AARP: Worth It or Not Worth Its Weight In Adult Diapers

AARP commercials are always on TV but is it worth it or just a coupon club scam? Well their members have spoken out online and it doesn’t look pretty. But for starters — What the hell is AARP anyway?

AARP is a nonprofit that uses “membership fees” to support any political causes they want, and in return you get small discounts to restaurants, for car rental companies and various other random services.

To make a long story short, AARP is a nonprofit that brands itself as a group for retirees (but accepts practically anyone) and when you pay an annual fee you get hounded with coupons, offers, a magazine full of ads and various other non-stop advertisements.

As one member on the official AARP forum put it:

AARP exists, mainly, to sell older folks products and services they may, or may not, actually need. The powers that be know they have a captive audience, a targeted demographic, as it were, and they work it.

The political arm of AARP has done some good for older folks… but the money behind these positive actions come from the numerous “partners” who get in on sales and advertising opportunities via the organization’s mailing list.

In essence you pay a yearly membership fee to get spammed with minor discounts and they use the millions they take in to fund their own political agenda.

A member that’s cancelling their membership pointed out the backwards politics of a nonprofit that pushes the image of a retiree and senior citizen focused group:

You may benefit from a few of the discounts but to be honest I find it to be marginally beneficial. Also, most of AARP advocacy for seniors is for seniors that rely heavily on government benefits.

AARP is really lobbying to take more of your retirement savings and benefits than they are lobbying to help you avoid higher taxes.

I plan to end my membership at the end of my membership. I do not need anyone trying to raise taxes on what I have invested and saved when I was working.

Unfortunately even the discounts they offer can often be nabbed up from the companies themselves or via various other free channels. Anyone ever heard of coupon sites for example?

Another AARP member spoke out online about the lack of value in paying for a membership:

I had 8 out of 9 restaurants in my area be CLOSED, OUT OF BUSINESS, BANKRUPT when I arrived with my supposedly valuable “Rewards For Good” coupons. WORTHLESS!

The discounts that you get through AARP for other entities such as Denny’s and Walgreens can be beaten using other avenues.

When the only perks of being a member of AARP are receiving far more junk mail, meager discount offers and becoming a living spam target — I think it’s safe to say it’s not worth its weight in adult diapers.