AAA Auto Insurance Consumer Reviews

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI -- I have been a customer with AAA for 40 years. Just in recent years, I have started having issues with AAA and having major problems for months getting my bills. Also, as a side note, when I was mailing my checks to St. Louis, it would take weeks for them to process my payment. I would even get calls that my insurance was up for cancellation and that same day it was already processed through my bank. It was apparent on several occasions my check was sitting on someone's desk for weeks before processing. Because of the trouble I was having, I had my policy transferred to the Southaven, Mississippi office so I could deal with someone in person.

As a side note, I also have my homeowner's policy with AAA as well. There have been issues with receiving the bills for this policy as well. In June, I didn't receive a bill. I went to the local office, paid the monthly premium and was told by the agent at the office that it probably will take a few weeks to get on track getting the bills because of the transfer. In July, still no bill. I went to local office once again and paid the monthly premium. In August, still no bill.

For additional information, on August 25, 2016 at around 1:00 p.m. I had a minor fender bender which the police officer at the scene did not issue fault but The Hartford Insurance Company (insurance provider for the other party) assessed fault at 50%. The Hartford paid me for the damage to my vehicle. I did not file a claim with AAA as the damage was so minor, I fixed it myself for less than $200 and 15 minutes of my time. On August 26, I went to the local office to pay the monthly premium as in the last few months and was told my policy had been cancelled at 12:01 a.m. August 25.

The office computer (which I have a copy of the screen information) shows the “due date” as August 25. I debated the point that if the due date is August 25, I could not be cancelled on the due date until 12:01 a.m. on August 26. To no avail, I was told, after spending over 2 hours in the office that a new policy would have to be written. At this time, I told the local AAA representative of the minor accident. Because of this rewrite, my premium doubled and was told this was because of the “1 day” lapse. Local representative stated that after the first 6 months of the “new” policy my premium should go back down to what it was with the “old” policy.

I signed up for automatic draft with the first premium paid in the office of $385.75 on that day and the electronic draft did not come through my account until August 30, 2016. On August 29, I tried to contact Jim McGrath, President of AAA and was basically told I couldn't speak with him but could talk to Steve Schone, the Vice-President of the Company. Mr. Schone told me he would research the issue and contact me. On September 1, I called Mr. Schone as he had not called me back and he stated that their “computer program” said they bills were mailed each month. I was just not receiving them and assured me it was not AAA's fault.

However, this seems really strange as all my other bills come to my home address and all are paid on time. On August 30, 2016, I called local AAA representative to cancel my automatic draft as I was extremely upset that my premium was doubled and would be looking into obtaining insurance elsewhere and was in hopes of obtaining the new insurance prior to the next billing date of September 26, 2016.

When I returned from vacation on September 12, oddly I had 9 pieces of mail from AAA. A recap of what was received: Renewal Questionnaire for Verified Mileage Discount; Confirmation of cancellation due to non-payment of premium; Collection Notice; Payment Notice; Declarations and Policy showing AMENDMENT at top of page (showing total premium $2024.00); Letter, Declarations and Policy showing NEW at top of page (showing total premium $2304.00).

Auto Policy Change stating the “policy change” had reduced my premium by $280 for the remainder of the policy period date; Payment Notice stating current balance was $1,639.25 and the next electronic funds transfer would be 9/26/16 for $291.53 date; and Policy Change notification, including payment notice.

On September 15, I received another “collection notice” from AAA saying I owed $84 on the cancelled policy. On September 16, I called local AAA office and asked what this was about. Rep stated this was the “earned premium pro-rated from the previous month to time policy was actually cancelled.” We also talked about the $280 “credit” and she stated once underwriting got the actual information that for some reason they reduced it (reason unknown). We also talked about the next premium(s) and local representative stated that NO payment was due for September.

The next payment would be due October 9, 2016 for $379.00 and from November through the end of the six (6) month period would be $426.00 per month. At that time, I told local agent to add my fiancée to the policy as both of our names are on the loans for the 2015 Dodge Ram 2500 and 2011 Nissan Altima. Rep stated that by adding my fiancée and raising the deductibles to $500 the premium would now be $1680 with monthly payments for 5 months of $336.

