RAC Renewal Rip-off

[Pitts Pilot]

[FONT=&quot]My RAC Breakdown Cover came up for renewal. The letter showed a price of £371.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]How much? I thought.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]So this morning I got on to the RAC website and filled out a quote. It came to £261.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I hit the roof![/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I have just called[FONT=&quot] up and [/FONT]blasted the RAC for trying to rip me off to the tune of £110[FONT=&quot].[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I told them: "rip off", "disrespectful", "am I an idiot?", etc, etc.
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I also said (to the poor young lady who had the misfortune to answer my call ): "You have 10 minutes before I cancel and go to the AA"!

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Needless to say the Supervisor's advice was sort....[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]Long story short: "Opps, sorry Sir, how about £238[FONT=&quot] instead of £371[/FONT]"

[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]And their excuse? "Your website figure is an Introductory Offer, blah, blah….."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]My reply to that was broadly: "Oh Yeah? Introductory Offer you say? Well then, I'll just cancel the renewal NOW and go and get the AA's Intro Offer"!! (No coherent [FONT=&quot]reply was given to that logic).[/FONT]
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]So I have just [FONT=&quot]renewed at a[/FONT] revised [FONT=&quot]price[/FONT] of £238. That's £133 o[FONT=&quot]ff[/FONT] their initial renewal quote.[FONT=&quot] Unbelievable[/FONT]![/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]And[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT] all is peace and motoring heaven again[FONT=&quot];[/FONT] but you might want to check your next renewal quot[FONT=&quot]ation[/FONT], and then haggle
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Damn Shysters![/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
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[FONT=&quot][The cover is for pretty much every option they do, including European cover, for 2 people]
[/FONT]

 

[KennyN]

They are all the same , chancers.

I saved £150 on my car insurance , £70 on my wifes car insurance , £60 on my bike insurance and only yesterday i saved my mum a further £50 on her house insurance.

All the above were after just one call to the original companies.

I think that now that most insurance policies are "auto renewal" that they hope you will forget to haggle and the monies come off your account leaving you with a cancellation fee or to just go with the OTT price.

Kenny

 

[BTB 500]

The company I work for has a staff discount with the RAC. A few years ago my renewal shot up - I queried it, and it turned out my discount had been 'lost'.

You have to remember that breakdown cover is just insurance now, so all the normal caveats/dodges apply.

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

Mercedes breakdown cover within the service plan would be cheaper

 

[Tiim533]

Mercedes breakdown cover within the service plan would be cheaper

A lot cheaper.... i.e. free

Free-of-charge cover is available for all Mercedes-Benz customers with cars registered* from 24 October 1998 and is automatically activated/renewed on completion of a service by a Mercedes-Benz Retailer.

 

[SilverSaloon]

AutoAid all the way for me for past couple of years. Used them 3 times, no problems, and never had to pay the towtruck myself - they claim it back from autoaid direct

 

[Haven't a clue!]

Tried several, including Gem, now with Autoaid pay and claim, covers myself and wife in any vehicle, emergency number, they send breakdown truck, if needed then pay on card and reimbursed befor c/c bill due. About £45(yes Fortyfive) pounds for the year! No rip-off!

 

[Crazyfool]

I've been with the AA for years to the point I have been upgraded to a Gold member. Now whenever the renewal comes up, it's extortionate, even though I don't particularly need that level of cover.

I always play them off against RAC and every year they say 'on this occasion we will give you the lower price'.

I've done it for quite a few years now.

 

[Chrishazle]

Like Craqzyfool I was an AA member for decades, noticed that once it was taken over the renewal shot up - until I phoned and complained, whereupon I'd be told "we have not applied all the discounts you're entitled to with your years of membership".

That came to an end about 2 years ago so I checked around, the MB is insured with Saga, their full breakdown cover (home start, roadside, relay, wife and I, any car) came in about 1/2 the lowest the AA would go. Funny thing is that, although the phone number you call is Saga Breakdown, it's actually the AA that come to you (although I've yet to test that, but as Saga and AA are owned by the same mob it's not surprising, Saga also use AA Windscreens not Autoglass!).

 

[Wheelsnuts]

It bugs me that no one rewards loyalty: in fact, just the opposite!

