AA Car Breakdown Discussion

MSE_Tony · 14 May 2015 at 12:24PM

Hi,

This is a feedback thread on car breakdown provider:

AA

Please share your experience with other MoneySavers. Click reply to take part:

Have you experienced problems?
Did you haggle and succeed?

The feedback comes as part of the Cheap Breakdown Cover guide.

Thank you,

MSE Tony

Stuart_todd · 30 May 2015 at 12:58AM

AA STAFF LIARS!!!
Awful experience car broke down its 8 weeks old turned out to be a loose wire to battery I was unfortunate enough to get a cocky git in a bad mood from AA who took the huff when I asked him to be careful as he slammed down the bonnet. As he slammed it down it didn't click shut so instead of lifting and dropping he banged down twice again with the heals of his hands to bang the bonnet shut! Resulted in creased bonnet. His reply "we admit nothing!" He then locked himself in his van shouting we were liars whilst on the phone to his supervisor! AA have told me they believe their staff and tough fix it yourself. Any advice? ps NEVER TRUST AA because it's awful enough to breakdown and have an angry AA recovery guy who damages your car but to be called a liar!! Arghhh!!! The car was weeks old and immaculate.

smiggs59 · 2 June 2015 at 2:33PM

Once again - at least the third year running - an enormous increase in price (for breakdown cover) has come down significantly without much effort.

Last year was £195 (after a haggle) for a pretty complete package, this year renewal was going to be £285.55. And that in a letter thanking us for loyal membership etc etc.

Phone call involved listening to false-sounding friendliness from handler and when challenged about the 46% increase he said he had to speak to a manager. I suspect a smokescreen and was expecting about £20 off, but he came back with £199.99.

I thought this was a good result - I had checked other suppliers - but perhaps it was too easy... anyone done better?

tjharris · 14 September 2015 at 9:47AM

Do they really want you to stay....
renewal for 2 of us and full services started at £310.... Within 3 minutes of the call my renewal was down to £245, 2 minutes later £190 and a further 3 minutes later £182. Unfortunately for the chap I spoke to, I was filling in an application to join the RAC so time was of the essence.

RAC was at £179, so £3 to save filling in the rest of the form was worth it.

Mr_K · 16 September 2015 at 8:23AM

Can't believe some of these prices, I usually pay lees than £30.

Usually have to move around each year - but staying with Green Flag this year as they've cut my renewal to £23.

There maybe more cover with other options but some people waste a lot of money...

tenuissent · 9 December 2016 at 1:53PM

Last year I haggled, and the breakdown premium was reduced from £304 to £221, including various extra services[FONT=Bitstream Charter, serif]. This year I was asked for £261 but the usual haggling as such did not work. He told me I had been given a "discount" last year which could not be repeated this year. I quoted the AA website to him (£159 and a £50 voucher for the services I had), and he said that was for new members. I also quoted the "loyalty" letter, and got a bit of stuttering..... Then he pointed out that this year they are offering all "loyal" customers a 25% discount, so I accepted that, crossed off one of their services, and paid £156.80 to be frozen for 2 years. (This covers the car itself, not a personal cover).

So this is not a haggling success, but appears to be a change in policy in order to avoid haggling efforts?[/FONT][FONT=Bitstream Charter, serif][/FONT]

forgotmyname · 9 December 2016 at 2:21PM

So far (crossing fingers) i have been able top haggle down my RAC cover.

What cover do you have thats £261? I have RAC ARRIVAL which covers a caravan/trailers and thats only half that.

tenuissent · 9 December 2016 at 8:59PM

AA: I did not pay £261. I accepted the 25% discount offered to all "loyal" customers, I cancelled "Stay mobile" (free hired car) and paid £156.80 for Relay (get you to desired destination), Home Start, Roadside breakdown. No caravan here. I don't know what the RAC "Arrival" covers. We think that £156 is fairly reasonable for peace of mind at our ages (one of us is 83) and it covers the car for all drivers, including my son who uses it quite a lot and had to call AA twice recently.

Pelepeg · 1 April 2017 at 1:01AM

AA success today.
Package is Roadside, Home Start, Relay, Joint Cover for me and husband (so covers both of our cars) and their Breakdown Repair Cover for both cars. Now members for 5 years so have become Gold Members, which entitles us to unlimited callouts, key cover up to £1000, and the usual app, discount benefits etc. Oh, and free younger family members cover.
Renewal price was £428.79!!!!!! :eek::eek::eek:

Rang for a discussion, to be given the usual spell of loyal customer, all the app benefits etc. Ended up with the new customer discount so paying £287.95, a reduction of £140.84

Renewal not due until the end of April so I may try and get a bit more knocked off by then. Added bonus is that they include free legal cover so I don't need to get the legal protection on my car insurance renewal.

I'm happy.

teddysmum · 1 April 2017 at 2:09PM

We have AA via Saga for one car but any driver (not home start),which was free for one year , then £19 for this.

I had reason to call them ,last year (battery drained by boot light staying on after the rear door had been damaged),when I broke down at traffic lights.

They asked if I was a lone female, which I was ,and a van arrived very quickly. The man was very helpful and even followed the car back home (about 4 miles), to make sure it got there safely.

CruisNIg · 30 May 2017 at 3:50PM

Took out AA cover for £39 via Quidco and they declined it.

The deal was listed as £11.40 cashback for policies between £39 and £59.99

I appealed it and it was declined again.

On reading the terms on quidco to check what went wrong I found this:

"Cashback will not be paid on AA UK Breakdown policies of £39 or less."

This makes the guide on here for cheap breakdown cover wrong as it says: "This reduces the £39 vehicle-only policy to £24/yr."

Neither topcashback or quidco offer cashback for the £39 policy currently.

Tried to cancel AA cover and was told I would lose £20 admin charge so just kept it on for the year. Thought it may be worth alerting others that the "cheap" cashback options do not work.#

Topcashback has updated the description to Breakdown Cover "£40 - £59.99" whereas Quidco states "Between £39.." and has a term and condition saying it won't be paid on policies 39 or less.:mad:

AA Car Breakdown Discussion

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