On September 23, I received 4 pieces of mail from AAA: Auto Policy Change stating my policy had increased by $200 for the remainder of the policy period (Total premium now $2,250.00). (Remember above, on September 16, I was told the premium would be $1680. This is a far cry from just a $200 increase); Payment Notice stating this policy has been cancelled.

Collection Notice in the amount of $324.25 stating the amount is for the premium due for coverage provided (stating this policy has been cancelled – remember earlier I stated I paid $385.75 on August 26 and was told NO payment would be due until October 9); and Letter of Cancellation of Auto Policy effective 10/25/16 at 12:01 a.m. because I was “not eligible for auto insurance” with AAA due to non-payment of earned premium ($84) and not receiving an estimate of damages for the 2015 Dodge Ram to confirm that the deductible exceeds the existing damage to the vehicle.

On September 26, I spoke with local AAA representative regarding the notices I received over the weekend. She told me she would talk to her underwriter and return my call. Upon returning my call, she stated that with the $84 being paid that she would have to get a copy of the estimate ($1120.18) and increase the deductible to $1,000 or more (depending on what underwriting says) to cover the estimated damages. Local AAA representative stated from the pictures she could see no damage.
  On September 30, 2016, I spoke with local AAA and stated that we wanted to raise our deductible to $1,000 on each of our vehicles as we are having so many issues with AAA and in an effort to lower our outrageous premium. I was told that the billing department/underwriting department says we cannot change our deductible until our current monthly premium is paid (which is due – supposedly – on October 9, 2016). Local representative also stated that she would call her home office and tell them we wanted it changed BEFORE we made our next payment.

On Monday, October 3, 2016, I called local AAA representative to check the status and she stated that once again she was told that the current premium would have to be paid before they increase our deductible. She also stated the billing department told her we owe $324.25 as “collection” of earned insurance premium and that our policy cancelled on September 19, 2016, which we received no notice of cancellation (AGAIN) other than the notice stating that our insurance would be cancelled on October 25, 2016 due to being “ineligible” for coverage.

The billing department also stated to local AAA representative that our total insurance premium (including the “earned premium in collection”) is $409.56 which is due immediately to “bring us current” which the premium due date is supposedly October 9, 2016. The billing department representative further stated that once this amount is paid, we would owe NO monthly premium until January 2017. (We are on a “5 pay” instalment plan wherein we pay 5 months then 1 month no payment until the semi-annual renewal the next month).

The billing representative also told local AAA representative that there would be no way to tell us what our premium would be for at least a couple of weeks (not even a rough figure) until all payments and credits have been applied and “considered.” Local representative then called me back to state that upon calling her underwriter that our policy will not be up for cancellation until October 25, 2016 at 12:01 a.m. (which we received notice of “ineligibility” for insurance coverage which stated cancellation would not occur until October 25).

The underwriter also stated to local AAA representative that they “have to give us 30 days cancellation notice in order for us to procure another insurance policy.” This is directly opposite of what was told to us on August 26 and the cancellation of our automobile insurance on August 25, 2016 when we were cancelled with NO notice of cancellation.

I have spoke to local AAA reps up to the VP (they would not let me talk to the President) and each one had a lame excuse and of course, nothing that has happened is their fault - it is all ours. I am spreading my issue with every social media outlet, complaint website, BBB, State Insurance Commissioner and even the Federal Insurance Regulatory Department. Don't use AAA - it is nothing with problems.

DUBLIN, CALIFORNIA -- I was never charged the way AAA did. I was in a rush to change my insurance as I moved to CA and was traveling out of country. I go in person to the AAA office and sign up. The Asian agent did not explain what he was charging me for. I thought I was paying for two months. But I was charged the first month and apparently some form of advance payment for the last month. I was unable to move to another insurer due to this hassle and decided to keep it for a year.

After a year of rip off I was clearly informed of my last payment and informed of my last month that was already paid off. A month and half after my policy expired I get another bill for $50 change and was told that it is "Earned Premium". I gave them a call reference ID that they say they do not have anymore. This is very unprofessional and seems like a bad business practice. I appreciate any feedback so I can pursue this legally. Thank you. Please stay away from AAA.

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI -- Just got my new renewal forms and see where AAA jacked my car insurance up from $63 to $90 a month. All because I got a no turn signal ticket. That is a $26 a month increase for more than 3 years, which means it will be over $1000 for the 3 years. I can see if I got a DUI, ran a red light, speeding, or even caused an accident. But to hit me for this much for just a no turn signal ticket? Ok, they got me on this one FOR NOW. Guess I gotta pay for your CEO's new boat. Since both my cars and homeowners insurance renews in September, you can be FOR SURE that in August, I will be looking for new insurance for both.

CALIFORNIA -- The management style of AAA seems to be changing from one that generated old style loyalty to one that is opportunistic and unfriendly. I have been a loyal member of the company for a very long time and have an extremely clean driving record. I also have been using my car less and less in recent years, relying on BART more, so my car often gets less than 10,000 miles a year. I do not drink or have unhealthy habits and have often been criticized for being a little too cautious on the road, never being among the first to arrive at a destination. In short, I am the kind of client an auto insurance company would love to have. Pay up, but stay out of trouble.

But I made a mistake recently when my schedule was overwhelmingly busy; I missed the due date for a payment and my account became delinquent for over thirty days. A first in over seventeen years of being with the company with a completely clean driving record! No tickets, no violations to my name... I was a little embarrassed to call AAA when I discovered my mistake upon finally being able to cope with the pile of mail that had accumulated in that hectic schedule, but also ready to pay all that I owed and correct the situation.

Since I had been with them for so long and I am a very safe driver, as embarrassed as I was to have dropped the ball, I thought they would help me fix the situation. They jumped at the occasion to reduce my benefits and offered me a policy with higher deductibles and much higher fees. I indicated I was hoping to put payments on auto pay to avoid a similar mistake in the future and apologized for my lack of organization during a stressful and busy time, but to no avail. I almost felt the manager I was connected to was mocking me for having given them an opportunity to get more money out of me.

The result: I am getting quotes from other companies and comparing them. I feel a little like a fish out of water because I have been a member of that company for close to 20 years. If I had not had this opportunity to test their approach when I made a mistake, I would have continued with them thinking all was fine. Now I am reconsidering.

To be fair to them, they did take care of me in fixing rare, minor things in the past, such as fixing the bumper and the taillights after one inexperienced driver hit my car in the parking lot of a supermarket and was ready to flee until the security agent on duty stopped him. Still he had no insurance and AAA did not create a fuss and fixed it. (It was obviously no fault of mine. I was not even in my car, but was met with the security officer and the other driver when I walked to my car with my young child.

They did honor the agreement and provided me with a rental during the repair. They also sent to our home a service person to repair a little crack on the windshield from a rock flown from a truck on the freeway. And the repair person they sent was very pleasant. The problem seems to be in their recent management style. I used to think of them as being a good company in the old style, professional, experienced, trustworthy, friendly to their clients. They seem to have moved in the direction of the bankers on Wall Street and gotten a little too pompous and opportunistic. I am hearing that from more and more people.

Maybe, as it happened with many good companies of one time, they are under a different cloud. Not do I only feel disgruntled about the way I was treated, I am also worried about where that attitude will take them because we do have some investments with them. That kind of greed never pays off, as we all saw in the example of where the greed on Wall Street took the global economy. Maybe they consider recruiting better managers.

MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA -- BEWARE!!! AAA ( Automobile Club of Southern California) is running the biggest scam! CHECK THE MILEAGE THEY HAVE ON YOUR VEHICLES A YEAR! Take a good look at your bills (past & present). I was organizing old records and notice the mileage of one of our vehicles (1987 truck) and the mileage that was listed was 50,000 + miles a year (insurance for 6/2006-6/2007). A new renewal was coming up for 2007-08. I then looked a past bills and notice the years previous (2004-05) was 1-5000 miles which was correct. But I didn't have a statement for billing on (2005-06).

I called AAA 1800 number and asked if the our premium costs were based on the yearly mileage? Answer: YES! I then asked for the rep on the phone to check my records for 2005-2006 and tell me what mileage they had us down for that year. He said they had us down for 63000 miles + (then made a comment that we would have to drive around the earth 3 times in a year to rack up that many miles). I agreed and said the 87 truck drives to work 5 miles and home 5 miles 5 days a week or 2400-3000 miles a year.

He said they would look in to it.I told him my rates were doubled because of their mistake and expected a full refund including interest we had to pay for both years and to make sure it was corrected on my upcoming renewal. I then went to my local office in Murrieta, ask for a print out of billing record. Told agent about it and he said they would look into it. 3 days later I received a phone call within a few days from the district manager telling me they couldn'€™t do anything about the mileage on the previous bills, that the mileage was what we had put down.

