AA and RAC breakdown cover

aboard_epsilon

I've been with the AA for about 23 years ..

i notice that they offer introductory rates for new customers of £69 for they same leval of cover as mine but without the homestart ..i dont need the homestart anyway ..but its included, they say for free on my cover,..doesn't look like it to me when i will be paying £121

RAC do a similar thing only cheaper for the second year


Should i swap between the RAC and the AA every other year to take advantage of these introductory rates...

or when i phone them up mention swapping every year to them ..and hope for them to put the rates down ..or loose me for a year .

Having said all this I'm very pleased with the way the AA have looked after me over the years ..they have a depo near by ..so if I breakdown locally ..Ive never had to wait long...not that i have broke down a lot ..on average once every couple of years...last time my rad snapped its plastic rad pipe..so radiator was written off..and the car was loaded onto the back of a truck and taken home .

ive not tried the rac before ..i find the AA very proficient ...staffed by very knowlegable and eager mechanics who will bend over backwards to help you out .

are the RAC the same ?

some organizations just employ grease monkeys and im unlikely to get the same level of piece of mind and expertise

but know little of the RAC

i'm quite knowledgeable myself on all things car and mechanics...but got fed up with carrying a rattling tool box around in the boot ..and since now im not too healthy,and plus 15 year old cars are just waiting to breakdown,not from lack of maintenance but other issues to do with age ,so i need the cover.

The above view is my view of the AA in my region ..north wales .
all the best.markj

s_b

think youve made your position quite clear

grease monkeys indeed

Enfieldian

I just signed up for AA Roadside & Relay for 84 for the year. £42 cashback via Quidco.

Monthly RAC plans don't track via Quidco.

pitkin2020

Loyalty isn't worth it for breakdown cover as they drag you in with an introductory offer then the price jumps up the following year, even if you haven't had a breakdown. Go with the cheapest that offers the level of cover and service you need. They all use local garages as when needed so jut because you with the AA doesn't mean a local garage won't turn up at some point.

As already said use quidco/topcashback to get it even cheaper

rodenal

I pay about £6.50 monthly for AA and have done for the last 3 years - every year at renewal they try and up the total cost to around £120, every year I call up and tell them that I wont pay more than I did last year and they simply drop it back down for me on the same level of cover.

aboard_epsilon

rodenal wrote: »

I pay about £6.50 monthly for AA and have done for the last 3 years - every year at renewal they try and up the total cost to around £120, every year I call up and tell them that I wont pay more than I did last year and they simply drop it back down for me on the same level of cover.

ok done that.im now paying £71

all the best.markj

BlueFox

RAC are just as good as AA in my experience. If anything RAC tend to respond quicker than AA, but having said that it's been a few years since I called the AA out!

The reason they are both similarly priced & way more expensive than other breakdown cover is because they are both the market leaders, have breakdown trucks & vans virtually everywhere & can get to most breakdowns fairly quickly - and they know it - so they don't need to be competitive with other "inferior" breakdown companies

My advice would be to choose whichever offers you the best deal :money:

losgiganteskid

The AA are a bit naughty really, been with them for a dozen or so years. We have joint cover, me and my partner, with home start, ordinary roadside and take you home. The renewal notice indicated they wanted £140 odd pounds (which was £50 MORE than we paid last year (with no call outs) so this year when I phoned to see what could be done they offered the same cover for £83.

By sending out a renewal at there "normal" rates I guess they are hoping by inertia people will just renew, ironically the tell tale sign is on their recorded phone line..."if you are thinking of leaving the AA press 4"

maryjane01

I don't know if the service of the AA is getting worse or we just got unlucky, we waited an hour and a half on an embankment next to the A13 near to the M25 for an hour and half on Saturday night with a 1 year old. It was pretty scary

Then when a vehicle finally turned up, they could only carry 2 passengers when all along my husband said there were 3 of us.

Dippypud

aboard_epsilon wrote: »

I've been with the AA for about 23 years ..

i notice that they offer introductory rates for new customers of £69 for they same leval of cover as mine but without the homestart ..i dont need the homestart anyway ..but its included, they say for free on my cover,..doesn't look like it to me when i will be paying £121

RAC do a similar thing only cheaper for the second year


Should i swap between the RAC and the AA every other year to take advantage of these introductory rates...

or when i phone them up mention swapping every year to them ..and hope for them to put the rates down ..or loose me for a year .

Having said all this I'm very pleased with the way the AA have looked after me over the years ..they have a depo near by ..so if I breakdown locally ..Ive never had to wait long...not that i have broke down a lot ..on average once every couple of years...last time my rad snapped its plastic rad pipe..so radiator was written off..and the car was loaded onto the back of a truck and taken home .

ive not tried the rac before ..i find the AA very proficient ...staffed by very knowlegable and eager mechanics who will bend over backwards to help you out .

are the RAC the same ?

i know other organizations just employ grease monkeys and im unlikely to get the same level of piece of mind and expertise

but know little of the RAC

i'm quite knowledgeable myself on all things car and mechanics...but got fed up with carrying a rattling tool box around in the boot ..and since now im not too healthy,and plus 15 year old cars are just waiting to breakdown,not from lack of maintenance but other issues to do with age ,so i need the cover.

The above view is my view of the AA in my region ..north wales .
all the best.markj

I find this remark to be a bit offensive, you imply, without justification that unless they are national known, a company is...substandard.

I would that you give justification for your remark or withdraw it.

warehouse

I jump between breakdown cover, house contents, house buildings and car insurance every year. They all fall in May so I do the lot in one hit, save a load of money every year and get cashback from Quidco. The cashback alone from that lot above is £190 this year, which I should receive in plenty of time for Christmas .