Beware if renewing Green Flag

pbolding

I got a renewal advice from Green Flag for £138.60 "including 10 percent no claims discount"; but if I start afresh from the website (and declare a higher mileage than before) it is £128.10. Likewise if I reduce the cover to exclude Europe, the website tells me £74.10 but on the phone for exactly the same conditions I was told £88. Not much incentive to be loyal.

Bob63

I dumped Green Flag this year for the car in favour of Tesco Clubcard-funded joint RAC membership for the wife and I, which covers the car and both of my bikes. Much better value IMHO.

balsingh

www.moneysupermarket.com have a comparison service for car breakdown cover. Not sure about your experience with Green Flag but when I used them last year and had to call them out they took over 90mins to turn up without much of an apology.

Crabman

The Breakdown cover article should be useful here - AutoAid is pretty good at £36 for full cover including spouse or as mentioned above the Tesco Clubcard Deals

Conor_3

pbolding wrote: »

I got a renewal advice from Green Flag for £138.60 "including 10 percent no claims discount"; but if I start afresh from the website (and declare a higher mileage than before) it is £128.10. Likewise if I reduce the cover to exclude Europe, the website tells me £74.10 but on the phone for exactly the same conditions I was told £88. Not much incentive to be loyal.

I am still surprised that people seem shocked that this happens when it's been discussed to death that these companies give whacking discounts to new customers and then screw you on renewal. Hell, the Natwest even did an advert showing a bank doing just that.

anewman

I don't see why it's too difficult for them to do it properly though. My insurance company didn't inflate my insurance renewal quote (I checked) and with them breakdown cover will be the same cost year on year, unless they increase the price for everyone.

I guess they hope people will just pay up and not bother cancelling, But RAC has lost me as a customer for just this reason. On calling them to cancel they claimed all other companies were the same in increasing prices, but my insurance company doesn't.

I guess the reason people expect breakdown cover to be the same price next year, is the price is made out to be for the year. But on closer inspection of the RAC website it does say "Prices quoted are based on personal based cover for the first 12 months membership period. With payment on a rolling annual basis." indicating price is for first 12 months only.

I suppose these tactics must be working for these companies, otherwise they'd quickly change their ways, so it shows how many people do just pay up.

Conor_3

Indeed. You only need look at how many people remain with Barclays et al earning 0.1% interest on their accounts despite plenty of other banks offering better.

These companies play on their customers apathy and laziness.

balsingh

Conor wrote: »

Indeed. You only need look at how many people remain with Barclays et al earning 0.1% interest on their accounts despite plenty of other banks offering better.

These companies play on their customers apathy and laziness.

You got it in one. companies prey on those who want the easy option. Look at home and car insurance where so many people just accept the renewal when a bit of hunting around could save them loads. Same with the changing of banks, credit cards, gas, electric ... the list goes on. Fortunately, we have this site which helps those who want to be helped!!!

judyjude_2

We received our renewal for Green Flag this week. Very cleverly write letter showing a 10% discount for no call out last year and that the payment is on continuous payment which was not agreed by myself last year. Premium up by £33 from £56.

Contacted Green Flag by phone who agreed to match any like for like quote and RESULT! payment the same as last year. ( Didn't quite match Tesco Green flag at £55 but near enough)