AA "Home Start", possible ploy?

prq

Last year "Home Start" was added to my AA membership for free, something I was very pleased to get.

This year, I noticed "Home Start" is still part of my auto-renewed policy, but now fully paid.

I'm not happy to pay for features I didn't specifically ask for, so I have to wonder if this happened to anyone else? If so, is this a marketing ploy?

CreepingDeath

prq wrote: »

If so, is this a marketing ploy?

Yes.
Most insurance policies ( except AA insurance! ) offer free breakdown assistance.

I stopped paying for AA a long time ago.

Toyotafanboi

CreepingDeath wrote: »

Yes.
Most insurance policies ( except AA insurance! ) offer free breakdown assistance.

I stopped paying for AA a long time ago.

Most companies stipulate they won't call to your home address though, if you're using breakdown assist the car usually has to be a distance from your house.

To Elland Back

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Most companies stipulate they won't call to your home address though, if you're using breakdown assist the car usually has to be a distance from your house.

You're right, but seriously, it is a lovely perk to have. You break down on a motorway or a country lane in the back and beyond and see what it will cost you

SteM

prq wrote: »

Last year "Home Start" was added to my AA membership for free, something I was very pleased to get.

This year, I noticed "Home Start" is still part of my auto-renewed policy, but now fully paid.

I'm not happy to pay for features I didn't specifically ask for, so I have to wonder if this happened to anyone else? If so, is this a marketing ploy?

Yeah, they did the same thing with us this year. Rang them and canceled the home start, told them it was a shady move. I'm sure enough people didn't notice and they made a few bob off it but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

edburg

To Elland Back wrote: »

You're right, but seriously, it is a lovely perk to have. You break down on a motorway or a country lane in the back and beyond and see what it will cost you

Still prefer AA myself. Some of the fine print for breakdown policies have some ridiculous things like above mentioned home start or have to be more than 5 miles from home or they will charge.

If car cant be fixed have to arrange own tow or pay the cost of towing.

Another one wouldn't cover Uk (N.Ireland inc) unlike my AA. Plus AA has free travel insurance for UK.

I've asked for last 3 years that breakdown wasnt needed can it be removed for cheaper quote, refused every time and sure there adding cost to policies to cover this.



I'll have to check my cover for AA about that home start, mine done by direct debit for last few years.

To Elland Back

edburg wrote: »

Still prefer AA myself. Some of the fine print for breakdown policies have some ridiculous things like above mentioned home start or have to be more than 5 miles from home or they will charge.

Looking at the AA website and the basic policy is €100 per year. Up until this year, when insurance premiums started returning to sustainable levels, this cover was included for free within policies around the €350 mark. Do you not think that was value?

edburg

Didn't say it wasn't, just pointing out some of them have restrictions which exclude certain things in the cover. Sometimes things are as good as they look.

CreepingDeath

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Most companies stipulate they won't call to your home address though, if you're using breakdown assist the car usually has to be a distance from your house.

Can't comment on most companies, but the wife was with a company last year and her car battery died in the driveway. The insurance companys breakdown assist covered her at home, but I think there was a limit of X number of hours.

If you've money to burn, go for the AA, but as a business model I think it's going the way of Xtravision when insurance companies give it away "for free".

Skylinehead

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Most companies stipulate they won't call to your home address though, if you're using breakdown assist the car usually has to be a distance from your house.

Didn't know that myself. I had to get my car towed to a garage when I tried to change the brake pads (seized caliper put a stop to that) and Liberty dealt with it handy enough.

9935452

prq wrote: »

Last year "Home Start" was added to my AA membership for free, something I was very pleased to get.

This year, I noticed "Home Start" is still part of my auto-renewed policy, but now fully paid.

I'm not happy to pay for features I didn't specifically ask for, so I have to wonder if this happened to anyone else? If so, is this a marketing ploy?

They did that to me as well.
'because you are such a good customer we will upgrade you for free' lol
I signed up for an offer of 60 euros one year and paid with the credit card.
I assumed i would have to renew each year and maybe wait for an offer/deal but as they already had my credit card details they kept renewing it.
After a few years it was up to 170 euro.
Rang up to cancel it as have rescue on my insurance and the 'nice' man on the phone got the renewal down to 99.
Ate the head off him them, They keep telling me im such a good customer , why didnt they offer the renewal at 100 from the start.
He also advised me that the AA cover is a higher cover than my insurance rescue. I asked him how did he know that . He said they normally are .
I asked him who my insurance company was and who they used for rescue.
He said he didnt know, so i said how did he know AA cover was better.You dont know!!
I do accept that AA cover is probably better but i was in the mood for an argument
My advice to anyone who has aa cover and wants to hold onto it is to ring up to cancel it each year and get a reduction (like sky)

Veloce

To Elland Back wrote: »

Looking at the AA website and the basic policy is €100 per year. Up until this year, when insurance premiums started returning to sustainable levels, this cover was included for free within policies around the €350 mark. Do you not think that was value?

Taking Liberty for example - they only will cover a max of 3 breakdowns within a year's policy. This includes callouts for home start etc.

If you breakdown in the middle of nowhere - the insurance company will send the nearest approved garage to attempt to fix it. In my experience, it's normally just a tow / recovery service that is sent out without any attempt to fix it at roadside repair to whatever garage is nearby.

At least with the AA - their policy is to attempt to fix at the roadside and then tow to the nearest (approved) garage. Plus, as a member you're covered in any car whether a passenger or driver within Ireland and the UK.

I'm not a member currently but was last year and it was great peace of mind to have. I would have called them instead of the insurance company but I never actually did need to use them.

To Elland Back

Veloce wrote: »

Taking Liberty for example - they only will cover a max of 3 breakdowns within a year's policy. This includes callouts for home start etc.
QUOTE]

And for a free service, you think this is unreasonalble

Veloce

To Elland Back wrote: »

Veloce wrote: »

Taking Liberty for example - they only will cover a max of 3 breakdowns within a year's policy. This includes callouts for home start etc.
QUOTE]

And for a free service, you think this is unreasonalble

Where did I say it was unreasonable? I'm outlining the differences, that is all.

Oh and it's not a free service, you pay for it as part of your annual insurance premium. :rolleyes:

To Elland Back

Veloce wrote: »

To Elland Back wrote: »

Where did I say it was unreasonable? I'm outlining the differences, that is all.

Oh and it's not a free service, you pay for it as part of your annual insurance premium. :rolleyes:

I appreciate that, but I know for a fact that insurers build in this cost for as little as €13.50 per policy, so it is as close to free as you can get for the benefit provided