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AAA Assessment Tests are Irrelevant to their Applicable Positions
Posted by
LONG BEACH,, CALIFORNIA -- I have read some of the posts regarding AAA employees and how they are like robots, how they only know how to read the scripts and how they are incapable of thinking outside the box to assist their clients.
Well I think I know why most of you are experiencing such horrible customer service amongst other things. I just recently applied for a job at triple A (AAA) and was very excited when I received the call back from a hit on resume. Thrilled because I have been laid off for approximately 2 years.
During the time I was laid off, I managed to renew my real estate license, as well as started working on my degree. I have completed 73 units and will be transferring to receive my BS degree. I have been in sales for over 23 years and have been very successful! What is on my resume is all true, every deal I have ever closed is verifiable. On my resume it shows that I worked for one company for 10 years the first go round and was hired back for another 9 months before being laid off due to an acquisition by Hitachi. That speaks volumes! If an employer is willing to rehire a sales representative back for a second time around after resigning (one would think) AAA would recognize that. I must be a great sales representative and a top producer. I listed my previous VP and Director of Sales on my application for them to verify my performance and work ethic. I have no criminal record, I have a ticket free driving record for the past 7 years. These are questions they asked me before I made it to the assessment part of the interview process. I was told that after the assessment tests (if I pass) I will move on to interview with a live human being ( a manager) keep in mind that I was told repeatedly that the assessment test.. there were no RIGHT or WRONG answers, to just be truthful.
(Keep in mind I was very excited about working for triple A selling insurance products. Big company, room for upward mobility, already had at least 12 people saying that they would switch their insurance policies over to me, because I would be working there). Well let me tell you the type of questions on the assessment tests. Some of these questions I went to the EEOC website and have determined that some of these questions are better suited to be asked after being hired. The first question (if I am remembering correctly) was HOW OLD ARE YOU? EEOC says that how old a person is should not matter during the application process that people over the age of 40 are protected under the (Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)and that these are questions that can be asked after being hired. They asked me questions like the following.... "How many jobs I've had in the past five years", "how many times have I collected unemployment", "how many people I know that sells insurance" "how much do I think a first year sales representative should make in a year", "how much should a representative be making after 3 years", "who told me about this job", "Did I speak to the person who told me about this job" Here are the choices they gave me to answer from. "1 hour to 1 week", "2 hours to a month", " 2 months to a year" etc.. you get the point. They also asked me how much money would I spend on a client in unreimbursed dollars and pretty much gave at least 10 or more choices. They also asked how many hours do I think a first year sales representative should work a week, then they asked questions if I like spending time with my family etc... Keep in mind they told me to be honest "there are no right or wrong answers" So anyway I finished taking this God forsaken test and what do you know, I go back to the training coordinator and he says to me "oh..You didn't score high enough on the test" (remember, there are "NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWERS")Also keep in mind that there isn't one question on the test I would have to lie about, not one question on the test that has anything to do with intelligence, sales, or anything relevant to sales. Just questions that can disqualify you if you have been out of work for a while, questions that can lead to age discrimination, (they also asked me my nationality)questions that can disqualify you if you have been on unemployment twice in your life. They asked a lot of questions about school also. All of which were answered truthfully. The training coordinator told me that he was sorry and that may be sales is not for me. Can someone please tell me, what part of this test has anything to do with my ability to sell insurance? or any other product for that matter. Also how can a personality test determine what type of human being I am, and how well I have done for the past 23 years in sales. These tests maybe set up for the younger generation. People who have no experience. Most of the questions I answered from experience. I don't think they want anyone who has experience. I said all of this to say. With the economy the way it is today, unemployed workers should not have to take tests such as these to get back to work. Many of you have mentioned you've been talking to people who don't know how to make decisions, people who don't appear to know what they are doing, this is because good people like myself with a proven track record cannot get a job, because of tests like these that have no meaning, no substance, no ability to determine if a person will be a good employee at all. This is a way to keep certain nationalities out of work, to keep older people down. I was compelled to type this letter because this particular rejection is not sitting right. I have spoken to CEO's, CFO's and owners of companies all of my life. I have closed major real estate deals, sold technology products to Novartis, Delta Airlines, and many other huge deals, yet AAA felt Sales was not for me because of a "personality" test that has nothing to do with sales. In fact the training coordinator said to me. "maybe sales just isn't for me." I will continue to do my research and converse with the EEOC to make sure that companies are doing right by long term unemployed workers, workers who were once stable before the economy fell apart, and now seem to be undesirable to these companies through no fault of their own. So if you all are wondering why you are being treated poorly by AAA reps etc. I feel it is because they do not want someone older, qualified and experienced, instead they want someone that doesn't have a clue about life and the real world, and someone with a proven tract record. I would love to hear if anyone else have been through the same experiences I have with these personality rests. I know several sales reps all over the age of forty that have their Bachelor degrees very educated and have proven tract records and have been told they were not going to be hired because of the way they answered a "personality" test. I feel sorry for the economy and anyone who is going through this new way of being hired. The economy will never be the way it was. Never.
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momsey on 03/09/2011:
I don't think any of this is exclusive to AAA. It's hard to get a job when you're out of work. Sadly, some employers will try to avoid hiring older workers. Most employers will ask for your nationality so they can abide by equal opportunity guidelines or requirements.
Good luck in your job search.
trmn8r on 03/09/2011:
Looking for a job is tough. I've done it many times. It is hard to know why weren't the right one sometimes. Other times, you can pretty much figure it out. Good luck in your search.
As far as AAA from the customer's point of view, I have had no communication or other difficulty with AAA.
Anonymous on 03/09/2011:
Many employers are now finding value in more mature workers (older). They have found that experience does matter. People fresh out of college usually do not have much experience--work or life. Keep looking. There is a job out there for you :)
As a side note, I didn't think any employer could ask you your age. When I used to interview potential future employees, I asked people to "Tell me a little about yourself." They gave me all kinds of valuable information that I wasn't allowed to ask. Age was something we were never allowed to ask and I don't see how putting it in a written test makes it any more legal.
getoverit on 03/09/2011:
momsey - you're right. Employers typically do ask about ethnic background and nationality. But it's on a separate portion of a job application that the applicant can opt not to complete and is not supposed to be used in evaluating qualifications.
If, as the OP says, there are questions pertaining to age or nationality that are used in evaluating, I would agree that that would be illegal.
Beyond that, any organization can use whatever criteria they choose to determine whether a candidate is suitable for a given position. If they're hiring for an insurance sales position and don't give any consideration to someone who has earned a real estate license, that would seem perfectly reasonable to me. And, having completed credits toward degree, in my experience, doesn't count for much at all. When you complete the degree, that's a different thing.
We all know that doing a job search can be very discouraging. But AAA seems to have a process in place for screening candidates. They have their reasons and are under no obligation to justify them to you.
Maybe your right and there is some basis for making a complaint to the EEOC. But if I were in the job market, I would be more inclined to devote my time to identifying and pursuing prospective employers who see a good fit with my qualifications.
Good luck.
Anonymous on 03/10/2011:
Maybe AAA just hired the best qualified applicant.
SteveWiginowski on 03/10/2011:
I think the reason they would say that there are no right or wrong answers is because they don't want people to lie on the questions. They want you to put down what your honest answer is. It seems like they did have a preference of what they were looking for from the answers and your answers didn't fit what they were looking for.
I worked at a job where we were hiring. Candidates would submit a resume and fill out a few questions with their resume (online). The online system was set up so that each answer on each question had a point value. If all of the points totaled up less than a certain value, we wouldn't even look at the resume. With how many people are looking for jobs, having a filter of some sort just makes things easier for them to find candidates in less time.
