Following on from the tools carried thread, it seems many of us didn't have breakdown cover years ago, maybe a combination of cost and the probable ability to fix most likely scenarios at the roadside, or other reason?
Does everyone get full recovery to home or garage of choice, or go for the cheapest (or free with insurance/bank account/other perk) which may only cover roadside and recovery to nearest garage?
Does anyone not bother with any sort of breakdown cover?
I have full recovery to home or garage of choice including accident recovery (not sure all cover this), but not cover at my home.
|
Fully Monty for me.
Used 'at home' when I flattened the battery of the CC3 and used recovery when I had the puncture in the Midlands.
At around £75 a year, it's money well spent.
|
Full monty for our car (hers).
It meant that if she was out with the children without me and it stopped she could get help, I used to cycle to work so she had the car.
Didn't bother with home start until she went back to work because if it didn't start you stayed in or in an emergency you got a taxi.
Only used it three times, once in a 1.6 Sierra which had a fuel starvation problem (me driving) and the second when she had a puncture in the 206CC and the AA refused to use the can of sealant Peugeot provide instead of a spare. First time was more memorable - before we got married she called them out when the Moggie would not start - she did not know how to use the starting handle.
|
I use Autoaid - pay and reclaim cover, £38 for the year including spouse in any car. Covers everything - at home, recovery, hotel expenses e.t.c.
Claimed from them a couple of times and normally takes around a week for them to pay up.
Would reccomend!
|
>> I use Autoaid - pay and reclaim cover, £38 for the year including spouse in
>> any car. Covers everything - at home, recovery, hotel expenses e.t.c.
That really is very good value, might well look them up when the time comes, i'm still with Autohome based in Northampton, supporting the local economy etc, but without at home it cost me around £105 IIRC for two cars.
|
Hi G.B.,
Indeed, very cheap. Obviously you have to pay the breakdown company direct out of your own pocket before you claim it back, but had no problems in doing so.
You can choose your own breakdown recovery garage, so supporting the local economy, if you're in the area of course, or call up their 24 hour helpline and they arrange it for you.
www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk
No connection with the company, just a satisfied customer.
|
Thanks SN.
''You can choose your own breakdown recovery garage, so supporting the local economy, if you're in the area of course''
If for example i broke down 100 miles away with something not repairable at the roadside, would they recover me to my own MB indy 10 miles from my house with no bother or would they insist on as local as possible to the breakdown point?
The ability to go the garage of my choice with my older car from anywhere in the country (i doubt my current service would be taken obvious advantage of) is very important to me.
|
I became very familiar with the AA when I had the Espace. At one time I thought I should probably be invited to their Christmas party.
Their Relay system took the car and me to wherever I wanted it taken. Only upside was a significant reduction in my fuel bills for that couple of years.
|
>> I became very familiar with the AA when I had the Espace. At one time
>> I thought I should probably be invited to their Christmas party.
Same here with me and National Breakdown when I had a TVR. I got recovered by the same bloke 3 times in 6 weeks.
|
AA roadside, recovery and Home start for me.. Dad buys it as a Christmas present every year as I drive up and down the M1 a lot with the kids on board. So far he's haggled the renewal price down to £99 every year, it's worth having for the peace of mind.
Used them 3 times so far, twice when the Rover 400's immobiliser downed tools and once when the Escort's temperature gauge sender went haywire halfway down the M1. Brilliant service, the mechanic who attended was returning home to Norwich from a recovery job to Birmingham when his data terminal offered him my job at Lutterworth. He tested everything on the engine, even showed me the hose temperatures with an infra-red thermometer, and concluded the engine was fine but the sender had packed up.
I hope I never need the cover on the Mondeo but it's there just in case.
|
They'll reimburse your costs to recover you to any destination in the U.K. so I believe. I broke down in Reading, live in Willesden N.W. London and got recovered to my trusted indy in Pinner.
Best to check any small print on their website just to be sure though.
|
|
Ah thankyou, i shall indeed peruse their site.
|
From Autoaids site..
''If your car can’t be repaired at the scene of the breakdown, we will arrange and reimburse any reasonable cost of taking the car, you and up to 5 passengers from the place where the car has broken down to any UK destination of your choice.''
Anyone see a get out in that should i break down a hundred miles from home and require my car recovering to my chosen make specialist indy, who is about 10 miles from my home..
