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AA: Breakdown Cover reviews

Name: Breakdown Cover
Rating: 2.98 (196 reviews)

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2.51

Based on 196 reviews, last reviewed 13th Feb 2025

100% increase in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

50% increase in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

36%

16%

43%

Latest highest rating:

5

I cannot thank AA Roadside Assistance enough for the... I cannot thank AA Roadside Assistance enough for their exceptional service during my recent breakdown. Driving from Devon to London early on a Saturda... Read more Reviewed on: 17th December 2024

Latest lowest rating:

1

Nightmare to cancel Service was good when I needed, however, the price increased a lot and I have an offer for a half price with RAC. Trying to cancel it has been a night... Read more Reviewed on: 13th February 2025

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About this product

Like many drivers, breaking down is not something we want to think about! But when it happens, You'll be thankful that you're with a good breakdown cover provider. That's were our AA breakdown cover reviews come in. You can read and write YOUR AA Breakdown cover reviews. We started Smart Money People to help drivers like you to find the best breakdown cover based on our honest reviews. Together, we can make financial services work better for everyone.

AA Breakdown Cover reviews (196)

Review of the AA, Breakdown Cover:

Unfit for purpose. No regard for their customers.

Last year a major accident left my wife and I stranded in the middle of a motorway in a storm. I've always had the AA's highest level of cover as I drive a lot and worry about this exact situation occurring. I followed the AA Accident Assist advice and as soon as I'd rung the police I rang the AA. Standing on the hard shoulder shivering in the pouring rain, I listened to phone ring for over an hour. The AA never even picked up. They've clearly cut all their phone operators because they've got a fancy app, but when you're on a motorway with no data signal, and it's raining so hard your phone's touchscreen stops working it's useless. This attempt at economy puts the lives of their members at risk. My car was eventually recovered by the highways agency and when it became clear that the AA were never coming, the police took pity on us and dropped us off at the nearest service station, leaving us to find our own way home at 3am. Unfortunately, the atrocious service did not end there. When I rang to complain I was accused of wasting the AA's time and they attempted to coerce me into the not making a complaint. Then another operator told me that I couldn't make a complaint because I tried to gaslight me into thinking that I didn't have the cover that I'd paid for. That took an hour of being bounced around random departments until they finally decided to believe me. Once I'd finally lodged a complaint and waiting the required 8 weeks, I was told that the AA actually had no responsibility to attend my accident, despite having AA Accident Assist cover with all the addons. No one had answered the phone because of the bad weather and all their call handlers were busy. If only there were some way to predict the weather and adjust staffing to compensate? I was told that because the Highways Agency had recovered the car, the AA were under no obligation to do anything, despite having onward travel and hire car as part of my membership. I guess I should have asked the police to leave the M4 closed for a few more hours to give the AA time to arrive? They could also (conveniently) find no record of my phonecalls where I was advised not to make a complaint and where I was accused of having the incorrect cover. I'm sure that was just a coincidence though. I was offered compensation of £150 (a tiny fraction of my annual membership fee) which took another 8 weeks and several emails before they eventually paid. After this ordeal, my trust in the AA has been irrevocably broken. It's clear the company will do anything possible to shirk their responsibilities to their customers and as such I will never use any AA service again, and I will advise everyone else I speak to do the same. The company is not fit for purpose. Reviewed on: 18th March 2024

Great insurers

Trustworthy, prompt and reliable. Reviewed on: 25th August 2020

Used for years

We have been using The AA for a number of years, always there in our hour of need and staff very good, not had any problems Reviewed on: 13th July 2020

Really good

great service great value - would recommend to anyone Reviewed on: 12th July 2020

Pricey but worth it

Bit expensive compared to other companies, but always quick to arrive and able to fix the issue. Reviewed on: 10th July 2020

Very Good response time

I once broke down to a battery in my car breaking , AA were quick to get out to me (less than 30 mins) and were very helpful and replaced my battery for me, I Only had to pay for the battery. And they gave me nearly a month to pay for it or I could pay for it in chunks. I loved my time with AA. I'm no longer with them now as my new car insurance doesn't have a deal with them. Reviewed on: 9th July 2020

Excellent

Excellent quick service amazing company Reviewed on: 5th July 2020

Excellentservice

I recently had to call.out the AA several times and every time they were patient, friendly and professional. Reviewed on: 2nd July 2020

Very good.

Car broke down and they arrived super quickly to fix the problem. It was all covered and they were lovely. Reviewed on: 12th May 2020

Quick

quick to come and save me when i broke down Reviewed on: 2nd May 2020

Driver took advantage of vulerable woman and kids to upsell

AA driver attended a breakdown of my wife's electric car on a cold January day. The Wife, two kids aged 7 and 4 and elderly mother-in-law were in the car. The AA engineer turned up (late) then said he didn't know how to fix or move a broken-down electric car. He went on to tell my wife that she HAD to buy an overpriced Relay upgrade otherwise she would be stuck by the roadside indefinitely. He then gave her the office number and a reference to quote when ordering the upgrade (presumably so he got his commission) and left her there. My wife did not like being bullied like this, but the children were cold and hungry so she relented. I re-assured her that we would likely be able to reclaim the costs via a complaint. The relay call was attended by a different engineer who got the car moving within 60 seconds of arriving (the problem was just a discharged 12V battery) and was baffled at why the earlier engineer did not know how to fix it. According to him, ALL AA engineers are trained on starting electric vehicles. It seems that some of them are also trained on taking advantage of the vulnerable to earn commission on membership upgrades. When I raised a complaint to the head office, the driver's conduct was justified on account of "small print" in the membership contract, doubling down on his reprehensible behaviour. The message this sent to me is that this engineer was not a one off, but rather mistreatment of Customers for financial gain is systemic at the AA - to the point where they actually write in special contract terms to enable and protect it. I urge anyone considering breakdown cover to avoid the AA like the plague and go with one of the many, many other options out there. Their well-known brand is not an assurance of quality but a screen they hide behind to exploit their Customers. AVOID AVOID AVOID!!! Reviewed on: 21st March 2020

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