AA renewal rip off.

PaulJM

Hi,

I know there are plenty of posts about this, and it's a well known scam, but thought I'd have my own, separate rant.

Last year I bought a new car (new to me, 3 years old though)
Got a really good price, but because I had a slight bee an my bonnet about French cars, I thought I'd take out Breakdown cover.
The AA, through a cash-back site, were good value.

I've had no breakdowns, and got my renewal. They want £139.05, for Roadside, Home Start, and Relay! Flipping heck! That says it includes a 'discount' (balls it does!) of 20%.
So, without the 'discount', it'd be £167??

I've had a very cursory look round (will have a look through the links here later - I see there is loads of useful stuff) and even the AA want £89 for a new customer, excluding any cashback or offers, for this cover. So they want to charge me, a reliable, valued customer, with a well looked after, reliable car, £78 extra quid!
A quick look at others shows Autonational at £66 for everything.

I called the AA to have a friendly haggle/cancel (I'm always very friendly) and they state it's because of the added benefits...which quite frankly, sounded a load of old tripe. They came to £100 without the aforementioned tripe added. Still a rip off.

Seriously, this is annoying. The AA should be trustworthy. I reckon they do it because there must be a load of people who just don't look at their renewal letters, and they just get away with it.

I know you can argue that they have every right to do it, it's called capitalism, etc, and I quite agree.
But it's the way they present themselves. There a lot of older people that remember the AA as an ethical lot - they don't know them as the profit monsters they now are.

Ho hum...if they can get away with it, why not.

macgyver

Unfortunately thats true for most of the companies; be it breakdown or even worse the insurance compnies. I have my breakwown cover with Auto-aid (MSE recommendation) for the last 5 years and their service has been very good. It presently costs £38/year and it covers your partner as well. You have to pay up front and then claim. I shop arround and change my car insurance provider every year.

This link to the blog on this site

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/roadside-recovery

And the related thread
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3873353

vax2002

Many of these "budget" breakdown services have clauses that just about cancel out anything they claim to provide.
With the AA and RAC, just call them and tell them you will leave if they do not match this years online joining price, I have never know them refuse.
With the Big 2, if you breakdown they send a mechanic who will endeavour to fix your car, the budget versions send a kid with a tow truck to take you to his dads garage where they will bend you over the oil drum.

PaulJM

macgyver wrote: »

I have my breakwown cover with Auto-aid (MSE recommendation) for the last 5 years and their service has been very good. It presently costs £38/year and it covers your partner as well. You have to pay up front and then claim.

That sounds good value. I always worry that me or my wife won't have the available cash if something big is needed though, just a bit of paranoia.

macgyver wrote: »

I shop arround and change my car insurance provider every year.

I do too - you can't not, but I have never seen anyone be so blatantly agressive about this kind of thing before! Usually it'll be a bit more, you phone them, and they come to your price...the AA couldn't get near what i wanted!

PaulJM

vax2002 wrote: »

Many of these "budget" breakdown services have clauses that just about cancel out anything they claim to provide.
With the AA and RAC, just call them and tell them you will leave if they do not match this years online joining price, I have never know them refuse.
With the Big 2, if you breakdown they send a mechanic who will endeavour to fix your car, the budget versions send a kid with a tow truck to take you to his dads garage where they will bend you over the oil drum.

Not my experience, I the ones I have used were better than the AA.

I called the AA, and attempted to get the new customers' price, and they wouldn't do it. Got £40 off, but no more. Still £50 more than Green Flag, etc.

poppasmurf_bewdley

I use Green Flag via the Caravan Club, and pay about £80 for my car and a second car belonging to my kids. This covers roadside breakdown and recovery, and also covers holidays - if I breakdown whilst towing the caravan GF will take me to my destination and then at the end of the holiday will recover me back home. Excellent value.

GolfBravo

PaulJM wrote: »

Seriously, this is annoying. The AA should be trustworthy.

Yes, they should be trustworthy. But they are no longer an association, they are The Automobile Assiciation Limited. They are a private limited company. Their number one priority is profit, and last year they made around £500 million.

So in my eyes they are as trustworthy as News Limited, BP, Tesco, etc.

PaulJM

GolfBravo wrote: »

Yes, they should be trustworthy. But they are no longer an association, they are The Automobile Assiciation Limited. They are a private limited company. Their number one priority is profit, and last year they made around £500 million.

So in my eyes they are as trustworthy as News Limited, BP, Tesco, etc.

Mine too, but not in everyone's.

I noticed you didn't say "News Corp"

antrobus

GolfBravo wrote: »

Yes, they should be trustworthy. But they are no longer an association, they are The Automobile Assiciation Limited. They are a private limited company. Their number one priority is profit, and last year they made around £500 million.

So in my eyes they are as trustworthy as News Limited, BP, Tesco, etc.

The AA demutualised in 1999. It's now part of Acromas Holdings which also owns Saga, BSM, and a few other things. Don't know about the AA making £500 million profit; I do know that Acromas lost about £500 million last year.

GolfBravo

Of course the whole group would make a loss - they are owned by private equity, so very debt laden group. The AA and Saga are both very profitable. No group profit = no tax. £230m goodwill amortisation adjustment last year? £1m+ directors' salaries? Please...

Interest payments are killing them, so somebody has to pay for all this. £160 battery anyone? How about a £139 renewal? Or £249 European cover renewal (£99 for new members)?

Just shop around for a better deal.

I used to highly recommend German ADAC (EU-wide cover for €79), but then for some reason they started to ignore all UK new membership enquiries. So I sent an email to one of their directors, and surprise surprise one of their replies was:

Concerning membership in the UK, please refer to the Automobile Association, Fanum House, Basing View, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 4EA.

We trust you will understand

The next day ADAC rang me and confirmed my suspicion - the AA told them to keep their hands off UK customers. So ADAC are happy to auto-renew existing UK memberships but don't want to upset the AA and officially are not taking any new members.




The AA rant mode OFF!

scotsbob

macgyver wrote: »

Unfortunately thats true for most of the companies; be it breakdown or even worse the insurance compnies. I have my breakwown cover with Auto-aid (MSE recommendation) for the last 5 years and their service has been very good. It presently costs £38/year and it covers your partner as well.[URL="http://"][/URL]

I also use Autoaid and remember the £38 is for you and your spouse/partner and for any car you may be in.