I will of course ask them for some written terms and conditions, can't seem to find them on the website, will certainly investigate, thats about 1/3rd of what i'm currently paying.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Wed 16 May 12 at 14:02
|
I broke down in Reading.
I know the feeling. It's usually closer to meltdown for me.
|
The other test is whether, having delivered you and car home in small hours they will accept a second call to recover to dealer. Britannia do and Green Flag used to when I was a member but not all will. >> I broke down in Reading.
|
I had two breakdowns in Reading, knew it was time to move out of the place.... :-)
G.B., I was 40 odd miles from home when all of my engine all decided it wanted to make a break for it and escaped out of a seal at the bottom of the engine.. Called Autoaid and over the phone was told I could be taken anywhere I wanted too on the U.K. mainland. No quibbles in taking me to a garage 42 miles away from breakdown and 8 miles from my home address.
Only thing is they won't take you to your home address after the vehicle has been dropped off at a garage. Is this normal for the big breakdown companies also?
Just remember, it's cheap because you have to pay out of your own pocket at the time of the breakdown for any costs involved and then claim back once you get an invoice through the post.
|
>> Only thing is they won't take you to your home address after the vehicle has
>> been dropped off at a garage. Is this normal for the big breakdown companies also?
I had exactly same message from a Green Flag operator. Went past the garage on way to my house then dropped car off on way back.
|
Seems SN has answered your question and mine Brompton, thanks SN.
Not too bothered about the fact the breakdown won't ferry home after dropping car off at garage or vice versa, i imagine the approximate cost of the taxi in greenies would see job done there...;)
Last time i used Autohome the driver said he couldn't take us home after dropping car off, so as we were equidistant (coo, long word for me) from both we taxi'd it home whilst the car went to the indy....annoying as i thought i knew what the problem was, as it turned out to be, but i didn't have the part with me, spare Voltage Protection Relay sitting in my garage all the time, doh.
Bad luck Autohome i think you might well have lost a long term customer.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Wed 16 May 12 at 14:58
|
>> Seems SN has answered your question and mine Brompton, thanks SN.
>>
My question was a slightly different one which arises when the breakdown/arrival home are outside the garage's trading hours so there's no access to the yard. When the Berlingo's clutch went the other week on the Shrewsbury 'by pass by pass' it was dropped at home by a Shropshire contractor, with me, at around 15:00 on a Saturday. My indy had closed two hours earlier.
I placed a second call with Britannia on Monday morning and a local firm turned up to take it into town. I understand, possibly from an HJ item, that some agencies would regard the job as done once the car was home. Customer would have to pay for the tow in to the dealer.
The other thing I once found is that even if there is off road parking at the garage (we used to have Citroen repair franchise in next village) the recovery agent is very reluctant to drop a car there out of hours. In fact he more or less refused to take mine on a Sunday afternoon even though I was quite happy to instruct such on basis that car was known as mine and I’d be on phone at 07:30 next morning to explain it’s presence.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 16 May 12 at 15:25
|
This is from me fiend in Plymouth (he speaks like wot I does!)
"I think this works like the gas en electrickery - The cover comes from RAC but you're paying a third party who buy at bulk rates - Maureen has had occasion to call em out twice in recent times (her cover is through her barclays Premier A/c) en both times it took the RAC over two hours to attend. The salesman she spoke to outside Trago's t'other day told her that RAC direct customers are given priority??"
(He would say that though wouldn't he)
|
I don't have it on either of my cars. One is nearly 20 years old so probably uncoverable anyway.
I use the same theory as with any insurance product, namely the chances are stacked against you ever getting your money back. Assuming they never pay out any more than they receive in, and probably a lot less after they covered their fixed overheads, expensive advertising, and they ultra cheap deals they give to the manufacturers, the chances of ever coming out on top must be pretty small.
|
>> I use the same theory as with any insurance product, namely the chances are stacked
>> against you ever getting your money back. Assuming they never pay out any more than
>> they receive in, and probably a lot less after they covered their fixed overheads, expensive
>> advertising, and they ultra cheap deals they give to the manufacturers, the chances of ever
>> coming out on top must be pretty small. >>
But it's insurance, not a financial investment package..:-)) Peace of mind.
|
I know this isn't strictly on topic re UK breakdowns but just a word of credit to the AA here. We used to regularly take the wee Westfield abroad and had AA European cover.
One year, 1999 I think, it broke down in Avignon during the first few days of a 3 week touring holiday. It had a few specialist parts and the bottom line is it couldn't be easily fixed.
Anyway, the AA arranged to have it shipped back to a garage of my choice in Scotland and gave us a hired brand new Merc A class to continue our holiday in. We drove around in that, even on down into Spain and back as far as Dover over the following 2.5 weeks. We eventually left the French registered Merc at Dover docks and transferred to a UK hired Renault Clio to complete the journey home.
In the meanwhile, I had called the repair garage near my home to ask them to expect the Westfield. They knew the car and agreed to see what they could do. all the while, the AA kept us informed of the Westie's progress home and kept checking to see if we were ok with the renters they'd organised.
None of this cost me a bean, except of course the repairs to the Westfield when it got home and the initial insurance premium of about £80 I think. Which in the end wasn't too steamy.
I shudder to think what it'd have cost without the insurance. Recovery from the south of France to Scotland and 2.5 weeks car hire...
|
I have recovery to nearest garage only, free with bank account. I don't need anything else, if it won't start at home I can resolve it with just as much competence as the AA man (or not) and if its serious my nearest garage is a 50 quid tow away. Essentially as long as I dont have to pay ransom money to get it of a motorway I don't care.
When I take cars abroad, I pay the full AA 5 star monkey. It takes the stress out of motoring abroad.
|
>> But it's insurance, not a financial investment package..:-)) Peace of mind.
Indeed having been claim free for four years I've had:
Xantia - Massive LHM leak (recovered from home to dealer) and 2 jump starts for a dodgy battery. I'd have got it replaced first time but in a rare error my indy said it was OK.
Berlingo - Recoverd 100 miles home with duffed clutch then towed in on next working day.
So good value I think for around £150 across both cars for any of three drivers comprehensive including foreign for the 'lingo.
|
>>But it's insurance, not a financial investment package..:-)) Peace of mind<<
I have peace of mind - I drive a Mitsubishi and have it serviced at a Mitsubishi dealership.
|
>> I use the same theory as with any insurance product, namely the chances are stacked
>> against you ever getting your money back.
I think that's absolutely right looking at it from a cost perspective; however the reason I still pay for cover on the Audi (out of warranty now) is that if it did break down somewhere I wouldn't necessarily know who to call.
Imagine breaking down at 2 in the morning somewhere on the M5. I wouldn't have a clue who to call, and wouldn't want to mess around googling breakdown services looking for one offering an out of hours service and that could get to us quickly. With a breakdown service one 'phone call sorts it all out - in my mind it's that service I'm paying for as much as the actual recovery.
|
>>I use the same theory as with any insurance product,
So do I. I only insure things that
1. I cannot afford to lose, or
2. where the law requires it, or
3. where there is another benefit.
Therefore:
1. House and contents.
2. Car
3. Peace of mind. Hence AA cover. At 4pm on a snowy Christmas eve if you break down without AA cover then nobody will take you home. The AA however will if you are a member.
|
During the 70s and 80s I survived without breakdown cover. Only ended up stranded and sleeping in the car once.
The last 20 years I have paid for full AA cover but only used that once. (When they misdiagnosed a broken clutch cable as something broken in the gearbox! )
Just about to search out a cheaper option for my renewal.
|
Seems like we have slightly different needs for breakdown, though Humph seems to have got about the best value from his, as usual, if he fell in a bucket of...well you know what i mean..;)
Like some above, not too bothered about home start, but recovery to the garage of my choice is most important.
Bromptons point about out of hours drop off or re-delivery is valid, but not likely to be answered on a company's FAQ page, and phoning them up usually results in being told what you want to hear to get the sale anyway.
Basic nearest garage to breakdown is not what i want either, but then running something as relatively simple and reliable as Mitsi i can see why it suits Z.
There have been times when i've not had cover and always sorted myself out, though with much simpler vehicles, and i'm definately out of pocket on the premiums paid since, arn't we with all insurance, but sods law dictates if i decided to self insure then i'd get a spate of late night motorway recoveries in short order to teach me a lesson.
Trouble is if you do breakdown on a motorway particularly unless you have speedy recovery on the way, the wombles can threaten to get you removed by their tame (except in the billing dept) mates, sorry, contracted recovery service...this is quite often the attitude when trucks break down and the costs involved can be heavy.
