Is it worth joining the AA/RAC

vector

I already have some "breakdown" cover from my Hibernian Directs third party policy. It seems quaint to actually join these, but I suppose they are just another form of insurance.

What is the general consensus here about joining the AA/RAC

unkel

I'm also already covered for breakdown under my car insurance, but I haven't much faith in that

I've been an AA member for 6 or 7 years now and their service has been excellent. 100% fix rate and the longest I ever had to wait was about an hour. I've called them about 4 / 5 times in those years iirc

Very courteous and professional engineers. Not cheap at about €150 per annum including home start

JHMEG

The one and only time I was left stranded by my car the AA/RAC wouldn't have been able to do anything about it (a shot bearing in the distributor melted the rotor, meaning a new distributor by 2-day FedEx from Canada).

Since then I've always taken breakdown assistance on my insurance, as all I want them to do it get me home. The fix I'll sort out myself.

crosstownk

Of the two, the AA are by far the best - especially if you know nada about cars. What insurance companies offer is recovery - not real assistance. An AA guy will genuinely attempt to repair the car. The insurance recovery guy will just tow it away.

drdre

i am with hibernian, in the past 2 years i have called them out around 4-5 times and they are really quick and effiecent.They are with you in max 30-40 mins
Why pay extra to AA when you already have this service

stratos

Just on this subject a friend of mine broke down in france. It was a classic Jaguar worth a few bob. He seemed to remember his insurance company offering free european rescue. He rang them , yes all was covered a truck took his Jag away and a hire car was offered. Back home after a few weeks his Jaguar arrived on the back of a flatbed. Still broken but home !

crosstownk

stratos wrote:

Just on this subject a friend of mine broke down in france. It was a classic Jaguar worth a few bob. He seemed to remember his insurance company offering free european rescue. He rang them , yes all was covered a truck took his Jag away and a hire car was offered. Back home after a few weeks his Jaguar arrived on the back of a flatbed. Still broken but home !

Did the insurance company pay to recover the car back to Ireland? If they did then it's a great benefit.

drdre

crosstownk wrote:

Did the insurance company pay to recover the car back to Ireland? If they did then it's a great benefit.

Hibernian also cover european countries.

dubtom

I had AA cover for 5 years untill I got a new car with RAC cover. Haven't had to use it yet but I used AA several times, twice home after a crash and a breakdown and again the next morning to my mechanic.The piece of mind it gave me was worth the money and I'll renew with AA when the free year with RAC is up.

Our man in Havana

You should note that down in the sticks the AA and RAC sub out the work to local garages. I have found that these guys have no interest in trying starting your car, they just want to take it to their expensive garage. I found that in my local area the same local garage does both AA and RAC. :eek:

Where a genuine AA patrol attends they are the best. I had my car die on me completly near Tallaght and the AA guy tried his best to fix it and in the end he towed it all the way back to laois and tried again to fix it and he wouldn't even accept a cup of tea.

Terrontress

I reckon it is worth every penny.

I have car insurance with AIB which offers recovery breakdown but also have AA membership as I have an old Ford Transit camper so never know where I might be.

My car developed a gear problem two weeks ago in Belfast on a Sunday evening. I called the AA and they sent a local recovery specialist out to it who diagnosed the problem. They took me to my parents house and took the car off to their yard. The AA offered me a hire car but unfortunately I had left the license in the car so the next day they paid for a taxi to Belfast Central Station, 1st class return to Dublin and a cooked breakfast on the train. They took the car round to Audi in Belfast and went over the issue with the mechanics there.

The car is finished now and I have the option of heading back up on the Enterprise, 1st class, or else having the AA bring the car down.

Now I know that such luxury is not really a necessity but when your car breaks down, it is great just to have the AA, or one of their agents, come out and make a diagnosis, try to fix it etc.

It really is a small price to pay.

Stark

I like that you can be covered with AA even if you're a passenger in someone else's car.

dubtom

I heard a soudbite from liveline earlier today that said the AA has restricted a recovery to once every two months, or else a fee of €100 is payable. This was never the way they did buisness when I was a memeber, as I said earlier my car was recovered home and then on to my mechanic the next day at no charge. I wasn't a frequent user, only had the need about 4 times in the 4/5 years I was with them so it may be a measure to curtail buisness users who use the service to shift their cars from a to b at no charge, anyone hear any more details on the show. This could affect whether I return to them when my free stint with the rac is up.

pred racer

If you live in the middle of nowhere (like me) its completely useless, my wife once waited for 4hrs on the side of the road with 3 small children for the AA to turn up (she even refused help a couple of times in the first hour coz the AA were coming) After 2 hrs she rang me, I left work and after a 2 hr drive I arrived at the same time as the useless yellow baxtards.(who assured us when we joined up that this couldnt possibly happen as women with small kids got the highest priority.)
Needless to say the subscription was cancelled shortly afterwards.
Cant comment on any of the other companies though, Never had to use them.

BTW if you do join, get the home start option, most of the people I know that have AA/RAC cover this seems to be what they use the most. And I hear frequent stories of guys (who havent paid for home start) pushing their car round the corner and then calling the AA. :-)

Santa Claus

RAC are pulling out of Ireland within the next few months (They're selling their driving school to Hibernian who are going to use it as part of their ignition programme).
The AA were good but over the past few years they've taken on major distributor contracts such as VW,Audi,Skoda,Ford and haven't increased the size of their fleet so wait times get longer and longer.

shayser

Santa Claus wrote:

RAC are pulling out of Ireland within the next few months (They're selling their driving school to Hibernian who are going to use it as part of their ignition programme).
The AA were good but over the past few years they've taken on major distributor contracts such as VW,Audi,Skoda,Ford and haven't increased the size of their fleet so wait times get longer and longer.

So the Audi Assistance offered here for new Audis would be carried out be the AA? Contacts are Skoda: 1800 202102, VW: 202103, Audi: 202104. Can't find Ford's, but would assume it's in the sequence somewhere.

Was wondering whether to renew or not, getting a new VW. You've answered that question, Santa!

Santa Claus

shayser wrote:

So the Audi Assistance offered here for new Audis would be carried out be the AA? Contacts are Skoda: 1800 202102, VW: 202103, Audi: 202104. Can't find Ford's, but would assume it's in the sequence somewhere.

Was wondering whether to renew or not, getting a new VW. You've answered that question, Santa!

Audi assist goes through to AA who answer it as Audi assist. Only reason to keep personal AA cover if you buy a new VW/Audi/etc is if you drive other cars regularly as with the distributor deals you're only covered on that particular car (well actually anyone is covered on that car) whereas with personal AA membership you'd covered in any car !

Also I know Audi/VW/Skoda have tightened up on what the AA can go out to so things like punctures, keys lock in car etc aren't covered under Audi assist.

Marcus.Aurelius

Have always driven japanese cars. In 11 years I've been home, and never a breakdown. Wouldn't touch a euro car, would need both the AA and the RAC!