Help us please? Need joint breakdown cover for older cars at separate addresses?

Hannah_10

Ok I'm really stuck and I could do with some help please? I desperately need my sense of independance back...

I have a 10 year old car, my partner has a 15 year old car and he lives at his own house about 10 miles/25 minutes away. We both drive each others cars and want breakdown cover. Both cars are maintained well and kept in good reliable condition. We both regularly stay nights at each others houses too, so houses and cars can be interchangable.

I'm disabled by a long term illness which varies in severity and I'm pregnant, due Oct, so right now I'm in one of my sickest periods. I could not, for example, walk 100m to the nearest help phone on the dual carriageway/motorway, nor could I change my own wheel or wait outside the car in wet or cold weather. He is fit,resourceful and tough as old boots and would quite merrily jog 10 miles home in a blizzard; but next winter he'll be regularly driving alone with our newborn, which is a bit different.

We have decided that I need at least the following types of cover:
~ Roadside assistance in the event of a breakdown.
~ Telephone support in the event of an accident.
~ Home start assistance if the car I am using will not start at either house.
~ National recovery (local usually means about 25 miles but I need up to 100 miles because of my specialised hospital appointments).

He would only need basic roadside assistance if that, but because of the newborn baby being in the car he's driving it makes sense for him to have the same level of cover I need.

European cover, hire cars, caravan/trailer cover, and B&B / hotel cover are not required.

There are two types of policy I have discovered...

We can take out a person-based policy (in joint names) and that would cover both of us for any vehicle. This would appear to be an excellent option as we both own motorcycles and so the bikes would be covered too, but thats definately a bonus which justifies a slightly higher cost rather than a true need*.

Or we could have a car-based policy (for 2 cars) and that would cover whoever is with the specified vehicle at the time, this would also work.

The trouble is I am finding it difficult to find any policy at all which would cover us.

They generally say: Joint personal cover means two people living at the same address.
We do not live at the same address though and I'm not willing to tell lies to obtain cover. So that means joint personal cover is out as far as I can tell then.

Joint vehicle-based cover is an issue too. Many providers wont cover his car on a vehicle-based policy because of the age (it just turned 15 years old). Most are saying no cars over 15 years except a classic driven less than 5,000 miles a year. That's no good to us, I do up to 7,000 and he does up to 25,000.

Obviously we could take out two separate personal policies and then we would each be covered for breakdown in/on any vehicle at all, but that's a lot more expensive (about £200 at the cheapest). :eek:

So is there a Money Saving Expert out there who can tell us about any policies you may have come across with which we can cover our needs for less than £200? We really haven't got that kind of money.

He worries a lot about baby and I (the protector type) so it'd put his mind greatly to rest and stop him feeling the need to check up on me so much if we could find breakdown cover soon. Thanks if you read this far, I am grateful for any advice or tips you can offer. :cool:

I've also put this on the insurance board.




* The bikes have roadside assistance anyway included free with the insurance. They're not often out in poor weather conditions or after dark. I can't ride a bike when fragile, mine is currently "layed up", it can be assumed if I am out on a bike again that I am in fair health again and probably riding in company too. Obviously a baby wont ever be out with the bikes. Also bikes can be easily brought home by any mate with a transit van/bike trailer (plenty of those) and usually can be repaired by partner or I on the driveway (both skilled in this). So all in all while covering the bikes for additional kinds of breakdown assistance would be a nice bonus it's far from essential.

PasturesNew

Why can't you just live together? Especially as you've got a baby on the way. It'd make everything easier.

Hannah_10

I knew someone would ask that, we can't, it has been tried and it does not make things easier, in fact it makes the relationship unworkable. Anyway that's off topic. The issue is- this is the situation we have, how best to cover it for as little money as possible.

KillerWatt

Your only option is personal cover

scotty1875

How about this option, Hannah :-

I have a breakdown policy with the breakdown cover you detailed with Auto Aid - the policy is under written by Equity Red Star and cover includes any car (as defined below) that is driven by the policyholder, their spouse / legal partner for flat rate annual cover of £37.

The vehicle:– a saloon car, hatchback, estate car,
car derived van or motorcycle. Motorised caravan under
2.5 tons gross vehicle weight and with an engine
capacity of no more than 2500 cc.

There is nothing in my policy document regarding an age restriction for cars only that they should be well maintained - I would check with autoaid on this but hopefully that would be one major problem solved for you.

I'm not sure where you would stand with the spouse / legal partner issue, but if you did not qualify you could each buy a policy for £37

The difference with this type of policy is that if you require breakdown assistance, you pay the costs to the repairer at the roadside (by debit or credit card if required) and you claim the money back from Auto Aid, who reimburse you within approx 10 days as detailed below on their website. A thing to note is that they only refund a max of £65 for breakdowns within 1 mile of your home address. You can either phone the 24hr call assistance line or phone a local mechanic / recovery agent of your choice to arrange recovery yourself. Otherwise the cover is the same as you standard AA type schemes.

If this sounds suitable check out the Auto Aid website to find out the full details.

I found out about this on the Motoring section on moneysavingexpert.com a couple of years ago and have bought breakdown cover from Auto Aid ever since.:money:

I would rather pay £37 and claim back the cost of assistance / recovery if and when required rather than pay the prices the AA, etc charge up front.

Hope this gives you another option.

Good luck
Scotty

PS - I can't believe some-one had the insensitivity to suggest you "just to live together"!

Hannah_10

Thanks Scotty, that was exactly the type of lead I was hoping someone would come up with and could be very helpful indeed. I'll look into Auto Aid this evening when I've got plenty of time to read through.

CPJames19

I share a car with my wife. I have covered our 12 year old car for Home and National Breakdown and onward travel though Swinton Breakdown. Cost about £80 if I remember correctly. Link:

http://www.swinton.co.uk/breakdown/