AA renewals

[Targarama]

We have AA membership, joint cover, Roadside, Home Start and Relay. Every year at renewal time I get the usual letter confirming details with the cost and if I do nothing it renews etc. Fine. BUT the price is always £30 or so more than running a new quote through their website.

This year they want £177.50 (renewal at end of Jan) - I made no callouts last year either. Same cover for a new customer is £133.12, RAC equivalent is £139.75. Each year I ring them and complain and eventually get the cheaper rate. Just rang and I can't get through to renewals department - blokey in call centre says they will have to call me back - on Saturday. So now I face having an argument with the AA when I'm shopping/driving instead of sitting comfortably at home. To55ers.

I see the call centre is open 8am to 8pm - I'll be calling at 8am tomorrow morning to try and get through.

I only stay with the AA as they have lots more knowledge of TVRs and have always been good to us (called them out more times for Audis than TVRs incidentally!).

[trickywoo]

This is standard practice for lots of renewal based menberships.

I refuse to give permission for my card details to be used for automatic renewals for this very reason. Sometimes I pay a bit more but its worth it to avoid the hastle 12 months later.

[diesel head]

I swap between the AA and the RAC each year getting the introductory rate each time!

[ali_kat]

I've never had this problem, always get a reduced rate to published, and some 'freebies' (eg haven't paid for Home Start ever!)

[Orangecurry]

change to ADAC - they use the AA if you break down in the UK, so your cover is at least 'the same' and probably better.

Why do it? IIRC ADAC partner (two of you) package is 60 Euros, and partnerplus is around 99 Euros. So it's cheaper, and that's equiv AA 5star cover.

And if you take your car to Europe, it's a no-brainer.

http://www.adac.de/mitgliedschaft_leistungen/mitgl...

[Targarama]

Well they just called me back (bit sooner than Saturday as predicted by bloke in call centre). They reduced my cost to a bit less than the £133 web renewal price.

I don't want to move from the AA, I have their breakdown repair cover (£67 p.a. for £500 per claim with £25 excess), plsu they have provided me with a good service and don't send monkeys from the local garage to try and fix my TVR...