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What Breakdown Cover??

B

B00mer

Car  Cup, Lude & Z
Im thinking of getting some kind of cover on the cup but its something i have never bought. Just wondering what others have chosen and what sort of experiences and prices they have found.

AA? RAC? Greenflag? Think these are the main three.

Did a search couldn't see a thread about this.

Cheers
 
Don't sweat pal, it's french, it wont break down!!

Have a look on Which or Autoexpress, sure they've conducted some tests. I'm with RAC, had them out twice in 5 years, and been spot on. Pay tenner a month for me and missus, covered in any car with homestart.
 
Ring my insurance company Bewiser and you can get RAC homestart + onward travel for £49.50 for the year 0800 954 954 5, it will only cover your car tho ....
 
We're with ADAC, was about 90 quid for the year for me and Lesley for the whole of europe for top level cover, they will even recover you off the ring.
 
Got AA Gold, £68 for the year iirc, euro breakdown cover, a few other benefits. Used to have normal AA and they were always spot on, must have used them at least a couple of times a year when I was rolling around in saxo's.
 
I have it through my bank account.

It may be worth a call to see if it's on offer?

Otherwise I had Green flag before but never needed to use them.
 
HoleInOne said:
I have it through my bank account.

It may be worth a call to see if it's on offer?

Otherwise I had Green flag before but never needed to use them.
Click to expand...

Never considered my bank tbh good call.

Thanks for the reply's guys i shall get comparing i guess :)
 
Other half has Natwest Advantage account. £12 a month and includes Green Flag breakdown which I've used on the 182 when alternator died and she has used when things have failed (or I've messed up!)...worth it with the extras on there as mobile insurance, etc.
 
I'm with the AA paying something like 9quid a month, cannot fault the service at all they've always got me going again within minutes and I haven't waited no more than 30 minutes ad say for them to arrive.
 
AA. Got the works including that thing where they pay the first £500 towards repair costs.

Costs summat like £160 a year but got £70 cashback from some voucher site and you get a free MOT thrown in as well so it doesn't work out too bad.
 
Chip-mk1 said:
We're with ADAC, was about 90 quid for the year for me and Lesley for the whole of europe for top level cover, they will even recover you off the ring.
Click to expand...

Same here, covers you in the UK aswell and they are partnered with the AA, so if u breakdown here that's who come out.
 
I always stay away from the big boys and go with the smaller companies offering cover.

I'd get something like this - http://www.ckinsurance.co.uk/docs/ChrisKnottBreakdown.pdf

My theory, and it has been proved unscientifically by myself, is that the AA/RAC will have you waiting longer as you have to wait for one of their guys to become available whereas the little companies have contracts with a lot of different local recovery companies/garages, who seem to come out quicker.
 
Only problem I found with my bank cover (HSBC advance) is that if you are not within 25miles of your home address they will only recover you to the nearest garage. That's no good for me as I maintain all my own cars
 
Looking at AA £165.70 for the year: Road Side / Home Start / National Recovery / £500 towards garage Repairs & Labour costs

With £75 Cashback = £90
 
jenic said:
I always stay away from the big boys and go with the smaller companies offering cover.

I'd get something like this - http://www.ckinsurance.co.uk/docs/ChrisKnottBreakdown.pdf

My theory, and it has been proved unscientifically by myself, is that the AA/RAC will have you waiting longer as you have to wait for one of their guys to become available whereas the little companies have contracts with a lot of different local recovery companies/garages, who seem to come out quicker.
Click to expand...

This is not true.

I called the AA out on Sunday and they were there within 15mins. If they cannot be there quickly they subcontract out to smaller garages.

AA & RAC have extensive systems which details high electrical and mechanical details on vehicles through their computer system. The little guys don't have such systems. Without them they cannot gain access if you lock your keys in the car for example. The system also has advanced details about common faults and how to fixes etc... which is clearly very useful.
 
ScottyRS said:
This is not true.

I called the AA out on Sunday and they were there within 15mins. If they cannot be there quickly they subcontract out to smaller garages.

AA & RAC have extensive systems which details high electrical and mechanical details on vehicles through their computer system. The little guys don't have such systems. Without them they cannot gain access if you lock your keys in the car for example. The system also has advanced details about common faults and how to fixes etc... which is clearly very useful.
Click to expand...

no joke me and my mate had to wait 4 1/2 hours stuck at a junction because my wheel decided to try and run away on my vts, waiting for the RAC 4 1/2 hours!!!! lol was a long wait, orderd a dominos :)
 
ScottyRS said:
This is not true.

I called the AA out on Sunday and they were there within 15mins. If they cannot be there quickly they subcontract out to smaller garages.

AA & RAC have extensive systems which details high electrical and mechanical details on vehicles through their computer system. The little guys don't have such systems. Without them they cannot gain access if you lock your keys in the car for example. The system also has advanced details about common faults and how to fixes etc... which is clearly very useful.
Click to expand...

My experience is I used to have RAC cover on my work van, they always took over an hour to come out to me. I once had to wait over 2 hours for a guy to come from Newcastle, they aren't willing to sub contract and its understandable why when they have a huge fleet they are paying for regardless.

My own breakdown through a smaller company has been much better, come out within 30 mins everytime, even when I broke down in rush hour, if it does take longer than an hour I get a tenner too, not had to claim that yet.

Can't speak for the AA though. Maybe they are better than the RAC
 
jack_davey said:
Same here, covers you in the UK aswell and they are partnered with the AA, so if u breakdown here that's who come out.
Click to expand...

