Motor Club of America: Is overpriced protection worth it? [Review]

mca1These guys have been around forever, and I’ll just say it now…

It’s definitely not a scam.

But is it a good deal? Well, do you consider paying double the price for your services a good deal?

Motor Club of America provides roadside assistance plans with the added bonus of an MLM opportunity on the side.

 

If it’s a good product, why wouldn’t you join? Keep reading to find out.

FAQ

1. What does Motor Club of America sell? MCA offers cheap roadside assistance plans with unlimited towing for members in the US and Canada.

2. What are Motor Club of America’s most popular products? They have two plans, both covering just about everything you need in roadside assistance. The MCA Security Plan is popular because, for $9.95 a month, you get 24-hour emergency road service and towing to the nearest facility for covered cars or pickup trucks, legal defense coverage, emergency travel expense reimbursement, medical expense benefits, and worldwide travel assistance. If you need a bit more control over where your vehicle is towed, towing for additional vehicles, or need AD&D coverage as well, you can get those added features with the Total Security Plan at just $19.95 per month.

3. How much does it cost to join Motor Club of America? You don’t have to pay anything to become a distributor. MCA doesn’t charge an admin fee or setup fee. Not only that, membership in the MCA Security Plan is optional.

4. Is Motor Club of America a scam? No, MCA is a legit business offering a real product. As with any insurance plan, the contract is written to avoid unnecessary payouts, so be prepared for that. And as an MLM, it may give you a little extra money, but you’re never going to get rich selling roadside assistance plans.

5. What is Motor Club of America’s BBB rating? A+

6. How long has Motor Club of America been in business? Since 1926

7. What is Motor Club of America’s revenue? We couldn’t find any revenue reports online, but it’s estimated to be $1 to $5 million.

8. How many Motor Club of America distributors are there? No numbers have been published online.

9. What lawsuits have been filed? In 1989, Joan Marie and Gregory Nikiper appealed a case against MCA after Joan Marie was injured in a car accident and MCA refused to pay. It was ruled that all recoveries from liability insurance must be credited against the underinsured motorist’s coverage limits. [1]

10. Comparable companies: LegalShield, Primerica

The company has definitely done a few things right to get to where they’re at, but in terms of a passive income opportunity, it’s not the best.

Click here for my #1 recommendation

Either way, here’s the full review on Motor Club of America, the company.

Overview

The Motor Club of America’s history dates wayyy back to 1926 (up there in age with Avon and Amway).

The club was started by a group of three brothers from Atlantic City, New Jersey, who were children of Russian immigrants. William, Samuel, and David Green started Motor Club of America at just the right time, when households all across America were starting to purchase cars. Their company took off and eventually branched out to the rest of the country, opening dozens of offices across the northeast, southeast, and Midwest.

The brothers worked together for over 50 years providing emergency roadside services, towing, repairs, and maps for drivers all over the country. In 1986, they sold the entire company to Trac, Inc., owners of the Thrifty-Rent-A-Car system. By 1992, they were conducting business in all 50 states and Canada.

TVC Marketing, founded by a veteran of the motor club industry (and, weirdly enough, former marketing arm of Pre-Paid Legal), now owns Motor Club of America and has since 1996. The founder Coffee Virgil, weirdly enough, used to be the marketing arm of Pre-Paid Legal. TVC stands for ‘Truckers Voice in Court’, and they also offer legal services to truckers.

Motor Club of America now has over 6,000 auto repair and service centers nationwide

How much does Motor Club of America cost?

It’s free to become a distributor, but it’s recommended that you buy a Total Security membership for $19.95/month. It’s easier to sell a product you actually use.

Products

Motor Club of America does NOT sell car insurance. They sell various other roadside services. MCA is basically AAA with a direct selling structure (and higher prices).

They offer two membership plans: Security ($9.95/month) and Total Security ($19.95/month).  In the end, you’re shelling out around $120 or $240 a year for these memberships.

Without a doubt, these are useful services in the membership. However, it’s not that different from AAA, which costs HALF the price (about $66/year for a basic membership, $100 for Plus, and $126 for Premiere).

All memberships include…

Unlimited Roadside Assistance

Most competitors cap service calls on their basic plan to 2-4 per year. MCA allows one call per day all year long. Roadside assistance services include lockout assistance, fuel delivery, tire changing, and battery boosting.

Travel Assistance Reimbursement

If your vehicle is not operating or in the repair shop for a few days, MCA will reimburse you up to $500 for a rental car, hotel, or meals if you are more than 50 miles from home.

Planning and Travel Reservations

This is a system that helps you map out and plan your travels, and it includes a reservation system for air travel, rental cars, and hotels.

Arrest Bonds

MCA membership includes a cash bail of up to $500 for traffic violation incidents. This is only available in some states.

Bail Bonds

MCA will release up to $25,000 on bond to release you from jail if you were charged with a moving traffic law violation as the driver.

Attorney Fees

As long as you are driving your covered auto, MCA will pay up to $2,000 in attorney fees should you receive traffic-based police charges.

Stolen Vehicle Reward

In the event that your vehicle is stolen, MCA will offer a reward of up to $5,000 to the person or law enforcement agency that recovers the car.

Credit Card Protection

Financial coverage of up to $1,000 in losses in the case that your identity is stolen.

Discounts

Members can use their card for 15%-65% discounts on prescriptions, dental procedures, eye wear and eye exams, rental cars, and major hotel chains.

Emergency Reimbursement Benefits

Up to $500 in cash for Emergency Room or Trauma Center treatment due to car-related injuries.

Daily Hospital Benefit

If you are hospitalized due to a vehicle-related accident that is covered, you can receive up to $150 per day to cover your hospital stay for up to 365 consecutive days or $54,750.

Accidental Death Benefit

They offer $10,000 accidental death coverage to members.

The Security Plus membership offers accident coverage, hospital benefits, and emergency benefits under all circumstances, not just vehicle-related. The Total Security membership includes all of the above plus higher coverage levels, up to 100 miles towing per service call, the customer can choose towing destination, and RVs, motorcycles, and trailers are included.

Compensation Plan

Distributors are given an advance on their commission for membership sales – the entire year’s worth is given to you up front. However, if one of your customers cancels their membership, you have to pay that back.

For each basic Security membership you sell, you get a $40 advance for the entire year. For Total Security, you get $80.

If, for example, you can sell 5 Security Plus memberships per week, you would make $21,320 for the year. That’s not an easy feat, though. Better have a lot of friends and family members you’re willing to alienate.

Distributors also earn overrides on their 1st Level (direct) recruits. If someone you personally sponsored sells the basic Security membership, you get $4. If they sell Total Security, you get $6.

Recap

Ultimately, AAA is half the price, so the only reasons for buying into this are:

  • You’re clueless and haven’t shopped around or
  • You’re trying to cash in on the affiliate program

If you’re trying to cash in on the affiliate program, you should think long and hard about laying down $240/year, because if the only people who would purchase a membership are clueless people who have done NO shopping around, you’re probably not going to find enough customers to keep your “business” afloat.

Look, not a hater of the company, but there are a lot better ways to build a passive income business out there.

I’ve been involved with network marketing for almost ten years so I know what to look for when you consider joining a new opportunity.

After reviewing 200+ MLMs and business systems out there, here is the one I would recommend:

Click here for my #1 recommendation

Meet the Author

JP

JP teaches network marketers how to build a real business. Far from a hater, he still LOLs at 3-way calls and building "downlines". If you like Monday morning conversations with your kids by the pool, you might like this.

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