The AA are a cheeky bunch

Tzardine · 10-09-2016 6:49am #1

I have been with the AA for a good few years. I have nothing but good things to say about them generally. I have had to call on them a few times and they have been great.

However....

I got my renewal out yesterday. It is €318 plus and admin fee of about €20. I feel that they are screwing their existing customers or at least being a bit sneaky about it.

The price online is €219 for the same product. €101 is a significant increase.

The policy automatically renews at the higher price unless you do something. Each year I have to call them and argue until I get the online price.

Has anyone else noticed this ?

Edit : Its for AA Membership / Roadside Rescue / One additional member

kippy · 10-09-2016 6:51am

Tzardine wrote: »

I have been with the AA for a good few years. I have nothing but good things to say about them generally. I have had to call on them a few times and they have been great.

However....

I got my renewal out yesterday. It is €318 plus and admin fee of about €20. I feel that they are screwing their existing customers or at least being a bit sneaky about it.

The price online is €219 for the same product. €101 is a significant increase.

The policy automatically renews at the higher price unless you do something. Each year I have to call them and argue until I get the online price.

Has anyone else noticed this ?

Just wondering what the product is?

Tzardine · 10-09-2016 6:53am

kippy wrote: »

Just wondering what the product is?

Roadside Rescue
Home Start
One additional user

VandC · 10-09-2016 6:53am

What is it for?

VandC · 10-09-2016 6:54am

Tzardine wrote:

Roadside Rescue Home Start One additional user

Do you not get this as part of your car insurance?

Tzardine · 10-09-2016 6:56am

VandC wrote: »

Do you not get this as part of your car insurance?

I do, but not on my motorbike.

The AA also covers me regardless of what car I am in. The car insurance breakdown cover only covers me in my car.

I also have an AA fuel card for myself and wife which gives me 2c off a litre at all Topaz. This works out to a decent saving over a year. (Pays for about half of the AA membership cost)

kippy · 10-09-2016 6:57am

VandC wrote: »

Do you not get this as part of your car insurance?

That's what I would have said.
200 plus bucks for something that is generally part of most car insurances these days and which, unless you are extremely unfortunate, will use only on the odd occasion is excessive.

OP, few companies these days appreciate loyalty and as with many other products you need to shop around and haggle every year. But in my own opinion, I'd be dropping a product such as this altogether.

kippy · 10-09-2016 6:58am

Tzardine wrote: »

I do, but not on my motorbike.

The AA also covers me regardless of what car I am in. The car insurance breakdown cover only covers me in my car.

Fair enough, if you are happy with all the variables involved, as mentioned, like most products you need to call around and haggle every year.

VandC · 10-09-2016 7:02am

They're all at it. Call them introductory offers. And then they send out renewals and hope that people will just pay. Which sadly most people do and don't bother even spending 30 min to shop around.

Not saying it's right but it's a very easy way for them to make more money. I only renewed my car insurance, did the shopping around (they turned out to be the cheapest by a mile), called them back and they could still give me a discretionary bonus. Be nice if they just gave it to me but if a few hundred don't make that call then it's extra money for them in the bank. Always worth the call. But then it would be better if you were just getting the cheapest price. I don't have to pay more in a shop just because I'm a returning customer.

Titzon Toast · 10-09-2016 8:06am

The AA were the only company who would insure me on a Japanese import Celica a few years back, I got full membership off them for about €40 on top of my premium at the time.
It was a great deal and came in handy a couple of times.

Akrasia · 10-09-2016 8:11am

I joined AA and when my car broke down, I called them and they werent even in the slightest bit interested

They just kept nagging me about drinking too much

curiosity · 11-09-2016 3:04pm

Tzardine wrote: »

I have been with the AA for a good few years. I have nothing but good things to say about them generally. I have had to call on them a few times and they have been great.

However....

I got my renewal out yesterday. It is €318 plus and admin fee of about €20. I feel that they are screwing their existing customers or at least being a bit sneaky about it.

The price online is €219 for the same product. €101 is a significant increase.

The policy automatically renews at the higher price unless you do something. Each year I have to call them and argue until I get the online price.

Has anyone else noticed this ?

Edit : Its for AA Membership / Roadside Rescue / One additional member

Ty Tzardine, I must remember to call them about it as soon as I get my next renewal. Left it too late last time.

edburg · 11-09-2016 5:17pm

Mine never changed in price, but was also never that cheap either for last 4/5 years. It always been 318 for home start/roadside/recovery/plus my dad.

As said before with AA the cover is for the person not car, so if I was with mates family and they had no cover AA plus the AA will take you to garage of your choice/home/hire car etc.

From my experience insurance cover is to local garage/dealer and maybe 1 night hotel and its up to you after that.

For this year I was able to opt out of breakdown and get a couple quid off.

mikeecho · 11-09-2016 5:33pm

Tzardine wrote: »

I also have an AA fuel card for myself and wife which gives me 2c off a litre at all Topaz. This works out to a decent saving over a year. (Pays for about half of the AA membership cost)

Check with your local credit union.
Some offer a DCI or Topaz card with 4c off a litre

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 11-09-2016 8:06pm

Tzardine wrote: »

I do, but not on my motorbike.

