Got free RAC cover with new car but already have AA?

alstemp

Hi everyone - last weekend I purchased a new car from an RAC approved garage that came with 6 months free RAC breakdwon cover. I already have AA homestart. I did think about cancelling the AA (not due for renewal again until December) and getting a refund but then the homestart aspect may come in useful.

Then I just thought - well if I don't cancel teh AA and get a refund the RAC 6 mths cover is not worth a huge deal then!

Is there any other way of maximising the RAC cover? There's obviously no point running 2 breakdown covers at the same time . ..

appreciate any thoughts . . .

thanks

GabbaGabbaHey

Will anybody else be driving the car?

If I remember correctly, with the AA the driver is covered (in any car they are driving) whereas with the RAC it's the car that is covered (regardless of who is driving it)?

I have multiple breakdown cover on most of my cars, either through my car insurance or through my bank account, but these all have significant limitations on them (e.g. will only tow the car to a garage within 10 miles), so I prefer to pay for full breakdown cover (Green Flag have been excellent) and just ignore the others.

alstemp

Hi Phil - that's a good point. It's only me who is driving.

Yes the RAC only cover the car you are driving and will only tow car 10 miles to nearest garage, plus no homestart etc.

Sounds like I may as well hang on to the AA membership.

RAC a nice add on but to be honest it doesn't really add anything in the long run.
thanks

ripplyuk

You could look into the cost of adding home start to the RAC membership and suspending your A.A. Membership until the RAC policy runs out. Though, the RAC might insist you pay for a yearly policy but it might be worth asking.

I also recently bought a new car and got a years RAC cover with it. In my case, it was a much more comprehensive policy than the A.A. cover I already had (which was just roadside). I spoke to the AA and they explained I could suspend the policy until next March, when the RAC one runs out. This meant the months I had already paid for would not be wasted.

jayknee

I didn't want to start a new post, but this is very similar to the situation I find myself in.

Bought a new car a few years ago and dealer threw in a years free breakdown cover (which includes the equivalent of home start, roadside relay, nationwide cover, onward travel and european cover). Each year the renewal is only £70 so I keep it up - the equivalent AA cover would be in excess of £140!

Prior to the new car I had an AA breakdown policy but this was only for roadside relay. I postponed the policy but now every year they send me a new membership card to say my policy is restarting, and every year I try to cancel it, only for them to postpone the policy for another year.

Is there anyway I can fully cancel the AA policy so they stop sending the letters every year? Or should I just let it run out and remove my auto-renewal details from the policy? They seem reluctant to have their membership numbers drop in any way!

Is there anyway I can argue to get my money back from them? (which I'm not too bothered about but a few pounds would be nice if I can get them).

AdrianC

alstemp wrote: »

Yes the RAC only cover the car you are driving

Given that the cover came with the car, that doesn't seem unreasonable.

and will only tow car 10 miles to nearest garage, plus no homestart etc.

VERY basic cover, then. Pretty much a "Look (but not too closely) what we throw in with the deal..." sweetener, not much more.

Bear in mind that personal cover (whoever it's from - AA, RAC or other) covers you in other people's cars, as well. So if you're a passenger, and the driver doesn't have cover of their own, you'll not be stuck out all night in the peeing rain.

Fishpie

I have switched bank account to a Nationwide Flex Plus which comes with breakdown cover at home and mainland Europe. I already had RAC membership and planned to cancel that. However, I now find that they won't refund the unspent part of my membership. I think this is very shoddy. I know that their conditions say 'no refunds', but if I had been paying monthly I would be in a different position - that is, I would just stop paying. Any views on whether this is a 'fair' condition in their contract?