My AA membership runs out at the end of the month. For my three bikes and one car/van I been using personal cover with roadside assist and nationwide recovery. The AA have really pissed me off firstly by not allowing me to opt out of their auto-renew where they help themselves from your credit card and secondly because when they informed me they were about to slip their hand into my wallet uninvited they'd whacked the price up from £100 to £137. When I rang them and said forget it, hands off, don't even think about auto-renewing, they said but you'll be making a saving sir. If you don't auto-renew the price goes up to £149. So I said not a chance. That's a rip-off, I'll look elsewhere. And suddenly they found they could actually offer to renew my membership for £100, the same price as last year and the same price for new membership as advertised on their website. I detest this cynical taking for granted of existing customers so I really don't want to do business with them again. Who are other people using? Gem comes out on top in the Auto express survey. And they're cheaper. Never used them or seen one of their vans on the road. Are they any good or any other recommendations?
Okay so I have read the terms and conditions for cover with Gem and it would appear that they use a clearing call centre to handle your recovery, Gem do not operate their own recovery sevice. This means call handlers will contact the nearest company offering recovery services. Whilst in the scheme of things this no different than the AA, the RAC or Greenflag contacting a contractor when there is no vehicle of their own available. The service they offer is all insurance backed. To be the recommended recovery provider for 6 years in a row by Autotrader, surely you would expect them to be pretty good. Interestingly Gem do not offer membership to drivers who have been banned from driving. Not sure if that is for a current ban or ever banned in your driving career. Good luck with whoever you choose. Andy
Trouble with these auto press consumer surveys is they are all car-based and judged on speed of response and percentage of successful road-side fixes. There are other considerations with bike recovery. I'm wary about breakdown services who use subcontractors. I had a bike collected by the RAC not so long ago and they used a subcontract recovery firm who sent out a Romanian driver who spoke poor English in a Transit towing a minute bike trailer about a foot too short for the bike in question with no light board, no tail gate, skinny three inch wheelbarrow wheels and rubber bush suspension. I suppose one thing you can say for the AA is their bike recovery is professionally done with proper kit. Hmmm.. I guess Green Flag use subbies too..
Difficult one. The price you have seen for Gem is a first year special offer so maybe not so special for the renewal. Sadly and despite the mercenary attitude of the AA, perhaps it is a case of better the devil you know. Andy
I have just taken out personal cover with the RAC which covers my 7 bikes and all 3 cars. I have been a member for many years but due to changes in the policy and my two sons now having their own cover due to buying new cars I had to take a new policy out in my own name. The price £89.98 with £10 knocked off for being a long time member with black card benefits, whatever they are!? This includes home start which I did not have before, full UK pickup and return service and lost key return free of charge. So a better deal for less than the cost of renewal on my old policy. Currently the RAC is offering free Home Start with new policies.
Halifax UK | Bank Accounts | Ultimate Reward Current Account AA Breakdown Cover including Home Start Provided by Automobile Association Developments Limited (trading as AA Breakdown Services). Breakdown assistance when you need it most. You're covered as a driver or a passenger in any eligible vehicle if you breakdown at home or on the roadside. Provides cover within the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man, Roadside Assistance and Home Start.
I have AA cover with national recovery/assistance as one of the perks on my Lloyds bank account, used it twice so far and they have been quick to come out and got me on the road again so no complaints here. Once with a Honda CG125 (broken wire) and the Daytona 650 Japanese Reg/Rec burnt its connector out. Lloyds Bank - UK Bank Accounts - Platinum Current Account
I'm going to ring round and see who used sub-contractors. But if they're all at it except the AA and all of them use auto-renew there's not much point leaving the AA. I want some Euro cover this year too. But I'm not sure whether its worth paying for it for the full year or whether its better to buy short term cover just for the trip. It'll only be the one trip this year.
Bikesure charge £50 for European breakdown but guessing 3rd party - Bennetts I think £90 with RAC Bradders works for RAC I think
The key word there is 'eligible'. Have you checked that it covers bikes? I was all ready to change my bank account to one with a modest monthly fee, on the grounds that it had free breakdown cover which I could then cancel, but when I checked I found that it was cars only.
Been in the AA for 40+ years. It's irritating (and a bit insulting for such a loyal member) having to ring them every year when the ridiculous renewal cost comes through my letterbox (after a chat it always reduces to something £ very reasonable), but having used their services all over UK & Europe, I have to say they deliver the goods. I've no plans to change anytime soon.