Can't Say on 03/20/2012:
I received a call also to take the assessment test on 3/21/12 and after reading all comments I am uncomfortable about the questions they will be asking. I too have a problem with employers asking about your age! Unfortunately employee do seem to age discriminate the problem with that is that it's so hard to prove. I will take the test tomorrow and report back.
blessed on 04/02/2013:
I also have more than 12years in insurance industry, also been hired 3x by one employer if that speaks about my selling ability and also was denied the next step as they say for AAA due to this stupid assessment test. It does say there is no right or wrong answer so how is it you fail it?..explain that,,crazy,I also was a recruiter for employment and I strongly believe in people period. I happen to be horrible in taking any test but put a person in front of me I can sell them Ice to eskimo as the saying goes. But its their lost, I will trust in God who is my source and the right job will come my way. But I do agree that some of the questions which were asked over and over again are not appropriate. Like age,ethnic and if you like to spend time with your family members.
turn negative into positive on 04/30/2013:
The test, I think, is a reality check and insight to what you expect. If someone, of any age, expects to earn over $100k and isn't willing to work a 40 work week than obviously right or wrong answers the job wouldn't fit you
Barbara Weigel on 07/09/2013:
Well let me tell you where you failed this no right or wrong answers test. First of all you're over qualified, no let me reword this, YOU'RE WAY OVER QUALIFIED. Second, YOU CAN GET A JOB ANYWHERE. Third, YOU'RE NOT A MORON WHO CAN'T THINK OUT OF THE BOX AND THEY REALLY WANT THOSE HARDUP FOR ANY JOB, WILLING TO WORK ANY NUMBER OF HOURS FOR LITTLE OR NO PAY, WON'T EXPECT ANY RAISES OR MEDICAL, VACATION TIME OR ANYTHING A LEGITIMATE JOB WOULD OFFER YOU, AND AS YOU YOURSELF HAVE STATED, ONLY HAVE MORONS WHO CAN READ A SCRIPT, WILL WORK 20 HOURS A DAY WITH MAYBE A 30 MINUTE DINNER 18 HOURS INTO THE DAY WITH NO OVERTIME EVER, WORK 7 DAYS A WEEK AGAIN WITH NO OVERTIME AND FOR MINIMUM WAGE OR LESS FOREVER AND IF YOUR AN ILLEGAL, HAVE NO TRAINING, COLLEGE, VOCATIONAL OR TECHNICAL TRAINING OF ANY KIND, YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN HIRED. THEY WANT THOSE WHO ARE UNTRAINED, DESPERATE, WILLING TO DO ANYTHING FOR AS LONG AS THEY SAY AND WON'T COMPLAIN TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BECAUSE YOU NEED THE JOB SO DESPERATELY THAT YOU WILL DO AS THEY SAY AND WON'T MAKE WAVES, WILL WORK FOR 3 OR 4 DOLLARS AN HOUR IF EVEN THAT, MOST LIKELY YOU'LL GET A VERY SMALL COMMISSION FOR EACH PERSON YOU SELL INSURANCE TO OVER THE PHONE AND WON'T ASKED TO BE COMPENSATED IN ANY WAY IF YOU HAVE TO GO MEET WITH THEM OUTSIDE OF WORK THAT IS IF THEY EVEN ALLOW THAT AND THEN THEY'LL CLAIM THAT THE GUY WAS GOING TO CANCEL SO THEY HAD TO SAVE THE DEAL SO YOU WEREN'T THERE OR DIDN'T FOLLOW UP AND TRUST ME THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO FOLLOW UP, SO THEY GET MORE OF YOUR COMMISSION. NOW YOU KNOW WHY YOU WEREN'T HIRED SO DON'T LET IT BOTHER YOU. THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPANIES OUT THERE DOING THIS AND THEY HIRE A LOT OF ILLEGALS, AND PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO'VE EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE RESPECTED, COMPENSATED, HAVE A PACKAGE 401K, VACATION, MEDICAL, ETC... ARE NOT WHAT THEY WANT AND YOU CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO BEND OVER AND KISS WHATEVER IS IN FRONT OF YOU.
SharonC on 04/19/2014:
I agree!
I have experienced the same nonsense. They say they want seasoned professionals with demonstrated abilities and proven sale success, who can close, but they don't. What they want are recent grads who are good at test taking. They deserve what they get.
AAA just sent me an email to take their assessment. Thank you for the heads up. I won't be wasting my time. Based on ALL that I have read, I wouldn't want to work for such a company.
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Verified Mileage or Pay as You Drive Is a Scam with AAA!
Posted by
COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA -- November 17, 2011
Re: The Auto Club of Southern California's Verified Mileage Program
A Misrepresentation by AAA Agents Regarding Insurance Premiums and Rates
Thomas V. McKernan
CEO Auto Club Enterprises
3333 Fairview Rd
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Dear Mr. McKernan:
The Auto Club's Verified Mileage Program or Pay as You Drive Program was approved by the Insurance Commissioner earlier this year and was touted as a way to save consumers money by lowering the price of insurance when they drive less. In theory, the program has its merits by discouraging unnecessary driving by motorists. In reality, the Auto Club's implementation of the program has many troubling flaws.
Auto Club agents are pressured to forge insurance documents and manipulate insurance premiums in exchange for more phone duty, better phone calls, better leads, paid vacations, better treatment by management, a trip to the Bahamas, and to maintain their employment. Ethical agents are threatened and harassed to quit or accept their fate that they will be terminated for low performance. High production is looked at as a virtue and not scrutinized as agents submitting fraudulent business. Low production is looked at as laziness, incompetence, stupidity, and reason for punishment and termination. Lead distribution is such that high producers are given more leads and low producers are given even less leads insuring a huge gap between high and low producers. It also skews the policies written with integrity verses policies that are problematic.
Rather than estimate the accurate or actual mileage for each policy, agents are lowering initial mileage readings when starting a policy, which lowers the annual mileage category and thus lowers the annual premium, but just for that year. Agents that use this practice to quote will sell more policies because the premium will be much lower than it would otherwise be. Agents can accomplish this because only about 25% of all policies require inspections with an odometer reading. Agents at the district offices are allowed to inspect their own vehicles. They omit odometer readings intentionally and enter any figure they want to sell the policy.
All this would be a moot point; however, with the Verified Mileage Program insureds are required to submit their exact mileage reading upon renewal of the policy or be removed from the program. Through no fault of their own, many Auto Club insureds will have renewals with extraordinarily higher mileage depending on how much the agent lowered the original mileage and how many miles were driven during the current policy period.
An example to illustrate the wrong that is being perpetrated on unsuspecting consumers: If I start a policy today and my current annual mileage is 15,000 and I bought the car exactly a year ago, with zero miles, the mileage category should be 15,000 miles or less. The agent knows if he quotes me at 15,000 miles per year I won't buy the policy so he enters my mileage at 5,000 and my premium is much lower than what I am paying now so I switch to the Auto Club. I'm happy until my renewal arrives next year. The premium almost doubles in price. When I am asked by the Auto Club what my current mileage is next year, it will be 30,000 because if you remember I was driving 15,000 miles per year and my vehicle had 15,000 miles at the inception of the policy. The Auto Club is going to rate my renewal at 25,000 miles per year because my agent entered 5,000 as my current mileage at the time I purchased the policy. The renewal will encompass the miles that were deficient from the prior policy (10,000) and include the actual miles driven (15,000). My annual mileage rating goes from 5,000 per year to 25,000 per year because it looks like I drove all those miles in only one year. I really didn't drive that much but that is the way the miles are calculated. That's a big increase. If I complain, I am told by the representative that I am a liar and can bring in a service receipt in 30 days to lower my mileage to where it should be. Now that is customer service! Some in the company may say the miles are being accounted for over two years so it really doesn't matter. This is all being suppressed by the sales department. My view is the original sale would not have taken place and the premium manipulation has put the insured into a situation where the policy is written under false pretenses and can be voided by the insurance company.
The agent doesn't care because all this stuff will happen a year later and he sold a policy he normally would not have. The Auto Club praises the current agent and lavishes him with more phone duty, pays him more per policy, and sends him on paid vacations because he is a top producer and gets away with doing this on a daily basis. Nobody seems to notice except our insured. On the renewal the policy is way over priced and the insured non-renews or has to fight with our customer service department that won't believe him. The insured doesn't know exactly what happened because they did not see the fraud that was committed against them. The fraud only becomes apparent on the renewal a year later. The insured has lost all longevity with their prior carrier because they are now with the Auto Club. Their current renewal is too high so the insured must shop for insurance elsewhere.
The only way to eliminate the out right fraud and corruption at the Automobile Club of Southern California is to require inspections with odometer readings for every policy written. Currently, inspections are not required for "liability only" policies or insureds that have prior insurance with similar coverage. Also, agents in the field can perform their own inspections and omit the odometer photo on purpose! This lack of accountability on new policies opens the door for agents to commit fraud and abuse on the unsuspecting public. This is a "verified" mileage program so you must "verify" the mileage, or otherwise this is a sham and should be abolished. Also, allowing the same agent that writes the policy to inspect the vehicle is a flagrant conflict of interest. The inspection should be completed by a manager or impartial third person at all levels of the organization and at all times include a photo of the odometer.
There should be a separate disclosure just for mileage in the insurance documents that require the exact mileage for each vehicle to be listed at the inception of the policy. The insured should be required to sign the disclosure verifying the exact mileage for each car on the policy. There should be an explanation that this figure will be used to determine next year's mileage calculation. Unbelievably, this is not now required. The mileage would therefore be verified by the insured, by an inspector, and by the agent. The current system allows for only the agent to verify the mileage and the agent has a conflict of interest to be trusted with that. Currently the only disclosure that references anything about mileage is on the Coverage and Limits page and this only lists what the annual mileage is calculated at. This is misleading if the insured doesn't know what their real annual mileage is or how it was calculated. Most insureds don't know what they drive and are influenced by the agent. When you ask an insured how many miles they drive, they most likely under estimate. This figure should still be listed in that location but the mileage disclosure should list the exact miles at the inception of the policy. There is a culture of corruption within the Auto Club of Southern California and drastic measures are needed for true change to be forthcoming.
