Roadside Assistance - Can i fight this?

fluffnutter

We can't help unless we know what type of policy you have. Is it personal cover or named vehicle only?

mazza111

I don't mean to sound sarcastic here but, at the end of the day, you're paying insurance against breakdown. Would you expect your car insurance to pay out if you had an accident in the new car and not informed them?

And on the matter of not knowing how to change a wheel, sorry, but I believe this should be part of the driving test. A little basic knowledge on things like this could go a long way. Different if you have some sort of disability that can't physically change a wheel...Am I the only one who finds that fact astounding?

System

mazza111 wrote: »

I don't mean to sound sarcastic here but, at the end of the day, you're paying insurance against breakdown. Would you expect your car insurance to pay out if you had an accident in the new car and not informed them?

And on the matter of not knowing how to change a wheel, sorry, but I believe this should be part of the driving test. A little basic knowledge on things like this could go a long way. Different if you have some sort of disability that can't physically change a wheel...Am I the only one who finds that fact astounding?

I'm not sure that a driving test should involve changing a wheel. A driving test should be a test to ensure you can drive safely and legally not a test on whether you can perform basic car maintenance tasks!

michaelvintner

TadleyBaggie wrote: »

Name and Shame. In all the times I've had such cover (RAC & AA), I've never ever had to inform them of vehicle details, as the cover is on the person. In fact I've even used my own cover when travelling as a passenger in someone elses car.

A lot of breakdown cover is now car specific. My breakdown cover is. It works out cheaper.

I don't think the op has a case they should have remembered to inform the breakdown company they had changed their car. As for being furious they only have themselves to blame. Having said that it is the kind of thing that is very easy to forget to do.

I would ring up and politelly explain the situation, explain that you have been with them a while and see if there is anything they can do to refund the money.

giraffe69

And on the matter of not knowing how to change a wheel, sorry, but I believe this should be part of the driving test. A little basic knowledge on things like this could go a long way. Different if you have some sort of disability that can't physically change a wheel...Am I the only one who finds that fact astounding?

You may have a view that it should be part of the driving test but even if the Secretary of state was to agree with you as from tomorrow there are still many millions of drivers who won't have passed your new wonder test. A number of them whilst not disabled might be quite elderly and/or frail and reluctant to do so and even if ready, willing and fit it is rather tougher than it used to be as electric bolt tighteners mean you need the strength of 10 to get them undone.
Speaking only for myself I would get the AA or RAC to do it for me these days. They have the tools and the skill.

mazza111

Maybe not part of the test, but it's so basic that everyone who's in charge of a car should be able to do this surely? I know it's one of the first things I'll teach my kids when they start their driving lessons. Sorry OP, I'm not having a go at you, I just find it astounding that things like that are not taught when learning to drive. When I learned to drive many moons ago (ahem, yes I'm old school). My instructor set aside 10 minutes every few lessons for teaching things like this, probably not as much fun as driving, but felt it really helped.

System

I think it would have annoyed me if i paid for an hours driving lesson and i lost 10 minutes while the instructor showed me general things like how to change a tyre! Driving lessons are so expensive anyway!

starrystarry

I know how to change a tyre but I can't do it. I'm not disabled, frail or particularly weak but I'm not physically strong enough to undo the bolts. I think most women would say the same. That's why I have breakdown cover, so I don't have to ruin my nails attempting to change tyres.

vicmorrow

goater78 wrote: »

I'm not sure that a driving test should involve changing a wheel. A driving test should be a test to ensure you can drive safely and legally not a test on whether you can perform basic car maintenance tasks!

Does the driving test ensure you can drive safely on a motorway?

There should be a basic course on checking fluid levels under the bonnet, tyre pressures/tread depths, lights, wipers etc included as part of learning to drive/use a vehicle.

mazza111

Guess it's just me then, yes I'm female, I would never think of getting AA out to do something so basic. I've had ones where bolts wouldn't undo, or the wheel needed a good whack :rotfl: think we've all had one of those. But when I learned to drive, I tried to learn a wee bit about the car I was driving. My first car, I bought the manual for the car. Learned to do a few wee bits on my own, didn't have the funds to pay for everything. These days I tend to leave it to the pros, apart from wheel changing! And as I said I'm not having a go at the OP, just thought everyone would know how to change a wheel.