AA customers urged to check bank accounts as thousands overcharged for cover

THE AA has urged thousands of customers to check their bank accounts after an error left drivers out of pocket for their breakdown cover.

Around 6,500 motorists received an email to say they were charged more than what they were quoted for breakdown cover renewal, according to the Daily Mail.

The AA says it has refunded affected customers after a coding error led to some being overcharged for their breakdown coverCredit: Alamy Live News

The AA said it is refunding those affected, and the cash could take six to 10 working days to appear back in customers’ bank accounts.

An AA spokesperson said: “We are aware that a coding error led to some customers being charged incorrect amounts.

“We have apologised and made refunds and no further action is required.”

Martin Lewis urged drivers last month to check out cheaper car insurance deals, even if they’re mid way through a policy, to potentially knock hundreds of pounds off their bill.

Writing in MoneySavingExpert’s weekly newsletter, the finances guru urged Brits to start hunting 20 to 26 days before your policy is up for renewal to get the cheapest price.

But with industry experts warning that drivers could have to stump up £75 a year more for insurance, Martin urged everyone to shop around, even if they’re mid way through a policy.

He said even if you’re midway through a policy, you can usually cancel it and get a refund for the rest of the year.

You might have to pay an admin fee for the cancellation, which could cost around £50, and you should factor this into what you could potentially be saving.

Ways to cut down on your fuel costs

IF you’re still driving during the pandemic, here are some tips on how you can slash the cost of fuel.

Make your car more fuel-efficient. You can do this by keeping your tyres inflated, taking the roof rack off, emptying your car of clutter and turning off your air con when driving at lower speeds.
Find the cheapest fuel prices. PetrolPrices.com and Confused.com allows you to search prices of UK petrol stations. All you need to do is enter in your postcode and tell it how far you want to travel (up to 20 miles).
Drive more efficiently. Some ways to do this, include:

Accelerate gradually without over-revving
Always drive on the highest possible gear
If you can, allow your car to slow down naturally as your brake is a money burner
Re-starting your car is expensive, if you can keep moving

You’ll only be able to cancel your existing policy as long as you’ve not claimed, he said.

You could also save on your car insurance through other ways too, such as applying for a refund due to coronavirus.

Lockdown measures have ground travel to a halt as Brits were told to stay at home until March.

We’ve outlined which car insurers including Admiral and Direct Line offered refunds in previous lockdowns and explain how you can try to get a refund for this one.

The cost of filling up has jumped by £2 as petrol retailers pass on the rising cost of crude oil to customers and add on extra in a “lockdown mark-up”, the AA has said.

And BP customers could benefit from a receipt glitch which wrongly told customers they had won reward points worth £2,000.

Here’s how to change the address on your driving licence.

UK weather forecast forThursday 4th February – Warnings for snow and rain

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk