AAA - Is Roadside Assistance Worth the Aggravation?

My cell phone company used to have emergency roadside assistance for a small fee each month. However, they dropped the service last summer. Willing to do without the service, I didn't join with anywhere else. However, my vehicle's battery died about two months after I no longer had emergency roadside assistance. Isn't that how it always goes? It died because I had left the lights on when I went inside a building and my friend didn't know the lights were on when he turned off the engine because I was taking too long. To make matters worse, I was traveling and in another state. Luckily, there was someone there with jumper cables.

After I returned home, I called AAA and joined with them. I added my mother to my account since she works third shift and I didn't like her not having anyone to call.

I wasn't with AAA no time until I started receiving tons of newsletters, special offers, etc. from AAA in the mail. They were also e-mailing a ton of stuff to my e-mail address. And, they had telemarketers calling my cell phone. I was angry. When I called them, I told the lady that I wanted the e-mail to stop. She deleted my e-mail address. Then when I said I wanted my phone number removed, she became angry. She said that they had to have a way to contact me. I told her that I only wanted the roadside assistance that I already had, that I wasn't buying anything else, and that it was my choice not to be a party to these high-pressured sales tactics. I even asked her was only having the emergency roadside assistance not an option? She kept on and on at me. After a lot of arguing, she removed my cell number. Or, at least, she said she did. It doesn't matter because the number has been changed anyway. The mail and e-mail both stopped as well. However, AAA started sending out credit card offers to me and to my mom. However, they were sending her mail to my post office box. We live together, but we have different post office boxes.

The aggravation didn't stop there. AAA gave out my mom's name with my address to a lot of other companies. Now, she's receiving all these credit card offers and other junk mail at my post office box. I called AAA today and told them that this was the second time that I've had to call to have the junk mail stopped. The lady tried to deny that AAA gave out my mom's name with my address to other companies. I basically asked her how stupid did AAA think I am? For twelve years, I've had my own post office box. My mom never got mail in my box. But right after joined AAA, the mail for her started and has been steadily coming ever since. I told the lady that she may not be aware of AAA's marketing practices and them sharing information, but that they do and I expect it to stop. But let's be realistic here. It's too late. They've already put her name out there with my address.

Every time a client calls into AAA, they can expect that every effort will be made to collect all of their contact information for the sole purpose of marketing to them. I told both ladies I spoke with that I'm fully aware that AAA apparently makes their money from all of their other services rather than with the emergency roadside assistance program. They didn't deny it.

I've been with AAA for almost a year. I haven't had to use their emergency roadside assistance yet. But I have to admit my concern that if I ever need them, that they will demand my phone number or refuse to send anyone. I feel like I'm paying to be marketed it. But I won't know the truth until after my vehicle has actually broken down. That's scary. It isn't fair and AAA needs to be a more reputable company even if that means having to raise their rates for the emergency roadside assistance so that they don't have to harass their own customers.