Should I change from the AA to the RAC due to a large discount?

I’ve been with the AA for many years paying for their “Roadside, Home Start & Relay” cover. As a result I now have Gold Membership, though the free extra benefits this confers are not important to me. The annual renewal premium of £196.42 is due from my bank account soon. By contrast the RAC is currently offering “Personal based Roadside, Recovery and At Home” cover for £89.99 for the first year. I would value your advice on whether to change to the RAC?

Asked on 12 October 2013 by MB, Bromley

Answered by Honest John

The AA and RAC are similar in terms of their ability to fix a car at the roadside rather than tow it to a garage. The AA offers an additional warranty that if it cannot be fixed at the roadside, the AA pays the garage to fix it, up to a certain amount.

All these annual fees are negotiable. Do not pay the amount asked. Phone them up and negotiate. They would rather keep you at half the premium than lose you to the other side.

Update: In fact, that was exactly what happened. MB negotiated the AA premium down from £196.42 to £99.99 with no reduction in cover.

Tags: discounts roadside recovery breakdown cover

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