Just had renewal notice through from AA Breakdown. I have Roadside, Relay, Joint Cover for 2 and Complimentary Home Start. Last year was £189.63, this year’s renewal will be £251.63.
32% INCREASE !!!
How they can justify this beats me.
How much are other people paying with other organisations?
Ring them up and argue with them. Every year I go through this charade with the AA. We have the same cover to you. They send my renewal with a huge increase over the previous year. I ring up and moan and they settle for a bit more than last year.
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Hi Dipstick ,I’ve just taken out cover with the RAC . Personal cover for myself and my wife so covers us both in any car , home start ,relay and recovery for any distance to get you and the car back home or to a garage of your choice, that level of cover came in at £10.50 per month paid by direct debit.I think it was an introductory offer so I expect that it will increase next year .Possibly becoming like insurance company’s with a cheap intro then try to increase it year upon year.Regards Bob.
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I just checked Mazda’s own Roadside Assistance and the on-line quote was £75. A full years extended warranty on the car, with Roadside Assistance included was only £440, so £251 from the AA just for RA isn’t exactly a good deal.
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Try Green Flag , they have various policies to cover most things.
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Some insurance companies build in UK recovery. Mine is Nationwide.
It’s basic, but for my needs sufficient. If I break down or in an accident, or say a double puncture, they come and give me & the car a lift to a designated place. Piggy-back full UK recovery if needed. No B and B or anything mind. As is the Missus with her 5. Touch wood…never needed so far. We also get Homestart & mis-fueling (!) From memory ( not that I bother much) it added £ 5 or £6 quid to the cheap Fully Comp premium.
I won’t pay any of these Recovery “specialists”…never have in living memory. Rip offs as far as my opinion goes. In my case for the Ltd miles Mk1 it would work out as much as another annual premium! I’m with Grove & Dean.
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I bank with Nationwide. For £13 a month I get phone cover, travel insurance and Breakdown cover. I’ve used the phone cover a couple of times and it’s really good. I have used the breakdown cover once when my bike broke down 20 miles from home and they were just as good as the RAC/AA of which I have extensive experience.
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I did read that the AA has current debt of £2.65 billion and is on the point of being bought out by an American finance group by the name of Apollo .
Are they not part /owned by Ford?
Or am I getting confused with Halfords or summat?
Edit:
I’ts OK…did a Google!
I’ve been with ASDA for years. Great price (personal cover for the two of us, any car) and great service.
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The big two’s costs are crazy compared with some of the independents. Adrian Flux offer recovery, including european for £59.00 a year. That’s not a recommendation, just a fact, and its not dependant on buying insurance form the either. Other small providers offer similar, so shop around.
I had AA for years and one year they messed me about so much over miss charging and general confusion it will be a long while before I go to them for anything now.
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Q:
" How do you get a Mk1 through the checkout?"
A: Easy. Turn it upside down for the bar code.
Taxi… 
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But but …it must be true I read it on the internet 
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Keith_Jayne, Thanks. I have always haggled and I intend phoning and throwing other quotes at them but they will not accept calls about renewal until 14 days prior to renewal date. 
Hmm, it depends on what you are expecting them to do, more features cost more.
Shop around for price ammunition from competitors to haggle them with, sometimes it is amazing how much reduction you can negotiate (tactfully - after all it is a game to them).
I’m with RAC for Roadside rescue, partly because of historical reasons; in late 2011 they were happy to cover my Vextra when it was older than 15, provided it was regularly serviced by a reputable firm eg main dealer. This was very refreshing when most other recovery agents at the time, including AA and my previous choice Green Flag, refused to cover a car after it reached 15, one (I forget who) after only 10.
For 190 (slightly haggled when I added the Mazda3 after its Mazdacare ran out) I have two cars covered for the two of us; punctures, breakdown rescue and recovery, UK and European (but I only need Ireland and Channel Islands etc), no home-start (I can fix it and I have a second car), no legal (I know a very good solicitor).
After reading the fine print, and even though a different part of the RAC is the insurance agent for the NC, I chose not to have the rescue/recovery etc added as part of the usual comprehensive insurances because I don’t want any strings to slow down shopping around for best buy Rescue cover or Car Insurance (not necessarily cheapest) each year. Comprehensive Insurance on my cars is currently about 200 each, as usual.
The RAC were excellent in bringing us home in 2016 when its cambelt tensioner spring broke 22,000 miles early, to finally kill the twenty-year-old Vextra with its first and only breakdown.
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I’m with AutoAid - £59.99 for UK recovery covering you/spouse/legal partner in any car. As MadMalc says give them a once over.
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Thanks to all. Will let you know outcome in middle of September when the AA will allow me to discuss the renewal with them. I have 3 cars to cover for both myself and my wife and, so far as far as I can see, AutoAid is coming in at £180 to cover all three with either of us driving. Beats £251 with the AA, will see the best haggle price.
Try RescueMyCar.com. I turned to them when green flag refused to cover my 10 year old car.
Very cheap. Can’t believe how much AA and RAC charge.
Only had to use them once, but were very good.
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Hi. No! It’ll be £59.99 as you can only drive one car at a time. If you a both driving different cars at the same time as each other maybe you’ll need individual cover = 2 X £59.99 = £119.98, but I don’t think so, I mean how likely is it the both cars need assistance at the same time, talk to them. It’s the driver that’s covered, it’s not tied to a specific car.
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