The AA. Another rip off?

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Jon

The AA. Another rip off?

Post by Jon »

Had our AA renewal through the post, we've got joint membership which breaksdown (ha ha ha) as follows for Option 200 cover:
Roadside £45
Relay £42
Joint cover for Mrs G Wood £23
TOTAL £110.
We've been members for 8 years.
I did try and call to renew it but there is only <i>so</i> long I can be kept on hold, so thought I'd try their website instead. Then found that if I join as a NEW MEMBER and pay with my Barclaycard, Option 200 cover will cost £88 (the Joint Cover will be free of charge). So, existing members get charged £110 and I could join in my wife's name as a new member with the same cover, £22 cheaper.[:(!]
When I finally managed to speak to the AA about this I was told that due to my long membership, I have complimentary Homestart "at no extra cost!" Ah, you mean £22 is no extra cost?![:o)]And I don't need or want bloody homestart either.
So, I thought, I'd get a quote from Greenflag for the both of us with the same cover, covering either of us in any vehicle. £141.75. GULP! RAC weighed in with a much more reasonable £103.
In the end it was back to the Barclaycard website who are also doing a Special Offer with the RAC, £90.00 for both of us for roadside and recovery, and whatever car we're travelling in. Joined up!
.
Mr Angry
Swindon [:(!]
bxbodger
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Post by bxbodger »

It's a bit like credit cards: you only get the low or no interest deal if you are a new customer; they don't give it to the existing ones.
I was an RAC member for 13 years, and I must admit they were very good on the rare occasions I used them, but they just got too expensive- I am now with national breakdown , arranged through the CSMA and it's a lot cheaper, so, like insurance, it does pay to shop around ....the only problem is I will have to break down to find out if they are any good or not.......
Jon

Post by Jon »

If I get my BX no doubt I can put them to the test! ha ha
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Post by Stuart McB »

I've been with the AA so long now that we every option they have including the European break down blah,blah and for me and the wife, sorry the wife and I, this year it was only £198. I thought that was quite good. Mind saying that the wife's a solicitor and her insurance policy gives special discounted AA member ship so that probably why it's cheap compared to say the RAC for the same cover. Most insurance compaines do this sort of thing now, have a look at your policy.
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Post by tomsheppard »

I don't bother. My car insurance gives me continental recovery and if it breaks of its own free will then that's because I don't look after it properly.
Since the AA stopped being for the benefit of drivers, it and all the other marketing organisations have become completely irrelevant. But if you must, try the ETA.
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Post by Homer »

I was in the AA for a few years, had to call them three times. Each time they sent out a little van despite me telling them I needed a transporter. That covered them for their response time, tick the box, seen to in 30 mins. Then I had to wait to be taken home. In one case that took 6 hours!
Green flag are now more interested in getting big fleet orders, which they discount heavily which the individual member ends up paying for.
I'm with International rescue .... erm breakdown. Called them a couple of times, once for a loose wiper arm, they sent a flatbed each time and in the case of the wiper arm used it to take the car to get a new blade! (unfortunately they took it to a Citroen dealer so the wiper blade cost nearly the years membership fee)[:o)]
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Post by np »

Green flag through the Caravan club.Me & my wife,full road side asistance & recovery,plus double journey cover,all with or without caravan.If we breakdown,they will take us to our destination,campsite etc,then after out trip/holiday bring us bavk home again.All for £85 a year.
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Post by Panjandrum »

Green Flag, Citroen Assist, any driver, £64. Used them once when I bled to death on the driveway. 30 minute callout.
PJ
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Post by JohnD »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Panjandrum</i>

Green Flag, Citroen Assist, any driver, £64. Used them once when I bled to death on the driveway. 30 minute callout.
PJ
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Which includes Continental recovery!
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Post by Richard Gallagher »

Why bother paying out for a recovery insurance at all? I work it out that at £100+ a year that gives me one 'free' recovery per year. I can't recall breaking down to the point of being stranded for donkeys years so I must now be at least £2000 in pocket which I suppose will get me recovered from Eastern Europe should I ever feel the need!
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Post by tomsheppard »

Exactly!
Jon

Post by Jon »

Come to think of it, I don't actually make a habit of breaking down either. Plus the Blingo has Citroen Assist until February anyway.
I was never a member of any breakdown organisation as, well, I look after my cars and simply don't expect to breakdown! Smugness disappeared 11 years ago coming back from Cornwall in the 2cv which seized solid for no apparent reason. Thats why I originally joined the AA Relay. I've only ever called them once, and that was when David Black (Interwired, our other Admin) broke down in his 535i on the M4, and I had to become his passenger.
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Post by Homer »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Richard Gallagher</i>

Why bother paying out for a recovery insurance at all? I work it out that at £100+ a year that gives me one 'free' recovery per year. I can't recall breaking down to the point of being stranded for donkeys years so I must now be at least £2000 in pocket which I suppose will get me recovered from Eastern Europe should I ever feel the need!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Unfortunately my wife drives the car without me being around. I wouldn't want her and the kids stuck 40 miles from home for the sake of the price of a tank or two of petrol.
If it were just myself I would get a recovery only service for when those major bits drop off.
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Post by bxbodger »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> Why bother paying out for a recovery insurance at all? <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
I use my car every day for a 50 odd mile commute,plus extensively at weekends, evenings, etc, and no matter how carefully I maintain it, it's now 15 years old and rapidly approaching the quarter million mile mark- sooner or later something beyond my control and possibly ability to fix at the roadside <b>is</b>going to break!!
Sods law dictates that this is going to be 250 miles from home, it will be pouring with rain, and dark!!!
No problem-no need to find a local recovery service which will be very expensive (and don't even think about the cost of a motorway recovery....) -pull out the mobile, phone, and be on the flatbed for home and a warm(ish) lockup-well worth the money!!!!
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Post by oilyspanner »

I did hear rumour of the RAC offering discounts for motorists who dont break down...a kind of no claims bonus, too much like common sense to be true though, the last time I had occasion to use them I was towing a large Yacht trailer through London, had a problem, called the knights of the road out (after five call out free years) they duly arrived, looked at the trailer and said" Too long too wide cannot help you" I remonstrated with them well I actually exploded and told them they were better employed posting junk mail and that they would not be getting my business in future, the controller relented and they got one of their sub contractors to recover it to a local address, not to my destination or home as the contract says, Very shabby. when vehicles are brought to me for repair the AA/RAC diagnosis is these days usually wrong too.
Stewart
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