AA trying it on! 🤬

[SmartAmg]

Classic case of a company try it on. Me and Nephew have got Roadside assistance and Recovery with the AA. This year's renewal was £319. Last year's was £230. Needless to say I wasn't a Happy Bunny. So I
phoned them today. They came back with £250. Still wasn't happy. So he came back with a final offer of £132 for exactly the same cover. Obviously I excepted that.
So why not do that in the first place. I obviously know the answer, a lot of people would just except it and pay. This really, really gets my goat.

 

[zipdip]

Well done,nothing like haggling and winning,I gave up on the AA and the RAC years ago,I think my car is with Rescue My Car no idea if they are any good because I have never used the service

 

[Chrishazle]

I gave up on The AA as the exact same happened to me for a couple of years, final year they would not budge on their price so I quit, and for a few years now I have personal (rather than linked to car) cover as part of my LV insurance on 1 car for both of us, as it's personal cover we're also covered if out in the other car or passenger in someone else's car. We have full bifta - home start, roadside, revcovery and onward travel fo just over £100pa (from memory, might be a little bit more). I've used it a few times and it's been fine.

 

[HappytalkAgain]

Classic case of a company try it on. Me and Nephew have got Roadside assistance and Recovery with the AA. This year's renewal was £319. Last year's was £230. Needless to say I wasn't a Happy Bunny. So I
phoned them today. They came back with £250. Still wasn't happy. So he came back with a final offer of £132 for exactly the same cover. Obviously I excepted that.
So why not do that in the first place. I obviously know the answer, a lot of people would just except it and pay. This really, really gets my goat.

Feel your frustration Toe. Unfortunately it’s the way they all do business. Start high and allow the ones that shout to haggle. If they lose a few along the way it doesn’t matter as they’ve roasted the ones who are happy to have their ar@e’s slapped.

 

[poormansporsche]

I cancel the AA every year and take out a new AA policy (refuse to call it a "membership). Don't bother haggling any more, cannot be @rsed after they "refused" to do it at the new member rate but reduced the quote to exactly £1 more than the new member rate !!!

 

[slade1]

The AA has been ripping loyal customers for decades, had this problem late 1989-90
Now do recovery through insurance, around 80£, well it was last time renewed insurance a few months ago.

 

[oldguy57]

I too gave up on the AA breakdown cover when the price increased dramatically and the rather patronising call centre employee refused to reduce the price. I had 2 breakdowns previously in a 50 year old car - their service was abysmal in terms of waiting time and I realised that I had over the years paid the AA 5 times what would have been the cost of paid for recovery after the 2 breakdowns. RAC are much cheaper and their cover is often thrown in "free" with other services.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Classic case of a company try it on. Me and Nephew have got Roadside assistance and Recovery with the AA. This year's renewal was £319. Last year's was £230. Needless to say I wasn't a Happy Bunny. So I
phoned them today. They came back with £250. Still wasn't happy. So he came back with a final offer of £132 for exactly the same cover. Obviously I excepted that.
So why not do that in the first place. I obviously know the answer, a lot of people would just except it and pay. This really, really gets my goat.

Which basically only proves that you were done up like a kipper last year too!

 

[baxlin]

I have AA personal membership thrown in with my Travel Insurance through my Nationwide FlexPlus current account, along with mobile phone insurance. Both of us covered, any car.

Have claimed on the breakdown (at home) cover, and a pukka AA service vehicle attended.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

I gave up on The AA as the exact same happened to me for a couple of years, final year they would not budge on their price so I quit, and for a few years now I have personal (rather than linked to car) cover as part of my LV insurance on 1 car for both of us, as it's personal cover we're also covered if out in the other car or passenger in someone else's car. We have full bifta - home start, roadside, revcovery and onward travel fo just over £100pa (from memory, might be a little bit more). I've used it a few times and it's been fine.

Ditto. Usually I renegotiated AA down but this year I said "Enough," and just switched to additional cover on Aviva, which is cheaper. (Breakdown, recovery etc)

£100 ish for two people, two cars.

 

[SmartAmg]

Which basically only proves that you were done up like a kipper last year too!

It certainly does. And that's not usually me. Won't happen again.

 

[DSM10000]

Classic case of a company try it on. Me and Nephew have got Roadside assistance and Recovery with the AA. This year's renewal was £319. Last year's was £230. Needless to say I wasn't a Happy Bunny. So I
phoned them today. They came back with £250. Still wasn't happy. So he came back with a final offer of £132 for exactly the same cover. Obviously I excepted that.
So why not do that in the first place. I obviously know the answer, a lot of people would just except it and pay. This really, really gets my goat.

Proves the point that you never accept the first offer.

