Simon Trapani

  • Posts: 1482
AA Breakdown Cover
« on: September 05, 2023, 07:20:03 pm »
Just went to renew my AA breakdown cover & was told over the phone that they’ve now changed their terms & conditions & I need a commercial policy. He said the terms were always there but within the last month or so they’ve now decided to start enforcing them. Anybody else had this?

I’m sick of the AA trying it in with price every year & making you play the haggle game. Went to the RAC one year when i used to play them off against each other & was told my Vivaro was a commercial vehicle. AA want £262 a year for my two vans just for roadside basic cover. That still leaves me needing cover for my car & my son’s on a family policy.

Just looked on compare the market & coming up for all four vehicles at £115 a year basic cover. Company is called ‘Cover my Breakdown’. I know it’s subbed out locally but what are you guys thoughts?

My current van cover is basically null & void. Asked me if I carried tools to clean windows!🤔Was tempted to tell him i used my tongue ffs! I’m just wondering if i spoke to another advisor whether they’d tell me the same. I am so annoyed. I hate the AA.

Rant over!🫤

Simon Trapani

  • Posts: 1482
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2023, 07:23:26 pm »
Just checked the terms on the ‘cover my breakdown’ policy & it doesn’t cover commercial vehicles either. I’ll have to do another search.

Bungle

  • Posts: 2255
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2023, 08:08:58 pm »
I'm with Halifax Ultimate Reward account. I have phone, roadside assistance, holiday insurance, emergency home cover for £17 a month. I have used the roadside assistance while in my van earlier this year. Anyone in your family can use the roadside assistance.
We look at them, they look through them.

Splash & dash

  • Posts: 4364
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2023, 09:31:21 pm »
Just went to renew my AA breakdown cover & was told over the phone that they’ve now changed their terms & conditions & I need a commercial policy. He said the terms were always there but within the last month or so they’ve now decided to start enforcing them. Anybody else had this?

I’m sick of the AA trying it in with price every year & making you play the haggle game. Went to the RAC one year when i used to play them off against each other & was told my Vivaro was a commercial vehicle. AA want £262 a year for my two vans just for roadside basic cover. That still leaves me needing cover for my car & my son’s on a family policy.

Just looked on compare the market & coming up for all four vehicles at £115 a year basic cover. Company is called ‘Cover my Breakdown’. I know it’s subbed out locally but what are you guys thoughts?

My current van cover is basically null & void. Asked me if I carried tools to clean windows!🤔Was tempted to tell him i used my tongue ffs! I’m just wondering if i spoke to another advisor whether they’d tell me the same. I am so annoyed. I hate the AA.

Rant over!🫤



Have a look at green flag they are very good for cars no idea about commercial vehicles though , we don’t bother with breakdown cover on the vans , never had a  breakdown, probably will now having said this 😂😂😂

DJW

  • Posts: 933
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2023, 09:33:59 pm »
Start Rescue maybe?

Simon Trapani

  • Posts: 1482
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2023, 11:56:06 pm »
Yes brilliant!

They just came up on moneysupermarket.

Got me, my employee & my son all in any vehicle, including light commercials for £113  so am now very happy😁

dazmond

  • Posts: 23598
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2023, 07:25:33 am »
Breakdown cover is included with my  commercial van insurance every year plus courtesy van for 14 days if van off the road due to accident.
price higher/work harder!

Stoots

  • Posts: 6063
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2023, 07:39:36 am »
I had an RAC policy a few years ago. I had a breakdown and was told because my van was sign written it wasn't covered. I had to pay £100 recovery fee. The patrol guy told me AA don't do this.

Ive been with AA since but they keep putting prices up.

So now I'm with green flag. It was £95 for the year including personal cover on any vehicle, home start and onwards travel type stuff. All the extras basically. They will cover sole traders with signwriting as the vehicle is a personal one. They only don't allow vehicles belonging to a company. Mine technically does but the log book is in my personal name, the guy on the phone reckoned I ld be alright. Hopefully I won't have to find out.




KS Cleaning

  • Posts: 3900
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #8 on: September 06, 2023, 07:24:58 pm »
I get my van serviced at Ford, it includes 12 months breakdown assistance.

Spruce

  • Posts: 8366
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #9 on: September 07, 2023, 06:30:02 am »
Yes brilliant!

They just came up on moneysupermarket.

Got me, my employee & my son all in any vehicle, including light commercials for £113  so am now very happy😁

What do they term a light commercial van?

I also had this with the AA and found another road side assist using Google search. They folded half way through the year.
Success is 1% inspiration, 98% perspiration and 2% attention to detail!

The older I get, the better I was ;)

Simon Trapani

  • Posts: 1482
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #10 on: September 07, 2023, 03:59:48 pm »
Not sure exactly Spruce? I’ve just phoned them to double check though & they assure me I’m covered. I can’t do any more so it’s done as far as I’m concerned.