I then told him NO it was a mistake and I wanted proof that we put that down number one & that my husband had taken over paying bills and if we made the mistake the computer program or person entering data should have flag such an increase which no one could possibly drive in one year. I then told him I had been a member for 20+ years and they had all past records to compare to. He told me their records are from our smog report and we had to prove the mileage, bring truck into their office have a agent check odometer. I told him I wanted a copy of the revised billing showing correct amounts as well as mileage for my records.

We brought in truck and waited. May 4th B.M from AAA called and said they would refund me $261.00 for 2006-2007. I told him the year before that needed to be corrected as well. He said he would look in to it. Received check for amount above but no interest. Also revised billing that was not correct it did not include the less policy holders dividend (which make the bottom line higher). The amount it should have shown was $991.00 for that year instead of $1194.00. call 1800 number listed on letter if there was a problem with the amounts,was told to call person who is doing the work on our account so far. Called AAA B.M. an left message (wasn't in).

Received call from AAA manager and was told the mileage was corrected on his records. I said really well its wrong because AAA local office gave me a fax showing the higher mileage. He asked me to send him proof, via fax . I said what are you talking about AAA sent the fax surely they have record of the mistake & correction. He said he couldn'€™t get that information. I said NO I won't fax it, I will bring it in. He said well I will be gone by 4pm, I said I am right around the corner from you office will be their in 5 minutes. He looked at the faxed previous bill and the record he had on his computer and said it was 216.00 over charge on our bill I told him yea and I wanted the interest from this billing and the other bill as well. He said he would put in for that as well.

Got check for 216.00 but STILL NO INT. Then received new renewal 6/2007-6/2008 and I couldn'€™t believe my eyes they had us down for 25,000 to 30,000 miles a year ( instead of the 1,000-5,000 miles we drive)!!! The bill was again double, what it should have been. Now I have to fight this thing all over. I will be asking the insurance commission for a complete audit on AAA( Automobile Club of Southern California). I just wonder how many people they have done this too and got away with it.

KATY, TEXAS -- AAA has been my insurance provider for two vehicles and our primary residence going on three years. Prior to switching to AAA, I was insured by Nationwide and had claims settled satisfactorily through real catastrophes including northeast ice storms, and hurricanes Rita and Ike over the years.

Last week in Houston we experienced heavy flash flooding which caused some minor water damage to one of our AAA insured vehicles. We took the vehicle into our dealership last Wednesday for what was to be a two hour service to the engine but was put on hold pending AAA inspection. What we experienced with the auto claim with AAA since that day has been nothing short of unbelievable.

AAA deemed the flash flooding a catastrophe and assigned all claims to a catastrophe team. From that moment on, I could no longer call the AAA main number I had on record because all claims were being handled by that team. The catastrophe team was either a third party or actual AAA staff, but that varied on who at AAA we talked to. Regardless of their affiliation, no matter when we called that "new" number, we either received a voice recording or was put on hold until we ended up hanging up. When we did finally get connected to someone later in the week, they had no idea what the status of our claim and had no system availability to tell us anything.

By close of business Friday, January 13th, the dealership reported to me that the AAA inspector had indeed come to look at our vehicle but had left without authorizing the repair. So I called the catastrophe number once again at 5:15pm Friday and received a recording stating they were closed outside of "normal" operating hours! Then we waited, WAITED, AND WAITED without a work truck I desperately rely on.

It turns out that the "catastrophe" team decided to take off not only the weekend but also Monday to observe the holiday. WOW!!! In the core turnaround time for all your customers impacted in the greater Houston area, you conveniently decided that the "catastrophe" didn't warrant staffing or response through a three day period? God forbid the next "catastrophe" doesn't strike right before a long holiday weekend or your customers will just have to wait even longer. So I waited until Tuesday of this week (today) to go ahead and authorize the two hour repair and subsequently pay for it out of my pocket. Never did hear from AAA.

