The AA (motoring) have very recently changed their 0800 Breakdown number to Mobiles only should use 0844 I have posted elsewhere on this site regarding my email to them and my leaving the AA and out of curiosity would ask a Tech on here what is the price differance - I am on Orange Pay and G and normal geo numbers cost me 16pp min. ( It is only used for Emergency Breakdown therefore not on monthly type Tarif) e.g Classic Car in middle or nowhere scenario 

This will be used as additional amunition if I ever get a proper reply other than the Out of Office already received
Any Tech help appreciated.

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speedy wrote on Sep 19^th, 2011 at 2:21am:

Thanks to jamesbond for providing the link to the AA contact page which gives the 0844 number intended for "from mobile phones". This number is listed in our database and I believe has been for a while and has therefore been in existance for a while.

The AA breakdown number is 0800 887766 and it used to have a counterpart for calling from mobile phones: 0845 7 887766, which of course used to be 0345 887766 (when 0345 numbers existed previously).

It would appear that the 0845 number has simply been replaced with 0844 873 0087.

The 0800 and 0121 numbers remain (according to the contact page). I am not so sure that this is the big news it might have at first appeared to have been having read speedy's postings.

Sure, it is a ploy by the AA to charge customers an additional fee for callouts. The provision of an 0844 number for mobile callers:-

1. is a very inefficient method of charging customers. The company benefits around 5 pence per minute, and the majority of call charges go to callers' own mobile providers (up to 36 pence per minute).

2. is another charge which they may well feel agrieved at, having already paid for their policies.

speedy wrote on Sep 19^th, 2011 at 2:21am:

speedy, Orange publishes its Pay as you Go Price Guide here:

http://www.orange.co.uk/payasyougoguide


No current pay as you go plan charges 16 pence per minute (only 12 pence per minute and 25 pence per minute). Page 18 (page 10 of the PDF) gives the rate of 0844 calls as 40 pence per minute.

Thanks Dave for your link to orange - when I got my original Brick in 93 the only tarif was 25p pmin and I was still on that until I bought my Son a Pay & G for AA Breakdown Nov.09 for my peace of mind - I put him on Orange and was told the cheapest call tarif was Racoon then 16p pmin. So changed mine to same - I didnt know any different until your link - Much Thanks    - does that mean that I will only be charged 12p pmin automatically or have I got to make sure it is charged at that - as you can see I dont use it normally - havent tried the camera yet  couldnt text to save my life 

Anyway I have already jumped ship to RAC at £108 per anum fixed for 2years  for same options as AA at £201 because of AA Breakdown from Mobiles 0844
Has anypne got an alternative 01 for RAC 0800 Breakdpwn ?

According to AA reviews it is rapidly going downhill - they are now short of 3000 Patrolmen after they made them Redundant couple years ago

speedy wrote on Sep 19^th, 2011 at 11:37pm:

A guess is that you will have to ask to be transferred to the current offering.

The PDF guide I gave you a link to says to call 343 "to choose Racoon". Other tariffs say you have to call 343, so perhaps it goes to an automated menu.

If you're already on it, then in practice it shouldn't make any difference. If you're not, then you will be moved onto it.


speedy wrote on Sep 19^th, 2011 at 11:37pm:

We did have one.

However, there is a way around the premium charge with mobile services when ringing any "freephone" number. There are a number of services in existance that give you a 01/02/03 number which you ring, and when answered it prompts for the destination 0800/0808/0500 number.

For example, 020 0222 0900. Dial the number and press the green phone off the hook button (or its equivalent on your phone). Once it answers, it will ask you to input the destination number. Enter 0800828282 but do not press the green off hook button again (as that will initiate a second call to the 0800 number which is what you're trying to avoid).


speedy wrote on Sep 19^th, 2011 at 11:37pm:

I'm not sure how we can know which service is back by the best infrastructure. I think that the answer is we're not - if only we could!


sherbert wrote on Sep 20^th, 2011 at 9:49am:

In my experience, most providers (including RAC and AA) offer policies that cover the person (in any vehicle) or the vehicle (with any driver).

sherbert wrote on Sep 20^th, 2011 at 1:31pm:

Indeed they are. These terms govern vehicle based cover. They do not give rise to the exclusion of the existance of personal based cover.

I have a Pay As You Go Breakdown Service. Road To Recovery www.rtruk.co.uk

Research suggests that an average motorist uses a breakdown service one every 6 years. The call out fee for RTR is £30, this covers any driver in any vehicle with no restrictions. The average recovery charge is £250 but I have never been recovered in the 34 years that I have been driving, and at one time I was averaging 75,000 miles a year.

Most people need recovery for peace of mind and rarely use it.

With reference to my posts in "Hall of Shame" (page 11 #156 and #162) I will not be renewing my AA Roadside Assistance membership when it falls due for renewal next March.