I certainly know my vans weren’t covered with the AA

Martin Lane

  • Posts: 164
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #11 on: September 07, 2023, 05:21:54 pm »
We had a ford custom 3 months ago   the key got stuck in lock with steering lock on, AA came loaded on back of flat bed and took to garage
No problems
 

Simon Trapani

  • Posts: 1482
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #12 on: September 07, 2023, 06:11:46 pm »
The guy on the phone at the AA said they only changed the terms & conditions a month or two ago. Then he said they were actually always there but they’ve updated them & were now enforcing it. I said about moving goal posts mid contract. He said it would apply on new contracts. I nearly spoke to someone else there but couldn’t be bothered after he basically chuckled down the phone.

I hate the AA, BT & British Gas. But they’re another story…

Spruce

  • Posts: 8366
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #13 on: September 08, 2023, 08:30:00 am »
The world has gone mad. It's pick and choose these days. It sounds like the AA are just focusing on small cars which are easy to recover with the roadside assistance vans.

I had to put a 'new' hub onto my son's 2002 Berlingo van a year or so back. As it was a second hand hub, I took the hub down to Kwikfit and asked them to replace the bearing as they have a hydraulic press. They've done it before for me.

"No, we don't repair any commercial vehicles."
"But what if it was a Berlingo Multispace?"
"No, we don't repair any commercial vehicles."
"But you replaced a hub bearing on my Citroën Relay van recently."
"We don't repair any commercial vehicles now."

Unfortunately, son took it down to another branch of theirs in Redcar for its MOT.
It failed on some rusty brake pipes, CV joint boots were loose, a non-working window screen washer motor and the spare wheel was flat.
They could fix the spare wheel, but couldn't balance it. He has Citroën alloys on it, and they have a solid centre hub. They checked for a blow fuse for the washer bottle, but couldn't do anything else. He phoned around numerous local garages, but no one would do the brake pipes.

Eventually I did everything myself over the next few weekends and took it elsewhere for a new MOT. The tester found that the brake load sensing device to the brakes didn't work as the spring was long since rusted and broken. Kwikfit didn't find that.

I have breakdown cover with my current insurance with Aviva. It's due for replacement in 2 months so we will see.

Daughter in law is with AA. A number of years ago the front exhaust pipe broke and the back piece was hitting the road. She stopped and phoned the AA. They still hadn't arrived after 3 hours. She phoned them regularly for updates but they were busy and would get there as soon as they could. She had the grand kids in the car and it was winter. I told her I would come through and fix it but she said the AA were on their way.

I eventually drove through to Hartlepool and removed the rear exhaust section in 5 minutes. She cancelled the AA. 2 hours later the AA phoned saying they couldn't find the car.
Success is 1% inspiration, 98% perspiration and 2% attention to detail!

The older I get, the better I was ;)

dazmond

  • Posts: 23598
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #14 on: September 08, 2023, 02:43:58 pm »
Most fully comp commercial van insurance companies provide breakdown cover for a reasonable fee.this is what I use.
price higher/work harder!

Simon Trapani

  • Posts: 1482
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #15 on: September 08, 2023, 04:31:05 pm »
Alexander Swan don’t offer it as far as I’m aware & that’s who my vans are with. My car & my son’s car are insured with two different insurers again so that wouldn’t work for me either thanks.

Splash & dash

  • Posts: 4364
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #16 on: September 08, 2023, 05:38:42 pm »
Alexander Swan don’t offer it as far as I’m aware & that’s who my vans are with. My car & my son’s car are insured with two different insurers again so that wouldn’t work for me either thanks.


Alexander swan is who my vans are with my insurance was renewed last November and they offered breakdown cover policy but I turned it down I have never had it on the vans and didn’t ask any questions about it they are a good broker but guess they would be expensive for  this ?..

jo5hm4n

  • Posts: 943
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #17 on: September 10, 2023, 12:28:31 pm »
I use AA Commercial Cover Fleet Insurance.  You can use on cars or vans, so i do 4 in total and it works out at under £100 per vehicle and you get more premium benefits to the service.  Every year they up the price, so i phone up kick off and they just knock the price right back down again.

EandM

  • Posts: 2167
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #18 on: September 10, 2023, 02:07:12 pm »
I have AA Relay as I'm likely to end up fixing it myself anyway.

It was under £150 and there's been nothing said or termed about recovering either of my Rangers.

JandS

  • Posts: 4238
Re: AA Breakdown Cover
« Reply #19 on: September 10, 2023, 08:29:01 pm »
Renew my AA policy every year and they never even ask what cars/vans I drive..........covers me and the wife whatever vehicle we are driving although on my van insurance I can't drive another vehicle on a third party basis so I'm basically just covered for the van......best ring them tomorrow though and check on the commercial vehicle aspect.
Impossible done straight away, miracles can take a little longer.