Our relationship is 99% me paying you on time every month for both auto and home insurance. The 1% time I need my insurance to come through for is during times of need. You miserably failed as an insurance company to act even remotely prepared or responsive in the time of need. I have already lined up alternative quotes and will never pay AAA another dime for auto insurance. By mid-year I plan to find an alternative for my home insurance as well. Of course at that point your bread-and-butter membership and roadside assistance will no longer be needed.

Maybe you have strayed too far from your core business of Auto Clubs when venturing into the insurance business? Not sure but to be so complacent and non-responsive to claims seems to indicate so. I sent this note to the CEO in hopes he has some insight when he's reviewing quarterly insurance income results later this year and asks his executive team why AAA is losing customers in Texas. I'm sure I'm one of MANY customers that had the same experience with AAA during this event.

People, the title says it all (well, almost all). It does not matter very much which company you choose. They are all going to play hard-ball because that is what they do. Anyone who works for an insurance company & is honest will tell you the same. The cards are stacked against us, even for those of us who do NOT love in a no-fault state. They have decided for us whether we will be considered responsible in every situation conceivable to man. Usually they will fault all of us, so they should really call it ALL-FAULT.

Regarding AAA specifically, I had insurance with them for a number of years. One incident in '94 (I was not at fault), was when the AAA Rep actually told me he felt sorry for the guy making the (ahem, false) claim against me because he, himself had experienced how expensive insurance is for young men (the reason for his ratty car?). What did that have to do with the important issue, that AAA had no responsibility to pay out his claim? The claimant's car was 7 years old, had dents & scratches all over the car & bumper, but AAA insisted on inspecting my vehicle to make sure that my bumper showed no damage in the area where the guy claimed my bumper hit his bumper. He just wanted a new bumper at my expense!

Then there was the accident in '95, where a car cut off another car in front of me, & AAA declared the person in front of me, and ME, at fault, instead of the person who caused the accident by driving recklessly. It looks like a setup, in hind sight, because I didn't like the way that car was driving & I slowed down considerably to avoid him. So he picked on the car in front of me, but I got caught in it. I would have had plenty of room to stop in time if it hadn't happened at the bottom of the freeway on-ramp, which was downhill, and if it had not been raining. My brakes locked up at the last minute & I found myself drifting into the back of the 2nd car.

In '98 AAA refused to replace the bumper on my pristine, dentless & scratchless car with an OEM part; instead, they used a cheap part & the body shop could not get it to align properly. No amount of complaining could convince them to fix the PROBLEM (OEM! OEM! OEM!). Hopefully they can't get away with that nowadays, I think the laws changed shortly afterward.

This was an accident that was caused by the guy behind me, so HIS insurance was supposed to pay for it anyway! If his company did refuse, AAA should have paid the difference to keep me happy. I ended up selling that beautiful car & shaving $500 off the sale price because of that stupid bumper! It was the last straw, I switched to another company & never looked back.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA -- AAA has let me down for the last time. After 14 years as a member and auto insurance policy holder with AAA, I am canceling my contract and never looking back. I put up with feeling overcharged for so many years because I thought it was worth being with a "reputable" company and that I would be well taken care of in an emergency. NOT TRUE!!! Their customer service is horrible and their policies regarding communication are even worse.

Last summer we relocated for two months and I had my mail forwarded but did not receive everything in time and missed a payment to AAA. By the time I realized what had happened, I called them to pay over the phone, and found out they had cancelled my policy with only one notification - a letter sent to me via standard post - which was also late getting to me. I hadn't even received the notification before they cancelled me! Patient as I am, I accepted the situation, paid the overdue amount to reinstated the policy for the current date and determined to search for another company as soon as possible.

After subsequently signing up with USAA and getting the runaround from them, I went back to AAA for lack of time and energy to research a better option. This year we relocated again but I was wise; I set up automatic payment 3 months before we left so that there would not be another lapse in policy. Well, SURPRISE!!! They dropped us AGAIN!!! This time they said that the automatic payment was not processing properly, so 3 MONTHS LATER they sent a letter of notification that gave 10 days notice before they cancelled our coverage. NO PHONE CALL! NO FOLLOW UP! Just dropped without further notice.

I had no idea there was a problem with the payment schedule and assumed all was well. Meanwhile I'm driving all around on So. California freeways with my four kids and last week drove to Tahoe and back, believing I'm safe and covered. Apparently our policy was cancelled July 5. Yesterday, July 28, we found out about the cancellation because my husband called AAA to report a small, no injury, claim. The agent announced that we were cancelled and when I got on the phone to find a solution I was patronized and told there is no way to re-enact the policy retroactive to the lapse date.

