[Closed] RAC renewal whinge

Didn't renew my AA this year after 20+ years, I have only ever called them out once ! I think trick is to let it expire and then you get the "special offer"

Persevere on the phone. They'll offer you the lower price to retain you.

I go through this pantomime with them every year.

Watchdog next week, bbc 1 wednesday 20.00 inquiry into RAC over selling batteries at breakdowns, time to move

It will probably make little difference who you go with.. my AA cover quote goes up to the non-discounted rate every year and I have to ring up and do the cancel / price drop dance. Pretty standard practise.

AA=£109
Gren Flag =£125

Cover I want is just me, any car, breakdown, recovery and homestart.

I have used them often enough to keep going with someone

I wish I could just tick a box on the renewal screen to say "I want you to stop taking the piss and give me the deal you would give me if I spent 3 days on hold trying to ring you"

I let mine expire as get the same cover via Barclays.

Though Barclays are scrapping that and almost everything of use on their Additions account, so I need to cancel that.

That leaves me with Honda recovery I get by using their servicing. Not sure who they actually use and if they're any good.

I had Honda recovery when I ran the Integra-R. I used it once when I holed the radiator on the Birmingham flyover. A guy called Bernard turned up and offered to tow me to a Honda garage, a hotel or back to Southampton. I got him to tow me to the Honda garage in Southampton but turned down his offer of the hotel room 🙂

I swap between the AA and RAC every year. Do it via Quidco and get £40 cash back as well as the introductory rate.

I use auto aid now. Covers me and my wife in any car for £40 a year. You have to pay for the recovery up front but they then pay you back.

Go with one of the many axa assistance resellers, like this one. http://www.rescue24.com/

Dirt cheap with good big brand backup. Mind you I've not had to use them in anger yet.

I found with the AA that I just tell them the best quote I can get online, with topcashback etc, and they renew me for that amount. Only bit that takes any time is telling them that I don't want key cover, home start, that I home service so I don't want the parts cover, or any of the other bollocks.

+1 autoaid

It's cheaper if you buy for the vehicle rather than the person

+2 for Autoaid.

I've not used them, but a colleague did. Autoaid called a garage and got them to attend. Garage was good and the refund process was within a couple of weeks iirc.
I've been with them years - so much cheaper than two people/two cars cover.

Green Flag after years of renewal haggling with RAC

Renewed with them this year, they worked out it was £18 cheaper to get it done as personal cover rather than as the car.

I got recovered twice last year, renewal came through, rang them up and got 10% off it still.

Get on the blower and talk to them 😀

RAC took a yearly subscription out of my account after cancelling, cheeky buggers..I had initially paid for a year by debit card, since got a new card, same account but different card number.
So they must have made an effort on the auto renew scam.. and the bloody bank let them..

Got a refund, but still, I was very disappointed with both parties.

AutoAid .. that sounds interesting

I've had cheap breakdown cover through IC for years after giving up on RAC for same reason. I've had to use it 3 times and they were excellent each time, including a 400 mile tow home! About £50 a year.

Auto aid here too but as said above its cheaper to cover the car via insurance add on. Never needed it so cannot comment on whether auto aid were any good.

[url= http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/car-insurance/breakdown-cover ]MoneySavingExpert[/url]

Autoaid - was expecting to pay again for the Mrs, but no, included. I've also used the service once couldn't have been easier & recovered quicker than AA ever did.

Your probably a line on a spreadsheet as opposed to a valued customer...
Look what happens to sky customers after years till they drop it and the offers kick in..
Same with banks utilities and mobile phones...

Shop around, it's a commodity not a relationship

Same old same old with the RAC at renewal every year. Find the lowest price, call them up, tell them not to take the mick, end up same price as last year or cheaper.

It's annoying but I've been with them 17 years, always had decent service and the local patrols round here are sound.

Nationwide Flexplus account.

£10pcm between two of us.

Covers breakdown on both our cars
Travel insurance including skiing
Appliances
Mobile phones
Relatively good interest for a current account
A few other smaller benefits but we have used all of the above so seems good VFM

Lots of much cheaper options - I use Start Rescue which is about £30 a year for me.

PKAy Snap. And it works.

My old mans an RAC patrol and I'm with the AA..... get it through my back account.

Cheers, Steve

Start Rescue. Pay £35 a year for everything including recovery.
Called them out several times from flat battery to broken locking wheel nut key.
Got recovered 70 miles for that one

Realize now that it [url= http://www.mercedes-benz.co.uk/content/unitedkingdom/mpc/mpc_unitedkingdom_website/en/home_mpc/passengercars/home/ownership/roadside-assistance.html#_int_passengercars:home:core-navi:roadside-assistance ]comes with the car[/url].

Not yet needed it. Probably a good thing.

Nationwide Flexplus account.

£10pcm between two of us.

Covers breakdown on both our cars
Travel insurance including skiing
Appliances
Mobile phones
Relatively good interest for a current account
A few other smaller benefits but we have used all of the above so seems good VFM

I second the Nationwide FlexPlus account.
Great deal, covers me and my wife for breakdown Europe wide, travel insurance etc...
Saves us a load.

Nationwide Flex plus account. £10 a month including travel insurance, phone insurance and breakdown.
Used them once. Told them it wasn't fixable as the clutch had gone and they sent a local recovery firm within 45 minutes. Great service.

edit - didn't read the post above lol