The AAA (pronounced “triple-A”), formally known as the American Automobile Association, is a 50 million member North American not-for-profit automobile lobby group, service organization, and seller of vehicle insurance. Its national headquarters are in Heathrow, Florida.
The American Automobile Association was founded on March 4, 1902, in Chicago, Illinois as a response to a lack of roads and highways suitable for automobiles. The organization originally had 1000 charter members, generally auto enthusiasts. AAA’s membership base is and was formed from 9 local and regional motor clubs that combined to create a more powerful organization.
The association expanded its services over the years. The first AAA road maps were published in 1905, and AAA began printing hotel guides in 1917. AAA began its School Safety Patrol Program in 1920, and many driver safety programs followed in the decades to come. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, which conducts studies on motorist safety, was established as a separate entity in 1947.
Members belong to one of 69 individual clubs (such as American Automobile Association Of Pennsylvania and Texas American Automobile Association, AAA Northwest Ohio, AAA Mid-Atlantic, AAA Northern California, Nevada for example), and the clubs in turn own AAA. The member clubs have arranged a reciprocal service system so that members of any participating club are able to receive member services from any other affiliate club. Member dues finance all club services as well as the operations of the national organization.
From the standpoint of the consumer, AAA clubs primarily provide emergency road services to members. These services, which include everything from lockouts, winching, tire changes, automotive first aid, and towing, are handled by private local towing companies contracted by a state AAA club. There are also AAA maps or AAA road maps available.
Many AAA clubs have an automotive fleet division serving large metro areas, while private towing companies cover the surplus call volume by area. Recently, certain clubs have implemented an “on the go” diagnostic/installation automotive battery program, which offers members an additional service to an ever more demanding commute. This is part of AAA’s vision for the future of automotive services, termed “On the go.”
The AAA has reciprocal arrangements with a range of international affiliates. In general, members of affiliates are offered the same benefits as members of the AAA while traveling in the United States, while AAA members are offered equivalent benefits while traveling in the territory of the affiliate.
International affiliates include:
* ARC Europe, encompassing the leading European clubs, including the AA (UK), ANWB (Netherlands) , ADAC (Germany), ACI (Italy), TCS (Switzerland), TCB (Belgium), OAMTC (Austria) and RACE (Spain) below.
* The Automobile Association in the United Kingdom.
* The Royal Dutch Touring Club ANWB
* The Canadian Automobile Association in Canada (TourBooks and maps of Canadian places are published by AAA, and are distributed by AAA and CAA clubs using both AAA and CAA logos).
* The ADAC in Germany.
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Would like information on training and development of Employees.
There is a card that was issued in one location and that level of card doesn’t exist in another location. Dues were paid for the card and because the same level of service doesn’t exist I am needing roadside assistance and they are not giving service. Is there anything that can be done to recognize my card to get service while I am here on an island?
Please visit the AAA website for that information
I have been a member of AAA since 2004 but not anymore seems they can decide when and if they want to tow you without any notice. I have a retired ambulance that I coverted into a RV I know the AAA of Alabama and the AAA of Tennessee has or will tow this vehicle. We moved to North Carolina and I broke down on the side of the Interstate only to find that AAA of the Carolina’s refused to tow it. I spend over 150.00 to purchase Premier RV coverage thru AAA of Alabama when we still lived there so I would feel confident if I broke down I could get towed. Didn’t realize it was a state to state thing and they could leave you stranded. Bad thing about it AAA of the Carolina’s never returned any phone calls when I called they told me they couldn’t find my coverage that I only had premier so had to get AAA of Alabama involved when I was still on the phone they (NC) said they wouldn’t reimburse my 70.00 tow charge because they wouldn’t tow a vehicle that was turned into a RV. Doesn’t state that on their site. Sorry I think this is wrong I think AAA should state on the front page they can choose what vehicles they will or won’t tow and honor your coverage from when you moved so that was I think 159.00 down the drain won’t be renewing while in the Carolina’s that is for sure. Customer service wasn’t friendly which is a first they have always been great in the past
Cindy, unfortunately these details can get lost in the “fine print”. It’s always important to read exactly what your coverage is to avoid such disappointments in the future. When traveling to a different state, you must always find out if your current policy will cover you.
Your policy may not cover you in the area where you are. You need to call the AAA customer service to get the help you need.
I live in Orlando. When I ventured to take out an auto insurance policy with you recently I was told that I would get a discount if I would insure my house and vechicles with AAA. I, therefore, requested of your insurance agent to go ahead and cancel both existing policies that I had with two separate companies. She did so and gave me the discount.
Today, one of your other agents called me and told me that I would owe $135.00 more since he could not apply the discount since the insurance cancelled were from different companies. Was I bamboozled or misled?
I have been a member of AAA for a long time. I recently responded to a AAA “offer of Insurance” Invitation. I went in to a AAA office in Orlando for home insurance. Agent suggested that if I insure my vechicles ( I had three) with AAA as well I would get a discount. So I had the agent cancel my existing auto policy and home policy to receive the package discount. I did. A local agent where I live informed me that I cannot get the discount since my insurance for the vechicles and the house were with different companies!! Is this AAA modus Operandi?? I hope not.
Visit the AAA website or call their customer service to get clarification
I needed to call AAA today and asked for a tow truck because my car would not start today. After about 2 hours a van pulled up to help me. The guy was great however he could not help me because it was not the battery. They to call another tow truck. I wait another hour and twenty minutes to get my car towed. TOTAL TIME WAITING WAS THREE HOURS AND TWENTY MINUTES. This should NEVER happen to ANYONE!!!!!!
