Shouldn't AARP members get much better deals?

[CRAIGS]

With the strength of millions of members why aren't we getting better deals on insurances and services?
Has AARP been hijacked by businessmen and they are the ones making big profits on our backs?
That's the feeling I get, all about money and no deals. Got a feeling the Legion is getting the same way.

 

[DrQ]

The ONLY reason I joined AARP was to join their branded Plan G medicare supplement.

It is the largest because of the myrmidons within AARP which keeps the insurance pool large and pricing stable. I will take advantage of that singular pricing structure and that AARP UHC Plan G is the only provider that uses the community pricing model.

I have no problems taking advantage of the "herd" when it suits me, but I could have joined AARP when I was 50 and I didn't join until I was 68. Their "deals" were no better than what I could get through USAA.

You aren't the customer, you are the product.

 

[RX8]

Through my work we have certain benefits, one of which is supposed discount home and auto insurance. With renewals coming up I thought I would check since I recently got a company mailer requesting I obtain free quotes. The flyer said that people saved an average of $785. My current auto premium is $881 every six months. They ran multiple quotes through different companies and they ranged from $1,800 every six months to $3,600 every six months (this was Farmers). Same exact coverage, no tickets or accidents. I could only imagine what the premiums would have been if I had a few tickets and an accident. I only got quotes on the auto, priced assuming bundled with home, because even the agent said they couldn‘t beat my current auto rate and quoting the home wouldn’t make sense because I would lose the bundled discount.

I suspect that AARP uses the same or similar outfit that my company uses. However, I will try AARP and see if their quotes are any better. I will respond back here with the results.

 

[pedro47]

I would liked to know how much AARP paid in advertisements and postage yearly ?

We just join AARP to receive a discount with Holland America and AMC Theatres.

 

[RX8]

I would liked to know how much AARP paid in advertisements and postage yearly ?

We just join AARP to receive a discount with Holland America and AMC Theatres.

I switched about six years ago from AT&T to Consumer Cellular (CC). I had been with AT&T for a couple of decades. CC uses AT&T cell towers so identical coverage. Dropped my rate in half with the switch. I only joined AARP because CC has a 5% discount if you are a AARP member. The savings are more than the annual subscription cost.

 

[wackymother]

I would liked to know how much AARP paid in advertisements and postage yearly ?

We just join AARP to receive a discount with Holland America and AMC Theatres.

Wait, what discount do you get to AMC? They have senior prices available on their own website for pretty much every show. (And the ticket takers are average age 14, so they accept anyone over the age of forty as a "senior." )

 

[rapmarks]

I would liked to know how much AARP paid in advertisements and postage yearly ?

We just join AARP to receive a discount with Holland America and AMC Theatres.

What is the amc theater discount?

 

[rapmarks]

Wait, what discount do you get to AMC? They have senior prices available on their own website for pretty much every show. (And the ticket takers are average age 14, so they accept anyone over the age of forty as a "senior." )

Yes, I believe the manager was the 12 year old

 

[geist1223]

The Companies that AARP recommends are many times the Companies that give AARP the biggest Commissions (kickbacks).

We are with TMOBILE Senior Plan. All TMOBILE plans include Canada and Mexico.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

Sometimes there are just not giant discounts to be had from some companies. I get corporate discounts from my work, and can often get travel discounts with CSAA. For travel unless a hotel is near one of offices, then usually the AAA discount is better. in most cases with hotels the AAA discount and the AARP discount are the same.

 

[WinniWoman]

We don’t belong to AARP. We find we can get senior citizen discounts almost anywhere.

 

[geist1223]

We always ask for Senior or Retired Military Discounts. Interesting how many stores, restaurants, etc will give you 5 to 20%.

 

[artringwald]

If you worked for a large corporation, see if retirees can get car rental discounts. The discounts can be 50% less than the best deals elsewhere. For example, we booked a mid-size car for 3 weeks in Kauai next February, 3 WEEKLY @ $203.50, less than $30/day before fees, $46/day with fees.

 

[billymach4]

With the strength of millions of members why aren't we getting better deals on insurances and services?
Has AARP been hijacked by businessmen and they are the ones making big profits on our backs?
That's the feeling I get, all about money and no deals. Got a feeling the Legion is getting the same way.

AARP is a giant lead generation entity. They are not perfect. Perhaps they do some good telling the gov't how to and what to do for Seniors.

Found this list of issues in the wikipedia.

