time (this was at home) was almost 2 hours in both cases. The people who came were friendly and personable and they gave me the boost so I could get the car started and on my way. You get 4 of these assists per year on the basic package which cost around $91. Next winter I will simply start up and run the car (via remote start) at least once a day in the crazy cold weather to ensure the battery doesn't run dry.

Someone mentioned jumper cables which is a good idea and way cheaper than paying for CAA every year. As well, on the point about flat tires most of the time these days they are slow leaks and for that just carry a $20 air pump you can get from CDN Tire and runs off the cigarette lighter. Carry the pump in the car and use it to keep your tire inflated long enough to reach somewhere for a permanent fix. Even if someone comes to change your tire you will still need to fix the original flat. The air pump is a one time small cost, no need to pay CAA every single year for this sort of thing.

The trip planning stuff is worth looking at, as I think you can get discounted or free maps and atlas and such, so that's something to check into as well.

Don't blindly get this expensive insurance just because your car is old -- look at specifics and ensure you are getting the right value for your situation and consider alternatives where possible. I agree with the person above who said insurance is expensive.


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## Sasquatch

This is the first year I have not renewed my CAA membership simply because I sold my motorcycle. It was the only reason I had it in the first place (CAA plus).
In all the years I've had CAA I only ever used their towing service twice for short distances in town. Once for the wife's car and once for my truck.
The CAA plus was almost $ 150 per year, not excactly cheap and I'm done with it for good.
Might look into the DAA from Costco though, sounds a lot more reasonable than CAA !


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## Sherlock

Yes the main reason I'm considering it is because of my motorcycle. I take frequent rides in the country, far away from any motorcycle garages. If my clutch cable were to snap somewhere far away like algonquin park, a tow back to toronto would probably cost something like $500 (I'm just guessing, no idea). Also I can see myself running out of gas, gas stations are less numerous up there and I can easily imagine miscalculating whether or not I can make it to the next one. I carry a tire puncture repair kit, but carrying anything more than that is not easy (I ride a sport bike with very little storage). I'm leaning toward getting the CAA membership.

Anybody know anything about using the CAA mastercard to accrue points and in effect pay for membership for free?


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## Sasquatch

Sherlock said:


> Yes the main reason I'm considering it is because of my motorcycle. I take frequent rides in the country, far away from any motorcycle garages. If my clutch cable were to snap somewhere far away like algonquin park, a tow back to toronto would probably cost something like $500 (I'm just guessing, no idea). Also I can see myself running out of gas, gas stations are less numerous up there and I can easily imagine miscalculating whether or not I can make it to the next one. I carry a tire puncture repair kit, but carrying anything more than that is not easy (I ride a sport bike with very little storage). I'm leaning toward getting the CAA membership.
> 
> Anybody know anything about using the CAA mastercard to accrue points and in effect pay for membership for free?


Actually I was lucky enough to never have to use their service for my bikes during my 40 year biking career. 

That included a trip from Halifax to Victoria and back through the States with 2 friends.

But then again, I was always anal about servicing my rides and did all my own work!! Never had a breakdown !!


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## lightcycle

Sherlock said:


> Anybody know anything about using the CAA mastercard to accrue points and in effect pay for membership for free?


I looked into this a while ago, 1% of your purchases go towards CAA Rewards, which can be used to pay for your membership. So at $120+tax, you're looking at around $13,500 worth of purchases to pay for the membership. Plus Husky and Mohawk gets you 2% of the gas purchase in Rewards.

Seems well worth it. When CAA had the points deal with Sunoco, I paid for a huge chunk of the membership just based on gas purchases.


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## Jim9guitars

I was very glad to have it when my car broke down on a busy 4 lane bridge. A police car showed up before the tow truck and sat behind me with flashing lights going until I got towed. The officer made it clear that towing it off the bridge asap was imperative but was very professional about it. One thing CAA does that I like is it covers me no matter what vehicle I am driving, my former "roadside coverage" card came with the license number of my car on it and only covered that car. Even newer vehicles can stop working without warning. I used to deliver new trucks and could fill up several pages here with stories......


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## m3s

CAA doesn't make any sense to me. Their service provides nothing that I can't manage and afford myself in the rare instance. Cell phone service (you need anyways) booster cables and spare tire and a booster that plugs in at home are far cheaper. If I needed a tow on a busy 4 lane highway bridge, I would simply pull out my phone and call the closest tow truck (probably the exact same one they would call) and I'm sure the cop would even do that for you. I do have ADAC in Germany but that also covers the rescue helicopters (nearly everyone is a member and it costs the same as CAA). They also translate languages across Europe which is nice, but it's the helicopter bill I can't self insure.

