Warning: Verizon Roadside Assistance

[Tim Vasquez]

I know many of us dread the idea of breaking down somewhere in the nether regions of Oklahoma or Nebraska. Judging by this story that appeared today on Consumerist, caveat emptor for Verizon Roadside Assistance.

http://consumerist.com/5057993/veri...e-csr-running-on-empty-just-like-your-vehicle

Some of the conversation is just astonishing:

Her: Are you at home?
Me: What? No, I'm next to I-25 in the middle of nowhere.
Her: Could you meet someone at your home?
Me: Are you serious? Lady, I'm broken down in the middle of the prairie here!
Her: I understand sir, is there a mile marker or an exit near you?
Me: Yeah, like I said, I'm at mile marker 30.
Her: Ok, is there a town nearby?
Me: Yeah, Cheyenne is 23 miles away.
Her: Ok, what is the zip code there?
Me: How the hell would I know the zip code of Cheyenne Wyoming?
Her: Sir, I can't do anything without a zip code.

The victim interestingly went out and took some cool shots of Wyoming landscape while waiting for Verizon to get its act together. Guess he has a little chaser in him.

Tim

 

[Ben Holcomb]

I would have told the lady on the phone to open a web browser, go to usps.com and look the darn zip up herself!

This is why I don't pay for Roadside Assistance.

 

[Tim Vasquez]

I've heard a lot of good things about AAA -- has anyone used them in the boonies? We had AAA back in 2001 but dropped it as we hadn't had a roadside problem since 1999 and got our fill of the cool maps and books.

Tim

 

[fplowman]

Original post here. I and a few other ST members are members of the OP site.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=764331&page=1

Damn the WWW is a small place.

 

[Sam Kennedy]

It's amazing the crappy services and products some companies sell and get away with it

 

[Dennis Sherrod]

I've heard a lot of good things about AAA -- has anyone used them in the boonies? We had AAA back in 2001 but dropped it as we hadn't had a roadside problem since 1999 and got our fill of the cool maps and books.

Tim

I have been an avid fan and member of AAA since 1991. The cost may be a little higher than some others, but the benefits are much better. Obviously, I don't use the free maps anymore, but they have some good freeby books on all different areas of the world to see. I have used them a bunch when traveling overseas. Their books and road maps are really good for that.
I pay a little more for the Gold coverage as the towing distances and roadside assistance is better. Motel discounts are usually pretty good too with AAA. That usually pays for the yearly dues many times over just in that savings.
A few years ago, I needed a tow from way out in rural SD. I thought with the distance, I would have to pay a difference, but they covered it all as there was nothing closer.
One of the best things is you do not pay up front for the towing and then have to wait to get reimbursed.

 

[rdale]

Many car insurance companies offer that these days, mine (Farm Bureau) even has it by default and they pay for towing up front too. Check with your agent.

 

[Aaron Dooley]

Verizon

This may have been discussed on here but I'll go ahead and say something else Verizon has done recently (within the last year).

They used to have an unlimited data package by which you use your cell as a gateway to the internet. I am NOT talking about using "internet ON the phone", I am talking about using your phone as a dongle, either with a USB cable or bluetooth. This is the same as buying a PCMCIA/PCexpress card but you do not have to sign up for a seperate plan for a year or buy the card. Also, it was pro-rated by the day (about $2 per day since it is $60 per month) so you could turn it on and turn it off. If I chased 3 days out of the month then it would cost me $6.

Now, I found out a week before I went down for Ike that the price is still the same, can still pro-rate by the day, but it is no longer unlimited. They now have a 5GB cap which they changed without notifying me. I stayed on the phone with them for about an hour and figured out how much data I used in one day in the worst case scenario for me (hurricane Ike, broadcasting video, Internet, GRLevel3, email, chat, Spotter Network, UIView32, etc for hours straight) and it was around 200 MB or so. Since we don't have "Ike-like" situations every day I should be fine even with the cap, but it is still worth mentioning since I think they told me that each MB over was like $2!!!

 

[Verne Carlson]

I had a very similar experience with AAA when my son Michael's subaru broke down between our house and the shop and needed a tow to the repair shop. After many minutes of trying to explain to the lady on the phone I got on my laptop and pulled up google maps and had her do the same and started naming roads, lakes, creeks near us - she finally figured out where we were.