The Auto Club will defend its position by stating it has systems in place to catch fraud and abuse and to some extent they do. However, the only way to avoid agents from lowering mileage is to educate the insured with a mileage disclosure that must be signed by the insured and the agent. It should explain how this figure will affect the rating for the following year. When only some of the policies require inspections, and this can be manipulated by field sales agents, then there is no effective process. When the agent knows in advance which policies will require an inspection the agent can make up the mileage on selective policies to, "get the job done". The Auto Club will also reference the fact that conversations are recorded and can be audited for integrity. The agent knows this and never asks the insured what their mileage is. They'll only make reference to how much the insured's commute is and make up a figure that is statistically consistent with the commute, albeit on the low end. The policy ends up being a fill in the blanks bonanza for the agent.
Some managers look the other way and others go further by processing business that has serious errors. In fact some managers were required to send policies through processing a second time to verify corrections were completed because the managers couldn't be trusted to verify the corrections were actually completed. This company needs managers to watch the managers. But when the processing team can only catch incorrect phone numbers or spelling corrections, the mileage factor cannot be corrected at the pre-completion level but only at renewal when the insured complains about the increase in premium unless an inspection is completed and a mileage disclosure is developed. Without seeming redundant, I have spoken in generalities because it is not my intention to get employees in trouble but to correct the failures of this program and this company. If the deficiencies discussed here are not corrected I have lists of managers, employees, and policy numbers that are at issue and I will release this information to the media and notify those insureds that have been wronged. Insureds will have grounds for a class action lawsuit.
Ann Anonymous Agent (AAA)
For fear of retaliation
cc: Dave E. Jones; CA Insurance Commissioner, Robert T. Bouttier; COO Auto Club Enterprises, Avery R. Brown; General Counsel Auto Club Enterprises, Karen Featherstone; Underwriting Manager, David Lazarus; L. A. Times
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trmn8r on 02/07/2012:
Interesting information. I use State Farm, and they have me on a mileage program. I'm never asked me mileage in subsequent years - it's an honor system as far as I know (I don't believe they get mileage from inspection records). Does CA require all insurance companies to obtain this information?
anyannie on 02/07/2012:
Most insurance companies operate on an estimated mileage as a way to rate the policy. The Auto Club of So Ca submitted papers with the insurance commissioner to change to a Verified Mileage. This is a price hike disguised as a discount. The fact that agents are manipulating mileage in addition to the price hike should concern every person insured with the Auto Club and should raise eyebrows at the CA Department of Insurance. Nothing is being done and insureds are confused when their premium doubles but this is the reason.
tnchuck100 on 02/07/2012:
Excellent review.
JAMES on 12/24/2012:
anyannie on 02/04/2013:
To find out why your rate increased you would need to contact your agent or insurance company. Compare your driving record and mileage rating from the last period.
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Tow Truck Driver Damaged My Car During Towing Attempt
Posted by
NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS -- My 18-year-old daughter's car suddenly became really slow to drive forward. She immediately pulled the car over in a parking lot and called AAA. After waiting 1.5 hours, the tow truck driver arrived. Although the car obviously had a problem being driven, the driver gets in her car and tries to drive it so it would be easier for him to tow the front wheel drive. The axle makes a crunching sound and the left front wheel gets pulled backwards like it's going to break off. Not the right thing for him to have done. Turned out it was the ball joint.
He gets in his truck and races loudly around the block so he can back up to the rear of the car. He jacks up the front of the car with a really old jack on 2 wheels, attaches the winch and begins to pull the car forward from the rear onto the lift bed on the ground. As it rolls, the jack lists to the side and gets hung up on a crack in the pavement. Only the back tires are on the lift and he can't pull the car any further. He gets outs, lowers the jack, and because the wheel is broken, the car lists to the side and now he can't get the jack out from under the car.
He raises the truck lift so that the back wheels are up off the ground, gets back in the truck, backs it up. The car body moves backwards, but because the front tire is broken, it doesn't move with the car and the tire gets pushed into the forward wheel well. He still can't get the jack out so he gets back in the truck and drives forward. Now the car body is pulled forward but the broken wheel again doesn't move with it. He continues to drive forward so far that I see the body of the wheel well begin to actually bend as it is crushed against the tire.
I yell to him to stop and told him that he's damaging the car. He gets out, lowers the lift bed to the ground, stomps around to the front of the car and pulls the jack out. He jams the jack under a spot in front of the rear axle and jacks the car up so he can take the tire off. But the wheel is broken and stays on the ground. He goes back to the truck and lifts the rear wheels to take pressure off the broken wheel. He tries to take the tire lug nuts off and his tool breaks so he has to get another. He finally removes the tire. He pulls out 2 long pieces of 4x4s and a small one. He jams them under the broken wheel hub itself, lowers the jack so the hub rests directly on the wood, and I hear the axle and hub make more crunching sounds and it appears that the wheel hub is now getting damaged. He then begins to pull the car forward again as the wheel hub stays stationary and the car body starts to move forward. This is crazy. I told the guy to stop right there.
I called AAA as he begins to try something else. I tell the service representative that this tow truck driver is damaging my car. She says there is nothing she can do, he doesn't work for AAA. I explain that if they don't stop him from causing damage to my car, then AAA is responsible. She asks to speak to the driver. After speaking with her, he gives my phone back to me. She says that he has to get my car off his truck and there's nothing she can do. I ask when she can have another tow truck there. She says that it will probably be another hour before someone comes. I said that was not OK after already waiting an hour and a half for a guy to damage the car. She says that I have to go to the end of the list of other calls. I ask to speak to a supervisor. She puts me on hold for 17 minutes, then tells me there is no supervisor available. She says she's directing me to a complaint center. Another long wait before someone comes on to ask me about the situation. Meanwhile the guy has pulled my car off the truck, inflicting more damage.
The AAA guy I speak with asks me to describe what happened. He says it sounds like the tow truck driver was doing everything he should have. I said that I watched him bend the wheel well of my car and cause further damage to the wheel hub and axle. He said that he'll have an inspector come out to the mechanic's shop where the car is towed to examine the car in a few days.
When the new tow truck driver comes, he shakes his head at what the other guy has done and says that the first driver has made his job way more difficult. When I told him what happened he said he could see this guy doing it, and that that company doesn't have a good reputation. I watch him use professional tools to jack up the car with a four-wheeled jack and remove the car's front wheel, place a heavy duty and made-for-the purpose metal slider under the body near the broken tire to help slide it forward without the car leaning over where the tire is missing. He pulls the front of the car carefully on to the lift, lifts the car and all is accomplished simply and efficiently.
Days later, when I respond to an AAA message saying they have a report from the inspector and will discuss a resolution, the AAA representative tells me that their inspector has found no damage to the car; any damage he found was already there before the guy did the tow job. He said that my daughter already caused the damage when she pulled over. I told him that my mechanic said that the inspector who came out was very young and inexperienced and had previously been only a tow truck driver. The AAA representative says that the inspector used to work for Geico and is experienced. He says that their review shows that the first tow truck driver did it all well. I said that I did not agree with their resolution, since I witnessed the guy crush the fender along with other damage to the wheel hub and axle. He will inform the complaint reviewer that I dispute their determination that the truck driver was not at fault. I asked him if they ever contacted the second tow truck driver for his evaluation of what was left by the first driver, but AAA did not. The representative says he will pass along my request and that I do not agree with their resolution. He does not ask for the name and phone number of the second tow truck driver.
Don't waste your money on AAA. You can sign up for roadside assistance through your insurance company for $15/year or call 911 for assistance finding help that you can pay for only when you need it. AAA isn't available everywhere and will take way longer than a call by police to a nearby tow truck company. Another better roadside assistance company is Better World Club, a green company which does not lobby against public transportation like AAA.
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FoDaddy19 on 08/25/2013:
The damage to the axle and ball joint (though if the wheel isn't moving it could be a broken tie rod as well), was already done before the first driver got there, and indeed his methodology for getting was acceptable. I've seen it done before, but you generally need two people to make it work. One guy mans the winch whilst the other keeps some wooden boards in a series under the car so that the damaged front wheel/ suspension bits don't drag directly on the ground. Apparently though the 2nd tow truck had more specialized equipment. However the first guy wasn't doing anything wrong. The damage was already done, and the dragging and noises you saw and heard, looked and sounded worse than they really were.
John Nicholson on 08/25/2013:
Time to contact an attorney and sue both AAA and the original tow truck company. Make sure you have adequate pictorial evidence in the form of photos and video of the state of the car now, along with closeups, etc. Your attorney can get depositions from the second tow truck driver and your mechanic, etc.
