AA Breakdown cover - Go for 'Gold' membership or start afresh?

Bouncerus

Hi all, I have a little dilemma with my breakdown cover with the AA

I have been with them since 2020, and now am a silver member.

Got my renewal, was stupidity high so rang up and they've matched it to last year's price which I'm happy with around £260 for everything (family cover)

HOWEVER 

The online price is coming to £180 or thereabouts, so a £80 saving. The only caveat is that I'll have to be a brand new member, so no silver benefits.

Silver gives you a days EU cover which I'll never need, and a legal assistance helpline (which I've never used)

Gold membership (after 5 years I think) gives you free key cover.

The only reason I was considering staying as an existing member (£260 Vs £180) was for the free key cover, but this will be in 2025 because it'll be 5 years then I think.

I'm very strongly inclined to cancel the membership, and just start afresh and get it for £180 as a new member. I'd really only be immediately missing out on the legal assistance helpline (I have fully comp car insurance, it'll probs have it too) and the potential of being a gold member in 3 years time for the key cover. 

Would appreciate any advice.

SaverRate

How much is key cover to add on separately? If its less than the £80 saving add it onto the online price if you really want it? 

Most car insurers also offer key cover as an add on for an additional premium so worth looking at that too if you really want it. 

Bigwheels1111

New policy every year.

Your getting kicked in the nether regions.

If you had got another family member to take out a new policy last month it was 50% off and you can forward date it 2 month minus a day.

After Quidco or Topcashback it worked out at £17.00 ish each.

Everything, Home,onward,relay etc just no european cover.

Thats what I did.

Today its 30% off.

So £172.00 - Topcashback £88 +£ 84 / 4 = £ 21 each.

Ibrahim5

What's wrong with Autoaid? Why the silly spending?

Zandoni

Phone them and tell them that you'd like the cover for £180 or you'll go somewhere else.

Ms_Chocaholic

If you have your car insurance with AA then they sometimes have an offer where you get (very) reduced breakdown cover.  If you change your car insurance every year, you could always buy one year with RAC and every other year get a discounted rate with AA when you move your car insurance to them, would that work?

mysteryUser

Generally going via Top Cashback or similar gets you a very good deal. I generally swap from AA/RAC each year.

Oddly, this year, it worked out cheaper to add things to the policy (specific vehicle competent cover) than it would have to not have them. It's a crazy system and can be played nicely if you have the time. 

TCB is currently offering £170 back on a policy over £241. That's a pretty tidy discount. I suspect that the silver/gold nonsense doesn't ever really add up to more than you can get by being a new customer every year.