Car Towing: Should You Contract a Towing Company or Buy Roadside Assistance Insurance?

Some people have roadside assistance as part of their car insurance policy. Others opt to contract a 24-hour car towing company to handle any roadside emergencies that they may have. Which of these options is better for you? This article explores the two options. Use this information to choose the alternative that is better for you.

Roadside Assistance Provided By Insurance Companies

Insurance companies can include a roadside assistance component in your car insurance policy. Under this arrangement, a tow truck will be sent to you when you call your insurance company after being involved in an accident. Help can also be sent when your car breaks down, such as after the engine stalls due to overheating.

The advantage of this kind of service is that it saves you the time that you would have spent researching several roadside assistance tow companies before selecting one. The downside of towing services that are arranged by your insurance company is that you can never know which tow company they will contract to handle your emergency. Thus, you may wait for long at the roadside as a tow company from another locality responds to your distress call. The other disadvantage is that you will keep making monthly roadside assistance insurance payments even when you don't use the service.

Roadside Assistance Provided By Independently Contracted Tow Companies

The other option that you can consider is to select a tow company that you can call each time you need roadside assistance. Some tow companies have membership plans that require you to make a nominal payment as membership fees. You can then be charged a preferential rate once you call for roadside assistance. Some companies may not levy that membership fee.

The advantage of this option is that you have control over which tow company will come to your aid in case you need help. You can therefore choose a tow company with a reputation of responding promptly to clients' calls. The other advantage is that you will only pay for services that have been rendered if you opt out of the membership plans.

The downside of this option is that you may need to spend some time researching about the available tow companies before you choose one. You may also be unable to get roadside assistance in case you travel out of the operational area of the company that you selected.

Weigh the two options carefully before making a final decision. You may also contact several providers of towing services for additional information so that you can choose the best option that will address your needs.


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