AAA sent the original guy and, as such bears responsibility, as does the guy's company for his actions. The only question I would pose is why you allowed the guy to proceed if it was apparent he was damaging the car?? You will be asked this question. Have a good answer ready. Good luck.
jktshff1 on 08/25/2013:
A broken down car is not a life threatening emergency. Calling 911 for a broken down car can get you fined in most places.
trmn8r on 08/26/2013:
I don't agree with your conclusions, but it is impossible to evaluate the complaint completely not having been there.
Once the ball joint was broken, the knuckle will act as you describe, and pulling onto a flatbed will involve strange noises and odd positions of the knuckle/hub. Removing the wheel would be in order.
I agree with the previous poster who asked why you let the tow operator proceed. Once I had a (non AAA supplied) tow operator start to do something that would have definitely done damage to my car, and I stopped him. He agreed and changed his procedure.
I have had AAA tow my vehicles on multiple occasions and was 100% satisfied with their work.
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AAA Jump-start to battery replacement, a good deal!
Posted by
MADISON, WISCONSIN -- Had a pleasant encounter [as it turns out] with AAA Roadside Service. Actually, it was more driveway service since my battery died during the night.
Called AAA for a jump start. I had left dome lights on all night for some reason and thought it would be a simple jump with their battery pack. As it turned out the battery had a dead cell so it wasn't long for this world.
At any rate, the driver said that they carried new batteries with them and had one for my Pontiac Vibe in his truck.
Cost: $126.00, tax included / 3 year warranty [replaced on site by AAA if future problem / labor included. Such a deal! Saturday night in 15 degree weather and I was going to go out driving around and try to find a new battery?
This was a good deal no matter how ya slice it. Saved me time and money and got it swapped out at my doorstep.
The battery itself is re-badge as a "AAA Battery" - I'm told that most AAA batteries are made by Johnson Controls.
I called Auto Zone and their Duralast car battery for my vehicle cost $115.00 with labor extra, of course. So the decision was a no-brainer.
On an added note: I have the 'AAA Plus RV" Membership which also includes transport of my motorcycle if needed. Differences between memberships/cost is shown in the table here.
Web Site:
https://wisconsin/. aaa.com/membership/join-AAA/771.uts?WT. MC_ID=120911_D270_PSM-AMJ_MemberAcquisition-SEM&zip=53024&stateprov=wi&city=grafton&devicecd=PC&referer=www.aaa.com
AAA Wisconsin Headquarters Information
AAA Wisconsin
8401 Excelsior Boulevard
Madison, WI 53717
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trmn8r on 01/22/2012:
Yes, this is a fair deal, especially since they are there at your beck and call and you don't have to mess around with delays or tools.
I just installed my Johnson Controls battery this morning from WallsMart to replace the one that had died after 9 months. Same 3-year warranty, but do-it-yourself. The current price is $90.
I always had good experiences with AAA roadside assistance. They got me out of trouble a few times and I was lucky to be a member. I currently am not.
Great review.
DebtorBasher on 01/22/2012:
I'm surprised they don't take advantage of people who may be stranded and up charge them for everything. Some insurance companies won't pay for roadside service if your car is at you home.
Huck_Hoshimoto on 01/23/2012:
Like to point out that one big difference between the "AAA BASIC" and the "AAA Plus RV" membership:
Basic - with basic, they tow up to 5 miles at no charge and then up to $3.75 for mile thereafter.
However, auto repair place here only charges 2.10 for those extra miles if needed.
I pay for the 'AAA Plus RV' because I have a car, an SUV and a motorcycle.
In this case they will tow and of my vehicles up to 100 miles before the addition towing charges kick in.
As for the possibility of 'been taking advantage of'; the driver showed me the testing of all cells to confirm that one of them was really dead & gone.
trmn8r on 01/23/2012:
"I'm surprised they don't take advantage of people who may be stranded and up charge them for everything."
Well, this is a trust thing. My memory is just not any old shop with a greasy heavy set mechanic and a stogey can be AAA rated. The ones that have come to assist me have always been good and never suggested things that would benefit them (eg: "we'll tow it to our shop and get you fixed up"). Rather, it's "here's what I think might be wrong, what do you want to do?" And the drivers have always been courteous.
If AAA-approved shops were taking advantage of people, I think the word would get back to AAA and that shop would no longer be a member. This isn't the BBB...
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Stranded and Not Caring
Posted by
OREGON -- On July 18, 2013 I was driving my Ford Cargo van and a small trailer on vacation. Gold prospecting in southern Oregon, I came to a big hill just passed Canyonville on I 5 about 30 miles from Grants Pass. All of sudden I noticed smoke out the back and the truck slowing down, I almost made it to the top. The engine sounded fine but no tranny. I called AAA, I had AAA plus, it was about 3:30 pm they said they would have someone there to tow me soon. The tow truck got there around 5:00 pm. The driver was nice and got me hooked up and towed me to his boss' shop so he could remove my drive line.
We got there after 6:00pm. The mechanic was having trouble removing the drive line. He said he could not do it. the owner shows up at 7:00pm says he is not going to tow me because triple A doesn't pay him enough to tow me to Eugene. He says AAA does not cover box vans or small trailers. He parked my truck across the street on the Hwy shoulder unhooks me and leaves me. No Water no nothing. He was a total jerk.
I just paid my AAA plus $171.00 the week earlier to be covered for this. I am a 100% disabled Vietnam vet with several heath issues. I had my 4 English bull dogs with me and a Cockatoo, one English bulldog was overheating so bad he was foaming at the mouth and noise badly I didn't think he was going to make it. The owner watched me from across the street smiling and joking and pointing while I was trying to save my dog. I was on the phone with AAA from 6:30pm to 1:00am trying to get them to tow me. They told me on page 14 part way down there was a small paragraph that said they will not tow box van or utility trailers unless there is a motorcycle in it. I said what booklet? The one we sent you when you first sign up. I said are you kidding 15 years ago? You have taken my $171.00 for 15 years and now you're going to let me down when I need you?
Anyway, 6:30pm to 1:00am to get them to OK the tow on the side of a highway w/4 dogs. They called back and said the tow truck will not tow me with the drive line hooked up and I needed to change the right rear trailer tire? (there was 70% tread on it...) I said I would do it in the dark if it meant me getting out of there. I did it in about 45 min. both. With the tools I had with me.
Bill's towing should not be a AAA tow Service. Vary rude, non caring. Their driver could not apologize enough for the rude behavior of their owner. If you're a AAA member, you should e-mail them first, describe what you'll be doing have them e-mail you back so you have it in writing. They don't cover a lot of dirt roads ether (by the way) AAA should give a booklet each time you pay your yearly fee. That's not too unreasonable is it??
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AAA Is a Joke
Posted by
DEARBORN, MICHIGAN -- 2-9-13 Same problem as many other posters. My husband was driving my truck home from work when it suddenly broke down and he had to pull to the side of the road. He called me because my name is on the card. I called AAA and they told me I had to be within 15-20 minutes of the vehicle for them to send help. So I throw on some clothes and drive approximately 50 miles to where my husband is stranded.
I called AAA back about ten minutes before I got there. There was no record of my first call. So I am driving and trying to give the agent my info at the same time. Even she cautioned that I take care not to cause an accident. So she tells me she was making me a priority call because I was on the freeway and the tow truck would arrive within an hour. I called back 30 minutes later and she told me the estimated time of arrival had not changed (meaning she lied in the first place.
There is a difference between saying the truck will be there within the hour and in an hour. So I wait the whole hour. No truck and no call (she took my callback number at the outset). When I call them back to ask where is my truck she tells me the ETA has been pushed back another hour. By now my husband has been on the side of the road (it's winter and about 25 degrees) nearly three hours and I've been out there about an hour and a half with big semis whizzing inches past my door. Very scary. She told me the tow company gave some excuse about their long-distance driver not being able to go until 12.
While I am talking to her, I look across the freeway and see one of the companies trucks empty and headed in the other direction. I kid you not. She said she did not know anything about their scheduling or who was ahead of me. So I ask her why didn't they say that up front. When I called back after the first half an hour the agent I talked to told me the truck was en route and expected to arrive on time. So how do we go from that to another 1:20 minute wait? She had no answer so I asked to speak to her manager. She put me on hold about 10 minutes -probably hoping I would hang up. Manager comes on line finally with the same excuses and I went ballistic.
Not only have I been a AAA member 30 years, I pay on time and only file one claim that I recall in 30 years. And this is the best service I can expect - to be left on the side of the freeway in freezing weather for four hours while watching empty tow trucks drive past me. To add insult to injury, she said if she called the police to come and assist me, they might call their own tow company and I would have to pay to get it out of the tow yard. Unbelievable. So then she offers to call another tow company but said it might be a longer wait. I told her I did not care who she called as long as somebody came pronto to help.
