After almost 30 years with the AA, we considering dumping them as their charges for even a minimal service are outrageous.
Renewal this year for Roadside and Joint cover for me and Mrs T is £149.17. We managed to batter them down to £120.69 last year.
Further to that, we are also covered via NatWest Platinum account with Green Flag.
You might ask why have you not already kicked AA into touch?
Well, always a bit doubtful about the service offered by Green Flag although I have no first hand reports.
Their cover seems at least as good as our current AA terms.
So, anyone any experience of using Green Flag?
No, but I’ve had awful experiences with both AA and RAC, both leaving me (or my wife) stranded for 5+ hours.
I’m now with autoaid. https://autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/
The big difference in the market with these guys are if they can’t sort you quickly, they just tell you to ring around local garages for a tow - then you claim it back as if it were an insurance policy. That said, I’ve had the fortune of not needing them in the 18months I’ve been signed up so no first hand experience, just sick to the teeth of the “main” players.
Thanks, Fonzey.
To be fair, our experience with the AA has been entirely positive over the years but the pricing seems to bear no relation to reality. It stems, I think, from the time the AA fell into the hands of two private equity companies.
I’m still with the AA, primarily because they’ve been good enough to recover the car Anglesey to Ipswich after incidents between Bangor and the Ty Croes 
No questions asked, and on one occasion the car even made it home before me.
Having said that I’m also conscious that it’s getting relatively expensive for the years when their services aren’t required. The last time I used them was for a pothole induced blow out in the M3. They were fantastic, but afterward, I realized that I’d likely have been better off using BMWs own recovery. It hadn’t occurred to me that I had it till the next morning, but they arranged to get the car back to the dealers and to provide a hire car within an hour.
I hated the annual fight for ‘new members’ rates with the AA despite being with them for 30 years or so.
As soon as the Nat West cover became inclusive within the ‘Platinum’ thingy , or whatever it’s called, I dropped the AA.
There are plenty on here who will testify that I’ve had my fair share of call outs since!
I have had no complaints. Sure they take their time . Sure when you say ’ my diff outputs shaft has failed I don’t need the technician, I need the flat bed’, they send the technician. But they understand low front splitters and they pick up from race tracks.
Give yourself a £120 pound bonus.
Thanks, Graeme. Can you believe it, we beat them down to £111.87. So we signed up again. Gullible, or what?
I managed to beat the AA down to £200 for family membership in any car recovered etc, but as said it is a fight every year and not sure I can be bothered either, been with the AA since I was 17, so why should I have to fight each year for a good price? Maybe next year I should just leave and find other family cover…
Seems to be the nature of things, these days, Ade. They, and companies like them, rely on you just signing on year after year as I’m sure you’ll have experienced previously. They then “generously” throw you a bone to ease the pain a bit until next year.
I found one useful feature with the RAC. They would not do recovery from a track as they thought, rightly, I had broken the car on the circuit. However, they would recover the car at a very reasonable rate. I used the same service a second time to move my car from my garage to a workshop.
Fortunately, I have never tried the breakdown service.
So just had an issue with the family Volvo XC60 where the drivers window would not wind up.
Couldn’t really call the AA, as the car was at home, and anyway turns out that even though it is nearly 5 years old its still covered by Volvo Assistance as we’ve continued to have it serviced at the main dealer.
So called Volvo Assistance at 8 this morning and the had a guy come out, agree that the window didn’t work, and then arrange for the local dealers to take it for repair, and we got a brand new XC90 as a courtesy car till the issue is resolved.
The AA lark is definitely going to require serious consideration at renewal.
Neither of our daily cars are covered by manufacturer’s assistance due to age so we’re stuck with Green Flag/AA. Let’s hope I don’t have to put either of them to the test anytime soon. Glad you got sort with Volvo👍