One of the less talked about benefits you might find on some credit cards is roadside assistance. I recently used this benefit on my Platinum Card from American Express, and it’s one of those perks you’re glad to have but hope you never need to use it.

I’ve been traveling quite a bit lately, hence not driving my car as much. Sitting for weeks at a time can drain the battery, and after having to jump-start the engine a few times, I replaced the battery a couple of months ago.

It fixed the problem for about a week. I drove my car as usual, but then it wouldn’t start again even after an attempt to jump-start it. In fact, the car made absolutely no noise with the key in ignition, so I figured there might be a bigger problem with an alternator instead. I didn’t really need my car at the time and I was afraid of a large repair bill, so it sat behind my apartment building for several weeks.

Well, last month, my car registration was due, and I finally decided to take it into a shop. The problem was, I couldn’t drive it myself, and then I vaguely remembered reading something about a roadside assistance benefit on my Amex Platinum card.

Roadside Assistance on the Platinum American Express

Lucky for me, the card provides premium roadside assistance. The benefit includes lockout service, towing up to 10 miles, winching, tire changes and jump-starts! You must be present with an eligible vehicle and can use it up to four times per year. So, I called Amex at 1-855-431-1156 and requested a tow truck to take my car to a nearby repair shop.

The Amex representative took my information, and within 45 minutes, a tow-truck driver showed up at my apartment. At first, though, he tried to jump-start my vehicle with a portable booster pack, and it worked! The ignition made the familiar starting noise, and I no longer needed towing service. I still took my car to a mechanic to determine the problem, but I was able to drive there myself.

In Conclusion

In the grand scheme of things, things could’ve been much worse, and I’m glad I didn’t need to call roadside assistance from the middle of a busy highway. Still, having access to such a useful benefit can make dealing with a car problem so much easier. I don’t have AAA coverage, so holding the Platinum Card from Amex helped me avoid a big headache and motivated me to get my car checked out. In the end, both the battery and the alternator were fine. I simply needed a battery terminal cleaned, which was covered in acid from the old battery, and I was good to go.

 

Have you ever had to use roadside assistance on one of your credit cards?