Note: I called AAA to get a trip ticket made for New England. The rep (Diane) that had taken my call said she would call me back the next morning. Five days later I called back figuring Diane would never call me back! I spoke to Marci M. on 7-21 and after a few emails about the places I wanted to go I was told that she would do the trip ticket. I waited for some type of courtesy call or email to status me. Nothing happened. I went into the Poway office and I asked for two tour books and maps and also to speak with the supervisor regarding the status of the trip ticket, etc.
The branch manager, Ralph J. asked for a list of my requested stops. I had to dig those from my cellphone (email) and then he said he had them. He said that the trip ticket was “in the mail.” I waited for it to come.
I called AAA to get some help and spoke to Patty G. who is in membership who offered to help. She booked a car rental for me and I waited for the info to arrive.
I finally got the trip ticket in the mail with the maps and tour books (under separate cover) After inspecting the map leaving from my original destination I discovered that the map was not right. 8-1-11 I went into the Poway office again (which is not close to my house, like 10 miles one way) with the trip ticket and maps in hand. After waiting I was assigned to Gwen who is their expert trip tic rep. OMG, she took out the map that had been marked with an orange marker. She started highlighting the towns with a yellow highlighter as well as putting black marks with a black ink pen on top of the same map. It was unreadable and really confusing. I immediately asked her about making marks on my map and she said this is how we do it. She took about half an hour looking for Queechee Gorge and finally got out her magnifying glass then she called another employee to help find it.
I was standing the whole time as they don’t offer any chairs where they have high counter service. I’m a disabled person with a cane who waited over two hours for my trip ticket to be corrected. Gwen had disappeared into the back somewhere and never came back with any type of status as too how much longer it would be. I asked for the manager. Ralph J. had come again to speak to me. I was sitting in the lobby area across from the check in desk where others were sitting waiting to be called. There were also many people in line waiting at the front desk. Ralph yells out that “I was there already and that I was the same person who was going to Washington at 6pm the other day.” I said no I wasn’t (still sitting down) and that he must be mistaken. He rudely continued saying that “No, he was not mistaken that it WAS ME that was going to Washington!” I saw no relationship to my trip ticket to making accusations about going to Washington.
I left without my trip ticket or maps since there was no sign of it.
I called again for some help asking for Patty who said she would call me back on Tuesday morning. I waited and no call. I called Patty and was told that she was in a meeting and that she would call me after her meeting. That never happened. I called back and spoke to another rep who said she would give Patty my message. That never happened. I called again and was told that she went home sick Wed. I spoke to Ron Glenn (regional manager) who took down notes and said he would call me back by 10am Aug 4. AT 10am my phone rang and it was Ron G. He said that Gwen from the Poway office mailed me the trip ticket. I asked him what about the maps? He wasn’t sure so he agreed to check and to call me back. He called me back an hour later to say that the old maps (the same original maps that Gwen had made all kinds of unnecessary marks) were also being sent to me. I restated to him that they were worthless since they had all kinds of marks on them. He said “I was being difficult!” OMG, That was uncalled for and totally unprofessional.
It amazes me the level of horrible service as well as the verbiage by management.
I called AAA again and waited 15 min on hold for a supervisor at the corporate level. Michael P. made notes regarding the above. He called Ralph J. the Poway branch manager to ask about the situation and said he would call me back.
Instead Patty G. called and to offer to handle this. I still am not in possession of the trip ticket nor maps.
Don’t expect high standards from the AAA nor professional conduct.
Disappointed in triple aaa. Bought new 2009 car in aug. 2010. So car is one year old Aug. 2011, and two years old in Aug. 2012.
Triple aaa denied new car protection on claim because they judged it over two model years old. If car is purchased in 2011,it is not one model year old, it is the current model. The next year it has become one model year old. If I buy a car in a current year is it one model year old the day after I buy it?
That’s like saying a newborn is one year old and the next year he’s two years old.
Why is triple aaa not writing in the handbook what they mean? My agent even told claims I should still have new car protection, yet they denied it.
I am very disappointed in the service I received when I had a flat tire at my home on 12/28/11. I do not know why the AAA service man did not use my donut tire so I could take my car to a tire repair business to patch my tire. He stated that he plugged tires all the time and knew what he was doing. He found the tiny screw in my tire and started to plug the tire. He stated that plugging the tire was the hardest thing to do as he punctured the tire. When he started to cut the tip of the plug off, he pulled part of the plug out . I knew then that this was not suppose to happen. I asked why he did not have a tow truck to tow my car since I had a 100 mile towing limit. He stated that if he could not fix the tire, he would call one. He never did. I stated that I did not want to have a flat tire the next morning again. I paid him and he left. Later, I took my car to make sure the tire was plugged properly and discovered that air was seeping from the area he plugged because the hole was much larger than the plug he used. The tire could not be patched because the steel belt was broken and was dangerous to patch. I then had to use my spare and called AAA to let them know the situation. The person in charge of damages took the tire to have it checked out and returned it on January 12, 2012, stating that the tire could be patched and the tire business just wanted to sell me a new tire. To prove his point, he suggested that I buy a steel rim so he could take that tire to a AAA Car Care Service and have them patch the tire free of charge. I made a sacrifice and bought a rim at the junk yard and then followed him to the AAA Car Care Service and waited for my tire. I later found out from the mechanic that the tire was not safe to patch because the steel belt was broken as the other mechanic had stated and that I should not use that tire for a spare. Now I have a patched unsafe tire. I felt that I should be reimbursed for my tire but was told that the final decision was NO. This matter should have be resolved in a timely matter and I do not think that I was treated fairly at all. I have been a AAA customer for a long time.