Get yourself breakdown cover

[Electric_Andy]

I've been with StartRescue for 6 years now and never had to use them, until today. I'm at home working but my partner has taken her mam and son up to Winchester to see her eldest pass out from the Army. Front brake started billowing smoke so they had to pull over. She phoned me in floods of tears afraid they were going to miss the ceremony, but StartRescue said to get a cab there (luckily they were only 30 mins away) and phone them when they leave so they can send someone out to recover the car.

I will reserve my review of them until they are back safe and sound and in good time.

But for now, make sure you have some sort of recovery on your vehicles. I only had new brakes (discs and pads) in November so whatever has gone wrong is not down to lack of servicing, which has been done every year without fail

 

[wiggydiggy]

I used AA once, long wait but was got going again - battery was kaput and rather than bother about saving a few £ I just paid him £75 for a new one there and then and I was on my way. Another time I got a tow from home to my local garage as the rear brake had seized. Its definately worth it.

 

[Sharky]

Was with AA for 43 years, called them out a few times and always did well. But costs seemed to creep up a lot, so switched to Greenflag. They rescued us once when we broke down in Fance. But their T&C's seemed so very complicated, with different levels of cover, so after a few years, went back to the AA. Still expensive, but reassuring.

Daughter's motobility car includes RAC cover and they have been good a couple of times when her car broke down.

 

[Alex321]

Ours is with Direct Line.

Had to call them a few weeks ago when I caught a kerb with my front wheel and created a hole in the tyre too big for any sealant, which is what my car is supplied with. They recovered the car to the garage quarter of a mile from the house.

That was the first time I had called them for over 10 years, but definitely worth having the cover for peace of mind.

 

[BoldonLad]

I am sure there are others similar, but, if you have a Nationwide Flex Account, you get “free” breakdown cover (among other things).

Touch wood, only had to use it twice, Motorhome breakdown (ECU) in Southern France, and BMW recovered from M11 south of Cambridge to home (Tyneside) with blown turbo.

Most new cars and vans come with 1 or 2 years of European breakdown cover for “free”.

 

[fossyant]

Been with the AA for a long time - 38 years, but moved to AA through my bank account and saved a fortune recently. Only used them a few times - wife at car boot left lights on, flat battery. Windscreen wiper failed on the motorway - clip broke. AA sorted me out and followed me to my destination. Local tyre garage snapped off two wheel bolts. AA towed me to my usual garage where they had to repair it. Strictly speaking, AA shouldn't have towed me as it was 'the garage' fault, but the guy did. Son's had to be towed home after some debris hit his car on the motorway.

Even once used it when someone broke into MIL's car at a country park (local) and snapped off the steering wheel). I biked it down to get her recovered as she didn't have cover (bit cheeky)

The cost went up to over £40 a month with family cover and relay/home start. I looked at my bank's offer, and the same cover, plus European travel insurance and two phones insured, £23 per month.

Son did have a very bad experience in Belgium with AA European Cover. Total shambles, but that was down to a local company. Got his premium refunded, all expenses and £250 compensation.

 

[Alex321]

I am sure there are others similar, but, if you have a Nationwide Flex Account, you get “free” breakdown cover (among other things).

Touch wood, only had to use it twice, Motorhome breakdown (ECU) in Southern France, and BMW recovered from M11 south of Cambridge to home (Tyneside) with blown turbo.

Most new cars and vans come with 1 or 2 years of European breakdown cover for “free”.

Only with the Nationwide Flexplus acciount, not with the plain flex (which is what we have).

Flex is free, flexplus has a £13 monthly fee, but does also give you travel insurance, breakdown cover and mobile phone insurance.

 

[Time Waster]

Was with AA for a few years but I will never use them again. It's not that they kept increasing the premiums that makes me so negative about them. What put me off them was the way they refused to come out to us one day before the cover ended. Apparently they found a clause in the small print that said they didn't have to honour the cover. We called out a local garage owner who sorted us out in 15 minutes and £15.