The new tow driver also could not get there for 45 minutes but at least he arrived on time and we finally got off the side of the freeway after 4 hours. And don't believe the other post about the insurance being with the car and not the driver in Michigan. I live in Michigan I also was under the impression that my vehicles are covered wherever they need help, whether I am in them or not. I have paid up insurance. If I can provide the card number and give my consent over the phone they ought to be able to do better than say I have to be in the car or else. What the heck am I paying for.
I am seriously looking around for a new carrier. After 30 years! The manager did say she would be filing a complaint on my behalf but what good would that do me if something had happened to us out there on the freeway because they are too negligent to send a tow truck in a timely manner. I could go on about other lapses in service but I think everyone gets the message that AAA will take your money but don't'really care if you get good service or not.
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trmn8r on 02/10/2013:
If you file a complaint with AAA, they should take it seriously and investigate it. If they decide there is a pattern of poor service, they may switch companies in that area.
The beginning of your complaint makes perfect sense - the person making the call should be the member and with the vehicle. As a 30-year member of AAA, I'm surprised you were not aware of this. AAA is not "paid up insurance," it is roadside assistance. They are nice enough to cover the call if you are in someone else's car, but the key is you have to be there.
Anonymous on 02/10/2013:
You need to realize that you were speaking with someone in a call center. AAA does not own and operate tow trucks, they contract that out with private companies. The private company gives AAA the ETA. I fail to see how you were lied to about the ETA. You told within the hour. In the towing industry, at least when I was in it, that meant the tow truck would be there within the next hour. You called after 30 minutes. I also don't think her telling you that if she called the police, they might send their own tow at your expense. How is that an insult? Its the truth. If you are in a dangerous spot and AAA is more than 10-15 minutes out, the police will call a company on their rotation list, who has a mandatory short response time and it will be at your expense unless that provider is contracted with AAA. Also she can't tell you anything about the tow truck you saw going in the opposite direction. She's in a call center. That tow truck was likely headed to another call. Those tow trucks you saw were most likely not AAA providers. AAA typically only contracts with 1-2 providers in an area. In my area there is 1 provider that covers multiple cities so its not usual to wait. Typically tows are dispatched in the order received. If your given an hour ETA, that means there are people ahead of you. When call you AAA, they have no idea how many calls their providers have waiting.
JR in Orlando on 02/11/2013:
The problem starts with the failure to have the husband be a member of AAA. That would have saved an hour and a half for the husband, while the wife drove the 50 miles. (Note op says the husband had been at roadside "3 hours" while she had been there "1 and 1/2 hours." - The difference would have been the time waiting for the op to arrive.)
The other times are estimates, but it appears as if the OP was told the tow truck would be there within an hour - which could mean 59 minutes. when she called back after an hour and a half, the information AAA had on its scene was that it was still on time. It seems like AAA did what it could, and in fact contacted another two company. So the total time the Member waited was two and a half hours, since the 4 hours apparently includeds the 1 and a half hour delay caused by the husband not being a member.
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Don't Waist Your Money On AAA Membership
Posted by
Ellie Michelle
SANTA ANA -- I have been a AAA member for 25 years. What a waist of money!!!I took a family vacation to Portland, or in July 2012, for a family reunion. Upon arrival at the airport we rented a car from enterprise, knowing we will get our AAA discount on the car at the end of the trip, four days later. Upon return to the airport, we had a $580.00 Total payment due on our credit card!!I hit the roof and called AAA asking why? I was told by Mr. Micheal [snip], the supervisor to customer service with AAA, that they do not honor or work with enterprise any more!!! I told him how am I to know that? He said they do not notify members on these issues!!! My feelings are that AAA does make business decisions without the member's awareness behind the scenes and the chances are members get upset but eventually drop their complaints and move on!!!
For the past several months, I have written formal complaint letters to their president/CEO Robert [snip], communicated with Mr.[Snip], again followed up 15 times on the status of my complaint!!! Up to now, I have not received any resolution, get my refund, or communication back from their complaint department. The customer service complaint department is a total joke!!! They ignore letters, faxes, and you can't reach them unless you fax them....Still they don't respond!!! Wow what a great company!!! When I call to follow up, they are surprised as to how many times I have called to complaint about their customer service and how they ignore customer related issues!! Mr. [Snip] always has a excuse, or does not return calls. When he does, he blames it on the other company!!!I have been passed around from one supervisor to another, even talked to a supervisor's supervisor!!! This is not a complicated thing, just refund the damn money!!!!! How hard is that??? From California to Texas and then back organ the follow-up calls go around and around!!! Still no resolution and I'm aggravated like hell with AAA!!!! I have to thank enterprise, because they were nice enough to give me a 20% discount equal to $40...That's more than I can say about my own membership of 25 years with AAA which did not do crap for me!!! The AAA does not deserve my money....Nor would I want membership with AAA any...I cancelled my membership on the phone and demanded to get my prorated membership refund.... My money was wasted on them for so many years....I have been a loyal customer.....What happened to their loyalty to me???? People.....Save your money...This AAA is not what it used to be....They are greedy, irresponsible, and so secure with their jobs that they pass you around, giving you run around until you get tired and drop your complaint...I deserve so much better than them.....I feel bad wasted my time believing in AAA!!!! Is it the company policy to ignore members???? You tell me. Shame on you AAA...... You are disgusting taking advantage of good members like me....
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unhappy999 on 10/17/2012:
I'm not an AAA member but I just went to their website and there is no mention anywhere about a discount at Enterprise. Couldn't you have asked Enterprise if they still give AAA discount? The discounts are perks for being a member of AAA, your membership dues are for the road side assistance they offer. Just because they may have had a discount in the past doesn't mean they still offer it. Anytime I want a discount on something, I make sure that it is still offered. I don't think AAA owes you any money nor are the obligated to refund any of your money as they had nothing to do with your car rental.
CowboyFan on 10/17/2012:
I like Triple A and have used the discount frequently. One must look to see at the seller offers a Triple A discount, and then bring to their attention at the time of purchase/rental. That would have avoided all of the problem.
The OP is mad at Triple A because they made an assumption, that was not correct. Unhappy999 summed it up well.
Anonymous on 10/17/2012:
AAA should have the courtesy to notify their members when they end an affiliation with a business such as enterprise.
But.....as a customer it is your responsibility to confirm whether or not you are entitled to a discount before you rent a car. Or book a hotel. Not after the fact. AAA doesn't owe the OP anything. Even if AAA had sent out a notice, it doesn't guarantee all of their members will be notified. Not everyone reads the inserts that come with the monthly bill. Not everyone opens their "junk mail". The OP wrongly assumed he would get a AAA discount. He should have asked about the discount when he signed the rental agreement. Not after the fact.
trmn8r on 10/17/2012:
I have a question off the top - you carried an AAA membership for 25 YEARS - until this incident, were you happy with it? What did you get out of it? I have been an AAA member for 3 or 4 distinct periods in my life, and each one was profitable to me. Between the tourbooks, maps, towing service and lockout service, I had no complaints at all and thought it was a bargain. AAA "discounts" were actually one of the least attractive features, as they were fairly small.
If your total bill was $580, I don't see how a 20% discount is $40. But that is besides the point - with AAA, you always verify your plans to use an AAA discount when you book, or at the latest when you go to sign a contract. Did Enterprise tell you that there would or wouldn't be an AAA discount?
Last, what AAA told you makes sense in my experience - AAA does not notify you when participation/promotions change.
BigAl on 10/17/2012:
I usually do not respond to these type of reviews but you asked me to ("you tell me") Nothing in your review would suggest that you have been wronged by AAA. To expect a company to personally notify you of every change is absurd. Any consumer with reasonable intelligence would realize that such an endeavor by any company to personally keep it's customers updated on every change would be cost prohibited.
