Hi all,
Just received my renewal for AA cover. The are wanting to charge $46.50 for Option 100 cover. I've just been on their website and they are offering it for £36 !! Is it standard practice to rip-off faithful customer or am I being a bit thick ??
Any good alternatives ?
Cheers
Richard
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I have just checked and it is FROM £36 and this includes a 20% discount for buying on line and by direct debit or credit card annually - have you requested any additional requirements to the standard option 100 and are you paying by the above methods or do you send them a cheque for renewal or call them to renew after receiving a reminder.
Having said all that loyalty in this country is never rewarded. I know this is not motoring related but SWMBO is always moaning she does not get the amount of money off vouchers her mother gets from Sainsburys. SWMBO shops there every week and her mother alternates so she gets more vouchers from Sainsburys and it's competitors to lure her back in.
Why not try another company and take a 'special introductory on line offer'. You may get it cheaper.
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Sorry - Alternatives
I have heard good reports about Green Flag (Money matters best breakdown in 2004 & 2005) and Britannia rescue (best Which magazine breakdwon service)
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"breakdwon" ----- that may even be breakdown.
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They always do this in my experience, and then claim it's a mistake, and then they bill your card a couple of months later in the hope you've forgotten, and it is the higher amount.
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I got my AA renewal notice this year of £150+ and rang them to say I would cancel as they treated their loyal customers worse than new ones via the internet who would pay £130 for the same package. They reduced the price to the discounted internet level. I will move next year as I don't like this kind of cynical treatment.
The RAC's prices are similar but they do no claims discount, so the repeat customer is to some extent rewarded rather than punished for his loyalty.
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Time for a smug self-satisfied smile. - I took out life membership of the RAC in 1974 for all of £80.
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Compared to the German ADAC all companies in the UK are taking the P!!! with their prices and service.75euros a year any country in the world ,it covers any car you are driving ,air fares home should you need them ,hotel bills ,hire cars,all legal bills and a superb network of engineers.In fact if you are in the UK and need them they send the AA I think(that could or could not be a down side).
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Time for a smug self-satisfied smile. - I took out life membership of the RAC in 1974 for all of £80.
Mind those yellow vans don't try to push you over the cliff edge!
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Time for a smug self-satisfied smile. - I took out life membership of the RAC in 1974 for all of £80.
Reminds me of a Futurama quote:
"Sir, your membership card has expired."
"But it's good for a lifetime!"
"Well, yours expired."
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I highlighted similar "pricing anomaly" with Direct Line/Green Flag - billed me £115 inc a 15% No call out discount and it was £116 on web as a new customer!
They wrote and said premium quoted was correct but then backed down on the phone to £102.
Greenflag on the web was £94 but that would go back up the following year to over £100 so I stayed with Direct Line.
I would suggest that they want to bill the unwary existing customer for more and attract new ones with smaller premiums.
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Yeah,
I had a similar experiance, I usually pay by D/D and received my card in the post about two weeks beforehand.
when looking on line I noticed that I could get exactly the same cover as a new customer for £26.00 a year cheaper.
I phoned up to ask and was advised it applies to "new customers only" and I would lose my benefits of being a long standing customer (states on card JOINED 1994) I pointed out that there are no benefits to which I was advised that on occassions they may give away free home start or another service, I decided this was of no use to me - so I waited until about 2 days before my current membership expired and phoned again and rejoined as a new customer but advising them that cover needs to start in two days time which they did with no probs. new card recieved states (JOINED 2005) - same ROADSIDE & RELAY cover but cheaper.
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Another option which I have had with the AA for about 3/4 years now is to restrict membership to our actual car, not a person.
PROS: cheaper, family car covered whoever driving
CONS: you can NOT call out the AA if travelling as a passenger in someone elses car which breaks down. - no use if you have more than one car in household.
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