The AA also covers me regardless of what car I am in. The car insurance breakdown cover only covers me in my car.

I also have an AA fuel card for myself and wife which gives me 2c off a litre at all Topaz. This works out to a decent saving over a year. (Pays for about half of the AA membership cost)

Your breakdown assistance om your insurance covers you in any vehicle. AA membership is totally pointless.

Tzardine · 11-09-2016 9:13pm

Jonas Fresh Plastic wrote: »

Your breakdown assistance om your insurance covers you in any vehicle. AA membership is totally pointless.

I can assure you it does not.

XR3i · 11-09-2016 9:17pm

aa is completely pointless on modern car, maybe u could invest n volcano insurance instead

my3cents · 11-09-2016 9:21pm

Its not only pointless its bl00dy useless when it arrives.

XR3i · 11-09-2016 9:25pm

my3cents wrote: »

Its not only pointless its bl00dy useless when it arrives.

exactly

SCOOP 64 · 11-09-2016 9:26pm

If you breakdown with the AA ,say breakdown in Dublin live in Wexford will they tow car home or leave it at a local garage in Dublin and you have to make your own way home, this is what happens when you use car insurance breakdown , once i had to get a friend tow car home because of this.

GreatDefector · 11-09-2016 9:32pm

Tzardine wrote: »

I also have an AA fuel card for myself and wife which gives me 2c off a litre at all Topaz. This works out to a decent saving over a year. (Pays for about half of the AA membership cost)

You'll save more than 2c by not going to topaz in the first place

XR3i · 11-09-2016 9:34pm

GreatDefector wrote: »

You'll save more than 2c by not going to topaz in the first place

best petrol is from texaco

Tzardine · 12-09-2016 12:56pm

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

If you breakdown with the AA ,say breakdown in Dublin live in Wexford will they tow car home or leave it at a local garage in Dublin and you have to make your own way home, this is what happens when you use car insurance breakdown , once i had to get a friend tow car home because of this.

If you take Rescue Plus, which is 3 0r 4 euro extra a month then they will tow your car anywhere you want in Ireland and cover a rental car / hotel expenses if needed.

XR3i wrote: »

aa is completely pointless on modern car, maybe u could invest n volcano insurance instead

my3cents wrote: »

Its not only pointless its bl00dy useless when it arrives.

It has been great for me. Got me motoring from the side of the road twice. Once was a fuel pump issue another was a problem with an automatic gearbox.

Tzardine · 12-09-2016 1:23pm

GreatDefector wrote: »

You'll save more than 2c by not going to topaz in the first place

I see that it is actually 4c a litre now.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 12-09-2016 3:39pm

Tzardine wrote: »

I can assure you it does not.

And I know from experience that it does - or mine does anyway.

Tzardine · 12-09-2016 3:45pm

Jonas Fresh Plastic wrote: »

And I know from experience that it does - or mine does anyway.

Yes, but you said that "my" insurance covers it.

Plus, no car insurance policy will cover you if I am bringing you out for a drive in my car.

Your AA membership would.

my3cents · 12-09-2016 9:15pm

Tzardine wrote: »

It has been great for me. Got me motoring from the side of the road twice. Once was a fuel pump issue another was a problem with an automatic gearbox.

With rescue plus refused to tow my wife and made her drive 4 miles back home with no water in the radiator. The guy said to me sure its damaged anyway it can't make it any worse.

JoyPad · 13-09-2016 12:38pm

The breakdown assistance included with most policies has so many conditions attached, it's almost useless.

Case in point: car broke down about 1km from home on a Sunday afternoon. Called the breakdown assistance, gave them all my details, and they said they will send a car to tow me home. Initially, she said this was because there would be no garage open on Sunday. When I specified that I can have my friend come and open his garage, she changed the tune to say it must be towed to either my home or a garage, whichever is closest!
What good is a tow home when your car cannot be driven?!
The point is: they have you over a barrel, and you simply cannot argue. I ended up paying for a tow out of my pocket, and my car was taken to my friend's garage for repairs.

SCOOP 64 · 13-09-2016 5:59pm

JoyPad wrote: »

The breakdown assistance included with most policies has so many conditions attached, it's almost useless.

Case in point: car broke down about 1km from home on a Sunday afternoon. Called the breakdown assistance, gave them all my details, and they said they will send a car to tow me home. Initially, she said this was because there would be no garage open on Sunday. When I specified that I can have my friend come and open his garage, she changed the tune to say it must be towed to either my home or a garage, whichever is closest!
What good is a tow home when your car cannot be driven?!
The point is: they have you over a barrel, and you simply cannot argue. I ended up paying for a tow out of my pocket, and my car was taken to my friend's garage for repairs.

When you come across this problem is when you wish you were with the AA.
same happen to me broke down coming from carlow to wexford ,was more then half way ,breakdown truck came from carlow, wouldnt take me to my home in wexford only back to carlow to a opel main dealer, my cars 14 years old ,so i said no, he said you willl have to pay €80 to wexford, so sometimes it useless having breadown cover on car insurance,had to get a friend to tow it home in the end.

The AA are a cheeky bunch

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