AA renewal.

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
Price has doubled so not renewing... just had a reminder extolling the benefits of membership one of which is free car parts if needed.. but, they must cost less than £5.
I think its unlikely an AA van will have access to cheap Chinese car parts so I wonder what's on the back of the van that actually costs less that £5. Or should I say what they will charge les than £5 for!
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,761
30,348
Price has doubled so not renewing... just had a reminder extolling the benefits of membership one of which is free car parts if needed.. but, they must cost less than £5.
I think its unlikely an AA van will have access to cheap Chinese car parts so I wonder what's on the back of the van that actually costs less that £5. Or should I say what they will charge les than £5 for!
Maybe small things that can fail on the road which the AA can help with, a blown light bulb springs to mind as falling inside that price point. Perhaps a wiper blade.

Personally I'd never be an AA member since I resent the way they so often back government proposals that are not in motorists interests. They seem to have forgotten that they started out many decades ago by protecting drivers against legal excess and over zealous police.
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tillson

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 29, 2008
5,249
3,197
Price has doubled so not renewing... just had a reminder extolling the benefits of membership one of which is free car parts if needed.. but, they must cost less than £5.
I think its unlikely an AA van will have access to cheap Chinese car parts so I wonder what's on the back of the van that actually costs less that £5. Or should I say what they will charge les than £5 for!
It’s a science known as Customer Apathy Inertia. It means most customers will just renew because they can’t be bothered to shop around or challenge the price. If you phone them up and say their service is great, and you really like the AA, but it’s too expensive, they will drop the price. Get a quote from the RAC or another breakdown organisation and tell them about that. Alternatively, take out a new policy via Quidco and get £48 cash back. But best of all, don’t join a breakdown organisation at all. I’ve saved a fortune by not doing so and even if I do breakdown and need to pay, I’ll still be better off due to the savings.
 
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
Yes its a common theme, and in my case the car warranty has 3 years breakdown cover so dont need it.. I froze my current AA membership with 10 months to run when I bought a new car and then found I could pass it on to a family member so gave it to my granddaughter, but I was more interested in the free parts offer.. Anything less than £5 is free meaning anything more than £5 needs to be paid for..
Not a great sales pitch!
 

Wander

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 8, 2013
586
429
Some banks give AA Membership for 'free' with certain current accounts.
Okay nothing's 100% free as it's built into their charging structure however I got a deal years ago, never pay bank charges and still get AA membership.
 

Danidl

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 29, 2016
8,608
12,253
72
Ireland
Maybe small things that can fail on the road which the AA can help with, a blown light bulb springs to mind as falling inside that price point. Perhaps a wiper blade.

Personally I'd never be an AA member since I resent the way they so often back government proposals that are not in motorists interests. They seem to have forgotten that they started out many decades ago by protecting drivers against legal excess and over zealous police.
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You would be doing well to get a wiper blade for 5 quid!
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,761
30,348
You would be doing well to get a wiper blade for 5 quid!
Indeed, but I was thinking that for the scheme the AA would subsidise somewhat to be able to offer some things for under the fiver.
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,761
30,348
It would need to be something that would imobelise a vehicle.. spark plugs perhaps
A shredding wiper blade might in heavy rain, but one spark plug failing probably wouldn't. I drove a 75 mile motorway journey at speed on three of the four cylinders when a spark plug failed at the outset. Just keeping it spinning it was no problem.
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Fat Rat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 7, 2018
1,903
726
UK
A shredding wiper blade might in heavy rain, but one spark plug failing probably wouldn't. I drove a 75 mile motorway journey at speed on three of the four cylinders when a spark plug failed at the outset. Just keeping it spinning it was no problem.
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Mmm
I can assure you the car wasn’t happy

Bores washed with petrol
Oil contamination
And if I catalyst is fitted 1991 on that won’t be happy either

So a misfire especially these day is a definite break down call out .
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,761
30,348
Mmm
I can assure you the car wasn’t happy

Bores washed with petrol
Oil contamination
And if I catalyst is fitted 1991 on that won’t be happy either

So a misfire especially these day is a definite break down call out .
Agree on today's catalyst models disadvantage, this was pre 1991 and keeping that Cavalier 2 litre SRI spinning with revs in the upper range blowing through it was fine. It was on two motorways at 90/95 mph cruising.

As a fully qualified motor mechanic I do have a pretty good idea what I'm doing.
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
Agree on today's catalyst models disadvantage, this was pre 1991 and keeping that Cavalier 2 litre SRI spinning with revs in the upper range blowing through it was fine. It was on two motorways at 90/95 mph cruising.

As a fully qualified motor mechanic I do have a pretty good idea what I'm doing.
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My father was a tanker driver/mechanic during WW2 so I was introduced to piston rings and big ends at an early age but I don't think many of today's drivers know what a spark plug is, where it is or carry the tool needed to remove it. I now include myself in that description!
Back in the day i always carried spares and tools, but my cars were a bit ropy to start with. I had a wankle engined RO-80 for a while and it's tool kit included a bunson burner to heat up the plugs if it wouldn't start.
 
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Fat Rat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 7, 2018
1,903
726
UK
Agree on today's catalyst models disadvantage, this was pre 1991 and keeping that Cavalier 2 litre SRI spinning with revs in the upper range blowing through it was fine. It was on two motorways at 90/95 mph cruising.

As a fully qualified motor mechanic I do have a pretty good idea what I'm doing.
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Bore wash and oil contamination no matter what age car
But I’m not going into an argument with you thou ,
the info is for others reading more so.
And this comes also from a fully qualified mechanic :)
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,761
30,348
but I don't think many of today's drivers know what a spark plug is, where it is or carry the tool needed to remove it.
None of which I'll need to know when my new Nissan Leaf is delivered. ;)

I won't want it to spark!
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georgehenry

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2015
1,425
1,251
Surrey
I always do the basic AA £39 deal where you claim £20 of boots vouchers. You always have to agree to an automatic renewal and remember to cancel it after you have got your vouchers.
 

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