While on my way to my mechanic, in rush hour traffic, my car seized up and it felt as though an anchor dropped down from the back! My car was not going anywhere.
(When I mentioned to a coworker that I was off to the mechanic, due to a precarious noise, he said, “Call me, I have CAA!” However, I never thought that I would take him up on his offer.)
Quickly, I called said coworker and he was able to pass on his CAA Membership number to me. (Enter Tow Trucker #1 in which I waved away, saying that I was already on the phone with CAA.) Immediately, I called CAA by dialing *222 on my cell phone, but the operator said that the member had to be WITH me. So that idea was nixed!
The CAA operator did mention that I can sign up and use the benefits right away, so I filed that information away.
(Enter Mysterious Motorist who asked if I was okay. He then pulled over, asked me if I needed a cell phone. When I said that I was fine, he gave me some religious reading material to peruse while the dinner traffic whizzed by me. Shortly after this kind motorist stopped, Tow Trucker #2 came by as well in which I again denied his assistance.)
Since I was getting desperate, I just called the phone number on a business card of a tow company I used a couple of years back when I had a flat. After providing the operator my coordinates, I asked how much a tow of approximately 10k would cost: $100 + HST. He added that if I decided to go with another Trucker to please call him to cancel.
At this point, Tow Trucker #3 stops, I waved him away as well. Do these people have an App that helps them to locate stranded motorists??
My coworker called back to check up. I tell him that it’s going to cost me $100 to get towed to my mechanic in which he responded, “That’s EXPENSIVE!” Duh. I asked him how much CAA was and he stated that it was under $100/year.
I had to think on my feet, but immediately after I got off the phone with my coworker, I sign up for CAA on the spot. As I needed a tow right away, there was some kind of additional fee, but I figured that $140+ was a much better value than a one-time, $100 tow…for less than 10k!
Granted, I never asked any of those Truckers their fee, but even though it may seem as though they wanted to help, most likely, they were there to gouge! So if you are driving an older vehicle, consider signing up for CAA or another tow company such as Canadian Tire. It’ll save you money and possibly your life in case of an emergency!
I agree! CAA is worth the investment.
The only time I’ve ever used a non-CAA tow truck was when I was in an accident in a white out and the police officer MADE me use the tow truck he was escorting. Luckily, my insurance covered that one, because while he was very friendly, he also mentioned that he would have charged me $250 dollars for the tow that I required, regardless of whether or not I was coerced by the police officer (they had closed the road shortly after my accident and the officer wanted me off of the road).
Next time, get your friend with CAA to get dropped off to where you broke down. THEN call CAA and say “yea, he’s with me” 🙂
I agree, I’ve had CAA for years. Used it a couple of times in a year and not at all in other years but feel it is well worth the peace of mind for the cost it!
I have used CAA many times and it has saved me many times. It’s well worth the money and the travel info and maps and such you get for free as part of your membership makes it even more worthwhile!
CAA is wonderful, but $100 for a tow is about normal.
@bhlombardy – CAA Friend was at work and wasn’t getting off for another 1.5hrs. I was sorta blocking traffic, so I couldn’t wait that long. I wonder what would’ve happened if I called CAA anyway and said that my friend had to leave, gave them the number??
Wouldn’t work – The member has to sign the sheet for the tow truck driver.
Thank you for sharing your story. My car is no longer under warranty and you’ve got me thinking.
It would have been funny if you died out there. When getting to heaven you could ask god why he didn’t help you, and he’d respond, I sent three tow trucks!!!
Called bcaa once, but the membership had just expired. It was 4am and had run out of gas in middle of nowhere. No creditcard. BCAA sent out a tow truck for free, and paid for gas. All they wanted was for me to consider rejoining. I did a couple days later.
Canadian Tire offers tows? I hope it’s more reliable than their mechanic services. 😉
I love having our CAA membership, not only for peace of mind on the road, but if you check out their website they also offer their members some awesome discounts at various retailers and for entertainment purchases. They are not just about towing anymore, look under “CAA Savings and Rewards.” Well worth the money, for us we needed a tow and a battery boost in the same year and they were super fast and reliable both times also we saved a lot of money.
Buy a “Kia” and get free roadside assistance including tow-trucks for 5 years free.
CAA is great! May not be needed if your vechicle is new but otherwise a smart investment. I buy movie passes there, go on their bus trips, buy Wonderland tickets- always cheaper than at the gate, and last week for the first time in 30 years used them to get the keys out of my SUV that I foolishly locked in it. Great service as they were there in 10 minutes.
Seriously? Why *didn’t* you ask the tow trucks that happened to pass by you!?
If you have a Petro-Canada points card, you can use your points and buy a basic CAA membership. Also you can transfer your points into CAA dollars to use to upgrade or buy tickets to events etc.
I would check with your insurance company as well. I work for one and for $4 a year you are covered up to $75. You can call any tow company you want and then get reimbursed back. Also works if you lock your keys inside the car/battery dies/run out of gas. This does not pay for the gas or batteries, but just the “service”.
I had to phone CAA last night as a matter of fact. My battery died at the long-term lot at the airport. CAA was super busy and back-logged, so they sent another tow company to help out. It took a little time, but I was very relieved to have the service. Besides, we got a discount at the long term parking for being members.