After 14 years of loyalty and coming back for more, putting my trust and faith in AAA to protect my family, paying them THOUSANDS of dollars, this is the thanks I get - "I'm sorry ma'am, that's our policy. You can go ahead and tell us what you would like us to do and when you're done talking we'll tell you how we do things." I'm just very grateful that no one was seriously injured during that "lapse" in coverage. The bottom line is - AAA has TERRIBLE COMMUNICATION skills and insufficient notification when something is wrong. BAD SERVICE!!!!

Interesting how they hold me responsible for paying on time, making sure the mail goes through, but when it's their mail that doesn't go through, they won't accept responsibility and REFUSE TO WORK WITH US to find a solution. The best part is, after 14 years of taking THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS from me, this whole fuss was about an overdue amount of $64 and change. Yesterday I lost it emotionally. I felt betrayed by the very people I had paid to protect me. I realized that my peace of mind is at stake. HELP!! is there such a thing as an honest insurance company that actually cares about people? Or is it time for a revolution against the insurance scam industry?

JOLIET, ILLINOIS -- On January 22, 2008 at approximately 6:30 AM I was involved in an auto accident. The woman who hit me was insured with Accurate Auto. As of today, June 1, 2008 the claim has not been settled though AAA did give me a check for my totaled 2001 Tracker. I found out recently that AAA sold my Tracker at an auction for $2,000. It is my understanding that AAA will be reimbursed for the almost $7,000 they paid me by Accurate Auto. I am still receiving medical bills which I have repeatedly faxed to AAA. AAA told me they would pay the medical bills until this claim is settled. There is no communication at all with AAA or Accurate Auto.

I have done all the calls (except for 2 from each company) in the last 4.5 months since the accident. Accurate Auto claims they can not settle until they receive all paperwork from AAA. AAA lays the blame on Accurate. It seems funny to me because everything I faxed to one insurance company I faxed to the other. My husband answered a phone survey about AAA. After he rated most everything a 1 or 2 (1 being the worst and 10 being the best) he received a call from someone at AAA who was very concerned about the results from the survey. That was over 2 weeks ago. We still haven't heard anything from either insurance company.

Since this is the first accident I have been in as a driver I am curious to know how long must a person wait until they are reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses? I had one day medical costs. I am out over $1,000 for a rental car. I was told I would get our $500 deductible reimbursed. I lost 2 days of wages (1 for the accident and 1 to go to court because the insured driver who hit me didn't believe she should be responsible because the roads were icy & slushy - she blamed the plow companies for not clearing the streets - she was also ticketed for driving too fast for road conditions - she hit me while she was in the process of spinning out of control - I had changed lanes hoping I would avoid her.

She totaled the whole driver's side of my Tracker). I had a cracked right #10 rib due to the accident. Seat belts are wonderful. Seat belts do save lives. Seat belts can also break your rib if you are hit in such a way that it causes you to go into a spin! I have no complaints about the officers who arrived on the scene (Romeoville officers). My hat off to the paramedics who transported me to the hospital (Lockport Township). Those officers & paramedics braved ugly weather & road conditions to assist me. AAA expects prompt payments for the insurance coverage yet is very slow in providing services such as their policy to pay out until claims are settled.

It seems it is always someone's fault why things aren't done. It seems they are unable to pick up a phone to contact their policy holder. It seems they take no responsibility other than to cash the check from the policy holder. We also carry home owner's insurance with AAA. It's a good thing we didn't lose our home we would still be camping out in tents in our yard. I am not at all happy with Accurate Insurance company either.

The driver has called me twice since the court date but left a number that must be a prepaid cell phone because after each call I tried calling her and got the message that the user was not accepting calls at this time. I was told repeatedly by both insurance companies that the claim will be settled "shortly". Shortly is a relative term. In pregnancy shortly means within 9 months. In car accidents who knows how long shortly means!?!

NJ -- My membership was up for renewal on March 1, 2020. I called customer service 2 days later and was told that they do not cancel subscriptions past the renewal date and I have to pay the $200+ fee for the year. They do NOT cancel and pro-rate the fee as many other businesses will do. Buyer beware!