Adding Roadside Assistance To Your Insurance Plan: PROS And CONS
Many drivers think paying for roadside assistance means spending a lot of money. Although some roadside assistance plans provide all services with a price tag to match, others have lower price plans with fewer services.
Roadside assistance coverage can really save you, but like everything, it has its pros and cons. Consider all the variables before you purchase a roadside assistance membership or add it to your regular car insurance plan.
WHY DO PEOPLE CHOOSE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE PLANS?
The main reason individuals pay for roadside assistance is stated in the program’s name. Nobody enjoys getting stranded in the middle of the road with nowhere to go. Roadside assistance can be added to your regular car insurance and will assure you get help whenever you need it.
Most roadside assistance plans will also take care of those minor but painful accidents that are common in a driver’s journey, like flat tires, lockouts or running out of gas.
Some people feel that roadside assistance does not provide a level of service that justifies the price of the program. Many drivers prefer to follow vehicle maintenance very closely to prevent accidents themselves.
Usually, these drivers are people with very basic car insurance plans that don’t come with any extra benefits such as roadside assistance coverage. Adding an additional plan in these situations would mean a larger expense.
CONS OF ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
THEY TRACK YOUR CALLS
Many consumers have reported that car insurance companies report roadside assistance calls to ChoicePoint, a tool that rates the driver and impacts your insurance plan costs.
If you have called for roadside assistance too many times, you might notice how your insurance company charges you for the additional services.
ONLY YOUR CAR IS COVERED
Another bad point of this program is that when you pay for roadside assistance services through your insurance plan, your car is covered but not the driver.
This means that you can only call for help if you are in your car. So if you happen to be stranded in a friend’s vehicle, roadside assistance will not come to your aid.
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE PROS
COST THROUGH INSURANCE PLAN
One of the main pros of purchasing roadside assistance coverage through your insurance plan is the price. Most insurance companies usually let you add roadside assistance coverage to your car insurance plan for just a few extra dollars.
This method of purchasing roadside assistance services is much cheaper than buying a membership from a separate roadside assistance company.
SAME BENEFITS
Another good point in adding roadside assistance to your car insurance plan is that they provide you with the same benefits and services as private roadside assistance.
Most roadside assistance plans cover the same things, such as flat tire help, fuel delivery, lockouts, towing service and battery jumpstarts.
Although there are many more to talk about, these are the main pros and cons of adding roadside assistance to your insurance plan. Investigate into these matters before purchasing any add-on coverage to your current car insurance plan. Protect your wallet and your vehicle.