I always avoid auto renewal for my car insurance as the auto renewal price is always much higher than it would be if you were insuring as a new customer. Also one year I was inadvertently registered for auto renewal without my knowledge so when I renewed my insurance with another company after shopping around I ended up with two car insurances. Fortunately I noticed and managed to cancel the auto renewal one and got a refund but I could have easily missed it if I hadn't checked my credit card bill carefully.
For some reason I let myself slip into auto renewal for my AA membership as I just assumed that it would be a standard price for everyone for each level of service... BIG mistake.
When I checked my credit card bill my AA membership renewal had been charged at a WHOPPING £498 25.!!!
I remembered when it was high last year at £451.74 I rang them to question it and asked them to give me a breakdown of the cost of each service which included joint membership, home start and national recovery. The totals they gave me did indeed come to £451.74, so I just assumed that AA membership had rocketed from what it used to be.
But this year when I was charged £498.25 I thought this isn't right, so rather than ring them I went on their website to find out how much it would cost as a new customer. I got an online quote which came to just £180.48. So I was being charged £317. 77 more than a new customer.
That was taking the piss. So much for customer loyalty as I've been with the AA for around 30 years.
So this time I rang them armed with the knowledge of the online quote and confronted them with it. They said the £180.48 was a special offer for new customers only. But after I threatened to cancel my membership she agreed to refund the difference.
Obviously when I had rung them the previous year and asked for a breakdown they gave me a breakdown of what they were charging me personally for each service and not a breakdown of what each service would cost as a new customer.
Anyone else been stung by auto renewal?
For some reason I let myself slip into auto renewal for my AA membership as I just assumed that it would be a standard price for everyone for each level of service... BIG mistake.
When I checked my credit card bill my AA membership renewal had been charged at a WHOPPING £498 25.!!!
I remembered when it was high last year at £451.74 I rang them to question it and asked them to give me a breakdown of the cost of each service which included joint membership, home start and national recovery. The totals they gave me did indeed come to £451.74, so I just assumed that AA membership had rocketed from what it used to be.
But this year when I was charged £498.25 I thought this isn't right, so rather than ring them I went on their website to find out how much it would cost as a new customer. I got an online quote which came to just £180.48. So I was being charged £317. 77 more than a new customer.
That was taking the piss. So much for customer loyalty as I've been with the AA for around 30 years.
So this time I rang them armed with the knowledge of the online quote and confronted them with it. They said the £180.48 was a special offer for new customers only. But after I threatened to cancel my membership she agreed to refund the difference.
Obviously when I had rung them the previous year and asked for a breakdown they gave me a breakdown of what they were charging me personally for each service and not a breakdown of what each service would cost as a new customer.
Anyone else been stung by auto renewal?
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