Diane on 05/31/2013:
My experience large a disappointment because I was having dinner a few days ago and got a call from AAA for me to join the promotion to receive free tickets for two people, the issue is not present if not a lie, anyway I I was going to enroll, but lying is more than a lack of respect, which I came was an envelope with some promotions to buy them if I wanted to enter, I am assuming that the letter of the person who wrote was pesima, should practice calligraphy, I am disappointed that they are liars
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Most Unprofessional Insurance Company
Posted by
On the evening of March 28, 2011, I was heading home and was sideswiped by a woman who was holding a large pink phone in her left hand and was so engulfed in her telephone conversation that she neither signaled nor paid attention to my truck or the horn of it and changed lanes into it. After she hit my truck she made two other phone calls and never even acknowledged that she had hit my vehicle, asked if I was okay or even got out of her SUV. My SUV has scrub marks along the passenger side, the mirror is damaged and there is a crack in the windshield that has been getting wider as time goes along. AAA-Texas is her insurance company. The very first time I spoke to the adjuster, she was exceedingly unprofessional and even hung up the telephone in my face. Knowing that to be a sign of impending trouble, I contacted a "supervisor" in Diamond Bar, California who told me that another adjuster would be handling the claim. There was a field adjuster sent out two times to look at the damage done my truck. Upon his second trip I found out that the original adjuster who hung up in my face was still handling the claim. I took my truck to the body shop who has handled problems like this for over 10 years for me. That body shop produced a repair estimate of $1520.39. After weeks went by, I called to find out what was the delay. As it turned out, the adjuster had sent a draft for $1001.19 to an old post office box that I had not had in years. They made it out to the company that I owned when I first purchased the SUV but had been defunct for years now. Nobody at AAA-Texas had bothered to call and tell me anything. I was not provided an itemization of the damages that the adjuster had come up with. After months of trying to talk to these people and even drafting a letter to the Texas Department of Insurance, I finally received a copy of their damage itemization. They had shaved off hours of body work and left the windshield damage off altogether! One guy who is supposedly a claims manager is telling the Department of Insurance that the windshield is pre-existing damage but there is no mention of it in the field adjuster's report. The fact of the matter is that I had a prior accident some months earlier with a woman who ran a stop sign. She had insurance but no driver's license. Because of that, the insurance would not pay. I had the vehicle fixed at my expense and repainted. It had no body damage of any kind prior to being hit by AAA-Texas' insured. When I tried to contact the claims manager to get an email address for a person in claims administration, he too hung up the phone in my face. I promptly relayed that information to the Department of Insurance. He denies having done it. Even though the accident happened in late March, Here we are in September and I haven't gotten the problem alleviated and I am still getting nothing but lies and deceitful practices and information from AAA-Texas. It seems that AAA-Texas is just another insurance company who is very interested in collecting premiums but does everything that it can to avoid paying for the damages and liabilities that they responsible for. Their commercials should be banned from TV because the service that they provide is the absolute worst! My advice to any person looking to insure a car is to choose another company!
Chris Heath
Dallas, Texas
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Skye on 09/05/2011:
You shouldn't be talking to her insurance company at all. That's what your insurance company is for, to handle situations such as this. That's what you pay them for.
Stop all communication, and contact your insurance agent.
unhappy999 on 09/05/2011:
In NJ, if you don't have full coverage on your vehicle, they will not deal with the other drivers insurance company for you, you have to do it yourself.
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Beware Of AAA Illinois!
Posted by
On 6/22/11 I purchased two Visa Travel Debit cards ( LOW WITHDRAWAL FEES AND NO INTEREST) from an Illinois AAA branch. During the time of purchase I specifically mentioned that I was traveling to Montenro, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, and Finland. I also specifically told a female employee from whom I purchased travel insurance that I was travelling to Montenro, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, and Finland. During the time of purchase no mention was made that the travel debit card does not work in Montenro. After the purchase I was given the debit card contract and a little card "slot" that has important phone numbers related to the debit card. After review neither one of these makes any mention of the card not working in Montenro. Considering this, I had no idea that the card would not be functional in Montenro. One would imagine that a business selling a product would be informed about the details of the product they are selling and this information then conveyed to the individual purchasing the product.
Upon entering Montenro on 6/25/11 (having no idea that the card would not work) I attempted to use the debit card. Following several attempts it became apparent that the card would not work. As any reasonable traveler I brought with a spare Visa credit card. I had no intent of using this card however considering the circumstances I had no choice. Of course with using a credit card an interest rate is applied to all withdrawals. Despite the much larger withdrawal fee and the interest I had absolutely no choice but to use this credit card during my stay in Montenro. After one week in Montenro the charges that were applied to my "back-up" Visa credit card amounted to $431.56.
I spoke with a AAA employee (from the branch where I purchased the card) on 6/27/11. I explained to the employee that upon purchase of the cards I clearly stated where I was travelling. He was unable to provide me with an answer on why I was not told that the card would not work in Montenro. This individual did however reassure me that "he wants me to be happy" and that "I should enjoy my vacation". Following my conversation I had the impression that the AAA would offer some assistance upon my return.
Upon my return I again called the AAA branch in question on 7/18/11 and spoke with the same employee that I spoke with on 6/27/11. Despite our conversation where he stated that he wants me to "be happy" and that " I should enjoy my vacation" he was very quick to tell me that his branch was in no way responsible. He stated, " when we sell these cards it is impossible for us to know where the cards will work and where they will not work ".
I re-read the information that I was given related to the debit cards after I purchased the cards. Within the contract there is nothing mentioned about a branch not being liable since "it is impossible to know where a card will work or not ".
After this conversation I visited https://www.aaa.myprepaidbalance.com/FAQs.aspx to see if this is true. After a minute of searching I came upon a page that clearly states that the card cannot be used in Montengro. I found this information despite the employee telling me that "it is impossible to know where the card works and where it does not work".
Considering the above I have serious problems with the following:
CONSIDERING THAT IT IS POSTED ON https://www.aaa.myprepaidbalance.com/FAQs.aspx THAT THESE CARDS DO NOT WORK IN MONTEN*GRO IT WOULD BE UNREASONABLE FOR ME TO ASK FOR ALL OF THE FEES THAT ACCRUED TO MY CREDIT CARD DUE TO INTEREST AND TRANSACTION FEES. HOWEVER, THE MISTAKE MADE BY THE AAA BRANCH IN ADDISON COST ME, I DESERVE MORE THAN AN APOLOGY.
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BEJ on 07/18/2011:
To be proactive, I would have done my own research before I purchased the card and not relied on the clerk at the AAA office. Perhaps the particular clerk did not sell a large amount of these and was unaware and the restrictions on the card usage.
clutzycook on 07/19/2011:
I actually had to google Montenro to find out where it was, so to be perfectly honest I'm not surprised if the clerk at the AAA office would even know where it was, never mind if your debit card would work there. I agree with BEJ and would have researched the cards and made sure that they would work in all the countries I was using them in.
asprudzs on 07/19/2011:
Thank you for the feedback. I spoke with another Triple A branch manager and was told that the list of countries where these cards do not work is readily available to agents selling this product. This branch did not.....why...at my expense? Individuals who specialize in travel services should be educated in travel destinations around the world ( of which Montenro -- sorry cannot write the entire name down due to censoring --- but its in the Balkans and used to be a part of Serbia ) ...or at least know where they are and that they exist.
Ponie on 07/19/2011:
Reading this whole post, I had never heard of the country referred to. Thought maybe the poster just had phat phingers because I had the real country in mind. I understand the need for censorship or this forum would take the same turn as some others on the web. A few minutes ago, it took me four tries to get a response to post--and I still don't know what my faux pas was.
I'm in agreement that these fees should be refunded if the list of countries is readily available. When I was with AAA a few years back, I had no such problems. Guess I wss just lucky.
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AAA Service man Stole my Brand New Car Jack
Posted by
I have been a AAA PLUS member for 22 years! On July 15th, 2010 I had a flat and called AAA. In about 1/2 hour a service man arrived in a blue Jeep. This service man asked me for my lug wrench, as (2) of the bolts were tight, as he stated to me. I handed the service man the entire (2003 - FACTORY FRESH) vinyl bag containing the car jack and the lug wrench. I thought nothing of this at the time. When I arrived home, I noted that the car jack was (MISSING) from the vinyl bag. I called the Schuylkill County Pennsylvania AAA office (3) times. Each time I called, the Supervisor (Mr. Wactcher) was out of the office or out to lunch. I did speak with the service man over the telephone, and he said, (I DON'T HAVE YOUR JACK, BUT I CAN OFFER YOU ANOTHER, THAT MAY BE A LITTLE RUSTY!)/ This Schuylkill County Pennsylvania AAA office (SUCKS!!!!) Don't ever do any type of business with this place at all and (DO NOT) give this place any type of CASH !!!!!! They are (NOT) to be trusted! I have been a MEMBER for over 20 years! PLEASE! Believe me!
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tnchuck100 on 07/19/2010:
What does a picture of a lamp have to do with this complaint?
biomajor on 07/19/2010:
that's an ugly lamp. My jack isn't in the pouch, just the lug wrench and a screwdriver. My jack (Jeep) is under the back seat.
Skye on 07/19/2010:
Maybe it's some kind of puzzle we are supposed to piece togther?
FlShopper on 07/19/2010:
Maybe the AAA guy made the lamp with the jack.
Anonymous on 07/19/2010:
How did he get the other bolts loose and what was he using for a jack?
Something is missing from this story.
Weedwhacked on 07/19/2010:
You should have checked your vinyl bag right after he finished.
redmx3racer on 07/19/2010:
I'm not sure why any AAA vendor would want a random cars factory jack-most likely bottle or scissor jack. If he did take it, it was probably by mistake. Why would he want to use that type of jack for anything when they usually carry heavy duty hydraulic floor jacks with them that can lift a car up in less than a minute?