Yeah it does, although the minor pain is you have to phone a number in germany if you break down I believe.

TBH I get free AA with my bank so would probably just use that in the UK, but if I didnt have it then yes the whole point of ADAC is it covers all of europe, and the prices are brilliant as cars in germany are well maintained and hence dont go wrong very often so adac can afford to offer a better service, lol
 
I've only used RAC, and my experience with them has been faultless.

I've been a member for a few years now. £80 iirc.
 
AA has been brilliant with me other the years. Had my cars towed all over the country at various times. Never have to wait long for a call out either.

One thing to watch, on a couple of occasions the renewal has shot up a bit but some haggling on the phone gets it right back down again.
 
Ive got RAC breakdown cover through tesco. Covers you for any car that you are in and in the one time that i had to use them, couldn't fault the service. I also had cover through my last insurers and again in the one time used them with my old car i couldnt fault the service. Strangely it was the same fault with both cars.
 
I'm with RAC now, found them to be brilliant so far.

Was with AA but the one time I needed them, they proved to be useless so cancelled it after that breakdown.
 
jenic said:
I always stay away from the big boys and go with the smaller companies offering cover.

I'd get something like this - http://www.ckinsurance.co.uk/docs/ChrisKnottBreakdown.pdf

My theory, and it has been proved unscientifically by myself, is that the AA/RAC will have you waiting longer as you have to wait for one of their guys to become available whereas the little companies have contracts with a lot of different local recovery companies/garages, who seem to come out quicker.
Click to expand...

The AA also have contracts with local recovery companies/garages!
 
realnumber 1 said:
The AA also have contracts with local recovery companies/garages!
Click to expand...

Just but they do strongly try and avoid using them as they get charged everytime they use them.

Where as with the smaller firms who only use local garages and have no trucks of their own they dont have any reason to keep you hanging around waiting for one of thier own trucks so just send you straight on your way.

A friend of mine took over 8 hours to get recovered back from donnington to somerset with the AA because they put him on 4 different trucks to keep their costs down by keep punting him from one onto another that happened to be going vaguely in the right direction even though it meant him waiting as long as a couple of hours for the changeover.

Where as with a local garage you are likely to get taken straight there or given a hire car and yours delivered a couple of days later.
 
Chip-mk1 said:
A friend of mine took over 8 hours to get recovered back from donnington to somerset with the AA because they put him on 4 different trucks to keep their costs down by keep punting him from one onto another that happened to be going vaguely in the right direction even though it meant him waiting as long as a couple of hours for the changeover.

Where as with a local garage you are likely to get taken straight there or given a hire car and yours delivered a couple of days later.
Click to expand...

Sometimes thats down to European law. Recovery companies now either have to have tacho fitted and comply with drivers hours etc or operate within a 100km radius of the vehicle base. Most choose to use 100km as its more cost effective. But therefore sometimes they have to swap trucks if they get near the edge of an area. AA have always done this, even before the new laws, thats why its called 'Relay'

Complying with drivers hours means they have to stop for breaks. I know plenty of people who have been towed for 30mins then had to wait while the bloke stops for a 45mins break. cant win really.

The 'myth' about contractor based services being better as they can get to you quicker makes me laugh. So the AA are busy and will make you wait for hours where as the other companies have a garage on every corner with a bloke waiting for your call, just in case? LOL

If the AA/RAC are busy you can bet the agents will be too. and the fact that they are 'local'....... Well AA/RAC use local based patrols, so its the same?

With a Patrol based service (AA/RAC) you are more likely to get fixed at the roadside, (80-85% of the time) with access to more parts and equipment. They turn up in a van not a recovery truck. The downside if you need towing a long distance (Less than 8% of the time) you have to wait for a truck. if its a local-ish tow then the patrol can do it.

HTH
 
Jay, I know the rules on tacho, but in this instance at one point he was heading NORTH just to go and meet a truck that had to go and collect someone from down south so that he could get put onto that empty truck on the way down, which obviously makes commerical sense but then when everything kept getting delayed it was him who ended up kept sitting in services for hours waiting.

The bigger the operation the more chance of getting passed from pillar to post, but also at the same time the bigger they are the more chance of them sorting it all in the end of course, hence im with ADAC and the AA myself.
 
Wasnt having a go mate, just trying to explain how it works in general. Been in the industry over 10 years. Just need to be careful what i say. Social media policy etc
 
Im with the RAC through my Barclays account and cant fault them.Even had a car recovered from Cumbria to Swansea as part of the policy after the timing belt "just snapped " ;)
 
Jay Payne said:
Wasnt having a go mate, just trying to explain how it works in general. Been in the industry over 10 years. Just need to be careful what i say. Social media policy etc
Click to expand...

Yeah its mental what companies will hold you accountable for these days online!
 
I'm with GEM motoring assist, have never had to call them but far far cheaper than the AA £80 for me and my Stepdad covers everything UK (and Europe I believe). Very highly rated too.
 
I don't have it, never have, never needed it, so guess that's £1,000 I've saved in my 10 years of driving for the off chance I do need it.

Cars going to break tomorrow now....
 
Called the AA out today to the wife's Ford cougar. We was very rural but they arrived in 25 mins. Guy was excellent. Turned out it had blown a spark plug out the head! Quite a strip down to get to it but he did it.
He had one in his Van, got it to screw in tight and on we went! Suggested it will need looking at, but it got us going again. Time to locktite a new plug in!
 
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