AARP Renewal - read the small print

[stopbush]

My wife and I had AARP membership for the past five years or so, but didn't renew because, frankly, we never used it for anything.

Naturally, AARP sends us renewal offers, which I have been ignoring. But I got one last week with a renewal rate of $30 for three years for both of us (plus a free set of cheap nylon luggage tossed in as a bonus), so I figured, WTH, may as well. So I'm doing the online renewal, and I get to the point where you click the button to renew, when I read the disclaimer stating that the three-year renewal will be added on to my membership end date of April2, 2020. 2020? In other words, my first year of renewal will last all of three months?

Er, no. That might be a misprint on the part of their computer program but no thanks.

[2naSalit]

1. I could never figure out what they actually do...

I used to get junk mail from them all the time, never joined.

[Wicked Blue]

2. I think they sell insurance nt

[2naSalit]

3. I called their insurance for a quote one time...

And it was The Hartford company and the asshole wouldn't talk to me without my banking info so I hung up realizing that they weren't going to do anything but drain my bank account.

[csziggy]

21. I have AARP Hartford for my auto insurance

It's very good. When my husband got T-boned and totaled his car, their coverage and follow up was great. They are cheaper than any other company I've checked so I'll be staying with them.

[2naSalit]

22. I was supposed to be able to get a free quote...

AARP connected me, and the first thing the guy does is ask for banking and other info that I was not willing to provide and would not be necessary to asses a likely rate, has nothing to do with my bank account #. I gathered it was not a business I would use. I'm okay with the insurance I have and that's all I need, and they don't send me a bunch of garbage in the mail all the time.

[csziggy]

23. OK - I never talked to them on the phone

Everything was done on paper, then they mailed me a quote. I called the auto insurance company I then had coverage with to see if they could match the Hartford quote. When they couldn't I sent back paperwork to Hartford accepting the quote. At some point I sent paperwork to set up auto pay. I'd gone through a series of surgeries and when I was anticipating another surgery I knew that auto pay was the way to go since my husband wasn't holding it together.

What may be happening for you is that now a lot of companies will not provide coverage if your credit isn't good. By getting your financial information they can check that. Invasive as hell, but they take advantage.

As for the junk mail, there used to be a site to go to opt out of mailings. Here is a list of ways to opt out of mail, calls, and email. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0262-stopping-unsolicited-mail-phone-calls-and-email

Of course, scammers will ignore any effort to block them so you can't rid of all of it.

[SoCalNative]

4. No, they just sell mailing lists

so that you can be inundated with insurance offers.

[Wicked Blue]

5. I stand corrected nt

[Wawannabe]

7. See my post 6. nt

[question everything]

11. Decide to join the 21st century, got an iPhone with Consumer Cellular with AARP

Discount.

[2naSalit]

12. I already have a phone...

I pay $20/mo for everything unlimited. I don't need to sign up for all the advertising and selling of my info, my phone doesn't even know my name and I like that part.

[Wawannabe]

6. Dude,

AARP is a right wing nut job lobby!!!

That’s FACT

[2naSalit]

8. Not surprised...

They didn't seem to offer anything besides selling my info while they claim to have my support for their lobbying efforts while I paid them to do it. I wasn't buying it from the start.

[SCantiGOP]

9. Cong Jim Clyburn said

That they are one of the strongest and most effective defenders of Medicare and Social Security in DC.
I’ve never heard them described as right wing.

[lillypaddle]

14. NO it is not.

JFC.

[RainCaster]

10. I'm no longer wasting my time and $ on AARP

Just too much worthless mail and nothing of value.

[lillypaddle]

13. No, they mean it will be 3 years past April 2020 nt

[stopbush]

16. Right, so I'm asked to pay for a full year but would get only three months of benefits.

[lillypaddle]

18. Okay. I did the same thing AARP did.

They mean April 2021 + 3 years, but you could call to verify that.

I'm going to use part of my $600 check from the government to get new glasses and frames. AARP will be paying $100 dollars toward the glasses and exam. I find them useful when I think to use them, same with AAA. Usually I forget, though.

[stopbush]

19. Glad you found a use for AARP (glasses).

I have a Medicare Advantage plan that costs me $0 and provides $340 bi-annually towards purchase of eyewear. I think the exam is free with Kaiser. But getting an additional $100 from AARP toward glasses would allow for a more-expensive frame.

[3Hotdogs]

15. I have little use for them since they worked with the Reagan administration to support reducing SS

benefits.

They are nothing but a glorified insurance company.

[Mickju]

17. I quit them several years ago.

But they never give up trying to get me back. I hate them even more now. They only exist to make money.

[stopbush]

20. So I called AARP out of curiosity, and they told me their promo

was poorly worded and misleading, and that if I renewed today the renewed membership would start today and run for 1, 3 or 5 years, with the next renewal date falling in January.

[Totally Tunsie]

24. Yes. Those instructions were written assuming that the

purchaser was renewing while still within an active subscription. In that case, it's just tacked on to the end of the current period.

Nice that they admitted their info was poorly worded, but clarification for others in the future would be better.