£106 annually, fixed for two years with the AA. Roadside Relay, but not Home Start, along with some Key protection thingy.

I'm a "gold" member, whoopee, having joined 30 years ago, but that hasn't saved me (till this year) from the farcical annual bore of having to talk down an extortionate renewal quote. They never refuse to drop the price, but why put us through it? Presumably, I guess, because some folks will pay any price, no matter how ridiculous.

Oh, and I haven't actually called on their services since about 1999.

Edited by argybargy on 23/06/2017 at 20:04

£133.50 with Green Flag through Caravan Club, includes home call, caravan/trailer cover, dual recovery (to holiday destination and home again), personal cover (insured in any car whether driver or not), extra care (chauffeur/car hire/legal expenses).

Not the cheapest but caravan cover essential really, and the price is the price as advertised by Caravan Club so no nonsense with bleeding the loyal customers by "tuning" the premium every year...

Same here. I like that there's no hassle and needing to negotiate each year. £133 is the top cover - there are cheaper options too.

I've only had to call them out twice.

Once when a tyre blew out, and the wheel had bonded to the hub so I couldn't get it off.

And then when I stupidly filled my new diesel car with petrol they drained the tank for me. Fortunately, I realised just as I was finishing up, so didn't start the engine.

I joined when I realised that if my caravan was on a site and my car broke down when I was out for the day, most recovery policies wouldn't bring the caravan back home. The caravan club scheme seems to have thought of everything.

Breakdown cover (for me at least) is similar to any other insurance policy, in that the main benefit is to provide some peace of mind in the constant game of chance we humans play against unforseen events. You don't take the cover out as an alternative to looking after your car properly, or at least you shouldn't do. You do so because you want to know that should the worst happen, help is available via one contact number, rather than having the hassle of ringing around local garages, IF you can find any who will come out.

Although in 30 years of AA membership I've only called on their services about half a dozen times and have probably paid a couple of grand in premiums during that time, I still find that card in my wallet a reassuring companion on any long journey.

However, if in the future that annual farce comes around and for once, they refuse to revisit an extortionate premium increase, well. I may start to look at things differently.

Edited by argybargy on 24/06/2017 at 10:34

Same. I've broken down twice in my 20 years on the roads and on both occasions I paid a local recovery firm around £50 to tow me home. I would have paid thousands for breakdown cover over those years.

For £7.50 a month via my bank account, I get worldwide multitrip insurance for me and wife, plus recovery / get you home etc from AA for any vehicle either of us are in, plus theft cover on all plastic cards plus theft and misuse cover on aall mobile phones registered to our address.

Seems a good deal to me since our last travel insurance cost us £120

I did my annual "Battle" with the AA about a month ago.

Best I could do, which took a couple of attempts, for Roadside and Recovery was the new members rate. I couldn't get anything better than that no matter what I said or how I tried. Off the top of my head I think I paid £99 which was about £20 more than I paid the previous year after that year's "Battle". I think they originally asked for £145 this year.

I might give Autoaid a try next year. If the AA were to ask for a sensible renewal fee every year then I'd probably just pay it. However, we go through this "Battle" every year and, to be quite honest, I'm getting rather fed-up with it.

I've never understood why existing members should be expected to pay a higher fee than new members.

They provide lots of extras which I know I'll never use, and I've told them so!

Thanks for your feedback - I too am just fed-up with their nonsense ! If it was, say a 5% incease I would just pay up. It's such a pain to haggle with them but I will give it a go and let you know what I manage to achieve..

I must admit I have used their services perhaps a dozen times in the last 40 odd years and generally it has been satisfactory ! Apart fom the time that the 'AA Man' wanted to plug his laptop in before doing the basics. He was upset that due to the age of my camper van there was no where to plug it in !

What aggravates me is the actual cost. I pay less than this for car insurance and from a business point the risks in breakdown costs must be much better than motor insurance. Even if they have to trawl the broken down vehicle to the other side of the counrty then the cost may be a few grand whereas a motor accident could cost millions with personal injuries ?

I am amused by the prices to a 'penny'. The nearest Pound would be reasonable. Another thought is that should I break down on a motorway it would probably cost a couple of hunded quid to get towed off so perhaps a good deal !

I've never bought breakdown cover in 40 years although I've had it free a couple of years. I used it once (Green Flag) when my battery suddenly died at the local B&Q. Wouldn't have mattered if I hadn't had the cover as I could have got a taxi home, bought some jump leads, got a bump start....

Even if I broke down on a motorway, a couple of hundred pounds should sort a tow. Value for money compared with the several thousand I haven't paid to the breakdown cover companies.

I guess it all depends how risk averse you are. The only insurance I buy are motor (compulsory) and house (potential loss is too large for my bank balance). I can't understand those who insure white goods.

I gave in and renewed after a charming and persuasive agent called to remind me my membership was due for renewal. I removed the 'Home Start' service and paid about £143.00 - which is still a lot I know.

He had answers for every question and argument I had for getting the price down and I eventually gave in ! He also reminded me about the 'free' Car Genie about which I have posted.

>>Roadside and Recovery £143 - saw him coming

Target price for R&R, Homestart etc etc should be around £50 - I paid £52 to Green Flag last year & the year before

AA Member paying £143 = Mug

Toyota Club - my son pays £60 IIRC - full cover

IMHO the OP was shafted

Like your style.

I'm looking at paying around £30 for breakdown cover on my next renewal, I can't see the point in going for the "big boys".

Whenever I'm quoted an excessive price I don't spend time negotiating. I simply find something better elsewhere, and change. I don't want to stay with any organization that is obviously trying to exploit me.

"Member". Do you think that word is part of the problem here. Once upon a time, the RAC and AA were motoring clubs of which you were a member, but now they are just insurance policies. "Member" evokes loyalty which clearly neither organisation has any of to its customers otherwise they wouldn't try and screw you each year.