NS Dev
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| posted on 25/9/07 at 12:23 PM |
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breakdown cover
anybody know owt about breakdown cover??
I've never had any in the last 13 years and never been stranded yet, but I think I am tempting fate now, and though easy to to sort on local
journeys, the trip to Mull in october is 540 miles each way and our hire van packed up year before last on rannoch moor which made me glad of
breakdown service!! (was only the transit pulling air into the diesel on full load, a 17mm spnner to crack the injectors was all that was needed but I
had no tools with me!! )
However!!!!!!
reading all the cover from AA, RAC etc etc they all state they will only recover to your stated destination IF they can't get it fixed locally
in a reasonable time and cost..............................
Well, what is resonable?? I would prefer the tow home as I can fix it all myself, its just a case of what tools I can carry!!
I don't want to pay for breakdown cover and then end up landed with a bill of more than the car is worth because I HAVE to get it fixed
locally!
Any ideas??
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
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vinny1275
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| posted on 25/9/07 at 12:31 PM |
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I think their wording is if they can't fix it by the roadside they'll tow you to a) a local garage if you've only got the basic
cover or b) your original destination / home if you've got the recovery option. That's what I went for with the AA - plus I'm
covered for any car I happen to be in - most of the others are only covered for the car you register with them.
HTH
Vince
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nick205
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| posted on 25/9/07 at 01:10 PM |
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SWMBO has a policy with First Call for roadside repair or recovery to destination/home. I'd always rather get the vehicle home where I know my
options for getting it sorted without getting shafted. IIRC it was around £60 for the year and covers her, not just the car - i.e. she's still
covered if she's in somene else's car.
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smart51
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| posted on 25/9/07 at 01:23 PM |
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If you buy cheapo cover, they'll tow you to the nearest garage and dump you. If you buy the more expensive cover, they'll try and fix
your car by the roadside for upto 1/2 an hour then tow you to any UK destination.
I've broken down in my kit car 3 times now Once was a broken gearshift cable, once the big end had gone and the last time the prop shaft came
lose. By the time I'd tightened it up again, in the dark, the battery had gone flat because of the hazzards. Rather than boosting the battery,
they just took me home.
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Gixer Indy
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| posted on 25/9/07 at 01:35 PM |
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Ask them if they cover you for accident recovery as well, as a lot dont cos it's not a breakdown,i know a few people that have been caught
out.
I use a company called NCI www.ncionline.co.uk sorry, dont know how to do the linky thing! never had to use them,so dont know how good they are,but
prices seem fair enough though,and they do accident cover for an extra fee
Flat out til you see God, then BRAKE!
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BenB
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| posted on 25/9/07 at 01:56 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by smart51
I've broken down in my kit car 3 times now
If you break down too many times (3 times IIRC) they start charging you!!! It might be an idea to check the small print to ensure you're still
covered FOC....
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smart51
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| posted on 25/9/07 at 02:09 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by BenB
quote:
Originally posted by smart51
I've broken down in my kit car 3 times now
If you break down too many times (3 times IIRC) they start charging you!!! It might be an idea to check the small print to ensure you're still
covered FOC....
Is that 3 times in the 12 months of cover or 3 times in a certain number of years?
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NS Dev
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| posted on 25/9/07 at 02:57 PM |
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hmmm interesting, cos I checked the small print with both AA and First Call, funnily enough, and even with the "more expensive" policy
(the 60-70 quid ones) they still state that they will only take you home if a local garage cannot repair
"promptly"..............................
I don't want a local garage to charge me £150 for a quick job that I can do easily.
Presumably the actual AA driver (or other driver) will use some discression if I explain this to him??
PS this is for my tintop, wouldn't worry if it were the locost, can always fix that meself!!
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
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martyn_16v
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| posted on 25/9/07 at 03:56 PM |
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All I know is Green Flag are utter utter pap. I got the other half set up with them this year as I'd heard good things about them, oh how wrong
I was. We've had to call them out twice, and neither one was good. First callout they picked her up when the car cut out. Made absolutely no
attempt to fix the car, just loaded it up and dumped it back outside the house then left. Mildly annoying, I was always going to fix the car anyway
but the guy didn't know that.
The second callout left me absolutely raging. The front lower wishbone on SWMBO's banger decided to part company from the rest of the car going
down the M3. Thankfully she managed to miss everything else on the road as she swerved to a stop on three wheels, ending up on the chevrons at the
beginning of a slip road. Green Flag were called to come and recover her off this dangerous part of the motorway. When they turned up, the guy refused
to take her until she'd paid £80 for recovery. Still shaken, she agreed to it just to get out and back home. They also told her the car was a
write off, and 'kindly' took it straight back to their yard 'free of charge'. Needless to say, when I found out when she got
home I was fuming. Green Flag have subsequently tried fobbing us off with various excuses about both the charge and the attitude of their driver.
First it was 'she told us it was a puncture when it wasn't', well she's not exactly a mechanic, if she gets out of the car and
sees a shredded tyre what's she going to say? Next came 'we had to use specialist equipment to recover the vehicle'. A low loader
and a winch isn't specialist equipment, it's the only thing I've ever seen them use and we didn't get charged for it the last
time. Finally they settled on 'it was a mechanical failure not a breakdown, you're not covered for mechanical failures, this is our last
contact, our legal dept now considers this matter closed so bleep off. And by the way, we actually undercharged you, it was supposed to be more but we
were feeling nice.'. I don't even know where to start on that, every breakdown is a mechanical failure of some kind, you don't break
down if nothing has failed. Utter muppets 
... and breathe 
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pif
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| posted on 25/9/07 at 04:17 PM |
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i got a flyer from my local halfords for breakdown cover for ....................£1.........
yep, one great big pound. its only for 3 months but would be enough for you to do some shakedown runs and when renewal comes its only £29.
took a bit of dealing over the "fix at the road" or take to a garage. i have agreed they can take it to a garage if its not fixable and
they can find a garage prepared to take on the job. doubt it.
they even had MK listed as a manufacturer at the call centre.
have used it once. no probs, third party recovery came out with a fold out the back of a vito style set up and said to me " where's best
for you " which got the reply ..home please" .........home in 20 minutes. in fact the guy had loads of tools and was keen to have a go at
fixing iteven when i got home but it was 1 am and SWMBO would not be keen on starting problem diagnostics at that time.
been a bit of a rush job really, bodged it all together in just 5 1/2 years.
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trogdor
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| posted on 25/9/07 at 09:00 PM |
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i am very grateful for breakdown recovery! have broken down at least 6 times in the last year, we were with the diamond policy thats provided with the
insurance.
its not too bad the whole being recovered to a garage, its never happened to me. I always say i want to get it home. you have agree you can't
call them out for the same fault tho.
we are now with AA as diamond wanted silly money for our new car. not sure how good they are. i find that its a bit hit and miss with breakdown
recovery. you can get some right prats, but you can get some really helpful guys.
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