【本文首发于2016年5月13日】聚沙在前面介绍CAA信用卡时顺便介绍过CAA的Roadside Assistance:
http://www.canadianrewards.org/2015/01/caa-rewards-mastercard.html。基本上CAA的服务是加拿大最好的,同时也是最贵的。你可以去当地的CAA网站查询相关信息。
加拿大除了CAA以外,还有其他的Roadside Assistance Program,主要包括:
- Costco SOS Roadside (http://sosroadsideservices.com/Default.aspx),由Dominion Automobile Association (DAA)提供服务。家庭Package:$169.99/年
- Esso Auto Club (http://www.esso.ca/auto-club),由Sykes提供服务(2013年以前Sykes也为TD Auto Club提供服务)。价格请看:http://www.imperialoil.ca/Canada-English/Files/Products_Fuels/Esso_Auto_Club_Pricing_Matrix.pdf
- Canadian Tire Roadside (http://roadsideassistance.canadiantire.ca/en/),价格跟车走(其他一般是跟驾驶员走。所以要是1家几口人就开1辆车的话,选Canadian Tire还是不错的)。
- TD Auto Club (https://www.tdcanadatrust.com/products-services/banking/credit-cards/autoclub.jsp) ,由AXA提供服务,TD Visa信用卡的持卡人可以选择添加此服务。Deluxe TD Auto Club的会员费是$79/年(如果你有TD Cash Back Visa Infinite【原先是TD Gold Elite Visa免Auto Club费,不过目前TD已经不提供Gold Elite Visa卡的申请了】,就可以免交Auto Club费。同时,如果你有TD All Inclusive账户,就可以免交TD Cash Back Visa Infinite信用卡年费)。
- AXA自己也有一个Roadside Assistance品牌,叫Vengo,会员年费基本上和TD Auto Club的类似:https://www.vengo.ca/
- BMO Roadside Assistance (http://www.bmo.com/home/popups/personal/credit-cards/optional-features),由Dominion Automobile Association (DAA)提供服务,BMO MasterCard信用卡的持卡人可以选择添加此服务。包括Basic Roadside Assistance和Enhanced Roadside Assistance。Basic Roadside Assistance服务年费$69(如果你有BMO Cashback WEMC就可以免交。同时,如果你有BMO Premium账户,就可以免交BMO Cashback WEMC信用卡年费)。Enhanced Roadside Assistance服务年费$98。注意:如果你通过BMO CashBack WEMC享受免费的BMO Basic Roadside Assistance服务,而你想升级到Enhanced服务时,你仍然需要付全价$98,而不是差价$29【我今天刚打BMO客服电话问来的】。此外,所有BMO MasterCard客户还可以自动享受pay-as-you-go的Roadside Assistance (http://www.bmo.com/roadassist/),如果你觉得你的车况很好,几年也不会用一次的话,可以选这个【单次会贵不少,但总体会省钱】。
嗯,从前面可以知道,如果你有TD/BMO的特定信用卡,你是可以享受免费的Roadside Assistance服务的。那在TD和BMO间,应该选哪家呢?聚沙自制了一张对比表格如下(如果大家发现有什么信息不准确的,请指正,谢谢):
粗看上去,TD的Deluxe服务要明显好于BMO的Basic服务。不过要注意以下2点:
- TD明确规定(官网黑体字)只拖到最近的汽车修理厂。据说当你打求助电话时,TD会通过软件搜索离你位置最近的修理厂,如果你想自己选修理厂的话,你就需要付差价【所以,TD的Maxium 200km是有水分的,绝大多数情况下也就拖在10km以内】。而BMO虽说手册里面也标明“to the nearest qualified repair facility”,但DAA并不是那么严格,在合理范围内会拖到你指定的修理厂【何况本来BMO Basic也就限定了Maxium 10km的限制】
- 在Traffic Accident的情况下,如果你想claim expenses,你必须先向你自己的车保claim。TD仅refund你的车保不cover的部分。而BMO Enhanced服务里面并无类似条款。
Anyway,有免费的总是好的,但免费的也是会有一些缺点的【一分钱一分货,主要在城市内开车,且车况好想省钱的朋友可以考虑】。TD的Deluxe服务看上去很美,实际用起来估计和BMO的Basic服务差不多。对比起来的话,聚沙还是推荐BMO Cashback World Elite MC,毕竟信用卡本身比TD Gold Elite Visa要好多了。如果车况不太好的话,本人还是推荐CAA的服务【贵是贵了些,不过还自带很多旅行优惠折扣什么的,经常旅行的朋友可以考虑】。
BTW,网上关于TD Deluxe Roadside Assistance的一些评论:
- You are lucky that you got refunded because I complained to CS of TD Auto club to no avail. They said they have software to locate the nearest garage and I have to pay the difference, no exceptions.
- To the best of my knowledge it is not 200km. One of my friends (with TD autoclub membership) had a problem with his car last year. He was told that he would get towed to the nearest shop but not where he wants. He wanted to have towed to his mechanic's (abt 26km far) and had to pay another tow truck guy to get there.
- I had the exact same issue, it was a Saturday night (everything closed) wanted a tow to my local shop 30km and had to pay $90. Had I taken the free tow it would have been a $50 cab home + a trip back in to get my car the following day....just signed up for CAA Plus again.
- Had the same terrible experience last night. Dealership was 12 kms away, but the TD guy said that they have a Speedy Auto Repair place 3 kms away. Had to pay an extra $40.
- Just two weeks after the change, I needed a tow for one of my cars and I had to go 25 km to a garage that specializes in rack and pinion, the agent on the phone told me that they had to calculate the nearest garage (5km), so I had to pay the difference (20km = $43.00). Stay away from TD for Auto Service, it sucks!
- Please do NOT buy TD AutoClub CRAP. I paid TD AutoClub for 3 years without using any service. Now for the first time I need to tow my car from my home to my mechanic which is 9km away but TD club said they only tow to the nearest mechanic which is 3 km away and I have to pay for the rest. Plus I told them my wife will be at home he said you have to be at home plus, I have to go with them to mechanic too, this will cost me one day salary on top of $40 they are charging for extra km.
2016年9月6日更新:TD Gold Elite自带的TD Auto Club会员有无限次services calls。但其他TD信用卡加上的TD Standard和TD Deluxe每年可以提供up to 6 services calls。这2个会员是不包括附卡持有人的。附卡持有人需要再买Associate会员身份,TD Standard是$34/年,TD Deluxe是$39/年。Associate会员每年有3次services call【只是小改动,就不改上面的表了】。
2018年4月9日更新:Canadian Tire新推出的无年费Triange WEMC将会自带轮胎店的Roadside Assistance Gold Plan。根据条款,1年可以打5次电话,每次最多可拖250km到你指定的地点,如果拖回Canadian Tire店则是unlimited次数。聚沙觉得这张卡的性价比不错,好于BMO和TD的类似信用卡。具体可见:
https://www.canadianrewards.org/2018/04/canadian-tire-triangle-world-elite.html