We've been with the AA now for years and years, simply because they used to carry a small, fold up bike trailer in each patrol vehicle to recover motorbikes.
Earlier this year Mr pda broke down on the XJR, that we owned briefly, in Dagenham and when the AA arrived it transpired that Health & safety has now stopped them being able to use this type of trailer. Despite telling them it was a motorbike on the initial call, he had to wait for a suitable recovery vehicle to come out.
This week we had the renewal for the AA come through and realised that it was £194.00 for a year.
Since the advantage of using them had now gone for our situation, we decided to look on some comparison sites and have just managed to get the same level of cover for £81 per year.
I put on a very gruff voice yesterday and pretended to be Mr pda when I rang to cancel the direct payment for renewal of the AA policy, and was annoyed to find them very eager to offer me a very big reduction on that premium if we agreed not to cancel.
I had already signed up with the new company, so didn't actually find out what the reduction was, as the chappie asked what price we'd been offered and when I explained, he gave up!
What annoys me is that for years we have paid what they have offered us as a loyal and long standing customer, so why haven't we been rewarded as such, by being offered these reductions before.
In principal now, I would certainly not return to the AA, knowing they do this.
Has anyone else found this to be the case with all breakdown services?
Pat
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>>Has anyone else found this to be the case with all breakdown services?
Yes, but its not confined just to breakdown policies. Insurance policies tend to be the same - the renewal is rarely the cheapest deal. If you want to save money you have to shop around and then chop and change, year in year out.
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Both insurance and breakdown companies readily admit that they lose money on the first year hoping that you won't bother to change companies the following year.
Edited by jc2 on 03/11/2009 at 08:20
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I joined the RAC in 1981 on the strength of their reputation for their attitude to bikes. I stayed with them through thick and thin (never needing to call them out as it happens) - however I changed motor bike insurance to Carol Nash the need faded as CN provided breakdown cover and all my cars benefited from Warranty backed breakdown cover - when I came to renew my car insurance CN was so much cheaper (included a hefty discount for having the bikes insured through them) that I took the offer up and the car insurance carried breakdown/recovery (and the Honda has it anyway through the Warranty) so I ditched the RAC cover.
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Agree with your sentiments Pat...it seems to apply in everything these days, take advantage of the loyal customer (you know the old fashioned sort who by and large are the least likely to claim or complain).
I only dicovered how much we'd been ripped off for years when i investigated gas and electric prices, found that i could have saved a lot of money by buying from my own provider online...that should be their job, to find the best deal for their loyal customers.
Like you i wouldn't give them my business again if my life depended on it.
A certain car fast fit place operates similarly, call for quote and it's sky high..get quote from joe bloggs at 50% less and they'll suddenly match it, no thanks you had your chance.
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My Household policy went up over 25% this year. That was an insulting rise. So I went elsewhere (same group different brand name) and got more cover for the "old" price
The then of course contacted me asking why i had moved and what could they do to win back the business, and didnt seem to register the fact when I told them I wasnt interested because they had insulted me with such a ludicrous renewal and tried to play me for a sucker.
Edited by Altea Ego on 03/11/2009 at 22:33
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Both insurance and breakdown companies readily admit that they lose money on the first year hoping that you won't bother to change companies the following year.
I totally disagree with their claim that they lose money, they only lose money if you make a claim. If you pay say, £250 for a years car insurance, discounted by £100, and don't claim then they've made £250 rather than £350, they haven't lost money, just made less.
I'm with Privelege Insurance and my renewal has been consistently lower than any other quotes I have researched on the web over the last 4-5 years that I have been with them.
Edited by kith on 04/11/2009 at 15:03
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We dumped our RAC membership 2 years ago, was getting to be expensive and as we take at least 2 trips abroad in the car each year the european cover was getting expensive. I found quotelinedirect did a full uk/euro cover for the car (not the person) for £59, so 2 cars with full euro cover for £118, that was about £20 cheaper then the best price for RAC for just UK cover - no brainer to me!
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These large companies are like banks who rely on people being 'lazy' (no offence meant) and therefore continue to pay out year after year without shopping around.
The bit about offering reductions is a pain and it is a shame they don't reward loyalty or non callout discounts better.
What annoys me is when an insurer or recovery company offers new customers an 'introductory discount' which is massive compared to what they're charging me!
As someone has already posted, shop around and play one off against the other but don't spend ages on the phone as any discount may be swallowed up by a massive phone bill!
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I got my RAC renewal this weekend. £241.00. Sharp intake of breath, reach for computer, got to comparison website.
AA quoted £159. Called RAC, told them of AA price and they beat it. Can't say I'm impressed with that way of doing business with a customer of 10 years standing, but hey ho, seems like both organisations do it. Six/half a dozen.
I could have saved more with an organisation offering a pay and reclaim policy, but I'd rather pay a bit more and not have to muck about with reclaiming if the need arises.
Upshot, I've stuck with the RAC.
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