Robbing AA b*tards!

Author
Discussion

Trabi601

4,865 posts

94 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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akirk said:
unless of course you actually read the details I pasted from the Lloyds website wink Silver account gives you a lower AA coverage, Platinum account gives you home start and relay... biggrin

other accounts offering even more or less benefits may also be available...
I have to say, the Lloyds Platinum offer is pretty damned good - we have it on our joint account and I reckon it saves me a good couple of hundred quid a year.

However, I'm a little hacked off with the travel cover as they wouldn't offer me (extra cost ) cover for my heart condition this year, as they have for the previous 5 years. (On the other hand, I did find an annual cover elsewhere for less than the cost of the Lloyds add-on)

eliot

11,364 posts

253 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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Xtriple129 said:
Yes indeed, vigorous conversations yearly are becoming rather tedious. I have been with the AA for about 16 years, with all the bells and whistles, family, home start, relay the lot.

Every year they try it on and then reduce it so that the increase (there's always an increase) becomes acceptable. Last year, I was so angry I refused to renew and they ultimately made the deal so appealing my mercenary side said 'yes'. Shall not renew with them again unless they change their policy.
I always negotiate every year and get it down to something more reasonable - but it seems to get more difficult each year. Been with them for 20 years i think - but it doesnt count for much.
very likely to go elsewhere this year.

caelite

4,273 posts

111 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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jamei303 said:
Start Rescue, was £18 iirc.
This, I pay £30 for there 3 star one (national recovery, homestart) on a 16 year old motor. Hell ive been recovered 7 times in a year through them (MGs and Subaru's are bever a good idea) without complaint.

PoleDriver

28,616 posts

193 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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I got fed up with the same argument with AA every year at renewal time. Luckily my bank have an account which gives me breakdown cover for any eventuality ( and any car I'm in), gadget insurance, travel insurance and some life cover, all for £10/month! The account also pays interest and has cheap o/d facilities!

Pickled Piper

6,334 posts

234 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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2stis said:
They are all pretty similar in their operation these days, so you'll have to give them some more of your money at some point, just not this year perhaps! You'll need to switch to RAC, and then next year when they try to fleece you for a renewal you'll need to move back to AA. Repeat ad infinitum. There seems to be little benefit for any loyalty in insurance products as they fight to win new customers harder.
As above. just switch from one to the other every year. Plus use the Quidco offers and you can normally get between £20 to £40 off.

Spitfire2

1,912 posts

185 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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I've been through that conversation with AA and others many times.

It seems like their staff are told to use a different bullst excuse every year.

HannsG

3,031 posts

133 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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Similar happened to me. They increased my direct debit amount considerably after a year.

Without no notice. I left them

Funkycoldribena

7,379 posts

153 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
quotequote all
caelite said:
jamei303 said:
Start Rescue, was £18 iirc.
This, I pay £30 for there 3 star one (national recovery, homestart) on a 16 year old motor. Hell ive been recovered 7 times in a year through them (MGs and Subaru's are bever a good idea) without complaint.
This.Im with Autoaid for 41 quid,why people pay hundreds is beyond me.

numtumfutunch

4,705 posts

137 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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colin_p said:
The problem with the cover that comes with a packaged bank account is next to useless i.e. no home start, no recovery to a chosen destination only to the nearest garage. To make the cover useful you have to pay extra which makes it very expensive.
W-R-O-N-G

I bank with First Direct

For £15 a month I get holiday insurance for the whole family (inc skiing), mobile phone insurance, some other stuff I cant remember and breakdown cover for me and the missus travelling in any car even those not belonging to us

Because I have been in one of Gaydon's finest for the last few years I can absolutely confirm that they offer home start and also have recovered me 300 miles back to my own house not the nearest garage

And I have a povvo account not a 'look at me' gold/platimum/whatever one

Furthermore a mate banks with vanilla HSBC and has a similar arrangement which also put him in a new rental Passat in France last year for 2 weeks when his car died and needed factory parts shipping in, First Direct only give me UK cover

Cheers



briang9

3,262 posts

159 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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We have all six of our cars with Rescuemycar.com, with the annual premium less than the OP appears to have been quoted for one car, all are on the top of the range cover. Used them a few times and everything been fine.

caelite

4,273 posts

111 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
quotequote all
Funkycoldribena said:
caelite said:
jamei303 said:
Start Rescue, was £18 iirc.
This, I pay £30 for there 3 star one (national recovery, homestart) on a 16 year old motor. Hell ive been recovered 7 times in a year through them (MGs and Subaru's are bever a good idea) without complaint.
This.Im with Autoaid for 41 quid,why people pay hundreds is beyond me.
People put massive stock in the fact that they occasionally turn up in yellow/green vans rather than a local garage flatbed.

ashleyman

6,963 posts

98 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
quotequote all
caelite said:
Funkycoldribena said:
caelite said:
jamei303 said:
Start Rescue, was £18 iirc.
This, I pay £30 for there 3 star one (national recovery, homestart) on a 16 year old motor. Hell ive been recovered 7 times in a year through them (MGs and Subaru's are bever a good idea) without complaint.
This.Im with Autoaid for 41 quid,why people pay hundreds is beyond me.
People put massive stock in the fact that they occasionally turn up in yellow/green vans rather than a local garage flatbed.
I used to be with RAC and the one time I called them out it ended up being a local bloke with a huge private loader truck for HGV's. Got to me within 15 minutes but did leave me confused as he wasn't RAC!

