AMA Roadside service question?

[iggypop]

So I need to tow my car to the dealer as I have a flashing check engine light, but I am curious if AMA will provide this service since my car is at my house. My car started shaking violently and flashing my check engine light (which in VW's means you must have it towed).
Anyways AMA says they will tow you to the nearest dealer if they pick you up if your stranded on the road, will they offer me free towing from my garage though? TIA

[BlackArcher101]

As far as I know, it's 5km in any direction if you have basic or 160km if you have a higher level of coverage. So if you have basic, I hope the dealer is close.
Pretty sure there is no difference between your car being at home or at the side of a road.

[Go_Flames_3]

yeah it is 5 kms, per breakdown, otherwise you just have to pay per kilometer. They also say only one tow per breakdown, but i have got multiple tows twice before. Either way it shouldnt cost too much extra, and yeah you can get a tow from anywhere

[iggypop]

Awesome thanks guys, well mapquest estimates it at 5.14 miles so it shouldn't be to bad. Anyone know what they charge per km extra?

[4X4]

Whatever it is, it's not too bad. Even at $1 per km, you're only looking at a few bucks extra.
It's not like you've submerged your 4x4 in a mud pit in waiporous and then crammed your clutch full of silty mud trying to free yourself, thus requiring another 4x4 to tow you to your campsite, and yet another to tow you to the highway where you had to wait for three hours for a tow truck to tow you to the southern reaches of Calgary. That is more expensive. In the hundreds. But I wouldn't know.

[ricosuave]

if you can spare some time, go onto eurodrivers.ca or clubveedub.ca and see if anyone in your area will vag-com scan for you - most people there will be happy to help a fellow dubber out.

alternatively, do not get towed to a dealer, get towed to tunedub, off 42nd and macleod (tunedub.ca) and have george help you out - much, much better!

[Incinerator]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Whatever it is, it's not too bad. Even at $1 per km, you're only looking at a few bucks extra.
It's not like you've submerged your 4x4 in a mud pit in waiporous and then crammed your clutch full of silty mud trying to free yourself, thus requiring another 4x4 to tow you to your campsite, and yet another to tow you to the highway where you had to wait for three hours for a tow truck to tow you to the southern reaches of Calgary. That is more expensive. In the hundreds. But I wouldn't know.

LOL sounds like a fun experience

back on topic, don't expect AMA to show up for at least 2 hours, when I had my old beater everytime I called them in the winter they take their sweet time to send someone out.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by Incinerator

LOL sounds like a fun experience

back on topic, don't expect AMA to show up for at least 2 hours, when I had my old beater everytime I called them in the winter they take their sweet time to send someone out.

I'm guessing it's not a matter of "Taking their sweet time", more so a matter of a lot of people broken down and or in accidents.

Imagine that, a service that slows down when demand gets really high, who'd could have seen that one coming?

[Incinerator]

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

I'm guessing it's not a matter of "Taking their sweet time", more so a matter of a lot of people broken down and or in accidents.

Imagine that, a service that slows down when demand gets really high, who'd could have seen that one coming?

Which just means the service is inadequate in the first place, imagine that, what do they have, 800,000+ members and 5 tow trucks.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by Incinerator

Which just means the service is inadequate in the first place, imagine that, what do they have, 800,000+ members and 5 tow trucks.

It's adequate for the large majority of the year. They aren't going to have trucks sitting around doing nothing waiting for a really high demand (such as blizzards). It's lost money for AMA every time a truck is sitting idle.

[iggypop]

Originally Posted by ricosuave

if you can spare some time, go onto eurodrivers.ca or clubveedub.ca and see if anyone in your area will vag-com scan for you - most people there will be happy to help a fellow dubber out.

alternatively, do not get towed to a dealer, get towed to tunedub, off 42nd and macleod (tunedub.ca) and have george help you out - much, much better!

Yeah Im actually a member on eurodrivers anyways. I might try to get a vag-com from someone just depending on when they can do it. But dont worry I was definitely going to take it to George, he does all my work. Great guy, and better prices!

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by Incinerator

Which just means the service is inadequate in the first place, imagine that, what do they have, 800,000+ members and 5 tow trucks.

I'll grant you that, but what will you say when they raise their prices to pay for the extra service?

[Sylvanfan]

Actually if you have AMA, you can upgrade to a higher level of service too and get the further towing distance. I once lost all the keys to my car and needed to have it at the dealership in order to get a new one. I phoned AMA told them the situation and asked if I joined, would I still qualify for the towing...and they said yes. All the towing quotes I got were like $130 or more, the AMA membership was $100.

[Incinerator]

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

I'll grant you that, but what will you say when they raise their prices to pay for the extra service?

I'm never the one to shy away from paying extra as long as the service/product's improvement reflects the extra $$. Paying more for better service is still better than paying less for non-existent service.

[ken0042]

^^ Yes, but how much would you be willing to pay? Basic fee is $82 now. If it went up to $500 per year, but had 30 minute service; would you be willing to pay that?

Me, I can't justify the $82 they currently charge; not based on time of service but whether I would use anywhere near that amount of service. If the price was lower; I might. So it would seem they are trying to keep the cost lower.

Otherwise it turns into a situation like when Homer became the Garbage Supervisor for the town of Springfield.

[Incinerator]

Originally Posted by ken0042

^^ Yes, but how much would you be willing to pay? Basic fee is $82 now. If it went up to $500 per year, but had 30 minute service; would you be willing to pay that?

Well no, it's still has to be reasonable, like $120 wouldn't be too bad if they can get more trucks in and reduced the wait by an hour, then again I don't even use it anymore since I got rid of the beater. I might even cancel it next year when my insurance expires. Their deals are getting worse every year be it travel or insurance etc.

[Go_Flames_3]

They will get to you faster if you are on a major street, they give those priority, so call when you have some time b/c sometimes it can take anywhere from 20 mins to 2 hrs. Generally they are pretty good though