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Friday, February 3rd
CARCHEX started in 1999 and provides extended auto warranty coverage, vehicle inspections, and Roadside Assistance (for anyone in the US except Californians). They have been featured by national media outlets like PBS, NBC, Fox News, ABC, and CBS. They were also a 2011 finalist and 2012 award recipient of the BBB Greater Maryland's Torch Awards for Marketplace Excellence. They currently hold an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Reliable, but lacks perks
There are over 45,000 service trucks across the United States and Canada in CARCHEX's network with an average response time of 30 minutes. Customers agree that CARCHEX is a reliable service with great customer service when you need them. The downside with a membership here is that it doesn't come with as many discounts for entertainment, lodging, rental cars, electronics, or other services. We also weren't able to find anything about coverage for motorcycles or RVs.
3 Roadside Assistance plans
CARCHEX has three Roadside Assistance plans and they are laid out clearly. There is a single vehicle, single vehicle premium, and unlimited vehicles plan. All of them include 24/7 emergency towing of 25 miles with no "out of pocket" expense, mechanical first aid, flat tire service, emergency battery service, lockout service, fuel delivery service, trip route mapping service, theft reward up to $500, and a mobile application. The differences between the plans include:
All plans have a 3-day waiting period before they can be used.
30 days to cancel
If you need to cancel your membership with CARCHEX, you can do it within 30 days to qualify for a full refund. If you cancel past the 30 day mark, you will receive a prorated refund. Be aware that you'll be automatically charged for a renewal unless you cancel your membership at the year mark.
Check back
Unfortunately, at the time of this review all three plans were out of stock and CARCHEX was not accepting new customers for Roadside Assistance. Because of this, they don't have as much information for customers as they normally would. The reason they've still earned a high rating from us is because CARCHEX is a professional, affordable, reliable company with good customer reviews and if they have spots open up to sign up for a Roadside Assistance plan, it's a good idea. Check back periodically to see if you're able to sign up if you are interested in CARCHEX.
Whether you're just running errands around town or you're cruising along on your family road trip, having your car break down is an extremely frustrating event. It completely throws off your day and sometimes even leaves you in danger. Having a reliable Roadside Assistance plan takes a load off by having someone quickly come to your rescue and help you figure out the next steps to get your car back up and running.
Sometimes we don't think about unfortunate circumstances like a car breaking down until they happen and we are left without options. It's important to plan ahead and evaluate which of the many Roadside Assistance plans fit your circumstances so that you don't have to worry about unforeseen car troubles that will inevitably happen. Plans might include towing, jump-starts, fuel delivery, theft protection, lockouts, tire changes, and more.
You can customize your plans with additional add-ons like trip interruption coverage or even financial assistance with legal defense help if you get a speeding ticket. The cost for Roadside Assistance will depend on the plan you choose. Most plans allow for you to use your coverage regardless of who owns the car you're driving and you can easily get protection for the whole family.
When shopping for a Roadside Assistance provider, here are a few important things to consider:
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