 

[brucemillar]

I gave up on the RAC & AA years ago after a series of similar issues which culminated in the AA leaving me stranded at the side of the M1 for 8 hours in the rain and dark.

I now have full European breakdown cover with hire car, home start, no roadside fees or charges, car taken to a garage/location of my choice and home start. All for £37 a year with Adrian Flux. It has never once let me down. Mostly seems to come via Green Flag.

When Mrs M's 240 blew up on the M2 they were there within 25 minutes. Car was at Wright Tech with 1.5 hours and back home with us the same day. No uplift on my premium.

Oh and the driver asked Mrs M whether she wanted dropping home first with the kids or dropping the car off at the garage first.

Most recently was my 124 engine grenading on the M40 as we headed towards Charles Morgan's meet. Breakdown guy was there within 30 minutes. Car taken to Wright Tech, us taken home, all within 2 hours. No hassle no arguments over documents etc. One phone call and all done.

Why would anybody now use the AA or RAC?

 

[Yugguy]

I did the same last year, apart from being horrible to the girl on the phone who has no control over the initial renewal figure you recieved so didn't deserve being got at.

After I calmly explained that I could get it cheaper as a new customer I got the cheaper price.

Having said that I've ditched them this year cos I can get it far cheaper through my insurance.

 

[edc]

I've tried Autoaid, GEM, Britannia, Autonational Rescue and mainly just buy whichever of these is cheapest!

 

[Druk]

ADAC breakdown and repatriation from anywhere in Europe including UK + personal worldwide repatriation in event of accident or illness x2 for me and swmbo. £90.

 

[edc]

I've often had ADAC on one car when going to Europe but use one of the cheap alternatives on the other car. The other plus with Autoaid is that they cover the driver (and spouse) not the car, so you can 'use' it on any car whether you are driving or not. At £45 or so they are also much cheaper. Fortunately, I've not had to rely on the ADAC in Europe and hopefully never will (subscription lapsed now anyway).

 

[Scott_F]

All of this is standard practice for many businesses - breakdown cover, household / car insurance, utilities, mobile phones, home internet etc. etc..

Tempt the customers in with a good deal, ramp up the price and then rely on their apathy / laziness to retain a large proportion of your customer base.

And if they think it's worth their while to continue with this business model they will obviously do so.

 

[zipdip]

Well I swap back and forwards between AA and the RAC,so I always get the introductory offers the same with insurance some people pay for the Nationwide Flex account that has free UK and Europe cover for the car and free holiday insurance,you just have to be alive to the fact that if you stay with these guys they will load your premium.

 

[219]

The last time I was a member of a breakdown organisation was back in 1976 when I had an Austin All-aggro and two years AA membership ( which was needed ) came with the car .

Since trading that car in , I haven't bothered with breakdown cover and have only twice had to pay for a tow-in , once about 10 years ago when the diff failed on a W124 , and a little over a year ago when the ignition coil failed on the SL . Aside from that I've never had any issues I couldn't resolve myself .

The way I look at it , I can offset the £70 I paid for the last recovery , and the similar amount 10 years ago against all the money I've saved by never bothering with breakdown cover .

 

[Jonesy161]

I have been a member of the AA for over 30 years, the last five years have been a joke, poor performance, shoddy excuses, even their recovery people are demoralised due to restructuring, Cost cutting etc. However, I pay £80 a year for everything except home start compared to the quote I got three years ago for £367. I simply told them not to insult my intelligence with stupid renewal quotes.
I have two lady drivers on other cars so I guess peace of mind makes me stay with them.

 

[a111r]

The last time I was a member of a breakdown organisation was back in 1976 when I had an Austin All-aggro and two years AA membership ( which was needed ) came with the car .

Since trading that car in , I haven't bothered with breakdown cover and have only twice had to pay for a tow-in , once about 10 years ago when the diff failed on a W124 , and a little over a year ago when the ignition coil failed on the SL . Aside from that I've never had any issues I couldn't resolve myself .

The way I look at it , I can offset the £70 I paid for the last recovery , and the similar amount 10 years ago against all the money I've saved by never bothering with breakdown cover .

I would probably do the same...if I was single and didn't venture outside GB.

Wife drives it more than I do, and with up to 3 sproglets.