Driving is one of the more dangerous things most people do and in Canada people are not prepared. I once pulled an old couple out of a flipped car nearly buried in a snowy ditch and had to prevent them from bleeding out for over an hour. I take first aid but it's much harder in reality, and most people will drive by. In Canada depending on the government du jour, there _might_ be a helicopter available.. For LESS than the price of CAA, you could get a GPS beacon and service that could alert the international emergency center in Houston including rescue helicopter insurance ($20/year for $100k USD coverage..) That is something you probably can't self insure but it seems CAA is a much more lucrative business!


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## Spidey

We had CAA and it came in handy a couple of times when our keys were locked in the car. However, I found the waiting times were getting ridiculous. The last straw was when I had an accident that totaled my car. The fellow without CAA was towed away in about a half hour after calling. Myself and my upset daughter were waiting in for over 2 hours in the winter time. I suspect that the fellow wanted to finish watching the hockey game.


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## carverman

Spidey said:


> We had CAA and it came in handy a couple of times when our keys were locked in the car. However, I found the waiting times were getting ridiculous. The last straw was when I had an accident that totaled my car.
> The fellow without CAA was towed away in about a half hour after calling. Myself and my upset daughter were waiting in for over 2 hours in the winter time.
> * I suspect that the fellow wanted to finish watching the hockey game.*


 LOL!

One thing for sure, is that they don't guarantee timely service in all cases. In January, here in Ottawa, when we had a severe cold spell (-28C one morning) the TV news announced that CAA could not keep up with the demand
for starting frozen cars. They mentioned that if it was an emergency, (stuck on the road), they would get to you sooner, otherwise..if the vehicle was in your driveway (or an apt parking lot)... 24 to 48 hrs before they came around to help you. 

However, if you have a breakdown on the highway at night or on a sunday and you are over 200km from home, that tow will more than likely cost a lot more than a years CAA membership.


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## Toronto.gal

^ Pirates on the highway are costing Ontario drivers billions
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...io-drivers-billions/article15618989/?page=all


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## m3s

> Although there are plenty of reputable tow operators, there are also pirates lured to the business by lax regulation and the potential for windfall profits.


And yet people say we don't need regulation for anything, as the free market will sort itself out.

I think I would rather take my chances crossing the Suez than the 401 through Toronto at rush hour. Or worse pay Ontario auto insurance.. the whole system is so full of fraud that people think it's normal.


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## Four Pillars

m3s said:


> the whole system is so full of fraud that people think it's normal.


You mean to say that it's not?


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## m3s

In Saskatchewan for example the government insurance does their own appraisal of damage in a garage next to their office and they source parts from their own junk yards. A fender bender in Toronto will magically be appraised $5000 what would cost $1000 in SK (I've had similar claims in both provinces) As a result they have much cheaper insurance, streamlined service, and instead of raising your rates every year they actually mail you a rebate if they run a surplus. I also like insurance in Europe because they go by my clean driving record (which also gets better every year) rather than discriminating age/sex/marital status etc (illegal here)


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## fraser

We have CAA and it is up for renewal. Thanks to this forum we had a look at Costco's DAA. 

Apart from covering both of us for $80., what really seems to be a differentiator for me is the difference in allowable towing distances. DAA is 250KM, AMA (alberta motor assoc. is something like 20KM). That is a huge delta.

Has anyone had experience with DAA in western Canada or in the US? Thanks


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## Spudd

My grandfather was a DAA member for over 25 years, most of that was in the West. I was only a kid when he died, but I have to assume he was pleased with the service in order to have stayed a member for so long.


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## OhGreatGuru

If you do much traveling, CAA membership entitles you to free highway maps, accommodation guides, and tourist guides for for Canada & US. You can get 10-15% discounts at many hotel chains and car rentals. They also have a travel agency. So roadside emergency service isn't the only benefit.

PS. Hertz will also waive the daily "extra driver fee" for CAA members, which can sometimes add up to a pile of money.


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## fraser

We do travel frequently. The maps are fine but only once in about 10 years have we found that AAA gave us a better hotel or car discount. We do much better on car rentals with Costco and AutoEurope than we do with CAA. Hotels...we do just a good, usually better, on our own- and we always check. We like to cruise but we get rebates in the form of on board credits for on line travel agents-CAA does not give us anything. 

But,,,,we do like the maps. DAA provides maps but I am not certain how that works vs. CAA who have lots of retail outlets. We do not even get our passport pictures done there...no one beats Costco at $7. for a set of passport of visa pictures.


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