Not sure as i'd want to be even slipping a fan belt on a car on a narrow (elevated B'ham section) hard shoulder with traffic hopefully inches from you hidden behind the bonnet.
When i started this thread earlier i wasn't even considering changing breakdown cover, see what happens..:-)
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Wed 16 May 12 at 15:52
|
>>if he fell in a bucket of...
Heh heh !
I did once actually. Called a Renault Espace...
|
I, together with all other company pensioners, have recently had my honorary life cover revoked, The letter says it's now not appropriate. Miserable sods, it's all after being sold out to LV. So, they're saving the cost of a letter, 2 plastic cards, a stamped envelope and an entry on the computer. I rang the office to pay for membership, spoke to me mate Tracey and found all the staff had lost theirs as well ! I rejoined at a discounted cost of £77 which covers one nominated car and any other car/bike being used by me 'n 'er. I nominated my son's car so at least he gets free cover.
I didn't need homestart, being in ' the trade ' , I can cope with a home problem.
They've lost a lot of goodwill over this....but that doesn't bother them, they're only in it for profit ! I'll make my money back during the year, so help me Gawd !
Ted
|
|
Both Beemers are covered under BMW assist packages until Spetember and the Volvo for a fair while longer. The GS is covered under the same scheme and the Kawasaki has Carole Nash cover (which I've had occasion to use once a couple of years ago) - Like Zero I have a comprehensive recovery package from my bank.
|
I was dismayed that daughter's new Golf comes only with 1 yr breakdown coverage. I emailed VW who said they found a lot of people had coverage with Premium bank accounts etc, which is possibly true but it then makes no sense that Touareg and Phaeton come with 3yrs cover. The SEAT that the VW replaced had 5 yrs cover.
My Merc, and the Honda and Mitsubishi in our family, all have the breakdown cover renewed with every service. The Merc's is somewhat limited in scope, but the Honda and Mitsubishi cover looks like the max-coverage pan-European job, which would save you a lot of money if you had to buy such coverage.
It's not something I worry about myself, but I wouldn't want to send wifey or the girls out without some kind of fall-back. Have bough the Auto-Aid coverage in the past, but never needed to call on them.
|
>> new Golf comes only with 1 yr breakdown coverage<<
If I bought a brand new car and it came with breakdown cover I'd be worried...seriously worried.
It hardly inspires confidence in the brand, does it?
Pat
|
>> >> new Golf comes only with 1 yr breakdown coverage<<
>>
>> If I bought a brand new car and it came with breakdown cover I'd be
>> worried...seriously worried.
>>
>> It hardly inspires confidence in the brand, does it?
>>
>> Pat
>>
Pat - I cant think of a new car that does not come with breakdown cover, plus it usually covers other stuff like miss fueling, puncture, locked out of car etc. I know that there will be some who think that everyone should be able to change a wheel at the roadside, but if Mrs B is out with the kids I want her to be able to call someone to do it for her
Ref VW you can extend the breakdown cover at the end of year 1, and it always used to be a very good deal as its the full package including European cover. When we extended it there wasn't any other package that could touch it for the price. Its provided by the RAC
Last edited by: mikeyb on Thu 17 May 12 at 19:59
|
|
Every brand new car comes with breakdown cover.
|
|
I imagine that the breakdown companies usually give it for free and hope that you will start paying when it expires.
|
>> >> new Golf comes only with 1 yr breakdown coverage<<
>>
>> If I bought a brand new car and it came with breakdown cover I'd be
>> worried...seriously worried.
>>
>> It hardly inspires confidence in the brand, does it?
>>
>> Pat
>>
A new car is no less likely to break down that an older, well maintained vehice.
In fact many faults with cars happen in the first few thousand miles, as manufactering defects come to light... Ive known at least one engine to destroy itself before the customer took delivery (cambelt jumped due to a faulty tensioner), and a fair few cars to break down within a week of the customer picking it up.
Just a fact of life that faults can - and do happen in manufacture...
|
I've recovered VWs back to the dealer after breaking down as the new owner drove the car home from the showroom.
In the 80s, the carbs were bonded on the manifold and a pothole used to shake them off !
Ted
|
level of breakdown cover - Iffy
