It may be different in other states/regions, but for the AAA packages offered here in NJ it seemed to be that you could not cancel (without a big penalty, trip insurance, etc.) when a better deal came along, which was another reason I was put off by the packages - I believe it also needed to be paid in full in advance. I personally felt more confident in my own researching ability than the agent's, plus I wanted the flexibility to get a better deal if one came along so going on our own happened to work out better.