AA car insurance made me an offer (or not?)

Suzkin

Just received letter re. automatic annual renewal for AA car insurance (I can't recall asking for 'automatic' renewal, anyway). I currently have ROADSIDE (paid £50.50) and HOME START (paid £53) insurance*, and luckily - through a combination of careful driving and not driving at all! - have not needed to call on the AA yet.

I asked to cancel the membership (expires in June) and the customer advisor said he would sell me ROADSIDE insurance only, for £29 for the entire year. Also, that if at any time I require HOMESTART then there would be a surcharge of approx. £30.

I am fairly new to driving: does this sound like a good offer? If the car is going to breakdown / not work, surely it would be near the house on setting out to drive?

Alternatively, I'm thinking of just cancelling the insurance, and then shopping for another deal when I start driving again (I'm job seeking and so whilst still holding onto my car, am only driving it now and again - to keep it in check/running over).

[* These prices exclude the discounts I received via the comparison sites - thanks very much, Martin!]

All advice / comments, welcome.

Clive_Woody

See this article for getting cheap breakdown cover

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-breakdown-discounts

NB: standard roadside cover is £28 through the AA website so the advisor offering it for £29 is not exactly doing you any favours. If you use a cahsback website you can get £21 cash-back so actual cost of 1 year roadside cover is £7.

http://www.theaa.com/breakdown-cover/uk-breakdown/view-options.do

lisyloo

If the car is going to breakdown / not work, surely it would be near the house on setting out to drive?

Not necessarily.
You can get a puncture or hit a pothole anywhere.

Alternatively, I'm thinking of just cancelling the insurance, and then shopping for another deal when I start driving again (I'm job seeking and so whilst still holding onto my car, am only driving it now and again - to keep it in check/running over).

If you are short of cash, then go without it.

I would also consider AutoAid which I think id £37.
It's pay and claim so you really need to have a credit card, but it's much more than jsut roadside.
It covers you at home, recovery and for onward travel e.g. taxi to your destination.

Suzkin

Thank you both - I've now just cancelled my membership (to save much needed funds) and will take a look at the other options you have suggested, for the future.