Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 17:31:42 -0800
Reply-To: Tim Olmstead <tim@CWO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Tim Olmstead <tim@CWO.COM>
Subject: Re: need help Now: AAA
In-Reply-To: <060e01c4fd8b$f0d5ee50$6001a8c0@C424264A>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hey Don,
Glad to hear you got your Vanagon home and sad to hear of the insurance
scam. Don't take this as a fact but you have rights as an American with
proper insurance. Contact the insurance boards for both states and
re-contact AAA. In my minds eye you will be reimbursed for the additional
$200 charge. If it is not in writing stating anything else then it should be
the original amount that AAA quoted you. Don't let them take your money and
set the standard to take advantage of future intra-state towees.
Tim
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of
Don in North Carolina
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2005 10:32 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Was:need help Now: AAA
I'll add a few comments on AAA+. As some of you may remember, I recently
had the '88 Vanagon towed from Virginia to North Carolina (300 miles). I
called AAA to ask the cost of the tow, giving them the from-to addresses.
They told me that the first 100 miles would be free, and $2 a mile
thereafter. I accepted that, went to Virginia and called to start the tow.
They again informed me that there was a charge beyond 100 miles, and I told
them that I knew about it, and that it was $2 a mile. They agreed.
Tow truck driver shows up, hooks up and starts the tow. We leave at the
same time. We arrive home at ~7PM. Tow truck driver shows up at 11PM -
because he "took a nap" because he was too tired. He didn't bother to call
us to let us know he would be delayed. When we get the bill from the credit
card we put the tow on, it was $600+ dollars!!
It seems the tow rate is determined by the state the tow originates in, and
I was quoted the rate for North Carolina, while Virginia was $3 a mile.
They are claiming that we were told $3 a mile by the tow truck driver, when
we were not. So my advise for you is to get it ALL in writing, or it could
come back to haunt you later...
Don in Reidsville, NC
1987 Vanagon GL Syncro (Suzie)
1988 Vanagon GL (Sylvia)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Anonymous Digest" <jbrush@AROS.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tue 18 January 2005 11:42
Subject: Re: AIRS: [WetWesties] need help near Palm Springs
> >I had this happen to me last spring in washington. The AAA person I
>>spoke to said to get the second 100 miles I would need to be unhooked
>>then place another call. The tow truck driver told me plan on it being
>>about 3 hours before a truck would be there for another tow, "your in the
>>middle of knowwheresville". This to me seems crazy and personally I think
>>AAA bank on the fact people will not want to deal and just pay for the
>>rest of the tow.
>
> You can bank on any company to want to make the most money, that is one
> reason I mentioned the multiple tows, as its not something the volunteer
> in there benefits package..
>
> Lousy tow drivers are a whole 'nuther issue tho, and as much as I would
> like AAA to be more responsible for them, I can see how that isn't really
> possible. Sometimes, its better to just pay the dopey driver, and then
> send the bill to AAA, as long as you talk to them first, they are usually
> okay with that.
>
> I'm sorry I didn't mention being unhooked and making another call. Kind of
> thought it was implied, so thanks for pointing that out.
>
> Hope no one ever needs to do it, but its there if the occasion arises.
>
> John
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