AA membership renewal con.

patlunch

Last year I joined the AA through a MSE link and got membership for £35 plus £20 M&S vouchers. My renewal came this week for £50. I phoned to have a moan and they switched me to the "thinking of leaving us" department who immediately offered cover for £35. No vouchers though!
So are they doing me a favour or were they trying to overcharge me?

sarah_elton

They just make their money on people who are too lazy to shop around and just renew it each year.

Green Flag go one better -the renewal is always more than the new customer price. I phone up each year, and they say they can't match the new customer price! So, I cancel and sign up again, getting the cheaper rate AND Quidco cashback every year. Go figure.

Some insurers are the same, especially Direct Line; cheap for new customers, expensive on renewal.

the182guy

patlunch wrote: »

Last year I joined the AA through a MSE link and got membership for £35 plus £20 M&S vouchers. My renewal came this week for £50. I phoned to have a moan and they switched me to the "thinking of leaving us" department who immediately offered cover for £35. No vouchers though!
So are they doing me a favour or were they trying to overcharge me?

Was that for just basic cover, or including home start?

terryya

Has any thread with the word 'con' in the title actually gone on to describe a con?

They sent you a renewal price, you weren't happy, you phoned them up and they reduced it. It is called businees.

If you saw a house you liked but weren't happy at the price and had an offer £10k lower accepted, would you call it an estate agent con?

The same with insurance, Sky, buying a car etc, etc. Companies like the AA aren't charities and are out to make as much money as possible. If you can't be bothered to do a bit of leg work you pay more.Which is great for us MSE types as it helps subsidise the cheap deals for those prepared to look around

Maz945

Same thing has just happened to me. I joined the AA last year as I had a special deal through SAAB and paid on the telephone. I got a renewal for 300% more than I paid last year, and checked around and got Green Flag cover out instead.
I noticed this morning £158.50 had been taken from my bank account today. I phoned them up and told them I did not want membership and wanted my money back. I was again put through to another department where a lady told me that Green Flag did not cover labour on roadside assistance (which after checking is untrue) and tried to get me on a cheaper cover for £28. I said I didn't want it so she said she would refund my money less a £20 "admin" fee. I complained and said that I could take it further if I wanted to. On checking this and other forums, this appears to be somewhat of a scam. Yes it is in the "small print" (and buried at that!) so the AA has kept my £20 for doing nothing.

Has the AA won then? Well I have contents insurance in London, and Buildings and Contents insurance on my home in London. Will I renew with the AA. No chance. Will I ever get anything ever again from the AA. No chance. Will I recommend people to go to the AA for anything. Never.

Funnily enough, had the AA given me back all of my money (and no I didn't have a call out from the AA last year anyway) I would renew all my other policies, and indeed looked at them again next year for breakdown assistance.

The moral? Never ever agree to "auto renewal" for anything!

the182guy

Maz945 wrote: »

Same thing has just happened to me. I joined the AA last year as I had a special deal through SAAB and paid on the telephone. I got a renewal for 300% more than I paid last year, and checked around and got Green Flag cover out instead.
I noticed this morning £158.50 had been taken from my bank account today. I phoned them up and told them I did not want membership and wanted my money back. I was again put through to another department where a lady told me that Green Flag did not cover labour on roadside assistance (which after checking is untrue) and tried to get me on a cheaper cover for £28. I said I didn't want it so she said she would refund my money less a £20 "admin" fee. I complained and said that I could take it further if I wanted to. On checking this and other forums, this appears to be somewhat of a scam. Yes it is in the "small print" (and buried at that!) so the AA has kept my £20 for doing nothing.

Has the AA won then? Well I have contents insurance in London, and Buildings and Contents insurance on my home in London. Will I renew with the AA. No chance. Will I ever get anything ever again from the AA. No chance. Will I recommend people to go to the AA for anything. Never.

Funnily enough, had the AA given me back all of my money (and no I didn't have a call out from the AA last year anyway) I would renew all my other policies, and indeed looked at them again next year for breakdown assistance.

The moral? Never ever agree to "auto renewal" for anything!

Thanks for posting. I've just cancelled my AA renewal because it's sky high. I'm now slightly worried that they will 'forget' that I have cancelled and take £140. Should I ask for confirmation in writing, or on the phone and record the call (with permission)?

Maz945

I'd just get the persons name and extension number, and make a note of the time and date of the call. You can get your bank to cancel the DD anyway (as I have just done online with HSBC). Obviously in my case the horse has already bolted!

KeithP

the182guy wrote: »

Thanks for posting. I've just cancelled my AA renewal because it's sky high. I'm now slightly worried that they will 'forget' that I have cancelled and take £140. Should I ask for confirmation in writing, or on the phone and record the call (with permission)?

Why not write and confirm cancellation?
Send it recorded Delivery.
Also, as mentioned in previous post, cancel the direct debit mandate.

the182guy

KeithP wrote: »

Why not write and confirm cancellation?
Send it recorded Delivery.
Also, as mentioned in previous post, cancel the direct debit mandate.

Will have to do that, there's no DD showing to be cancelled.

patlunch

terryya wrote: »

Has any thread with the word 'con' in the title actually gone on to describe a con?

They sent you a renewal price, you weren't happy, you phoned them up and they reduced it. It is called businees.

If you saw a house you liked but weren't happy at the price and had an offer £10k lower accepted, would you call it an estate agent con?

The same with insurance, Sky, buying a car etc, etc. Companies like the AA aren't charities and are out to make as much money as possible. If you can't be bothered to do a bit of leg work you pay more.Which is great for us MSE types as it helps subsidise the cheap deals for those prepared to look around

Fair point. I was refering to the fact that I was made to feel as though they were doing me a favour, when really they were charging me too much in the first place.
Last year Halifax quoted £290 for buildings insurance renewal, Churchhill quoted £160 for the exact same cover, Halifax finally came down to £156, but I still went with Churchill because I didn't have to haggle.
Apologies for the use of the word con, it's my first ever post on MSE. You're right its not a con, just annoying.

patlunch

the182guy wrote: »

Was that for just basic cover, or including home start?

Just basic cover