​California Registered Agent – should I get it and how much should it cost?

I’m in the middle of filing my LLC paperwork here in California and I’ve hit a bit of a crossroads. I’m trying to decide if I should just list myself as the Registered Agent or if I should actually pay for a service.

I really want to list myself as the RA since I meet all the requirements and I need this business address listed somewhere officially connecting it to my business. I’m asking this question because it’s a dilemma because of something that happened with a friend and need more people’s advice on what to do.

So this friend of mine started a small consulting gig last year and decided to be his own agent to save money. Long story short, he went on a much-needed camping trip for a week where he had zero cell service. That was the exact window when a legal notice regarding a minor contract dispute was delivered to his house. Because he wasn’t there to sign for it and accept service, things got messy with the court dates, and he ended up paying way more in legal fees to fix the default than he ever would have spent on a registered agent.

I get that this should convince me to get a registered agent service and I shouldn’t be asking over here, but is does this happen frequently or my guy got extra unlucky?

And also, what’s everyone seeing for pricing? Most of the sites I’ve looked at seem to be in the $100 to $300 per year range, but I’ve seen some introductory offers for $50 that jump up later. Are there any hidden fees I should watch out for?