Helpful on 07/19/2010:
That's an awesome lamp! Did you accept it for trade on the jack? If so, you scored! A little shag carpet, a rake and you've got it made!
Keith A. on 10/29/2010:
I am the operations manager for a towing company in Oregon and we are also a AAA contract station.
Been in this industry since 1996 and with this company since 1998.
I've changed my fair share of tires for AAA members and although I always preferred to use my own jack, sometimes it's best to use the one provided by the vehicle's manufacturer.
Usually this is for more "exotic" vehicles like a Mercedes or BMW. For your typical Jeep or Honda, my own floor jack should suffice.
However, the guy who trained me all those years ago was a 14 year veteran at the time and he ALWAYS chose to use the vehicle's jack stating it reduced liability should anything go wrong, etc.
Same principle for using the lug wrench provided in the car's kit or our own 4 way.
As for taking the jack? Highly likely it was an accident. There is absolutely no motivation on the part of the service driver. Either that or it was left on the side of the road. Easy to do. We don't know if it was dark. Traffic conditions. Were you chatting with the AAA driver and both of you got distracted?
My guess is that it's still sitting out there. In fact, I'd bet money on it.
As for the AAA office, well....they should provide better follow-up service and direct you to the contract station. But in reality, the local AAA office is not the place you should be calling. The towing company is who you should have called right away.
Offering you another jack that isn't OEM is mediocre at best.
Buying you a new one from the dealer (or used one from a pick-n-pull) would be better for your make and model.
Resolution could be reached in several different ways. If you are a AAA member and will always rely on their services, maybe you'd just be happy with some monetary compensation from the tow company and not a replacement jack?
Maybe you would be happy with an acknowledgement from the tow company and you both move on.
Either way, nothing irritates a frustration more than neglect and failure to deal with the issue.
At our company, any complaints on service, speeding drivers, unsafe driving, damage, etc. are dealt with both immediately and decisively.
Anything else I am working on can now wait while I address the issue.
I think if you had a reaction like that, this might not have been blown out of proportion and an agreeable solution could have been reached.
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Petite Julie Zip Pocket Skinny Pants in Bi Stretch
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Limited Edition Marvelous Hipster
Beautiful eyelash lace and soutache detail at the front panel on this panty. Pair with the Limited Edition Marvelous Full Coverage Bra, or Marvelous Chemise, Gown or sleep top for or any day you want to look and feel exceptionally beautiful.
- Satin bow at center front.
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Murder Mystery parties are the perfect entertainment. Figure out 'whodunnit' along with the gang! Watch as guests immediately become part of a fictional, and sinister world! Search here for Murder Mystery in Miami FL.
We are the most popular, interactive murder mystery group, the excellent solution for all your parties and events. - Read More
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text: Mouse over the image to zoom Zoom full screen Noël Home Spray 100 ml An enlightened tree which impregnates the house of its perfume one evening of December 24th, to recreate the magic power of the Christmas enchantment. The Noël home spray will instantly sublimate your house thanks to the flavor of citrus fruits, orange and mandarine from Brazil, and the slightly acid bark of the pine from Siberia, heavy with an unforgettable scent of resin. Find the magic of Christmas in this elegant home spray, presented in a clear glass streaked with gold and light, adorned with the Annick Goutal logo. Hints and Tips Spray in a room to instantly create a fragrant ambiance. In order to maintain it, we advise you to spray it again in order to refresh the atmosphere or, for a more intense diffusion, to associate it with the Noël candle. Do not spray on the skin. In stock : 48h delivery Size/Format : 100 ml Quantity : 1 35,00 € Add to my basket Email to a friend Add to Wishlist Wishlist x You need to have an account in order to add a product to your Wishlist. Create your account Log in to your account Noël NOEL-HOME-SPRAY-AMBIANCE Home Spray 35,00 € NOEL-HOME-SPRAY-AMBIANCE(AnnickGoutalMasterCatalog) 711367121139(AnnickGoutalMasterCatalog)


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Espresso Shoulder Detail Top
More sophisticated than a tee, this knit top plays up the neckline in a frame of ruching and button-accented ribbon. 67% Rayon, 29% Polyester, 4% Spandex. Machine wash. Imported.
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Baseball fields around the world are managed totally different from what you might expect. Here, in the good ole USA, our stadiums have automatic irrigation systems, state of the art drainage systems, weather stations, hydraulic pitching mounds and high tech maintenance equipment! We are so fortunate!
In 1999, the Baltimore Orioles played the Cuba National Team in an exhibition in Havana, Cuba. The stadium and field needed upgrading before the deal could be completed so I was asked to put together a team to make it happen. The American crew consisted of AL Capitos, Budgie Clark, Greg Meeks and myself. It took 3 weeks to complete what could have been completed here in days. For example:
1. Irrigation – The field was hand watered with a fire hose. One person all night!
2. Aerfication- We brought over an aerfier on the barge from Miami with other equipment. The field was so hard you could drive a tractor trailer on it. The TORO arefier plugged over over 2 million cores, all of which were picked up by hand and wheelbarrows.
3. Topdressing – Unfortunately, the sand to fill the aerified holes had particles very large that could have injured a player had he slid in the grass. I asked that they "screen" the sand to make it a finer material. They set up 2 wooden sifting screens beside these huge mounds of sand and hand sifted 100 tons!
4. Field edging – The entire field was edged with a pocket knife and clippers. (When we opened the box from the barge that had the "Sears & Roebuck" $179.00 garden edger, the guys who tended the field were totally amazed at such a device.
(Click on the photo to see the crowd gather and watch budgie use the edger. After the first pass he turned it over to Pedro Almaneres who edged everyday with the unit!)
5. Batting cage – They didn't have one to use for pre-game batting practice so they built one out of iron pipe from a photograph. It was in two pieces so it connected easily. They built it in less than a day plus all of the protective screens!
The people treated us with great respect as we did for them. The realization that this country operated under a dictatorship was difficult to comprehend until the game took place. Hundreds of people that had worked side by side with us had not been invited to the game. Thats when we realized things were more difficult than what we thought.
The Cuban people reminded me of how simple life can be and how to use what you have to make things work. A similar experience happened in Russia in 1989 where we took 2 teams of players from the minor leagues across the soviet union (At that time it was still the USSR… a few months later the wall came down and we joked that it was because of baseball) Just like Cuba, they had a simple life and simple ways but one could sense it was a very hard life as well. The dark side of the nation was well disguised during the diamond diplomacy tour. (That's another blog.)
In past MLB exhibition games in Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Panama we have had similar experiences complimented with great relationships with the people that made us very thankful for the simple tools of the trade that we so take for granted. MLBI takes the game to another country to grow it world wide. Not only do we grow the game but we build relationships through the sport.
Hand tools like rakes, shovels and tamps are sometimes difficult to locate and the local manufacturing and quality of these tools is not even close to our standards. When you think about the larger pieces of equipment we use like triplex mowers and chemical spray rigs, you might as well be talking about the moon when mentioning such equipment in some countries!
In Valencia, Venezuela they had two mowers to mow the field with. One was your standard residential lawn boy type riding mower and the other was a national triplex. They would mow the field with the lawn boy and since the reels didn't operate on the national, they would use it to roll the grass and put a pattern in the turf. After mowing, the entire field would be raked (by hand) of all clippings and removed.
Hard work, long days, and at the end of the day there was always a smile!


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The Difference is Legendary, the Numbers are PROVEN.
As the commercial real estate market continues its impressive turnaround, 2014 is turning into a big year for the ALM Real Estate Media Group. Last year we re-launched the fresh GlobeSt.com. This year we are producing more original content - nearly 50 articles per day - and generating more viewers (a 15% increase). Trusted reporting delivered through innovative technology remains our overriding strategy, but it doesnt end there.
Maintaining a tradition of editorial excellence, creating the industrys first website focused on original CRE-news content, taking the conversation of real estate to the next level the ALM Real Estate Media Group can document its legendary track record for innovation, distinction and leadership more importantly, it can quantify its effectiveness via highly engaging, on-brand communications that drive client engagement, lead generation and ROI.
As you scan this years media planner, notice that we qualify our audience in many ways and deliver rich demographics to earn your business.
Readers, visitors, attendees national business leaders, regional decision makers, local buyers of goods and services by any measure our industry-leading products (Real Estate Forum, GlobeSt.com and The RealShare Conference Series) have the verifiable audience numbers, certified demographic targets and proven integrated marketing platform to help any business surpass its projected numbers in 2014 and beyond.
Finally, a big thank you to our readers, advertisers and editorial advisors for communicating with our editors on a regular basis to identify compelling business solutions that are relevant in todays marketplace.
Best wishes for continued success!
Michael G. Desiato
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ALM Real Estate Media Group


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Over a decade ago, Upromise was launched based on the philosophy that everyone should be able to afford a college education. Today, with millions of members, Upromise is helping make that a reality for many Americans. For more information about what Upromise is all about, check out our YouTube channel.
