tipper wrote:agree Psyb, my last car was insured with RAA, but when i got a quote for this one they were pretty much double what others were! i checked in person and online in case it was a keying error when entering the details, but no.
i actually just took it as a sign that they werent interested in insuring the type of car we bought, so deliberately priced themselves out of the market, our previous vehicle certainly wasnt that far above other companies.
Sadly, one can also buy satnav gear and luggage elsewhere much more cheaply than the discounted member's prices at the RAA shop. That why I haven't yet checked out their travel department - I expect more of the same, and the advertisements they send out tend to confirm my suspicion.
Emergency service for car breakdowns has also got slower responding than it used to be, and car manufacturer roadside service deals are starting to look more attractive. It is sad from my perspective as someone who has been an RAA member for over 45 years. The trend the RACV took seems to be coming through - becoming more like trade unions - an organisation more focussed on business and profit,s and pushing a socio-political agenda to obtain government good will, than an organisation to represent the best interests of the members.
Insurance companies do sometimes choose to price themselves out of some markets. When I had an Alfa SGIC were by far the best deal, but when I traded it on in a Maserati they were double the quote I accepted from elsewhere. The problem is now there are only a few major insurers and they often own several of the allegedly competing well known names. So insurance is getting a bit like the Coles/Woolworths duopoly in the grocery and petrol supply business.