 

[DaveNV]

I joined AARP years ago after hearing about all the discounts I could get. I was a member for an entire year, and didn't use it, even once. Everything I already had was cheaper than anything AARP could offer me. Since I didn't use it, there was no reason to renew. I noticed after I let the membership expire that the mountain of junk mail and email I'd been receiving started slowing to a trickle. I have Consumer Cellular for my phone, but I don't know if I want that mountian of junk mail to resume for a measly $5 a month credit on the phone bill.

Anybody who is shopping for car insurance needs to check with Costco's offering through American Family Insurance. I've had them for years, home and auto bundled, and I have never been able to find a better rate, even through USAA.

Dave

 

[ScoopKona]

I wouldn't join AARP if they paid me $10,000 to do so. I despise that organization. I consider them one of the top evildoers on K Street.

 

[RX8]

I don't know if I want that mountian of junk mail to resume for a measly $5 a month credit on the phone bill.

Anybody who is shopping for car insurance needs to check with Costco's offering through American Family Insurance. I've had them for years, home and auto bundled, and I have never been able to find a better rate, even through USAA.

Dave

I don’t seem to get more junk mailers than before AARP. My email on the other hand, which I have had for at least 25 years, goes in waves with incoming junk mail. It ranges from a few dozen to 200 a day. That said, I don’t think it is related to AARP. Besides, you are retired now and $5/month is $60 annually. Save where you can.

Like you, our current insurance is also with Costco/American Family. While it is still far cheaper than the recent quotes I obtained, my auto policy renewal is going up 35% and the homeowners up about 60%. This is with no changes/claims or tickets. That is what prompted me to obtain new quotes. Despite the increases, it may still be the best option.

 

[Brett]

The ONLY reason I joined AARP was to join their branded Plan G medicare supplement.

It is the largest because of the myrmidons within AARP which keeps the insurance pool large and pricing stable. I will take advantage of that singular pricing structure and that AARP UHC Plan G is the only provider that uses the community pricing model.

I have no problems taking advantage of the "herd" when it suits me, but I could have joined AARP when I was 50 and I didn't join until I was 68. Their "deals" were no better than what I could get through USAA.

You aren't the customer, you are the product.

Same here, I joined AARP for UnitedHealthcare medicare plans
Shorthly thereafter my mailbox (and email) was filled with every kind of junk mail. You can unsubscribe from some email crap but the physical junk mail .....

 

[TheHolleys87]

I cancelled my AARP membership when they blew off my complaint about the full page ad for Wesley Financial Group, right inside the front cover. We didn’t use their discounts either - it seemed like we could get the same senior discount whether we belonged or not.

 

[DaveNV]

I cancelled my AARP membership when they blew off my complaint about the full page ad for Wesley Financial Group, right inside the front cover. We didn’t use their discounts either - it seemed like we could get the same senior discount whether we belonged or not.

I'd forgotten about those ads. My takeaway from my AARP experience is that they are a huge lobbyist organization that supposedly advocates for senior benefits, but it seemed the larger purpose was to farm contact information from a very lucrative target audience. After trying out that year's membership and getting nothing but junk mail and spam, it kind of soured me on them. So unless there is a hidden benefit I didn't see, I'm done.

Dave

 

[DrQ]

I'd forgotten about those ads. My takeaway from my AARP experience is that they are a huge lobbyist organization that supposedly advocates for senior benefits, but it seemed the larger purpose was to farm contact information from a very lucrative target audience. After trying out that year's membership and getting nothing but junk mail and spam, it kind of soured me on them. So unless there is a hidden benefit I didn't see, I'm done.

Dave

You aren't the customer, you are the product.

As I said

 

[zentraveler]

mountain of junk mail

Catalog Choice has slowed our junk mail to a trickle. Works amazingly well and allows us to be away for a couple of weeks with no one bringing our mail in.

 

[ScoopKona]

it kind of soured me on them. So unless there is a hidden benefit I didn't see, I'm done.

And they take all that money and use it to make society worse than it already is.

 

[wackymother]

We were members for one year because there's a one-time discount on Ancestry.com for AARP members--a BIG discount, maybe 30 percent? Ancestry is crazy expensive, so it was worth it.

 

[DrQ]

We were members for one year because there's a one-time discount on Ancestry.com for AARP members--a BIG discount, maybe 30 percent? Ancestry is crazy expensive, so it was worth it.

Many public libraries have access to Ancestry.com for free.