Better World Club?

[TrevorInSoCal]

This is sort of off-topic in that it's auto-related, but on topic at the same time.

Anyone have any experience with a better world club (www.betterworldclub.com)? They offer similar services to AAA, but are *not* hostile to cycling. They also offer *bicycle* roadside assistance, which I doubt I would ever need, but it's cool that they offer it.

Just curious if anyone has had any experience with their auto *or* bicycle service, and how satisfied you are with their services?

-Trevor

[JohnBrooking]

I asked this same question (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=119352) in the CarFree forum a few weeks ago. Responses were few and lukewarm. I don't think they've been around long enough to prove themselves yet.

I agree with some of the responses there that the bike service might be useful in some circumstances, but not all. For instance, if you have a short commute, or are in an area well-served by public transportation, or have a S.O. with a car, you probably won't need the service.

Is AAA really hostile to cycling? I hadn't heard that before. Do they promote policies that are hostile to cycling, or are we just outside their scope of service? (I have a feeling I'm opening the floodgate with that question...)

[Marge]

I switched from AAA to Better World last September (2004) I've only used their services once, dead auto battery, but they were as quick as AAA. I like them because they, Better World, doesn't use the members money to lobby against mass-transit.
Something that AAA does. Better World doesn't have all the discounts that AAA
does, but I never used the AAA discounts anyway. And although I didn't sign up for the bicycle assistance, I am glad that they offered that option.

[TrevorInSoCal]

I asked this same question (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=119352) in the CarFree forum a few weeks ago. Responses were few and lukewarm. I don't think they've been around long enough to prove themselves yet.

I agree with some of the responses there that the bike service might be useful in some circumstances, but not all. For instance, if you have a short commute, or are in an area well-served by public transportation, or have a S.O. with a car, you probably won't need the service.

Is AAA really hostile to cycling? I hadn't heard that before. Do they promote policies that are hostile to cycling, or are we just outside their scope of service? (I have a feeling I'm opening the floodgate with that question...)

Oh, man. I used the search function before posting, I swear.

As far as AAA being hostile to cycling that can probably be taken with a grain of salt as it comes from the betterworld club site, about as biased a source as you can get on that issue. Apparently they lobbied against ISTEA funds which contributed to rails-to-trails, and other cycling-related projects. But there were also complaints lodged against AAA lobbying practices by the leauge of american bicyclists among others...

I actually wasn't interested in their bicycle roadside assistance (Doubt I'd need it, though a ride home if I flatted and forgot to bring tools might be nice.), so much as their auto services. I can't get along completely w/o a car and I do have AAA, but if their services were of comparable quality I'd prefer to support them with my business. I tend to "vote with my dollar" as wherever and whenever I can...

-Trevor

[Marge]

".......
I actually wasn't interested in their bicycle roadside assistance (Doubt I'd need it, though a ride home if I flatted and forgot to bring tools might be nice.), so much as their auto services. I can't get along completely w/o a car and I do have AAA, but if their services were of comparable quality I'd prefer to support them with my business. I tend to "vote with my dollar" as wherever and whenever I can...

-Trevor

Trevor I vote with my dollar whenever I can . That's why I switched to Better World Club, and guess
where I heard about them? Not from cyclists, but oddly enough from "Click and Clack the Tappet's
brothers" otherwise known as "Car Talk"