Do u still get an AA magazine or even a handbook?

I haven't had a magazine for over a year IIRC. The handbook used to be available for members to pick up from AA stations, but those seem to dissappear at about the same time they stopped supplying the book. Well over 10 years ago. Again IIRC. Mike.

AA 'members' are no longer members, that stopped a few years back. The then members were compensated by a payout. It's slightly misleading when the AA still speaks about "joining the AA" in their advertising. You are now subscribing to a recovery service, that's all.

Now you mention it I do seem to recall getting a small payout many years ago. Mike.

I didn't get the payout. I was a member, but didn't pay renewal in time. AA was very strict about it, so I lost out.

I'm not allowed to forget. :-) SWMBO is quite happy to drive anywhere in the country as long as she has a mobile phone and AA 'membership'. Take it away and I think she would leave her car at home, rather than drive without it. I've only used them once since 1978, When the starter went on My auto SD1 Vitesse. She gets them out just to change a wheel!. One thing about them that does annoy me though, is them asking for payment about three months before before the year ends. Mike.

Especially the line "You're the member, not the car"

I've used recovery loads of times! If they priced breakdown cover in the same way as normal insurance, I'd be paying fortunes :-)

I do that with the motability car... but then that's why we pay £140 a month for it.

Ditto, but I stress none of the recoveries were associated with poor maintenance [1] and none were repairable by the roadside [2] - things like a broken alternator bracket on a Disco, collapsed clutch bearing on a Carlton, fractured fuel line from the tank on a LandCruiser...

[1] The alternator belt on the Hilux Surf; I knew it was squealing but I had no idea it was supposed to be a twin belt :-( [2] Fiat 126 fuel pump - fixable if you had the part!

This form of subscription is available with the other companies too, it just happens to be default with the AA.

Not if you are not a member of the Association...

Mine have been for a whole host of things, and I can't remember them all off the top of my head, but if it's been possible to get home with something like a slightly broken headlight, taking extra special care (and not dangerous risks like driving without lights), I'd much rather do that than wait for breakdown. Likewise with running out of fuel (mostly my stupid fault, chancing it that bit too much) - I'd rather get the rope out, and beckon a kind-hearted driver into giving me a tow to the nearest petrol station (there's never been one too far away) than wait for breakdown to come. Usually with the reward of a fiver's worth of fuel in their tank for their troubles. Last time, the bloke said "don't worry about it", so I wasn't going to force the issue. :-)

I've just opened a Jet fuel-card account (anyone can), and one of the extras they offer is a years total AA cover* for £59 per vehicle. Being as I paid about £90 last year to just get roadside assistance/relay cover I think it's a bit of a bargain and I'll be considering it carefully when my personal membership expires.

There are of course some catches though: 1) the car is the member not you - fine if you're keeping it for a while anyway because it covers any driver b) you're only allowed one call out per vehicle per year - though if you register multiple vehicles you can have that many call outs in total regardless of which vehicle it is which keeps breaking down.

• Home start, roadside assistance, relay and relay+

Darren

Forgot also the time when the autobox failed on the Elf, leaving me with only reverse :-( I was only two miles from home, but I wasn't going to reverse it all the way back!