AA Home Emergency Response insurance

[MM]

It is nearly time that my 6 month's free trial to the AA Home Emergency Response scheme expires and I have received a letter, inviting me to pay £83.88.

When I agreed to sign up for the free trial I had no intention of prolonging it, but, as the salesman on the phone said at the time (he was selling me car insurance), it's free, innit!

Anyway, now I read the T&C in more detail and I still don't think I need it. Here's what it says in part:

AA Home Emergency Response can cover you against these common home emergencies:

- An uncontrollable leak from a burst pipe or water tank

- Blocked or collapsed drains

- Suddenly having no usable toilet in your home

- Losing power supply to the whole of your home

- Being locked out due to stolen, lost or broken keys

- Broken windows or door locks which make your home unsecure (accidental damage to windows not covered)

- Sudden roof damage that presents a flood risk

- Wasp or hornet nest within or attached to your home

Some of the above should be easily surmountable. Toilet: Use public lavs; Locked out: Leave key(s) with neighbour; Wasps: Get local pest control officer.

What is the general opinion of these insurance policies? I have three weeks to decide whether to cancel before paying them any money.

MM

[charles]

our nearest public lavs are 7 miles away. Our council hasn't had a pest control officer for years.

[Moonraker]

All you need is to remember that these people are i business, therefore they need to make a profit!

[Adrian C]

Cancel PDQ.

A mate of mine was stung on a 'inside Gas pipe failure' cover offered free for a period with automatic renewal which he unfortuntely failed to stop. These selling scams should be made illegal IMO.

Why not put that £83.88 yearly in a large sock, under the floorboards. Use coins rather than notes, for the latter tend to go out of circulation or the rats will eat them...

[Another Dave]

If you gave them a credit card number, you've probably given them a "continuous payment authority":

immediately or you'll be on a treadmill to get them off your back. Remember The AA is a profit-making PLC not an automobile association.

If you shop at Tesco you can use the points to buy cover from the RAC (not a royal automobile club but a PLC). This way you don't part with your credit/debit card details.

Another Dave

[Owain]

*can* cover you - not *will*?

Most leaks are controllable. You turn the stopcock off.

Collapsed underground drains might be covered by your building insurance or be the responsibility of the water co anyway

Pop next door. If you're too rural to have a next door, crap in the woods.

That would be the electricity co responsibility anyway

I've been locked out due to a broken *lock*, which wouldn't be covered. Leave a spare key with a neighbour or a in keysafe.

Nail window shut.

I'm sure it would be idea

covered by house insurance anyway

covered by house insurance anyway

Depends where you are, council may treat for free or at below commercial cost.

I think you get the drift...

Owain

[MM]

Yeah, I wondered, too, about that wording.

MM

[MM]

Yeah, I think you and I are holding the same hymn sheet! ;)

MM

[Dave Liquorice]

This is insurance speak weasel words, what do you expect? They can't use "will" otherwise any exclusions (even sensible ones) would be null and void.

Agreed, check the rules on drains as they have or about to change and the water co's taking on a lot more responsibilty.

No woods near here to crap in... But yes a spade and hole will do. But what is going to take a loo out of use for a long period of time short of actually breaking the pan? A bucket or two of water poured down will cure most blockages, broken cistern/siphon does stop the loo being used flush with bucket.

I get the impression this insurance is aimed at the section of the population who can't fend for themselves above putting a pre-cooked meal in the microwave.

Do they cough up for freezer contents? Though they are probably covered by contents insurance anyway. That's about the only thing I can think of in a normal domestic home that is going to cost anything if the power goes. Or are they going to covere the cost of candles/batteries used, gas in camping stove etc. Mind you see above about the possible target group, they won't have any backups in place so would this insurance pay for the take aways?

If it covers replacement of all locks if you keys are stolen that stands a chnace of being worth while. We have five external doors with mortice locks some also have cylinder locks. There wouldn't be much change from a few hundred quid replacing that lot. But I only carry keys for one or two of them... and have never had keeys lost or stolen and I have a tag thingy on them so (in theory) if lost they might come back to me anyway.

As others have said insurance companies have to make profits for their shareholders. Bung the =A3160/year into a savings account and "self insure".

[Alan]

In message , Dave Liquorice wrote

Wouldn't normal household insurance cover this anyway? The last thing you want is being double insured for the same thing and both insurance companies claiming that the "other" insurance should pay.

[MM]

Never. I was just asking, like. Anyway, I've now cancelled it before the first payment was due in April. I was going to do it anyway, but I thought I'd just check here in case someone said it's a wonderful thing to have and a snip at £83.

Of course, I had to listen to another hard sell from the AA during the cancellation call, but I expect they just have to do what head office tells them.

MM

[js.b1]

It seems to be a broader version of the Homeserve offer.

I believe all only provide an emergency fix.

- They will stop a leak... but you then need a plumber in to fix the pipework, water damage etc properly.

- They will open a locked door... but you may need someone in to replace the lock.

- They will stop water coming in through a roof... but you then need someone in to remove the tarpaulin & do a proper repair.

So following this crowd are the plumbers, in front of this crowd is your own house insurance - check what it covers carefully. Why pay twice?

It is possible the AA is underwriting the insurance themselves, using the float from doing so to fund offshore tax beneficial leaseback of vehicles (probably financed by Tyco), so reducing costs far below that of mere depreciation. Alternatively the AA is merely receiving commission for a service provided by someone else (even local traders), with perhaps a lifetime value bonus for not just getting sign-up but non-cancels.

[Brian Gaff]

A lot of councils refer people to commercial pest control companies these days, at least here in London. Brian

[tim....]

I assumed he meant a private one.

One call out isn't going to cost 80 quid and it isn't likely to be a yearly event

tim

[Part Timer]

I would disagree with you there. The tin of old coins here is worth the metal, and old notes can be exchanged at the BoE at face value. Inflation won't help with either strategy though.

[charles]

are you sure?

[Snip]

[ARWadsworth]

That would depend on how far you travel. I do have breakdown cover as I can often be over 100 miles or more away from home. That cover is a guaranteed way for me and my tools to get home with the least hassle. ISTR that if you breakdown on a motorway you only have so long (possibly an hour) to get the car removed before the police arrange for the car to be towed the car and bill you £150. I really would not like to start ringing around garages for a tow at 1am on the M1 near Watford.

[ARWadsworth]

And with copper prices these days

[MM]

No, I did actually mean the council's pest control officer.

MM

[djc]

Old 'copper' coinage is worth more than its face value.

and old notes can be exchanged at the BoE at face value.