Breakdown Cover Discussion

WaltD

I was covered for breakdown with Green Flag for the past year, but when it came time for renewal I chose to move to a different provider because Green Flag had increased their annual subscription quite considerably.

I have had great difficulty in cancelling my Green Flag renewal! I had set up a Direct Debit when I first joined, and although I wrote to them in January this year saying I did not want to renew, they kept sending me letters saying they would charge me for renewal by Direct Debit in February. When I rang their 0845 number today, they refused to discuss cancellation with me ... I don't know why.

I have cancelled the Direct Debit with my bank and told them I will not authorise any further payments to Green Flag. However, I am concerned in case Green Flag will set up the Direct Debit again.

Beware!
:mad:

Update on 11th Feb 2012: Despite my letter and telephone calls, I have received yet ANOTHER "Final Reminder" from Green Flag in the post today!

jonbooker44

been looking at various policies and they last for 31 days in europe....iam going there to work for 6-7 weeks in my van and wondered if anyone has any knowledge of an good breakdown cover on the market

many thanks jon

cjm66

:mad: I've just had a renewal notice through from the AA quoting £210 for joint cover (Although we only have 1 car) roadside, relay and homestart. Checking online the same level of cover is £99 from AA and RAC. At first the guy on the phone, would only go to £110, but when I said I was going to RAC, he finally agreed on giving me it for £99.

I'm so angry to get such a ridiculous renewal quote. Are thousands of people out there, just putting the cards in their wallets and not even seeing the price? I couldn't even work out where they got the original price, it doesn't seem to relate to anything.

I only went with the AA last year because Quidco had a good cashback deal at the time but alas it never materialised.

DanielRobertJohnson

Text from a recent letter to my credit card company =

As referred to in my telephone conversation with your offices on the evening of Sunday, 5 February 2012, I wish to raise an objection to the debit charge (made against my Visa credit card held with you under the above referred number), in relation to the sum of approximately One Hundred and Twenty Pound (GBP £120) debited charge levied on the card by First Call G.B. To my embarrassment, First Call G.B. is the recovery insurance firm whom I contracted with approximately 15 months ago (based upon its relatively low annual fee), but this was the first occasion upon which I have come to use them.

I called them out during the relatively heavy snowfall / comparatively extreme weather conditions existing during last weekend. I had been in Bedfordshire overnight and in returning to London in my vehicle discovered that the strain upon my car’s electrical systems caused by the weather seemed to be defeating the battery capacity to drive all the car’s systems. While I had ‘nursed’ the car a long way towards my home, with the car stalling on a number of occasions – the car eventual came to rest / would not restart on the down ramp of the A4 (Great West Way) at the Hammersmith Flyover (one of the main arterial routes into London).

This was an exceptionally dangerous place to come to a stop, with cars leaving the A4 at speed (so as to avoid the heavy congestion just ahead of the relevant down ramp - due to on-going maintenance work upon the Hammersmith Flyover); and therefore only seeing my car at a late stage. My then stress and concern was exacerbated by my having my four-year-old son in the car with me at that time. On telephoning First Call G.B., it became rapidly clear to me that they had no intention of assisting me - unless they were able to obtain further payment from me (whatever their contractual position was in terms of having sold me a recovery policy). Despite (or to my mind – because) of the extremely dangerous nature of my than current position, they started to discuss with me at length the cause of my vehicle’s problems - so as to seek to avail themselves of reasons as to why they did not have to arrange for someone to come out and assist me.

They initially sought to claim that my vehicle (by virtue of my having confirmed to them that the vehicle had not run out of fuel – since it had been filled up with fuel approximately 15 minutes before in a service station on the M1) was almost certainly incorrectly fuelled - and accordingly they would need to take my credit card details and charge me before they would send a vehicle out. Upon my assertions to them that I had in my hand the relevant VAT receipt which confirmed that I had filled the vehicle with the correct fuel - they then changed their basis to objecting to assisting me and sought me to ascertain another reason for not sending someone to come out and assist me. This (regrettably) led me to explain to them that I was fully confident that the problem was an electrical issue, as I had considered that the battery was possibly coming to the end of its natural life, whereupon they immediately sought to rely upon their small print so as to claim that they did not have to send anyone to me by virtue of my vehicle having a known fault.

Finding myself and my son in a dangerous position, and with seemingly no other options (a position which First Call G.B. well knew), I felt extorted to give them my credit card details and payment authorisation – so as to obtain someone to remove my son and I from danger and stop the vehicle blocking traffic at the earliest opportunity. Needless to say, no rescue vehicle ever arrived and I was in due course removed from the road and restarted by a passing ‘Good Samaritan’ – who saw the extremely dangerous and likely distressing position which I found myself.

I have included within this letter a printout of a page from a service review website, which should give you a clear objective impression of the apparent modus operandi of First Call G.B. There are numerous other like reports of First Call G.B. on the World Wide Web should you care to search for them. Needless to say I will not be renewing my annual subscription with First Call G.B.

