breakdown cover companies - experiences?

[didds]

anyone any thoughts on breakdown cover (or rather the realities of using them) for

Breakdown assist
Action call
Auto Aid
Rescuemycar
Covermybreakdown

didds

[richlist]

My experience with the AA is that they lure you in with a very very low price and then it increases massively for the 2nd year.

Never had to use them cos I wouldn't pay the ridiculous 2nd year premium increase.

Found out that I could get similar cover from Green Flag through my Esure car insurance......never had to use them either, so far.

[ten0rman]

I was with the AA for a long, long time. Until, in fact, I got a bit upset at being charged an exhorbitant rate. I'm now with Green Flag, and note that they are gradually creeping up. Unfortunately renewal time comes at an awkward time.

I've had five breakdowns over something like 55 years of driving, breakdowns that is where I've had to call them out. In three instances, it was an AA man who turned up, whilst in the other two instances it was an independant mechanic who turned up.

I've also discussed various problems with the AA mechanics as and when I've found them. In one instance, the mechanic did indeed put me on the road to finding the problem, a problem, the cure for which was actually staring me in the face but I hadn't the wit to see it at that time. Of course, hindsight is a most marvelous science.

In all probability, over the last four years I've wasted my money as my Toyota has indeed lived up to its reputation for reliability. But on the other hand, as I'm getting older, it's a nice crutch to have to hand.

Of the callout faults I've had, one was intermittent, another only happened with low petrol, a third and fourth were catastrophic in that the two cars were completely disabled, whilst the fifth in all probability would have become disabling being as it was a failing carburettor shut off valve. So in general it's probably been worthwhile albeit expensive.

Never had a breakdown with Green Flag so can't comment on their efforts.

ten0rman

[bungeejumper]

In all probability, over the last four years I've wasted my money as my Toyota has indeed lived up to its reputation for reliability. But on the other hand, as I'm getting older, it's a nice crutch to have to hand.

Well, my subscription to Toyota's recovery service costs me £7 a month, but it also covers me for anywhere in Europe, so that saves me £50-70 a year in continental breakdown assurance. (Although it doesn't come with add-ons like replacement cars or emergency accommodation abroad, which I've only needed once in 33 years of continental driving anyway.)

And the underlying service provider for the Toyota scheme? You guessed it, it's the AA.

Of the callout faults I've had, one was intermittent, another only happened with low petrol, a third and fourth were catastrophic in that the two cars were completely disabled, whilst the fifth in all probability would have become disabling being as it was a failing carburettor shut off valve. So in general it's probably been worthwhile albeit expensive.

Okay, a word in defence of the AA. I've had very few AA callouts over the years with my previous cars, but TBH every one of them would have been worth shelling out £70-80 for on the day when it happened. And that, I think, is the underlying calculation?

The last time was four years ago, when the electronic parking brake on my Passat locked up solid, in heavy rain, with my five year old granddaughter on board. (Granddaughters need frequent pee stops - enough said?) The AA patrolman arrived in 20 minutes, jacked up the car (in the pissing rain, while we sat inside it - he was fine with that), and in 15 minutes we were on our way. As the American Express ads used to say, it was priceless.

Another time, my wife was out in my car when the ignition switch jammed in the second/third position and burned out the battery and part of the starter motor, out on a far distant bypass. (Don't ask.... ) The AA patrolman hot-wired the car, jump-started the car, escorted her to the nearest main dealer, booked the car in and then waited with her until a taxi arrived for her. I was well impressed. Exactly what I'd have wanted for anyone I cared about.

Obviously we might have been lucky, because I know it isn't always that good. But heck, it costs maybe £3.5K a year to run even a modest middle-aged car, and the £75-odd subscription for the extra 'safety belt' doesn't seem so very significant in comparison.

BJ

[Dod101]

On this subject am I the only person driving a newish car without a spare wheel? I had a flat on a somewhat obscure road and called out my Audi Assistance that comes with the car for the first three years. There was no mobile signal but that is another story. The operator established that I had no spare wheel. A guy turned up with a recovery truck in about an hour, put me and my car aboard and took me to my usual tyre supplier about 70 miles away and then me home. Good service and that is the AA in disguise. It is ridiculous not to have a spare though because what could have been a ten minute job took hours and a great big truck.

Dod

[fisher]

I've used Autoaid for years and have had good experiences. Once we had a recovery van drive us 60 miles, another time my wife had them out to change a flat tyre. They use local 3rd party garages. I don't think they are any worse than any other and their prices are very reasonable.

Martin Lewis' moneysavingexpert website recommends them also.

[didds]

FTR those companies listed are the ones that a moneysupermarket check came out cheaper than GEM. We have a family policy with GEM (reclaim) which we are more than happy with but now have a 5th driver in the family and GEM only cover 4 ... so a separate policy needs taking out for the 5th driver (daughter).

I checked having two family policies - but its not cost efficient anyway.

So - its that list or GEM.

didds

[didds]

she currently lives in Austria but doesn't have a car there, so whether ADAC may be a possibility anyway I dunno... I can;t fathom their website as to what is or isn;t suitable ..

didds

[vrdiver]

I used to be with AutoAid. Used them once when I was at a client site and got a puncture but couldn't get the wheel off to change it.

They used to be a bit different from Green Flag / AA in that they have no rescue fleet of their own, but act as an umbrella organisation that will arrange for a local garage to come out to you; you then had to pay the mechanic who turned up and reclaim the cost by filling in a form (a bit like submitting an expenses claim). IIRC reclaim process has now changed and they sort the payments out directly.

Unfortunately (for me) they couldn't include the size of trailer I was towing as part of their cover, which made it inappropriate for my purposes.

Do check the T's & C's for whether it's you, you and spouse, specific car, any car etc. that's covered. Also any limits on towing or height of vehicle (e.g. caravan or motorhome, or boat trailer etc.). My LV= insurance meets my car requirements, whilst I have a specialist cover for a motorhome.

Mrs VRD was with the AA for a while (some years ago) but the cost kept ratcheting up and they had an auto-renew clause which meant she never checked it prior to renewal...

VRD

[richlist]

I'm lucky, I have more than one car.
* My everyday car is almost new so is covered by the manufacturers breakdown cover.
* My 2nd car is 7 years old. I don't usually keep cars that long but it's so bloody good I'm reluctant to change it and it's low mileage. It only does 2-3000 miles a year and that's the one I need breakdown cover for. Both these cars do have spare wheels.
* My third car is used by my wife, almost new so covered by manufacturers warranty but no spare wheel. She only uses it for local trips, never more than 20 miles max. So we decided to buy a spare wheel + jack etc off ebay. We keep the spare wheel in the garage and if she ever gets a puncture I'll drive out and change the wheel for her co she's likely to be local.
* 4th car is in Spain.....car insurance includes breakdown cover in Spain.

Green flag cover in included with Esure insurance..... only for 2nd car and cost less the £30.

[didds]

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[Mike88]

I have had 4 breakdowns in the last 5 years. Of these 3 were in France and Spain and 1 in the UK all handled brilliantly and swiftly by Britannia Rescue. Don't be fooled by thinking newish cars don't break down as the vehicles in question were all under 3 years old.

[quelquod]

I last used the AA when my motorcycle threw its chain Into the hedgerow and I couldn't find it. No problem, but that was around 50 years ago. I've only had a single 'breakdown' since when my Scorpio's fuel cutoff switch tripped on a particularly large bump, just the very occasional puncture, and I've always taken the view that averaging things out its an expensive insurance.

Regarding tyres my present car has no spare and is equipped with run-on-flats. I've not had a puncture yet but I suspect that when it happens I might struggle to find a replacement within the limited run-on-flat range.

[tea42]

I and my wife used Autoaid for about 10 years. About 6 breakdowns between us. Handled brilliantly every time. We had to reclaim the cost which was always paid promptly. You no longer have to do that. I believe its the cheapest UK breakdown service. Why use anything else?

Now with the 'free' breakdown service from our Nationwide Flexplus account. Used once on my 1980 VW Camper - brilliant service from the Britannia Rescue bloke they sent when I broke down in the queue on the single carriageway right opposite Stonehenge

[JohnB]

Brittania Rescue are good and cheap, they send out local garages, but handle the finances. It used to be you needed a government employment connection and be a member of the CSMA (now Boundless), but I don't think that's the case any more

[sg31]

I have Start Rescue, less than £30 with home start and recovery. I've not had to call them out yet but reviews are generally good.

https://www.startrescue.co.uk/breakdown ... gIc2vD_BwE

[swill453]

Not been resident now for some years in the UK, but after a stint working in Germany was a convert to buying European cover from ADAC, which gave reciprocal AA membership for free, way cheaper than buying AA cover direct.

From what I read on campervan facebook groups, ADAC are no longer taking new customers not resident in Germany.

Scott.

[gryffron]

I'm with AutoAid. Dirt cheap. Great for emergencies. Used twice (in c15 years). On both occasions they arrived promptly. But they only do recovery to home. They don't even try to repair. So the level of cover isn't the same as AA/RAC and might not suit business drivers. They cover the driver not the car, so it doesn't matter how many vehicles you own. No surcharge for older vehicles. No auto-billing (not even an option), so you do have to remember to renew it when the reminder arrives. But it doesn't go up every year.

You don't have to pay and reclaim, they dropped that a decade ago.

Gryff