 

[MSG2004]

I guess its not just the AA. Most companies do that especially insurance-type co's. AA car breakdown is insurance in a way

Just like car insurance - you get a quote from the company you were with and more often than not they will give you a discount if you ring in

They do this I guess as many can't be bothered or don't have the time.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

The AA are advertising 40% off until the 29th August.

Two people: breakdown and recovery £104.

Details on Facebook or their own website.

 

[slade1]

The down side of insurance breakdown cover is for car only.
Free standing breakdown you are covered not the car.
It does not matter whose car you are in you are covered.

 

[HappytalkAgain]

The AA are advertising 40% off until the 29th August.

Two people: breakdown and recovery £104.

Details on Facebook or their own website.

View attachment 160355

Yes. We’ve just signed up for this very cover. Pointed into the deal after a Screwfix order.

 

[MSG2004]

A word of caution
From what I've seen and as a family have experienced over 25 odd years is that the AA and RAC often send out a relatively highly qualified technician who is often armed with decent amount of kit and some parts that often go wrong. However, it is the luck of the draw as I recall. Eg, many years ago, one of our children's third brand new car a Ford Fiesta (bought via their unclues Ford discount scheme along with free ins that year) the car refused to start on our drive. The AA turned up on a Saturday evening after about 2 hours as they were busy and managed to get it going, cant recall what the fault was but was advised to book into a garage. The car was booked into a Ford garage at the earliest date but it refused to start again - then someone with a tow truck turned up and in our judgement knew very little re cars - he had a battery pack on him. The AA proper then came out and started the car and a few days later the car had a part replaced and was ok.

When buying breakdown cover - check their reviews, the positives as well as the negatives and decide.

It was 25 or so years ago and possibly the AA does not use contractors these days but on the Whole - AA/RAC and Green Flag are difficult to beat when it comes down to sending out an experienced technician. Mobilio IMO is the best for MB

Top 10 Breakdown providers link below - from 2024 - NB - I was unable to download the whole page so not sure re the top 3

Which is the best breakdown service in 2024

No one wants to face the cost and inconvenience of their car breaking down. But if it does happen, which recovery services will minimise the pain? We reveal the best

www.whatcar.com

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

A word of caution
From what I've seen and as a family have experienced over 25 odd years is that the AA and RAC often send out a relatively highly qualified technician who is often armed with decent amount of kit and some parts that often go wrong. However, it is the luck of the draw as I recall. Eg, many years ago, one of our children's third brand new car a Ford Fiesta (bought via their unclues Ford discount scheme along with free ins that year) the car refused to start on our drive. The AA turned up on a Saturday evening after about 2 hours as they were busy and managed to get it going, cant recall what the fault was but was advised to book into a garage. The car was booked into a Ford garage at the earliest date but it refused to start again - then someone with a tow truck turned up and in our judgement knew very little re cars - he had a battery pack on him. The AA proper then came out and started the car and a few days later the car had a part replaced and was ok.

When buying breakdown cover - check their reviews, the positives as well as the negatives and decide.

It was 25 or so years ago and possibly the AA does not use contractors these days but on the Whole - AA/RAC and Green Flag are difficult to beat when it comes down to sending out an experienced technician. Mobilio IMO is the best for MB

Top 10 Breakdown providers link below - from 2024 - NB - I was unable to download the whole page so not sure re the top 3

Which is the best breakdown service in 2024

No one wants to face the cost and inconvenience of their car breaking down. But if it does happen, which recovery services will minimise the pain? We reveal the best

www.whatcar.com

Fair warning.

The AA definitely also uses contractors to cover peak periods and recovery.

Daughter in Law made the mistake of running an ICE motor whose gearbox failed on her. Long delays in getting the AA contractor out - in Wimbledon - and then to get the wretched thing recovered to a garage. An £8k reconditioned gearbox replacement ensued, on a car that had only done 60k miles.

Don't get that kind of problem with an EV.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

They all use independent sub-contractors. Mobilo is now operated by RAC and the odds are that you’ll get an independent contratcor (especially if you need recovery).

The only time that an MB trained mechanic are the few occasions I’ve insisted due to the type of car and nature of the fault, and said I was happy to wait until the following day.

 

[SmartAmg]

The AA are advertising 40% off until the 29th August.

Two people: breakdown and recovery £104.

Details on Facebook or their own website.

View attachment 160355

Yep, not a bad deal. But when they took £319 renewal for the exact same cover as above, and I kicked off. And finally got it down to £132. I could have actually got it for £86 for the exact same cover, as a new member. But as they'd already took the money and there probably would have been a cancellation fee, plus charge me for the couple of days cover I'd already had, I let it ride. But next year I certainly wont, I'll be cancelling and then renewing. Shame you have to do that, but that's the way it is.