I did RAC, AA and then RAC for 2 years running, premium doubled for the second RAC year and I couldn't cancel as I was away and they took the yearly fee without me having chance to cancel it. Got VW Roadside with the new car but plan to of Start Rescue when that runs out.

Palms

254 posts

150 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
quotequote all
Been with the AA for about 7-8 years now,
I have gone from 1 car to any vehicle and the change cost me 13p which they waivered anyway.
I do have to ring them every year at renewal as its almost double the price, 5 mins on the phone and its back down to a reasonable level.

For the past year they have given both my kids FREE cover for any car aswell.
They get the same benefit i get so if they go out with family i know that they wont be stranded, this did not cost me a penny extra either.

It is a ball ache having to ring them every year and tell them that i dont like the price rise but it would take the same amount of time switching sides.

98elise

26,376 posts

160 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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jamei303 said:
Start Rescue, was £18 iirc.
That's who we're with. 2 cars covered for about £50. I The only things we have excluded is home start, and European cover.

I had to call them out once and they were very good. Phone picked up in seconds, texted back to say truck had been dispatched in about 2 minutes. Truck arrived in about 15-20 minutes to fix or recover.

Very happy customer.

gkw90

110 posts

134 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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As per most of the posters above, it's a yearly haggle. A bit like motor insurance, which I have no problem with. I usually get my missus to do it, then again she is Glaswegian and loves a fight!

Currently with the RAC. Only time I had to call them out was two years ago when a brake pipe went on my transit. The happiest patrolman turned up to our predicament in Dumfries and took us all the way back to a garage in Loch Lomond (family connection). A total of 95 miles or so on an A-Frame.

In-laws Vectra broke down from Glasgow-Birmingham outside Preston. They were relayed quite efficiently via three low loaders on a busy Friday night back home. Apparently the trucks are capable of quite some speed when required!

akirk

5,376 posts

113 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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rxe said:
akirk said:
cab?
train?
Uber?

clearly you don't live in the countryside biggrin

choose another Alfa from the fleet?

at least you are a proper petrolhead!
I've honestly never been in a part of the country where cabs don't exist. OK, Uber is a bit urban, but are there really bits of the country where there are no cabs? OK, Scotland. If you live in Scotland get full recovery. :-)
loads smile
okay there might be radio cars somewhere local-ish (could be 10 / 15 / 20 miles away) which might be available if you pre-book - but certainly no ability to just grab a cab within a few minutes because you suddenly need one... in my village there is one 'taxi' car (pre-booked service only) and at some points of the year you might need to book months ahead for a popular night!

and I am in the mainstream Cotswolds - not back of beyond... cabs around here are friends who might be free / have spare cars - a lot of lending of cars in this area... if you have a breakdown you probably phone a friend / get towed by them or their tractor smile / then borrow their spare car!

liner33

10,642 posts

201 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
quotequote all
akirk said:
Look at bank accounts which often come with this free of charge...

e.g.
https://www.lloydsbank.com/current-accounts.asp?#a...

Lloyds Silver account:
£120 p/a
AA Breakdown Cover and UK Roadside Assistance, whether you’re in your own vehicle or someone else’s.

Lloyds Platinum account:
£204 p/a
AA Breakdown Cover and UK Roadside Assistance, whether you’re in your own vehicle or someone else’s. The cover includes Relay and Home Start.

and you get travel insurance & mobile phone insurance etc. as well - often cheaper than buying directly from all of them, plus often don't have the same callout restrictions...
Yep I have mine through Nationwide , get travel insurance and mobile phone cover also

http://www.nationwide.co.uk/products/current-accou...

Bennet

2,119 posts

130 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
quotequote all
I alternate between the AA and RAC every year. It's a one minute phonecall to decline the renewal and a few minutes online to set up the new cover. I pay about £60 per year.

I assumed everyone did the same thing.

uuf361

3,154 posts

221 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
quotequote all
I was with the RAC for a few years and needed to have the conversation at renewal, esp as by switching to AA, Greenflag or whoever you can get a good of cashback too.

Now I have a new car covered by the manufacturer and the other is only used round town and near home etc, I got one for about £20 via Groupon, but haven't had to use it yet.

What shocked me about the RAC (and apparently it's the same with the others) is that they charged me a fortune to collect me and my car when someone drove into me on the M25 as they said technically I was not broken down (which is true). Fortunately as the accident was not my fault the other side had to pay the bill.

dub16v

1,115 posts

140 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
quotequote all
liner33 said:
Yep I have mine through Nationwide , get travel insurance and mobile phone cover also

http://www.nationwide.co.uk/products/current-accou...
Me too, excellent service.

You also get an extra years' cover on home electricals too (i.e. one year on top of the manufacturer's warranty for that new washing machine that you just bought).