AA "Car Genie"

daibevan

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Its that time of year when I play the AA & RAC off against each other for my breakdown cover. The AA have offered me a "free" car genie if I renew. Does anyone know anything about these? I feel it's a bit of a con, It costs £29 a year to stay connected, and to me it seems like a very basic reader designed to reduce callouts by people who don't look after their cars, but would not give you enough data to be of any real use, though the trip data might be ok to have. I'm probably going to use declining the free genie to help get a lower price.
What do you guys think?
 
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daibevan

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Do you not have breakdown with your bank account??
No, I've moved away from inclusive bank accounts after my so called holiday insurance with Halifax refused to pay out following a theft several years ago. Also the breakdown was with Green Flag and they don't do cars over 10 years old. And now I've retired I don't have enough monthly income for a lot of these accounts.
 

Rory

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Its that time of year when I play the AA & RAC off against each other for my breakdown cover.

Can i ask if you've had much price movement from the AA?

Mine's just coming up for renewal - I think I've got the works, inc repair cover, but was a bit taken aback by the renewal premium of £360.


I think the Mercedes Me adapter is the same sort of thing as the AA Genie - it's free but MB don't list W203 as being compatible.
 

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I change every year and go via topcashback as you get a fair chunk of the premium paid back to you after 4-6 months of having the policy. No point in loyalty when you don't get any financial benefit for it.
 

JBell

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I change every year and go via topcashback as you get a fair chunk of the premium paid back to you after 4-6 months of having the policy. No point in loyalty when you don't get any financial benefit for it.

I did the same through Quidco, got £100 back on an RAC policy costing £180
 

EmilysDad

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....

Mine's just coming up for renewal - I think I've got the works, inc repair cover, but was a bit taken aback by the renewal premium of £360.....

That's a lot. IIRC mine was around £130 last year (due very soon) & that's with the Caravan Club's May Day (Green Flag) but it covers my caravan breaking down too & not just the car like most .... including Mercedes' Mobilo ... personal cover & a chauffeur in case I can't drive
 

LostKiwi

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Not if you do it yourself, nor if you have the older car service.
I think you mean 'Value Service'.
I priced up getting my 129 serviced and if it had been serviced by the dealer they said it would have Mobilo cover (at 25 years of age).
 
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daibevan

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Can i ask if you've had much price movement from the AA?

Mine's just coming up for renewal - I think I've got the works, inc repair cover, but was a bit taken aback by the renewal premium of £360.


I think the Mercedes Me adapter is the same sort of thing as the AA Genie - it's free but MB don't list W203 as being compatible.

Whichever company I'm with I get a joining/rejoining quote from the other one & then get back to the first. They almost always give you a much better deal than their first quote. Last time I stayed with the AA as they got within £2 of RAC, but also gave me a really good deal on my car insurance as I was renewing both. In fact I did my house insurance with them as well. Usually I alternate from one to the other.
 
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daibevan

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I think you mean 'Value Service'.
I priced up getting my 129 serviced and if it had been serviced by the dealer they said it would have Mobilo cover (at 25 years of age).
Did you get it done, or was it still better to do it yourself? Does mobilo give you homestart, onward journey etc?
 

LostKiwi

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Did you get it done, or was it still better to do it yourself? Does mobilo give you homestart, onward journey etc?
It was over £300 so much cheaper to do myself, especially as I have breakdown cover through my bank account and SWMBO sourced another breakdown cover for herself that covers me too.

Plugs for example are £26 a set (of 8), oil is £60 tops, filters £80 tops. Its no chore to do the 129 either.
 
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daibevan

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It was over £300 so much cheaper to do myself, especially as I have breakdown cover through my bank account and SWMBO sourced another breakdown cover for herself that covers me too.

Plugs for example are £26 a set (of 8), oil is £60 tops, filters £80 tops. Its no chore to do the 129 either.
£300+ Cough cough, I just bought an air filter & oil filter in ECP sale for £14 for both. And I like to service the car myself anyway. :)
 
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daibevan

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Oh, far, far worse than that.

I got one last week - the AA (existing member) offered me a freebie, so I thought why not.

It drained my battery to the point of absolutely nothing electrical working in about 12 hours.
I had already decided not to get one, now I definitely wont. Thanks for the advice.
 

Mike2018

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Ironically, it alerted me to the "failing" battery earlier in the day.

I'd plugged it in, and installed the app, and done a short trip - while I was parked I checked the app and it was as if I hadn't done any driving at all. Ditto when I got back home, so my position was "*&$£@#* thing - doesn't work", so when I idly checked the app again a few hours later I disregarded the warning as more "not working", as the car itself had never flagged any battery problems. :(

Next day we were going out so as she was downstairs and I was up, I asked my wife to go and open the car windows while I shut the house ones. Next thing, "Neither of our keys work" Uh-oh. Used the blade to get in, key in the ignition, turn it - zilch. Instrument panel totally black.

I didn't check the voltage before putting it on charge, so I don't know how low it had got, and after a few hours with it on charge I did go and check, and it was about 11.8, so I thought I'd give it a whirl, and the car started. The clock had stopped at 02:00, which is how I got my "about 12 hours".
 
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daibevan

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Have you contacted them, put it in the bin, listed it on ebay? Sounds like a piece of tat.
 
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