I would ask you to re-credit the amounts which First Call G.B. has apparently debited from my credit card - as I consider the amounts were extorted from me in breach of my contract with First Call G.B. (in that they failed to provide a service which they had already entered into a contract with me). Even if First Call G.B. seek to rely upon their small print exclusions and consider that they are entitled to further charge me for an additional contractual service – that service in itself failed to appear.

I have discussed this matter with First Call G.B. (upon notifying them in a timely fashion that their services were not required) - but it is quite clear to me that their sole aim is to obtain credit card payments for promised assistance in such situation and they have no intention of refunding any monies legally due to me. I get the distinct impression that this is a situation that First Call G.B. face on numerous occasions and their use of credit cards to enable the sharp practices of their business should not be allowed to continue or be condoned.

StevieJ

cjm66 wrote: »

:mad: I've just had a renewal notice through from the AA quoting £210 for joint cover (Although we only have 1 car) roadside, relay and homestart. Checking online the same level of cover is £99 from AA and RAC. At first the guy on the phone, would only go to £110, but when I said I was going to RAC, he finally agreed on giving me it for £99.

I told the AA I would be using my 4 for 1 Tesco vouchers to pay for RAC membership, I got Homestart and Relay well below your figure, they weren't happy though, definitely getting tougher

The_AA_Company_Representative

cjm66 wrote: »

:mad: I've just had a renewal notice through from the AA quoting £210 for joint cover (Although we only have 1 car) roadside, relay and homestart. Checking online the same level of cover is £99 from AA and RAC. At first the guy on the phone, would only go to £110, but when I said I was going to RAC, he finally agreed on giving me it for £99.

I'm so angry to get such a ridiculous renewal quote. Are thousands of people out there, just putting the cards in their wallets and not even seeing the price? I couldn't even work out where they got the original price, it doesn't seem to relate to anything.

I only went with the AA last year because Quidco had a good cashback deal at the time but alas it never materialised.

Hello there. If you would like to discuss your renewal with us in further detail, or the non receipt of your Quidco vouchers last year, please call our Member Relations team on 0844 209 0556.

cherry76

My basic membership with AA is due for renewal. It was £52.50 last year. I am thinking of cancelling and going with RAC which is cheaper. I am a bit annoyed that new memeber can pay only £30. I am just wondering whether I could let my membership expires and buy a new one, will I be classify as new member. I do very little driving. I do that with my home insurance. Is there also an option as I do not like the automatic annual renewal? Thanks

zabini

I've just hit a problem renewing my RAC full 'kit and kaboodle' membership with Tesco vouchers.
I had vouchers that were near expiry date last July 2011 so used them to buy my next year's renewal for full RAC membership due on 31st January 2012. Sent them off recorded delivery with a voucher for my daughter's first RAC membership in August 2011. She received her membership pack, I heard nothing so phoned to see if all OK. I was told 'It's fine'. My membership will automatically be renewed on renewal date.
Renewal date 31st Jan 2012, I was charged by credit card the full cost! Phoned to find out why. They have the scanned copy of my Tesco voucher BUT they say it's my fault that I'd sent it in too early for their system to process!!!! There is no information on the Tesco voucher or RAC's website that warns you that if you send a voucher more than 120 days before renewal date, they cannot process it. No one there knows what to do with it (I think it should be returned) and so it just sits on their system doing nothing.
They did not inform me nor return my voucher. RAC's customer service advised me to try to get a refund from Tesco!!!!!!! It's not Tesco's fault, it's not my fault but RAC's and I told them so. In the mean time, I'm £170 out of pocket!!!!! Now I have to wait for their refund department to contact me and hope they will rectify their mistake.
The T's & C's state that the renewal will automatically happen unless informed otherwise. I was not informed otherwise even though I phoned RAC. The glitch seems to be this problem of sending a voucher too early.
It looks as if RAC will want to make me obtain a refund of my Tesco voucher whilst paying them the full amount. BE WARNED - Do not pay too early - even though Tesco tell you not to leave it too late!!!!!

dinododger

Took 1st Call "full" breakdown cover. thinking covered for every eventuality. When car broke down, this con was exposed. They NEVER take your car home if a garage is nearer and i mean NEVER. They WONT pay up unless you send proof of the repair to them 1st. They can and do insist you have your car SERVICED before they pay out (can you believe that???). the limits of the claim are ridiculously low..PLEASE READ ALL THE SMALL PRINT...the policy is heavily loaded to minimise thier risk not safeguard your needs in an emergency. The staff are unsympathetic and very blunt...repeating "its all in your policy details" which may be true, but who reads all the small print...actually, i will from now on! Please don't have the same dreadful experience as i did..AVOID 1ST CALL LIKE THE PLAGUE.:mad:

dynomutt

start rescue provides cover on the car and is just £35.40 and is perfect for younger drivers who don't drive other cars. personnel cover can be added for £24 a person, a family of four driver covered in any car for 131.40 amazing cover but excludes europe which can be added for £25.60, all three of my kids have this and as yet they have not let us down. remember with this you are restricted to 6 call outs a year compare the the RAC with 9. they do have other cheaper options check them out:money: