The TRUTH about AARP Roadside Assistance

Roadside assistance is a vital service that can help you stay safe on the road. However, when looking at your choices for roadside plans, the options can seem overwhelming. If you are over 50, AARP is a membership organization that may help you. Anyone can join AARP, regardless of age. However, people over 50 are more likely to benefit from their offerings. AARP memberships provide numerous savings and benefits, including roadside assistance and a variety of vehicle, health, and life insurance options. They also offer savings on vehicle services, housing, meals, and other services.

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) began in 1958. They are based in Washington, DC, but have offices across the country. Their membership now exceeds 38 million. AARP is a prominent political lobbying organization that represents the interests of older Americans.

Before you sign up for AARP’s roadside assistance, it would be wise to do your research. Keep reading to learn more about the details of AARP roadside service and your options for roadside coverage.

How Much Does AARP Roadside Assistance Cost?

Allstate, one of the nation’s top auto insurance companies, has also partnered with AARP to offer roadside service to all AARP members. To enjoy the perks of Allstate’s roadside coverage, you must first pay $16 for an annual AARP membership. Once you pay the yearly fee, you can take advantage of AARP membership benefits.

While the AARP benefits aren’t technically part of the roadside service, AARP’s plans give you discounts on several essential services you might use while traveling, which can help you save money in the long run. Discounts are offered on:

• Car rentals
• Flights
• Vacation Packages
• Hotels/Resorts
• Tours
• Travel Planning

Once you join AARP, their roadside plans provided through Allstate are reasonably priced considering the broad features they provide. The start-up price for their basic plan is $64 a year, while the premium plan has a start-up price of $84. This means for as low as around $5 per month you can get Roadside Protection. You’ll find the costs vary depending on the number of drivers you select to be a part of your package.

What is Included in AARP Roadside Assistance?

Allstate’s Roadside Assist and Roadside Elite plans feature a wide range of service options, which are detailed below. They include the following in the benefits of both plans:

• Towing
• Battery Jumpstart
• Winching
• Tire replacement due to a flat
• Transportation of fuel
• Emergency lockout service
• Replacement of a stolen or misplaced ignition key
• Access to exclusive AARP discounts

Regardless of which plan you choose, your spouse and any children under the age of 25 are eligible for roadside assistance benefits. Members between the ages of 16 and 18 are covered free of charge. Younger drivers will have no trouble taking advantage of the myriad benefits and services that AARP offers. You can also take use of your membership perks while traveling in a rented or borrowed vehicle.

Roadside Assist Plan Features:

In addition to the services listed above, the Roadside Assist package includes the following benefits:

• One to two drivers are covered under one policy
• Towing up to a ten-mile distance to the nearest repair facility
• $60 in emergency locksmith services
• $120 in dispatch coverage if you can’t reach a dispatcher and need to call another emergency service

Roadside Elite Plan Features:

The Elite plan is more expensive, but it is also more complete, and includes additional features such as:

• Up to three drivers covered under one policy
• Towing distances of up to 100 miles
• $130 in emergency locksmith services
• $260 in dispatch coverage
• Coverage for trip cancellations and interruptions up to $1500 per year
• Compensation for legal defense costs
• Emergency roadside assistance for recreational vehicles as well as more typical vehicles

Restrictions / Limitations:

Aside from the requirement to be an AARP member to participate, there are a few other restrictions. Keep the following points in mind if you wish to become a member of AARP’S roadside assistance program through Allstate:

• Once the first year’s discount has expired, the cost of renewal for roadside coverage will be $133 for Roadside Elite and $80 for Roadside Assist.

• With Roadside Elite, you may get up to 2 gallons of fuel delivered for free. Under Roadside Assist, the member is responsible for the cost of fuel delivery.

• Residents of California cannot enroll in Allstate Roadside Assistance.

How do I Contact AARP Roadside Service?

Roadside assistance can be obtained by calling the AARP and Allstate toll-free number at 1-800-555-1121.

You can also follow dispatch using your smartphone, whether it is an Android or Apple device.

Not a member of the AARP? Allstate will cover the cost of a one-year AARP membership (a $16 value) if you decide to join. To find out more about AARP, go to their website at www.AARP.org.

How Does AARP Basic Roadside Assistance Compare to AAA?

Look at the table below to see how AARP Roadside Assistance compares to popular AAA roadside assistance programs…

	AARP Assist	AARP Elite	AAA Classic	AAA Plus
Yearly Cost	$80	$133	$79	$129
Incidents Per Year	2	4	4	4
Towing	10 miles	100 miles	7 miles	100 miles
Winching/ Extrication	√	√	√	Covers a 2nd truck
On-Site Mechanical Adjustment	Free if possible	Free if possible	Free if possible	Free if possible
Car Locksmith	$50	$130	$50	$100
Fuel Delivery	√	√	√	√
Jump Start	√	√	√	√
Flat Tire Service	√	√	√	√
Battery Delivery & Installation	√	√	√	√
Emergency Electric Vehicle Charging	√	√	√	√
Trip Interruption Reimbursement		Up to $1,500	Up to $250	Up to $500
Auto/Stereo Theft Reward		Up to $10,000	$500 auto/ $200 stereo	$1000 auto/ $400 stereo
Legal Defense Reimbursement		Up to $1,000	$50 – $300	$100 – $1000
Bicycle Breakdown			Up to 7 miles	Up to 100 miles
Identity Theft Protection			√	√
Products/Services Discounts			√	√

Even though they are roughly comparable in price, AARP’s service appears to be less limited than AAA’s. Take the following: The benefits provided by AARP for travel support, such as trip interruption reimbursement, plus their auto theft reward, and legal defense limit, are more generous than those provided by AAA. AARP, on the other hand, does not provide additional benefits such as identity theft protection or discounts on a variety of products and services, as AAA does. Aside from that, their advantages appear to be very well balanced. Personal preference will ultimately determine your decision.

Which Roadside Assistance Should You Choose?

Based on customer reviews, the majority of AARP members express appreciation for their customer service. Using their iOS and Android app-based services, you can request assistance quickly and effortlessly, and their website is highly user-friendly and straightforward to navigate. They have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and may be easily reached by phone as well. However, even though the perks that come with being an AARP member are numerous, it is important to keep an eye on every factor, including price. For example, if you have a car insurance policy, you can usually add Roadside Assistance coverage for a lot less money than it would cost to join AARP roadside assistance (on average, Progressive charges $23 per year).

Other things to consider include information about the plan, driving requirements and habits, the individual or persons to be covered, special needs, and, in this case, age. For people over the age of 50, AARP has a very reliable roadside platform that provides a host of exclusive benefits that are not accessible anywhere else. With AARP, you can plan can be customized in a variety of ways, and they can include features such as travel interruption and dispatch reimbursement that are not normally included with roadside insurance.