Net gain having an AARP membership

[SufianA980374]

Friends,

I called Delta Dental AARP. They gave me rates for two plans for me and my wife. I asked the agent, "Mike, how much do I save on my dental plan because I am an AARP member?". He says quietly, "I only deal with Delta Dental AARP."

The way he replied did not give me any confidence. I went online to check for Delta Dental Direct and saw that the plans were cheaper and provided me with more benefits than what was being provided by Delta Dental AARP. 

I want somebody to explain this. Am I not supposed to get better plans and prices for being an AARP member?

I hope somebody from AARP replies soon.

Regards,
Sufian

[nctarheel]

I am not with AARP, @SufianA980374, but, from experience, I can tell you what you have discovered is not unusual.

The restaurants, which have AARP discounts, also have loyalty programs that are better than the AARP discounts.

Same goes for a multitude of other supposed special prices for AARP members as you have discovered.

[SufianA980374]

This disappoints me greatly if true. I have called in and complained about it with AARP support. I have been informed that a ticket has been created, and somebody will get back to me in the next 2 to 3 days. I explained to the support team member that I should make sure that the person who calls can give me a clear answer - "Why can I get a cheaper and better Dental program directly from Delta Dental than from Delta Dental AARP?" and "If it is true that I can get similar programs cheaper without having an AARP membership than what is the benefit of AARP membership?"

I am still an optimist, so I will wait to hear back from the Support Team soon.