Page 22 - AAA Now! – AAA Northway – Fall 2021

Member’s guide to
Emergency Road Service
AAA EMERGENCY ROAD SERVICE?
Emergency Road Service is designed to aid any member whose vehicle has become unexpectedly disabled and can- not be driven safely under its own power.
AAA Emergency Road Service is not be mistaken for mainte- nance, repair, or a convenience service. Members are respon- sible for the cost of parts and labor. The responding service station will make only one round trip per disablement. Ad- ditional trips for the same disablement are at the member’s expense.
In fairness to all AAA members, the Club cannot be expected to render repeated service on a vehicle in need of repairs.
Repair facilities are not obligated to perform repair work af- ter regular business hours.
HOW TO CALL FOR EMERGENCY ROAD SERVICE
When in need of Emergency Road Service, members should call 1-800-AAA-HELP (1-800-222-4357) or visit AAA.com to place your road service request online.
It is required that the member is with the vehicle at the time of service, and able to present their AAA membership card and photo ID. If your emergency problem is resolved before the service vehicle reaches you, please notify AAA immedi- ately. This will avoid your account from being charged with a road service call.
ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT PROVISIONS
Every effort has been made to design an Emergency Road Service program which is able to meet the emergency de- mands of AAA members. However, the Club cannot guar- antee that service will always be available in all areas and under all circumstances. Service within any particular time limit cannot be guaranteed, for example, during periods of extreme weather conditions, when delays can be expected. In addition, rules governing service may vary slightly from one AAA Club to another due to local laws or conditions. In this case, the member is governed by the rules of the AAA Club where the emergency occurs.
During severe and extended storms or cold weather periods, AAA reserves the right to temporarily suspend towing service to members whose vehicles are in a place of safety, such as parking lots or the member’s own driveway or garage in order to give priority to members who may be stranded out- of-doors or in an emergency
situation.
Service cannot be rendered when a vehicle is snowbound. Vehicles must be clear of ice and snow. Driveways, lots and streets must also be cleared of ice and snow. Extricating a vehicle from being in a snowbound driveway, lot or street is not a qualifying Emergency Road Service event.
Service will not be rendered at a repair facility where repair service is available. AAA will not remove a vehicle from a closed repair facility. AAA will not tow a vehicle from the street to the driveway (unless it is obstructing traffic) or from one location to another on the same property.
Emergency Road Service does not apply when a vehicle has been driven into an area not regularly travelled such as open fields, seasonal roads, vacant lots or at a place where it is difficult or dangerous for a tow truck to reach. Charges for manpower and equipment will be at the member’s expense.
Safety of AAA members and AAA service providers is par- amount to AAA Northway. The service provider may assess the situation for safety, which may impact how or if certain services will be available for each situation. AAA Northway reserves the right to provide only such services as is deemed safe and within the normal course of servicing, including but not limited to using ordinary servicing equipment and ser- vicing vehicles that have not been loaded, altered from their original manufacture or custom manufactured in a manner that interferes with the safe and legal rendering of service.
Because guidelines covering the Emergency Road Service program are subject to change, Club members are asked to familiarize themselves with updated guidelines which are published on AAA.com.
EMERGENCY CHECK ACCEPTANCE
AAA/CAA Clubs will guarantee acceptance of its members’ personal checks up to $250 to pay for emergency services or repairs at any independent contract facility. The member must present a valid membership card and other appropriate identification at the time of payment. The member is respon- sible for insuring that the funds are available to cover the amount of the payment.
ELIGIBLE VEHICLES
AAA shall provide service to certain four-wheeled motor driv- en vehicles of the passenger, pleasure or recreational type regardless of license plate designation, if those services can be safely delivered.
In addition, dual-wheeled campers/motor homes, light duty single axle trailers, motorcycles and fifth wheel trailers (ex- cluding livestock trailers) will be provided all services such as towing, extrication and tire service for AAA Plus® RV Mem- bers. Dual-wheeled unloaded pickup trucks are provided all services except inboard rear tire service.
Rented passenger vehicles are eligible for service. Some ser- vices, such as extricating services and towing, cannot be safe- ly provided to large or heavily loaded vehicles, however, other services will be provided such as battery, gasoline and lockout services.
Vehicles NOT eligible for AAA Emergency Road Service are: vehicles with dump body, dump insert, utility body, box trucks, bus, and ATV/UTV’s. In addition, vehicles which are not insured, do not bear valid state license plates or vehicles to be junked are not eligible for service.
AAA members whose bicycle becomes disabled within the AAA Northway territory and is located on a serviceable road are also eligible for towing service.
TOLL ROADS - PARKWAYS – TURNPIKES – THRUWAY SERVICE
In areas where AAA contractor access is legally restricted such as parkways, turnpikes, or thruway, the member is re- quired to pay for service and submit the paid original receipt in his or her name for reimbursement consideration.
ALLOTTED REQUEST LIMIT
Members are allowed four (4) service requests during their membership year. Any member requesting additional road service over their four (4) request limit will have a service truck dispatched, however, the member will be expected to pay the driver at the time of service. The Club will handle cases involving excessive use on an individual basis. AAA Northway reserves the right to bill a member whose num- ber of requests exceeds the allotted request limit. AAA also reserves the right to downgrade, non-renew or cancel any membership for consumption of emergency roadside assis- tance deemed excessive, regardless of the number of service requests.
THE AAA ROAD SERVICE NETWORK
The AAA Emergency Road Service program operates through a Club owned fleet of service vehicles and independent ga- rages who have contracted with AAA clubs to provide service. The Club makes every effort to secure reliable, competent service stations to provide Emergency Road Service. These stations serve as independent contractors and the Club does not assume liability for their acts or the acts of their service persons who are not employees of the Club. Any damages resulting from the acts of service station personnel – or any defects or deficiencies in the goods or repair services which a member may purchase are the sole responsibility of the station and should be reported promptly to the proprietor. The Club will mediate member’s vehicle repair and damage complaints resulting from road service provided by AAA/CAA contractors.
WHO CAN RECEIVE SERVICE?
Emergency Road Service is provided only for the AAA mem- ber whose names appears on the AAA membership card and photo ID. You as a member are covered in any vehicle you are driving or are a passenger in. Service, however, does not cover a particular vehicle, nor is service available to any nonmember driving the member’s vehicle - even though the nonmember may reside in the same household. Associate Memberships are available at special reduced rates for quali- fied persons residing in the member’s household.
MEMBER’S RISK
Before servicing any vehicle where there is the possibility of damage to the vehicle or other property as a result of such service, the member must assume the risk of damage. Any such circumstance must be fully recorded and reported to AAA within 10 days of the service provided and prior to the vehicle being repaired. It should be understood that the ser- vice providers are under contract with the Club to perform such services and are not agents of the Club, nor is the Club an agent for any service provided. In rendering service, the service provider acts as an agent of the member. The Club assumes no responsibility for injuries to persons or property, including damage to member’s vehicle, as a result of Emer- gency Road Service performed by such contracted service providers. Also, AAA will not be liable for service providers’ conduct, negligence, or other acts or omissions. The Club will assist by mediating unresolved issues.
REIMBURSEMENTS
In the event a member calls for service and AAA service is un- available, the Club will refund the member for the prevailing contractor rate for covered services.
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FALL 2021