Renewing AA breakdown cover every year involved me ringing them up to remonstrate with them about the exorbitant price demanded, and every year till now they have backed down and reduced the price - so I stuck with the brutes. One year when I said "Oy. You want £115 from me, when you are offering the same cover openly in the newspapers for £24. Therefore I am phoning you to ask for a price cut. Every year, this happens. What have you to say on this matter? Why do you not just offer me a fair price to begin with, and save us both the trouble?", the operator told me that it's just their policy and that I must ring them every year to get the premium reduced. What a farce, and calculated to make all the AA's customers hate them. She agreed with me. Poor thing. It's not her fault.
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| Evidence of the AA's devious machinations. Top: Join us for £39 Below: Valued special members pay £135.96 |
THIS year, when the fools sent me my membership renewal demand, by the same post they sent my son a junk mail shot offering him membership for £39 AND they promised to give him a £20 M&S voucher. For my continued membership they wanted £135.96 and nor were they presenting me with any vouchers. Naturally I rang them up, and this time I spoke to an insolent young puppy who refused to understand what I was on about and in essence told me I was lucky to get the cover offered for the sum in question. I got nowhere, and told him I would consider my position.
Consideration of my position involved ranting about the experience to my husband, who said "Yes, dear," as is his wont. Then I researched online and with difficulty obtained a comparative price for the cover I was being offered for £135.96. They make it difficult by "cleverly" (annoyingly, transparently trying to stop you bothering) altering what they call each bit of the cover - thus on their renewal sheet I had Roadside, Home Start (complimentary!) and Relay. On the website you have to read carefully to check which of the new names they are calling things relate to the same cover you have got on your renewal letter. You can see why most, sane, people give up and just renew regardless.
However the AA have got to get used to the idea that some of us are not "most, sane, people" and will not stand for it any longer.
On their website, I discovered that as a newly joining member the same level of cover can be yours for £125 and you will get a £30 fuel voucher thrown in.
This is a confounded cheek specially as their renewal demand came with a most sycophantic nauseating letter in which they
i) declared their extreme gratitude to me for my years of membership and assure me that I am a) hugely appreciated, b) valued, and c) being given preferential treatment.
ii) proudly boasted that they will "show a 'no quibbles' approach to breakdown", - well I should bally well think so, what do they think we're paying them for?
iii) said they are giving me their most valuable benefits free. I couldn't care less about these "most valuable benefits" which I never asked for and don't want. They include
the AA app - useless;
2-day European breakdown cover - useless;
Key insurance - of no interest to me whatsoever;
"My Member Benefits" - sounds as though it could be lively but I bet it isn't;
Accident Management - I'll manage my own accidents, ok;
Legal Advice - don't need that thanks my husband's a solicitor;
Vehicle Helpline - what's that for?
The AA have failed to grasp the meaning of "free". These things I neither asked for nor want, I can only have because I must pay more. Therefore, I am paying for them. They aren't free. I refer you, AA, to the Concise Oxford Dictionary.
iv) told me that the At Home cover which I am being "given free of charge" should really cost me £66.74; which is unfair since new members would get it for £36, and which means that the other bits of cover are even more more expensive than normal, unappreciated, unvalued customers are expected to pay. It simply does not make sense.
I think the AA are lying. They do not value me and are not giving me a special good deal. They are hoping to rip me off due to my own laziness.
My position having been considered, I cancelled the Direct Debit and the AA can go to blazes. I bite my thumb at it. Their loss is the RAC's gain, till next year when the RAC will doubtless try the same game and I will be back to square one.
I have done the AA a re-draft of their sycophantic letter which they might like to use in future if they wish to avoid dishonesty which would stand them in poor stead on the Day of Judgement. Act now, AA, or you could end up writhing on a pitchfork for all eternity.
Redrafted letter : what the AA really mean.
Hi, Twit!
Since you have proved what a sucker you are, by renewing your membership all these years, here is your inflated overpriced estimate. Pay, or get lost - we don't care. We aren't grateful, you aren't appreciated and your loyalty makes us scorn you. We don't give two hoots about you or your paltry contribution to our profits.
Yours, the AA.
