Autoaid Breakdown - Further 'automatic renewal' complaint and warning!

Roobags

My Autoaid breakdown cover is due to 'auto renew' in October '26 and I do not want to renew with them as I am very unhappy with their service, as are many others on this forum.

I have twice logged onto their customer portal to cancel the 'auto renew' feature, but both times they have mysteriously switched it back on again. I also did this last year and they ignored by request and they auto renewed it at an inflated price so I phoned them the next day to cancel and they were going to charge me a £25 cancellation fee plus the £17 inflated premium. I had no evidence that I had cancelled the auto renewal feature, so I was trapped into staying with them for another year.

Today, I have again selected the 'cancel auto renewal' option on their customer portal (the third time this year they have switched it back on without my consent) but they have sent no confirmation, so I am very concerned that they are planning to scam / trap me again.

I have emailed their only 'contact us' email address with instructions that I do not want to auto renew and it sent an automatic reply saying 'this inbox is not monitored and my message has not been read'…that is on their 'contact us' email address…unbelievable.

Due to my experience I am convinced that Autoaid has been taken over by a dishonest or disreputable bunch, so let this be a warning to others like me who might get trapped into their automatic renewal circle.

I am posting this as a warning to others and I will update this thread later in October to let you know if they actually scam me again or if my cancellation has gone through.

Woodstok2000

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6682812/autoaid-breakdown-further-automatic-renewal-complaint-and-warning

I think you have misread the email - the autoresponse is from a different autoresponse mailbox and the email indicates that it is not monitored, it is not saying that the customer address is unmonitored.

Even so, it does seem like they expect that email to address most queries, and I doubt you would get a further reply.

If you read down to the bottom it advises you to send a further email if your question hasn't been answered, and that email address is:

customercontact@autoaidbreakdown.co.uk

That is slightly different to the email on their webpage, so maybe try that and see what happens.

Beyond that have you tried calling them (and record the call)? You can also write them a letter with evidence of posting - use all that evidence, plus your emails, to initiate a chargeback with your bank if they do renew the policy.

FlorayG

Ask your bank to block payments to them so they can't take any money

Roobags

Both helpful suggestions, thank you.

The_Unready

For info, I've selected the 'do not auto-renew' option via their website each year for the last three years and it has always updated my preference correctly. I'm not sure why it isn't working for you....…

amibovvered

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82132286#Comment_82132286

How have you done this? I have logged on to the customer portal and cannot find any option to check or change auto renew? When l look at the faq it does have a supposed link to cancel auto renew but when I select the link it makes me login again and still doesn't take me to any auto renew option.

The_Unready

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82138128#Comment_82138128

Hi - when I receive my renewal email it says this:

"We hate break ups and would be sorry to see you go, but In the unlikely event that you don’t want to continue with this valuable cover, simply click here customer portal and login into the portal and select the ‘Do not renew’."

I just follow the link to the portal, logon and select the 'do not renew' option and it doesn't renew. I've just logged on to the portal to check the location of the 'do not renew' option and I can't immediately find find it - I'm therefore guessing that it only appears once the renewal details are sent out, but I'd have to wait until next year to check that.

amibovvered

Thanks for that, I still have a month to go before renewal so hopefully I will be sent the same link.

born_again

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82140475#Comment_82140475

Contact your bank & tell them that you want any further payments blocked, after cancelling with them. Then never use the company again.