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USAID supports organizations like Alfalit, which teaches Angolan students to read
A nurse Huambo checks a patient and her baby before prescribing anti-malarial drugs.
USAID supports clinics that improve the health of Angolan mothers and their children.
Farmers in Huambo who have received loans for production of improved varieties of Irish potato talk about their experience
Representative members from Malaria Forum received the check for $1.8 million to support projects to combat malaria in Angola.
About Angola
Angola's low level of human development is at odds with its potential for economic prosperity, considering the country's wealth of natural resources. Much of this paradox is explained by the social disruption and physical destruction caused by 27 years of civil war. As sub-Saharan Africa's second largest oil producer and with its tremendous agricultural potential, the country could become a powerhouse for regional trade and investment. USAID focuses on strengthening good governance, increasing economic opportunity, and improving the delivery of social services.
Last updated: December 19, 2014


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Each of the projects submitted by the students required the integration of a grandiose waterfront promenade and bike path, a minimum three acre park—dubbed the Fisherman's Park—with integrated water features and amphitheater, and a connection with the Red Car Trolley system that currently provides public transportation to the area. The redevelopment is a real-life project in the making, and the Port of LA has set aside more than $1 billion to re-envision and complete a master plan for the area. An official Request for Proposals is set to be released before summer's end.
Juror, Henry N. Cobb, FAIA, (founding partner of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners) notes that the winning design was "…conceptual, imaginative and exceptionally well-resolved for a three day design charette. The rest… are brilliant in their own way." We hope that inspiration can be taken from the students projects to create a green sustainable redevelopment of the Port of Los Angeles and Ports O'Call!
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Beth BuczynskiTop image: A child is put to work at a militia-run mine in Watsa. © Marcus Bleasdale/National Geographic Captured during a 2004 visit to the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, Bleasdale's images "tell the story of the country's mineral resourceREAD MORE >
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Jill FehrenbacherTIP 1: Wrap Your Home in Insulation - "The More, The Better!" Proper insulation is probably the most important factor you can control in creating an energy-efficient home. I always say insulation is like chocolate, the more you have, the better! On average,READ MORE >
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Tamsin Woolley-Barker, PhD.The Biomimicry Manual: What can We Learn About Resilience, Weight Loss, and Kidney Disease from the Grizzly Bear?I'm off to the wilds of Montana this week, doing some in-person, up-close biomimicry research, and I've got my fingers crossed I'll see a grizzly bear. But you know, over there, not over here. With five inch long claws, massive muscular shoulders and forearms,READ MORE >
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Hand harvested by the Minnesota Leech Lake band of Ojibwe, Native Americans, in canoes as required by law. Wood fire parched, stupendous 100% whole grain. Quick cooking and fluffy, not hard like paddy grown black hybrid varieties. Eden wild rice was Vegetarian Times 2009 'Best Go To Grain'. A good source of fiber, protein, niacin B3, magnesium, and zinc. Gluten free. It comes in a reclosable, protective, standing pouch.
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The Schuyler County winery that has been around since 1852 is continuing a winter ritual this week, thanks to just the right weather conditions. Hazlitt Vineyard workers were out picking frozen grapes to make ice wine, which can only be made in cold climates like Canada, Germany and right here in Upstate New York. YNN's Katie Husband takes us to the vineyard where workers were out during the wee hours of the morning to start the tedious process of making such a unique wine.
HECTOR, N.Y. -- "Collecting any fruit that was lying in the bottom of the netting. And then the six additional workers duck underneath the netting and just pull the grapes off," said John Santos, Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, vineyard manager.
The small group of pickers is responsible for one acre or just over 690 vines of the vidal blanc grapes at Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards. And it's an intense process that can be done only when the time is just right and with nights that hover around 15 degrees.
"The longer you wait the more the deer and the racoons and the birds get after the fruit and the less you end up harvesting and you're also taking a chance that it may never get that cold again so, and that's exactly what happened last year. If we didn't do it when we did it last year, we wouldn't have made ice wine," said Santos.
Only one ton of grapes was picked this year which is lower than last year's three-and-one-third ton production which will produce a very low yield. As soon as the grapes are loaded up they are immediately taken to the winery for the next process.
"Like an eight hour process of pressing it. It's a really slow pressing, like a lot of our other ones will only be an hour or two hours of pressing and this one is a significant amount more," said Lauren Fiala, Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, assistant wine maker.
Fiala explains why the cold conditions are so crucial.
"You're diluting, all the water is kind of trapped in there and it's like this giant ice cube inside of the press so all that stuff that's coming out is the sugars and the flavors so, that's what makes it so concentrated and almost syrupy in the end so, that's what makes it special," said Fiala.
The juice is actually going to sit in a tank for the next couple of days. Then, it might be moved to another tank for the fermentation process. But wine lovers out there, you won't be able to try this wine until next year.
"We're hoping probably bottle it right before next harvest we're hoping. So, September-ish maybe that's ideally what we like to do and then it will be out around this time," said Fiala.
Wine makers say it takes a while for the wine to 'find itself' and develop when it's in the bottle.
Because of the low production of the ice wine, it's only sold at Hazlitt and very limited liquor stores.
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OWENSBORO, Ky. (8/26/13) – Agriculture Commissioner James Comer will attend the grand opening of a new "locally produced" farmer's market, Rosemary Conder told SurfKY News recently.
In an email, Conder stated she and market owner Maria Kelly attended a meeting with Comer and other state officials in Frankfort at their invitation on Aug. 8.
"The meeting was an introduction and explanation of the exciting concept for Nona's Downtown Kentucky Proud Market," Conder said.
The 2,500 square-feet facility will be located at the corner of Second and Ann streets, and more than 90 percent of its inventory will consist of "Kentucky Proud" products, Conder said.
"This will include locally produced products as well as items from across the Commonwealth. Nona's will feature local farmer's market produce, meats, dairy, jams, jellies, honey, carry-out food items, gifts, crafts, art, and everyday necessities for Downtown residents and employees," she added. "Commissioner Comer pledged his office support and will visit Nona's Grand Opening planned for December."
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Information provided by Rosemary Conder
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Diabetes is the leading cause of new blindness for American adults between the ages of 20 and 74. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) estimates that 12,000 to 24,000 people in the United States lose their vision to diabetic retinopathy each year. But retinopathy is not the only eye disease associated with diabetes. Having diabetes also raises the risk of developing cataracts, glaucoma, and several other eye conditions that can cause severe visual impairment.
While in many cases severe vision loss can be prevented through attention to blood glucose and blood pressure control, the sad reality is that many people with diabetes are living with significant visual impairment. However, life doesn't stop because of vision loss, and the good news is that there are many resources and tools to help people with visual impairment manage their diabetes and get on with their lives.
Low-vision and blindness agencies are available in every state. Your physician, diabetes educator, or another of your health-care providers may be able to refer you to a low-vision or blindness rehabilitation center or agency or to an occupational therapist to help you learn to use the remaining vision you have, learn nonvisual techniques as necessary, and remain as independent as possible.
If you cannot get a referral from one of your health-care providers, the information office of your state government can provide contact details for your state's blindness rehabilitation agency, and it may also have information about private agencies and veterans' services in your area. The American Foundation for the Blind also maintains a list of services for blind and visually impaired people organized by type of service and area. (Call [800] AFB-LINE [232-5463] or visit www.afb.org for more information.)
Services offered by low-vision and blindness agencies generally include instruction in daily activities such as cooking, cleaning, taking medicines, identifying clothing, and shopping. Instruction also covers the use of adaptive devices, lighting, magnifiers, and computers, as well as orientation and mobility training. Employment accommodations and training may be offered. Some individuals may learn to use Braille. Many of the instructors who work in low-vision and blindness agencies are certified by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals in low-vision therapy, orientation and mobility, and vision rehabilitation therapy.
Orientation and mobility training can help a person to move safely in or out of his home. Training may include the use of a white cane, guide dog, or sighted guide. Learning and using good orientation and mobility skills will have lifelong implications for a person's ability to participate in social, recreational, educational, and employment opportunities.
Rehabilitation services specific to diabetes are available in some areas, too. The American Association of Diabetes Educators has a Disabilities/Visual Impairment Specialty Practice Group. The educators who belong to this group have a special interest and expertise in helping individuals with visual impairment or other disabilities learn diabetes self-management skills. (See "Resources" for contact information.)
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped has a free library program for people who cannot use standard printed materials. Braille and audio materials (talking books) are circulated to eligible borrowers in the United States by postage-free mail. Special cassette players are loaned free of charge to those who borrow talking books. The book collection is similar to what one might find at a public library, and many magazines can be borrowed, as well. An application for services must be completed before books are loaned. (See "Resources" for contact information.)
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