Anyone recommend AA Insurance or not ?

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#993375 24-Feb-2014 15:15

kingjj:
dacraka: The good thing about AA is that they pay for your taxi ride to and away from their car assessment address.
The bad thing is that they have to use their own chosen car repairer and you can't choose your own!

They are also the cheapest when I was ringing around all the car insurance companies.
When I got repairs done to my car last year (minor bumper damage after backing into a car in a carpark) they let me pick any repairer I wanted (gave me a list or said nominate my own). Picked one off their list, was sorted within a few weeks and that was the end of it. Pretty painless process (except for paying the excess ).

Yea, na - they wouldn't budge on it! They wouldn't let me choose a repairer! They didn't have any loan cars for me either! So annoying!!! Caught the bus instead which was annoying during the rainy winter months!!!!

bonkas

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#993381 24-Feb-2014 15:26

I have been with AA for around 10 years or so also for cars and contents.

Only experience I have had making a claim was a few years ago when my car was involved in a accident.

The car was a late 70's early 80's and as such I was paying for insurance cover for a value of $3,000 when when it came to crunch time this was reduced to $300 (Market Value)

After paying Towing fees ($150) and Excess (I think was around $300) That cost came to around $450 but they were only paying out $300 so I ended up paying $150 to them. Too bad I was too young and dumb to realise this was wrong and didnt question it until it was too late.

I had to fork out for a new car as they would not cover that either.

I have now changed to AMI since that experience.

BTR

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#993424 24-Feb-2014 16:17

IlDuce: Car insurance - haven't made a claim with them, but something to look out for, a "trick" they are doing which caught me and family members living elsewhere out... significantly reducing vehicle cover at renewal and upping cover to premium cover or plus or whatever its called but due to reducing vehicle insured value premiums stay similar so goes unnoticed. Then when calling to correct this they say excess needs to be increased from previously as they changed it on all standard policies.

I have noticed that, car was insure for x amount when I bought it and its slowly dropping in value yet the premiums remain the same with the exception of certain components i.e. ACC. I understand depreciation however if thats the case my premiums should drop with the amount insured.

It should be no different if I wanted to have 100K cover for a 2K car. Thats my choice and I would pay for that choice.

In regards to OP haven't used AA but haven't heard good things about them either but I think thats the case with most insurance companies.

Klipspringer

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#993436 24-Feb-2014 16:30

BTR:
IlDuce: Car insurance - haven't made a claim with them, but something to look out for, a "trick" they are doing which caught me and family members living elsewhere out... significantly reducing vehicle cover at renewal and upping cover to premium cover or plus or whatever its called but due to reducing vehicle insured value premiums stay similar so goes unnoticed. Then when calling to correct this they say excess needs to be increased from previously as they changed it on all standard policies.

I have noticed that, car was insure for x amount when I bought it and its slowly dropping in value yet the premiums remain the same with the exception of certain components i.e. ACC. I understand depreciation however if thats the case my premiums should drop with the amount insured.

It should be no different if I wanted to have 100K cover for a 2K car. Thats my choice and I would pay for that choice.

In regards to OP haven't used AA but haven't heard good things about them either but I think thats the case with most insurance companies.

I keep an eye on this all the time. You have the right to have an "agreed value" on your vehicle. But unfortunately they can change this "agreed value" everytime they renew your policy. Its up to you to supply them with alternative valuations each year if you don't agree with their value.

I have just looked at AMI's terms.

Revaluing your vehicle
1) We may adjust the agreed value each year when you renew your policy, based on our best estimation of the change in the market value of your vehicle. Your vehicle’s new agreed value will be stated in the Policy Schedule.
2) If you are not happy with our valuation you can provide alternative valuations, which we may choose to accept.
3) Paying your premium means that you have accepted the new agreed value.

http://ami.co.nz/Documents/Policy%20documents/AMI%20Vehicle%20Policy.pdf

Quiet cheeky if you ask me. I know that AMI is probably the worst of the lot, plenty of expenses after Christchurch and all. I have been with them for years though so have never thought of changing. I do expect the car to devalue but its kind of silly that you need to double check that they not ripping you off.

JayADee

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#993609 24-Feb-2014 20:20

Elpie: I was with AA Insurance for many years. In that time I had two claims. The first, was for a burglary in Auckland where the theives took almost everything, slashed every painting and photo on the walls, piled what was left in one room and set it alight with a candle. They defecated all over the house and pissed in my appliances. Unfortunately, they used a beeswax candle to set the things alight and it went out - I wished it hadn't. AA would not settle on any contents because I had no receipts - these had been destroyed in the burglary. They did pay for a cleaner to go in to clean the place, leaving me with a fridge that had been crapped in and slashed paintings and photos on the walls. They wouldn't even pay for the motel I had to stay in until the place was finished with by the police and cleaned up. They were within their rights but it was hard to take.

The second claim was the one that had me leave. They say you don't know an insurance company until you have to make a claim and this sure proved to be the case with AA.
My then husband was killed in a car crash in the car we had insured with AA. The claim was initially refused because, despite me stating the driver was deceased, AA insisted the driver needed to sign the claim form. Then they refused on the basis that the inquest had not been held so they could not be certain he had not caused the accident. Then, after the coroner's finding, they refused because a claim must be accepted within a certain period. However, in the meantime, they held onto the wreck and because it was nominally their car they would not release items from inside the car that belonged to us. By the time they did, contents had been stolen and - you guessed it - with no proof they were in the car there was no payout. You can also imagine the state my husband's briefcase was in after being covered in oil, water and blood and left in a hot car over summer. (I did get that back). The claim was accepted after six months and then not paid out. Eventually, I received a bunch of flowers as an apology and the claim was settled around ten months after initially lodging it. Not before several letters from my lawyer though.
I've had one claim with my new insurer - AMI- and this has been a nightmare too. There was no assessors available after the Christchurch quakes and the repair is finally getting done now.
I don't really think other people's experiences with insurance companies are much use actually. So much depends on the type of claim, the timing, and which agent you get on the day. For every negative experience there will be others that have had great experiences. Mine with AA were horrible but then my one claim with AMI hasn't been great either. Both were fantastic to deal with until I needed to claim.

Damn, Elpie!! I'm so sorry, that's horrible.

Ragnor

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#994001 25-Feb-2014 11:33

Made a claim for flooding during the big storms earlier in the year with AA, went smoothly no issues.

muppet

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#994003 25-Feb-2014 11:35

Never had any problems, the few issues we've had to claim on (muppets running into us, 3 bloody times it's happened!) AA have been great in sorting it out. No reason not to recommend.

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allan

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#994209 25-Feb-2014 15:47

Sideface: I've been with AA since 1979 - house, contents, car.
No problems so far - but Ive never made a claim :)

Just to clarify the somewhat involved scenarios around insurers involved with the AA movement - in 1979 you couldn't have been insured with AA Insurance, because it didn't exist as such then. You would either have been with SIMU in the South Island, or AA Mutual Insurance** (previously NIMU until 1972) in the North Island. They were the official AA Insurers, but were never "owned" by the AA. In approximately 1989, these two organisations combined to become AMI and subsequently a number of years later, AMI and the AA movement decided to sever ties with each other and in 1994 the AA launched "AA Insurance", which was initially a joint venture between GIO Australia and the NZAA. Following several changes in ownership, the Australian end of it is now owned by SunCorp.

**Just to confuse the issue, for a brief period prior to the AMI merger, AA Mutual rebranded itself as "AA Insurance", but nothing to do with the current AA Insurance operation.

gundar

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#994262 25-Feb-2014 16:39

Been with AA for a few years, never claimed. Always found them to be friendly and easy to deal with. I like 'agreed value' insurance because I don't own a lot of stuff and find that my contents is usually a lot less than other insurance companies insist.

Recommended, although I've never claimed.

Paulthagerous

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#997646 2-Mar-2014 17:22

Just got back to my car and someone had banged into the side of it. They didn't leave a note so will have to do a claim.

Have called up and got a claim number. Going to see the panel beater first thing tomorrow and go from there.

Will let you guys know how it goes.

Regs

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Snowflake

#997760 2-Mar-2014 20:16

Paulthagerous: Just got back to my car and someone had banged into the side of it. They didn't leave a note so will have to do a claim.

Have called up and got a claim number. Going to see the panel beater first thing tomorrow and go from there.

Will let you guys know how it goes.

Had the same thing happen with AMI. So far so good, looks like we'll pay the excess direct to the panel shop and the rest is taken care of.

mckenndk

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#997832 2-Mar-2014 22:00

I have been with AA on and off since getting my first car 14 years ago.

Were fine with my first two cars even after an accident I was at fault in and involving no one else.

I got a Subaru Impreza (non turbo, mainly for taking skiing) and I made sure with them before I signed the paperwork that I could insure the car with them (I was 23) after signing the paperwork i called them and they said no you are to young to have such a car as it will probably get stolen.

Account manager at the bank said they were happy to go ahead with insurance so they got my service instead (BNZ underwritten by IAG) who I was with for a few years.
I had one claim when I was rear ended at a stop sign and there was no issues.

After getting back from the OE went with AA for my car insurance again and I have had 3 claims since then (actually one a year over the previous 3 years)
1st was a bumper that got broken when I slid on black ice, they let us choose the repairer and worked with my mum to sort the problem as I was over seas while it was being done, all went well.

2nd claim the drivers door was reversed into, thankfully the person that did it came back in the end and fessed up, in Ohakune there is no AA repairers so to save me having to drive to Taupo or Wanganui and pay $25 a day for a rental car while it was being repaired i was able to take it to the Waiouru Panel Beaters who got it done in good time.
3rd claim, a driver reversed into my car in the Turoa Ski area carpark and damaged the front bumper.
Thankfully another person alerted the roading crew and they held them there long enough to get their details off them and I used a non AA repairer even though there was one just down the road as i trusted the other one more.

They make an effort for you to only have to deal with one claim manager throughout the who claim to make things easier.
The things I found you need to make a claim with them and not have to pay an excesses are.
-Person that was driving the other vehicle
-Their address
-Phone Number (I try and get landline and mobile)
-Other Vehicle Make and model
-Number plate (I take a photo of the other car involved)
-Their insurance provider

xlinknz

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#997852 2-Mar-2014 22:12

Regs:
Paulthagerous: Just got back to my car and someone had banged into the side of it. They didn't leave a note so will have to do a claim.

Have called up and got a claim number. Going to see the panel beater first thing tomorrow and go from there.

Will let you guys know how it goes.

Had the same thing happen with AMI. So far so good, looks like we'll pay the excess direct to the panel shop and the rest is taken care of.

I have a minor scrap/dent on the left rear door. Got 5 quotes which range from $320 to $1300 !

What I noticed is that they usually ask if you are insured and then ask what your excess is. Call me cynical but it was becoming obvious to me that they looked to charged as much as they knew they could recover from the insurer above the excess. They seem to assume the car owner didn't care how much it was over the excess...

Only one place didn't ask if i was insured or what my excess was and they were the least, interesting...

mckenndk

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#997853 2-Mar-2014 22:15

I have a minor scrap/dent on the left rear door. Got 5 quotes which range from $320 to $1300 !

What I noticed is that they usually ask if you are insured and then ask what your excess is. Call me cynical but it was becoming obvious to me that they looked to charged as much as they knew they could recover from the insurer above the excess. They seem to assume the car owner didn't care how much it was over the excess...

Only one place didn't ask if i was insured or what my excess was and they were the least, interesting...

yes I always get the feeling of there being a customer quote and an insurance company quote.

sdav

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#997964 3-Mar-2014 09:45

JamesL: I'd been with them for ~10 years and was happy up until a few weeks ago dealing with an inept claims person there, other than that I'd been happy but you always are until you need to make a claim.

Have switched to State now seeing as they (IAG) practically own or underwrite everyone else, wouldn't be surprised if they end up buying AA insurance one day ;)

Ha I had the opposite. Had to make a claim while a State customer and had to deal with the most arrogant claims assessor (and person) I or the panel beater had ever come across. Cancelled all my policies the moment I was eventually paid out.

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