RAC Renewal Rip-off

[renault12ts]

For every one of us that gets our insurance and other things cheaper by asking there are 10 others who pay full whack. This is a good thing.

If the companies played fair, then they couldn't give us the reductions we want because they would lower the policy cost for the 10 who couldn't be bothered asking...and that cost would be higher than the cost you get by asking.

So, be careful what you wish for.

 

[Allan AMG]

I now switch between th AA and RAc each year and buy through quido as you get some fairly hefty discounts. It costs me about 100 year for pretty much the ful package. As soon as I get a renual through the post I contact them and tell them specifically not to auto renew.
Its a pita but I need breakdown cover. I tend to use it once a year or so on my older cars but only last week the RAC had to tow my 2 year old skoda back to skoda with a dead waterpump.

I do the same and also use Quidco/Top Cashback to gain further savings.
Just keep getting the 'new customer' price every other year

 

[Alf Barnet]

Consider using a decent bank account.

I use Natwest Black account, it might be £28 a month but I get all travel insurance, phone insurance, Green Flag European Recovery etc. included. Plus lots of other benefits like airport lounge access etc.

If you use these things it can be worth considering.

Definately. (Thread drift!) Claimed earlier this year when daughter no2 broke her ankle - paid out for entire holiday X4 when we couldn't travel. Paying out again presently after Mrs Barnet's gallstones are causing a trip to surgery. Sadly my Singapore GP refund is going straight into Nuffield's pockets. All that clean living and fitness (versus my keeping fry up cafes in business!) still couldn't beat her genetics.

I will add, apart from kids locking a set of keys in a car 5/6 years back never used my bank account insurance, but Halifax has been totally quibble free.

 

[Gollom]

Consider using a decent bank account.

I use Natwest Black account, it might be £28 a month but I get all travel insurance, phone insurance, Green Flag European Recovery etc. included. Plus lots of other benefits like airport lounge access etc.

If you use these things it can be worth considering.

The home cover is good too - it paid for my boiler repair! Even covered the cost of a couple of calor gas heaters for temporary heating whilst waiting for part!

 

[trapperjohn]

Green Flag theres a thought. Have not been with them yet. AA - got too expensive, RAC - Ditto for this years membership. Time to shake the sack and see what comes out.

 

[Kpeter20]

We switch every year from one to the other and so on to get intro offers. Pontoneer has it right I think. If you can change your own wheel and don't mind paying for a tow then savings to be had over the years I think.

 

[DSB SL AMG]

We have a similar thing...Dad has been a AA member since 1975, we are joint Gold members...same game every year this years magic 'quote' was £160 which was surprisingly lower than other years, after looking on a comparison site and stating we could get similar cover for £35 each I got the comment below and they did it for £120 for both which is reasonable...

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.

 

[triple h]

Green Flag theres a thought. Have not been with them yet. AA - got too expensive, RAC - Ditto for this years membership. Time to shake the sack and see what comes out.

i had a bad experience with green flag, changed my car a few years ago while with them, they upped the price by about £180, i paid by monthly direct debit at the time but they took the full amount from my bank

i phoned GF to demand the money was returned to my account only to be told it would take 14 working days for a refund to be issued

with other direct debits i went overdrawn but the bank billed green flag, once i got the money back i cancled and went with the rac, home start, relay and recovery went from around £11 to £17 in 5 years

 

[gIzzE]

Don't forget their Rewards scheme which gives 3% refund on several household expenses - I get around £20 per month from this which goes a long way to cover the £28 monthly charge.

Although I preferred the air miles with Easyjet, for the last 5 years I have got all my flights for our main holiday each year for 5 of us. Gutted they have stopped that now.

 

[oldguy57]

Must admit to sticking with AA for the past 10 years. They try it on every year with the premium but always get breakdown and relay for £100 which is all I need. I don't know if its still the same but I found in the past that the level of cover varied wildly between different suppliers but I stuck with AA because there are no restrictions on age of vehicle and ownership of car. Recovered my 50's stuff twice without problem so for what I want its a no brainer. Strangely never broken down in a modern car in over 40 years so I probably wouldn't bother when my old stuff goes.