AA Membership Renewal - Stand your ground!

spacey2012

What I would really like to see is an idiots walk through guide to leaving, and re-joining with the best cash back deals, where and how to do.
Come on experts in getting one over on the AA, a grateful Idiot awaits..

Starfleet1

Oh...well done Simon! Congratulations on striking a blow for consumers, especially against the AA. I too have found them to be the most irritating organisation when it comes to renewal premiums. My membership for my motorcycle cost me just £38 for the first years cover. However, when the renewal dropped through the door a year later it was for an astonishing £162 and a few pence (can't remember the pence bit!). After picking myself up off the floor I phoned them and a jovial chappie laughing at my surprise at how much the renewal was costing promptly told me "not to worry". He then went on to say he would cut the cost to just £80!!! telling me "that is much better isn't it"? "How would you like to pay"? he asked!! I said I wouldn't like to pay and the cost was far too much! It was his turn to be surprised as he thought he had made a good offer. I didn't think so. I cancelled the cover and instead did some research.

It didn't take long to find an alternative to the AA and in fact someone who is much cheaper and indeed, according to 'Which' magazine, much better than the AA. I contacted AUTOAID, at the time Which magazine's NUMBER ONE breakdown cover provider who charged just £38 to cover you for everything, homestart, roadside, relay, overseas driving etc etc and covers you and your spouse. In other words it covers YOU, and not the vehicle. This has also been pointed out by Martin Lewis on this wonderful site.

I promptly told my family members about it and they have all joined too. In fact my bro in law broke down on his very large motorcycle with a puncture. A quick call to Autoaid brought a very smart operative to his rescue just 20 mins later. His machine and him were taken to a dealer just a few miles away and the bike fixed. You do have either to pay the operative at the time of service for his charge and claim the fee back from Autoaid (takes about 4-5 days normally). Or if you don't have any money or means to pay at the time you must tell Autoaid to send an operative who will invoice you. It works well and there is no limit on the number of claims you can make. I remind you that unless you are on a company scheme with the AA, you must pay for all parts used by the patrolman at the time or be invoiced so paying at the scene is not uncommon.

AUTOAID provides nationwide cover. :T

ILW

Don't see many Autoaid vans about. What are their average call out times?

Ms_Chocaholic

spacey2012 wrote: »

What I would really like to see is an idiots walk through guide to leaving, and re-joining with the best cash back deals, where and how to do.
Come on experts in getting one over on the AA, a grateful Idiot awaits..

I use Quidco, it's very simple to use, many breakdown companies offer cashback via the website, if you've not used Quidco before here's a quick user guide (there are other cashback sites but Quidco is the one I use):

http://www.quidco.com/how-it-works/

In essence, all you do is purchase the breakdown membership in the usual way but you must click on the link to the company through the Quidco website which then records on Quidco that you have made a purchase, the system tracks the purchase and you are paid the cashback rate through BACS in a few months. You still have to pay the full amount to the breakdown company and the cashback is never guaranteed but I've never had a problem with it.

At the end of the year's membership I cancel with one provider, use the cashback route to buy breakdown cover with another provider and then chop and change each year.

This year's breakdown cover for me cost £19 I think after cashback, other years it's cost as little as £9-£11 depending on the cashback rate at the time of purchase.

I hope this helps, if I have missed anything, do post again and I will be back to try and help.

Regards

Ms Choc x

Starfleet1

Spacey, they don't use their own vans. As far as I know they use contracted operatives who are fully vetted and must be trained to the standard required by Boncaster Insurance Services, the owners of the organisation. They are big! Which Magazine fully tested them about 3 years ago and found them to be the best by far for the amount of time it took for the operative to be at the breakdown, and for the speed at which they both diagnosed and fixed faults. It was also the best value for money by a long way as it offers everything anyone would possibly want. The AA was relagated to second place at that time.

I've not had to call them out but I know plenty of people who have. They have all said the operatives being used were both smart and polite and really knew their stuff. I cannot say what the call out time was on average when Which Magazine tested them, but they were one of the fastest and I don't think anyone had to wait longer than 40mins. My own family who have had to use them have never waited more than 20mins.

