Breakdown Cover

[Darren33]

Hi There, I currently have Joint AA Breakdown Cover for me and the Wife. It's personal cover so we can drive any vehicle and be looked after.

The level of cover we have is as below:

UK Roadside Assistance
Relay
Homestart

I have just received my Renewal quote for 2013 saying that as I have been with them 13 years that I can have a GOLD membership which gives £500 Key cover and 48 hours free European Breakdown cover.  However they want £274.00 which is up £24.00 on last year. I think you will agree that this is very expensive, and considering I have been with them for 13 years. What pees me off is that if I was joining today, it would only be £170 which includes extra on wards travel cover, (Hire Car for 3 days and hotel)

I looked on the RAC Website and exactly the same cover is £149.00.

It really is very disappointing when you try and be a loyal customer for years and they take the Mick out of you like this.

I think I am going to call them tomorrow and change to RAC unless they do something to put this right.

Rip off Britain Again

Daz

[nightrider]

  are they having a laugh.   i took out the basic cover of £47    thats all you need . spend the rest on servicing the car , i have never broke down in 35 years of motoring . its a waste of money paying for some thing you might never use . all these  insurances for gas, electrial , cover for this and that  all a waste of time . just put some cash away to cover anything that might go wrong and you will be quids in ...............

[Debs]

  Best to keep some money aside for emergencies..

I already have the AA on my bank account but have bought cheap European Cover with Green Flag.

[keith]

total rip off i would cancel and shop around try the comparison websites, i get breakdown cover with my mce insurance it is just the basic,i had cover with the rac which was to pick me and my bike up anywere in the uk and get me and the bike home ,if i remember correctly i was paying around £60 for that ,i will be getting in touch with them soon (when the weather improves so i can get my bike out) for the same type of cover , i'll see then what it is, funny but sometimes it seems to make no difference how long you have  been a good customer for , and gave them your money, as a new customer sometimes gets a better deal!!!

[Gonome]

I also have AA breakdown cover and they do the same thing to me every year. Sharp increase in the annual subscription. I go onto the RAC website and find out what they are charging, then ring AA and inform them that they are too expensive and I am going to change to RAC informing them of what this will cost. The AA then immediately do a "re-calculation" of what they are goin to charge me and it is without fail less than the RAC. This is just a dance I have to do every year to get a decent quote. Just the idea the AA have about how to treat loyal customers. Complete    but this is the way they do business. Most insurance companies and utilities companies do the same thing and while we can agree that this is indeed dodgy business practice, if we let them get away with it then who are the fools?

[O.C.]

The AA are no different to any other insurance company, who these days simply do not have or see any value in loyalty, it makes no odds if its life, household, personal, car or bike insurance, they will all try and rip you off.

Shop around and stuff the AA ~ go where you get the best most suitable deal/price is my suggestion.

[coman37]

Be aware, this is breakdown cover, if you have an accident whereby you or the bike are unable to complete your journey your breakdown cover will generally not cover you. On modern well serviced machinery there is very little chance of a mechanical breakdown (apart from punctures, which it appears most of you carry some form of get you home repair kit, rather than wait 2,3,4,5,6,hrs for the "very nice man" to mishandle your pride and joy onto an inappropriate vehicle) there is more chance of you being incapacitated (broken/sprained wrist/ankle) for which I dont think you will be covered (check the policy wording carefully) They are preying on all our fears and paranoia about being stranded on the moors at night !!!!

Coman

[Bumpkin]

Hi Darren,

Went through exactly the same one last renewal.  Previous years the AA had negotiated to less that half the renewal quote, this year they offered about 5% even when I went back with the RAC quote.

I'm now a happy member of the Royal Automobile Club, and spent my £25 shell voucher their website had as an offer when I took out the cover.

tbh I was normally more a fan of the RAC, but the AA had a deal with landrover that applied to me for a few years, so no real regrets with them pricing themselves out of the market.

Geoff

[Debs]

Acromas is the company that owns The AA. They also own Saga (most of you qualify for their insurance to    ).
They have share holders to keep happy like most companies do. Making more money for them is what they do   

[Ubertours]

Try the ADAC the german equivalent of the AA, in fact they use the AA in this country. You can get full european cover for a fraction of the price.

[100milesaway]

Acromas is the company that owns The AA. They also own Saga (most of you qualify for their insurance to    ).
They have share holders to keep happy like most companies do. Making more money for them is what they do 

Your comment about Saga was very cruel Debs. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!very cruel, BUT true 

[jenros]

hi guys,reguarding aa cover, im with lloyds bank and i have basic free cover with them,i upgraded to homestart,and relay,straight after i had a puncture up in mid wales 5.00pm on a bank holiday friday!,the cover which the bank gave me was recovery!!!!,,,,ummmm, yeah ok,BUT- it only means "recovery to the nearest local garage within i think 5mls!!!!,,,anyway,as it was friday,no bike shops near also all closed they told the recovery guy to "take him home",,,15mls from home the owner of the recovery rang to say i didnt have this type of cover and who was going to pay for it!!!!!!!! i was fooking spitting nails!!!!!,,,, anyway in the end the guy who told him to bring me home didnt check what cover i had,so they had to take the hit!!!!!,,,, so i got full cover for me n the mrs which covers the car,my van,and my bike!,,,. If any of you have had to misfortune to have a breakdown miles away from home in the middle of no where,even as my puncture,,,your main concern is ya bike!!!!,not you your self!!!,if you left ya bike there,would it still be there when you got back,an like me having a puncture,,the ole gtr,is vertually impossible to move far if your on ya own!!!!!,,,so its mainly "piece of mind for me",,so when i go out i got dosh for fuel,an a cuppa,and always my aa card!,. Ride safe guys!,, Jenros

[Debs]

Your comment about Saga was very cruel Debs. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!very cruel, BUT true 

Just an idea for the older generation in here. Try Saga 

[O.C.]

The words Ice, thin and treading come to mind Debs   

[tommytool]

This is all very encouraging as I'm about to start my next round of quote gathering for insurance this week. It's due on 13th feb  -as I've already asked here it looks like Adelaide for me but there still time for a bargain quote to be found.
Regarding the AA , I had exactly the same experience when I tried to renew my 2nd year. Price hike for me and discount for new customers. I insisted on the same, they gave it but "admonished" me by stating this would be noted on my account and I would not get the same next year.

Didn't renew the 3rd year - bunch of in my opinion.