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[Finance] The Perils of Auto Renewal
- Thread starter marlowe
- Start date
The Lemming Stomper
Under the flag
You must be the first person in history who phoned the AA and wanted a breakdown !
dejavuatbtn
Well-known member
Haven’t touched AA or RAC for donkey’s years. Green flag have always been my best bet.
That is an obscene amount of money for breakdown cover. I'd expect a private helicopter to my destination after a breakdown if I was paying that much.
I've been actively trying to avoid promotional rates from big companies in recent years. It's such a hassle having to go through the charade of threatening to cancel every year, just to keep on a decent rate. I much prefer shopping around for a smaller company which might be a bit more expensive than the promotional offer but will stick to the same price for renewal.
Justice
Dangerous Idiot
A hack with car insurance nearly everyone puts down immediate cover if you enter the start date of cover 1 -2 months in into the future it’s way cheaper sometimes up to 50%
sussex_guy2k2
Well-known member
- Jun 6, 2014
- 4,330
I thought you couldn’t renew until you were 1 month away from your renewal date?
Justice
Dangerous Idiot
You would be right a quick google says it’s a month. I remember reading a message when I was using Cuvva for a while .
HalfaSeatOn
Well-known member
Thanks for prompt. I was set up for auto renewal with AA. Some orgs let you click an easily found button to turn off but this lot require the filling in of an online form or a phone call. It’s done now.
I was going to start a thread about mobile contracts today, but since this is here....
My 24 month contract with EE ended in Sept 23. Roughly £42/m for 4GB data and max speed of 100mbps. I was also paying for a GalaxyS21 within that agreement.
We were in the (protracted) process of moving house, so I did nothing about changing the contract. I thought it would wait until we moved. That was in April 2024. In that time, it slipped my mind.
This week I got a data warning because I was nearing my 4GB limit. I've been paying £42/m for 14 months for 4GB of data!!
It turns out that when EE arent shafting existing customers, they offer 30GB for £9/m.
I called them today and got the "it's in the contract, you could have changed at any time". They are right, but clearly they were taking advantage.
Please take this as a reminder to check you mobile agreement.
As for my phone? I now have unlimited data, at unlimited speed on a 12 month agreement for £24/m and EE have refunded me £200.
My 24 month contract with EE ended in Sept 23. Roughly £42/m for 4GB data and max speed of 100mbps. I was also paying for a GalaxyS21 within that agreement.
We were in the (protracted) process of moving house, so I did nothing about changing the contract. I thought it would wait until we moved. That was in April 2024. In that time, it slipped my mind.
This week I got a data warning because I was nearing my 4GB limit. I've been paying £42/m for 14 months for 4GB of data!!
It turns out that when EE arent shafting existing customers, they offer 30GB for £9/m.
I called them today and got the "it's in the contract, you could have changed at any time". They are right, but clearly they were taking advantage.
Please take this as a reminder to check you mobile agreement.
As for my phone? I now have unlimited data, at unlimited speed on a 12 month agreement for £24/m and EE have refunded me £200.
Can recommend Green flag as well. So easy to get assistance and communication is great.
Justice
Dangerous Idiot
I found my last AA breakdown guy a right arrogant prick. Before he had finished the job he was busy taking pictures saying I can’t call them again for the same issue.
METALMICKY
Well-known member
- Jan 30, 2004
- 6,940
Much the same as Sky but they can increasing play ' hard ball ' and you need to call their bluff by putting in your cancellation notice.
Useful summary on car ins renewals here:
but this does NOT apply to breakdown cover (well it didn't last year when I checked).
I have now separated out my breakdown cover after it crept up to £80 - ish. Paid £40 last year as a 'new customer'.
but this does NOT apply to breakdown cover (well it didn't last year when I checked).
I have now separated out my breakdown cover after it crept up to £80 - ish. Paid £40 last year as a 'new customer'.
Last edited:
Pay under £20 for annual breakdown cover via a company found on Groupon.
Needed them once and they did what they were supposed to do, no issues.
Deal is still available if anyone’s interested
www.groupon.co.uk
Needed them once and they did what they were supposed to do, no issues.
Deal is still available if anyone’s interested
One-Year Basic or Premium UK Car Breakdown Cover For Any Age Car or Car Under 10 Years from Emergency Assist
This one-year breakdown cover can offer drivers help with various unexpected road problems; roadside assistance and local recovery included
www.groupon.co.uk
Wrong-Direction
Well-known member
- Mar 10, 2013
- 13,669
AA are definitely one of the worst, bastards
Martin Lewis always says the cheapest time to buy motor insurance is 20 to 27 days ahead of inception.
Our O2 new phones were bought variously by direct from O2, also from Carphone Warehouse/Phones4U type retailers.
In the former case, once the hardware itself was fully paid up, O2 themselves automatically dropped the monthly DD to the usage contract values.
Whilst those bought through retailers carried on the much higher monthly DD’s ad infinitum. Ripping off, it takes a longish call each time to O2 to get a new deal for usage only. On average, busy lives and all that, we missed the trick by about 18 months. No way of getting the excess monies back. Buyer beware seemed to the basis.
Someone here I think once said that when they get a new phone, into its own calendar they diarise “contact phone company” a month before the future end of the initial contract.
Is what I should have done originally.
I've been with RAC over 20 years and only in recent years have they tried their luck.
this year I cancelled the auto renewal and went with the AA for half the price, adding Zef jr as well on a family policy.
Have similar issues with a lassic fleet . . . .auto renewal should be illegal full stop, especially if premiums are exagerated to the full rinse mode.