Customer service is dead in this country, partly because it's all been outsourced.

 

[Eric Friedebach]

Many car insurance companies offer that these days, mine (Farm Bureau) even has it by default and they pay for towing up front too. Check with your agent.

I have that with State Farm. So far, I’ve been reimbursed for one tow and two instances of locking the keys in the vehicle. Just one of the perks of having a full-service agent.

 

[Tony Laubach]

I've heard a lot of good things about AAA -- has anyone used them in the boonies? We had AAA back in 2001 but dropped it as we hadn't had a roadside problem since 1999 and got our fill of the cool maps and books.

Tim

AAA has come to my rescue a few times in the boonies. One I recall back in 2000-something; my buddy and I were taking a road trip to Dallas from Denver, leaving DEN about midnight. Somewhere in eastern Colorado, my CB antenna was blown from the roof and actually took out my tire. The lug nuts on the tire were bolted so tight, so we couldn't get them off. I called AAA and they sent a tow truck out to haul us to Stratton where we had the tire replaced.

Another story, Verne and I were enroute to an overnight stay in Greensburg back in April 2005. My alternator went out a mile from our hotel. Unfortunately, Greensburg didn' thave a repair shop, so after calling AAA, they hauled us out to Pratt (at 2am).

I use AAA about once every couple of years for major help. I know there are various other roadside assistance programs, but hands down, AAA is by far the best. They're as quick as they can be for the circumstances, and very reliable. I wouldn't go wih anyone else.

 

[Tom Dulong]

AAA has saved me several times during a chase. One spring evening in 1990, I was chasing west of Oklahoma City. The flywheel in my Ford Bronco split in two, leaving me stranded between small towns. Luckily, I was able to find a phone and call AAA, who had my vehicle towed 100 miles back to Oklahoma City just ahead of a ferocious squall line.

I do not currently have AAA, but have been considering getting it again due to my aging vehicle.

 

[Tony Perkins]

I guess it depends what you consider boonies. I've used them twice in the last 2 years for breakdowns. Each time a tow truck from a nearby town (10-20 miles) came and picked me up and took the car to a shop in town. It's been worth it for that. Plus you get some nice hotel discounts.

 

[Jason Foster]

My family and I have been a member of Allstate Motor Club (not related to Allstate Insurance) since 1977. I have also been a member of various Road assistance programs in the past. Mostly, they phone operators are clueless. They have a central location for the entire country, and most of the calls they handle are city or suburb related with addresses and intersections to easily route assistance to you. I've just come to realize you are not going to get assistance within two hours of your original call.

My two worst situations were once in the plains....east of Midwest City/OKC on I-40 on June 9th, 1998. Finally, after about five hours of waiting, got a tow truck. I did however watch a great supercell passby the entire time getting plenty of pictures.

The second was in north central Maryland riding in my 1965 Triumph Spitfire...and of course, being British it broke down. Nothing major, just stalled it and in the process flooding the carb. Since it was a performance carburetor it wasn't going to dry out for a long time. So here again on the highway, in a totally unfamiliar place operator didn't understand. In the end, a passerby finally stopped and knew a tow company, which we called. We were a ways from home, so we just said, take us as far as $250 will take us (the limit on that motor club), he dropped us about 15 miles from home. There we called the other roadside assistance, this time making sure we were easily found, and had the next company tow us the rest of the way. Two days later the car started fine.

So sometimes you got to get creative with these folks...and always give an exact location, as best as possible. And sometime your best bet is to flag help down.

 

[Tim Samaras]

I like to be as self-sufficient as possible when I'm on the road. I carry an extra 5 gallons of gas, radiator fluid, oil, tow rope, jumper cables, 12v air compressor, reasonable set of tools, flashlight, roll of plastic and duct tape in case of broken windows....

It also helps to be somewhat mechanically apt..well worth it.

Being well prepared won't preclude the need of a tow truck once in a while, but it certainly helps.

Also have a winch on the truck..and that has gotten myself and others out of trouble several times. Oh, if you're pulling a stuck car out with a winch...one has to be careful WHERE to hook the winch cable. Learned that the hard way......I know Tony and Jayson enjoyed the comedy last spring..(did I say 'spring'?).

Tim