Car breakdown services - plaudits or brickbats

[Soltydog]

https://www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk been with them for 6+ years.
No need to reclaim the operators fee back, they now pay direct.
Husband & Wife, same address, any car covered £44ish

Whichever way you go, buy through quidco if they offer it

I went with AA last year & got about half of the fee back through Topcashback, it expired last month though & I've not taken anything out as of yet, but the autoaid at £43.31 for a couple seems good value & 12% cashback too

 

[biggs682]

Gosh, you're older than I thought.

He is old in fact he is very very old he remembers Austin 7's

 

[Bromptonaut]

Been with Britannia for last 10 or so years. Very good most times I've needed them but of course they use a contractor to provide the service. Used to be local outfits like, in Northampton, Freeways of Weedon or Westbridge but they've screwed down on price to point that only large outfits with economy of scale can make money. So it's CMG or Mansfield and can be a long wait - over 2 hours when my clutch went close to centre of Northampton 2 years ago.

I could have pushed it to my 'tame' garage in that time.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

[QUOTE 5057910, member: 9609"]i'm with something called AutoAid £39 a year covers any vehicle I'm driving (or may be in?) Needed to use it a few years ago, very ifficient, you phone them, they get someone local to come out then pay for it all. seems good value for money[/QUOTE]
Old resurrection I know, but last year my Autoaid went up from £39 to £41.95, this year it's gone up to £59.99 almost 50% so I'll be looking for a new company.

 

[KneesUp]

I was with the RAC when I had an Alfa Romeo, but they were quite expensive. I now own a Honda, and am with StartRescue, who are much cheaper.

I had the RAC out twice to the Alfa and they fixed it both times (the first time because the fuel line popped off after being disturbed at a service, and the second time because I'd triggered the fuel cut off without realising) They came quickly too. I've never actually used StartRescue.

 

[vickster]

Old resurrection I know, but last year my Autoaid went up from £39 to £41.95, this year it's gone up to £59.99 almost 50% so I'll be looking for a new company.

No idea what they they are like so due diligence required, but there's a Wowcher deal on Emergency Assist for £24 no excess. 'Premium' cover including homestart (cars up to 10 years old). I'm sure it'll go up in year 2 as these deals usually do

 

[toffee]

We have cover for 5 adults in the family through RAC for £120 per year. It's the person not the car insured.

In recent years we have had 3 call outs.

First daughter number 2 got a puncture as she arrived at college. RAC turned up promptly to change the wheel.

Daughter number 1 had the exhaust partially come off the car one winters evening on a country road. Was quoted 4 hours to be rescued. Turned out to be 1 hour when I phoned up to complain about the service. Next time the starter failed, they turned up quickly, got the car going and followed her 20 miles home to make sure she got there safely.

So a mixed bag, generally good

 

[KneesUp]

Do any companies do a "I'm not going to call you for a flat tyre or a flat battery" level of cover? It strikes me that those two things must be the most common reasons to use them, and as I have jump leads and a spare tyre in the boot, I assume my 'risk profile' is lower? (But then I resent paying more because my car is over 10 years old now - the cars I see broken down are newer than mine at least half of the time)

 

[toffee]

Do any companies do a "I'm not going to call you for a flat tyre or a flat battery" level of cover? It strikes me that those two things must be the most common reasons to use them, and as I have jump leads and a spare tyre in the boot, I assume my 'risk profile' is lower? (But then I resent paying more because my car is over 10 years old now - the cars I see broken down are newer than mine at least half of the time)

The problem with not having cover for a flat tyre is are you happy changing a wheel on the outside of the car on the hard shoulder with 44 tonne artics going past at 50 mph 3 foot from your arse

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Do any companies do a "I'm not going to call you for a flat tyre or a flat battery" level of cover? It strikes me that those two things must be the most common reasons to use them, and as I have jump leads and a spare tyre in the boot, I assume my 'risk profile' is lower? (But then I resent paying more because my car is over 10 years old now - the cars I see broken down are newer than mine at least half of the time)

That was what Auto-aid used to be, I only ever wanted it as a get me home, not to the nearest garage, if it won't start at home I'd jump it off another, if I was only 10-15 miles away son/wife somebody would bring the tools, it's only a major breakdown I need cover for, like when we were 200 miles away with a caravan on the back & the gearbox would only let me select 5th gear. I drove it the last 40 miles to the caravan site with only that gear & then had them recover me home.

The problem with not having cover for a flat tyre is are you happy changing a wheel on the outside of the car on the hard shoulder with 44 tonne artics going past at 50 mph 3 foot from your arse

Yep, happy well not exactly happy, but if I wouldn't do it I wouldn't expect anybody else to do it for me. I'd drive it to somewhere safer even if that meant ruining the tyre & alloy if it was that dangerous.

But looking around it looks like Auto-aid have me over a barrel, their cover is still good for the price compared with others, wife & myself covered within any vehicle anywhere in the UK, with a get you home not to garage just feel they are taking the Michael, especially as they have just been bought out by VC's

 

[lazybloke]

We have always been with the AA for many years and as my wife gets her Ford serviced at the Ford garage she gets the car covered (full cover) free each year, well for the last two years.

Mrs L's car has similar cover with a Nissan servicing arrangement. Competitive fixed price service costs and the breakdown cover is EU-wide which gives peace of mind for occasional overseas journeys.

 

[fossyant]

AA here - they dropped the price considerably after I complained last year. Renewal is slightly higher, but I now need to add my son to the policy - that will go on the 'I owe dad' list...

 

[Milkfloat]

@Phaeton Have you tried looking to join as a new customer via a price comparison website?

 

[Archie_tect]

AA. You can get cover for the car which covers anyone driving that particular car only, rather than the person. It's about £35 for the first year for breakdown cover only [not Home Start or Relay] as a new member. After the first year it racks up on renewal but as long as you don't auto-renew you can then negotiate a better price.

 

[KneesUp]

The problem with not having cover for a flat tyre is are you happy changing a wheel on the outside of the car on the hard shoulder with 44 tonne artics going past at 50 mph 3 foot from your arse

Well there is that, but then there are no hard shoulders anymore anyway - so presumably the police would take me to a safe place to change the wheel myself?