AA continuous payment authority, took an additional £102.24 from 1 year to the next!!

Highjinks

I was checking my bank statements today and found that on 28 May 2015 a direct debit payment of £179.29 was taken by the AA. I had received no notification of this.
I have checked my paperwork and sadly discovered that when I paid £77.05 on 24th May 2014 to the AA for roadside cover I had unwittingly given them continuous payment authority. However I never received any notification of the renewal price in 2015 and I am aghast to discover that the amount that the AA has taken more than doubled amount in 2015 when compared to 2014 prices.

From reading this forum it seems that I cannot do anything about being charged an extortionate renewal price under continuous payment authority. I can now cancel the continuous payment authority and cancel the contract but I am not entitled to any money back for the portion of the contract not used as I am outside the 30 day period – just. Do you think that the AA are in the wrong as they didn't send me a renewal notice?

This seems so wrong. It is one thing to be accidentally locked into continuous payment authority but how can I be paying so much more for the same product from one year to the next. AA have previously come in cheaper for house or car insurance and I have used them in the past. I won’t again on principle.

Quentin

Highjinks wrote: »

...... I never received any notification of the renewal price in 2015 and I am aghast to discover that the amount that the AA has taken more than doubled amount in 2015 when compared to 2014 prices......

You look to be able to invoke the dd guarantee.


Contact your bank tomorrow and tell them the dd was taken without prior warning, and they will refund your account the same day.

Highjinks

Thanks Quentin.

Went into Santander today, they said I'd have to speak to AA first and if they couldn't sort it to come back and they would apply for Santander to refund it.

I rang the number at AA for customer complaints. They tried to say it wasn't a like for like policy - it was. Then they said I'd had a bargain in 2014 and the 2014 price was discounted. However I'd got the paperwork from 2014 that said a 25% discount equalled £25 so there was no way the discount would explain a price rise of over £100. They then offered to put a discount on the 2015 price but that only reduced it to £140. So I said I'd like to cancel the policy and have a refund. I fully expected them to say no as it was effective from 28 May 2015 and I've been reading horror stories about the AA online. But They said in the circumstances they would authorise the cancellation and the money would be back in my account in 5 days. Result.