My wife and me have been with them a total of about 10 years now off and on. We only lapsed from them when we bought new cars that came with the RAC or AA 2 year deals. You won't go wrong I can assure you.

tess1758

I had quote for car insurance renewal -looked up on line and same company,AA, quote was for £110 less.I called AA who eventually matched it with little argument.I will be on the look out next year!!!

david555_2

Just had mine though today as well. £160.85 for joint cover for Roadside and Relay. One minute later and I have a £114.99 from the RAC with the £50 off for fuel so over 50% saving if I go with them, which I probably will.

The problem today is that the option to cancel membership isn't accepting calls due to lots of emergencies. So the renewals department is frontline services too?

Anyway, I'll update you all as to my progress

Edit - just tried again and it's now engaged.

Edit - cancelled. They wouldn't reduce it beyond the RAC intro offer + fuel so off a shopping I go! Has anyone had experience with 2Gether? They get very good ratings on the sister site with excellent reviews too.

Simon7685

Well I have to say I didn't expect to have to post on this thread again until next year but there you go!

I received the new details of my renegotiated breakdown cover complete with another Gold Card on 27 March. It detailed that the payments would be as follows;
First one around 30 April for £6.25
then onwards £6.16 per month.
Happy days or so I thought!!!!

The DD has not been taken although due on 30 April or thereabouts so I thought I had beeter ring up, just as well I did.

The person I spoke to advised me that the membership number I gave him was cancelled and that was why no DD had been taken from me. I detailed everything that had gone on in March and that I had the new card and schedule of payments from 27 March.

He said there was nothing he could do as the membership was cancelled and asked me to hold the line. I did, he came back and said he would need to put a complaint in to the customer care team who were the only people able to overturn the cancellation and they would call me within 5 working days.

I was gobsmacked, so I asked what about if I break down, am I covered or not? He said he would put a note on that the cancellation was under investigation and that I SHOULD still be covered if I break down in the meantime.

Was I encouraged by that??? I don't think so...........

I asked for a number to call them but he said we don't have one, they have to call you......

So there we go sat waiting for the call now and hope that in the meantime I don't breakdown because I can just see what will happen if I do, although the cancellation I don't think comes into force until 15 May. However do I trust them on that? Err let me think ....... NO!!!!

I am tempted to ring the number I rang last time but can't decide whether it might be better to give them until tomorrow to call me. As I don't want to confuse there already incompetent system any further.

Honestly you would think they could get things right, if I had not been on the ball and spotted that the DD hadn't been taken I would have been none the wiser going out thinking I was covered when I wasn't. This is now the 2nd year they made an unmitigated !!!! up of my renewal, so I think a complaint in writing is definately called for once this is sorted.

Also whats the betting they refuse to reinstate the membership on the terms I negotiated in March??? Well if not I might look at some really nice publicity for them. After all I have everything in writing and incidentally they haven't written confirming any cancellation either.

What a shabby level of service this really is!

Crabman

Simon7685 wrote: »

Also whats the betting they refuse to reinstate the membership on the terms I negotiated in March??? Well if not I might look at some really nice publicity for them. After all I have everything in writing and incidentally they haven't written confirming any cancellation either.

What a shabby level of service this really is!

If you have evidence then it would be a case of a formal complaint to the AA where you should state what you would be happy with in terms of an outcome.

Then a referral to the Ombudsman if their final response isn't adequate (or they don't respond within 8 weeks). The Ombudsman will charge them £500 to consider the case so hopefully they'll see sense and not renege on what you negotiated with them in the first place.

Rain_Shadow

My father died in March. His AA renewal was due a couple of weeks back. My mother needed renewed cover. I called to renew Roadside and Relay or her. I was told c.£125 (cant remember the exact figure). I baulked and 'talking to the manager' yielded a 20% reduction to just under £100. This was the 'final' offer. I pointed out that RAC were offering the same cover to new members for £78.99. Another consultation with 'the manager' reduced the 'final offer' to £80. I took that.