Be very, very careful with AA they have sharp practises. I'm actually a guy who reads small print and I didn't realise the loophole existed. Besides when you're stuck and unable to continue by the side of the road you're simply not in a position to argue such matters. I mean you don't have your paperwork and you're possibly out in the weather too.

 

[Drago]

The AA once declined to come out to Mrs D mk1, who was pregnant at the time, as they didn't recognise her membership. I started small claims proceedings for the cost of my membership back, the expense of having to arrange a local garage, and some compo for them being arrrisholes. They settled before court. Their customer service makes me feel warm and fuzzy about Scottish Power.

 

[chriswoody]

I'm with a German breakdown company the ADAC and last summer whilst in the UK our campervan broke down spectacularly, the first time in 10 years of ownership. To say I was grateful that we had cover was an understatement.

Unfortunately for us though, we were in the UK. The ADAC understandably doesn't have a presence in the UK, so they used the AA. What transpired was 10 days of pure hell as the AA took the van to a garage that they recommended, but this garage patently had no clue how to do any work on it. No other garages had the time for us and after a week we finally got the van back, managed 10 miles before it broke down again. Partly one of the original faults manifesting itself again and partly the so called garage had re-assembled the alternator incorrectly.

Again the AA were called and over 12 hours later after repeated lies and obfuscation a recovery truck appeared. The van was recovered to a secure storage depot and we ended up making our way overland back home. Our van finally made it home 4 months later.

I was really shocked by my experiences with the AA though, a completely shambolic organisation who were utterly dire and had no desire to do their job. When I asked on the phone to speak to a senior manager after 10 hours of waiting for recovery and put in a complaint, I was told because I wasn't a direct customer of theirs I couldn't and then they promptly hung up the phone.

 

[Mike_P]

I have had three times to call one of them out when on the road. First was after I ran I into the car in front which did an emergency stop assisted by ABS. The AA took ages to find me despite me telling them I was on the A59 they decided to look up and down all the roads off. Second time they were somewhat quicker when the same car suffered a complete power failure on the A658 as a result of being wrongly wired up after being fixed from the first incident.
Changed to Green flag and called them out to a flat tyre. More recently had them change a battery, car dead on the drive. That was a bit drawn out as the fulfilling garage did not stock Varta batteries so the repair man had to wait for clearance to go to a motor parts shop for it, quite why I could not understand given I was paying.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

For a laugh, I tried the RAC for a quote for national cover, at home, and onward travel. I reckon they must be the most expensive in the country, asking me for £236! And that’s for UK only, not Europe.
Nor does that include misfuelling, for which they’ll relieve you of another £290 (£50 discount if you’re already a member).

For the same cover as above, including misfuelling, with unlimited call-outs and zero excess, I’m currently paying £21.

Shop around, there are plenty of competitors for the big two.

 

[numbnuts]

Been with the AA since 1993 with just one two year break when I didn't have a car.

 

[Electric_Andy]

An update: All 3 of them got a taxi and made it to the pass-out parade in time. They got a lift back to the car (from Winchester to Stonehenge). The engineer is with them now and reckons it was a seized slider pin on the brakes, hope they can fix it there but if not will have to wait for recovery back to Plymouth. I'm a bit annoyed as it only had new brakes 6 months ago so presumably pins weren't re-greased as they should have been. BTW I pay £46/year for the 3 star cover which is UK only, home start, onward journey and recovery home. No windscreen or mis-fuelling I don't think.

 

[Drago]

The RAC are shite as well, for reasons I won't bore you with. Suffice to say 14 hours is unacceptable to recover a vehicle from a fit and healthy driver, despite paying for breakdown cover and not simply recovery.

Best bodge job is Green Flag. Accept that they'll most likely send a recovery agent rather than a breakdown mechanic, but at least you know what you're gettint and you and your vehicle will be on the back or a flat bed and at least going somewhere before the second coming of Christ rolls around.