Breakdown cover: Get the cheapest roadside recovery

deez99

Hi

just noticed Tiva's post regarding First call.

I can only say as I have found and tbf I have had no problems with FC.

Ive been a member for two years and have just renewed my policy.

I've called them on two occasions, both 'at home' and each time the car has been recovered to a local garage and then I have been dropped off back @ home ( bout a 10 mile round trip).

They have arrived within an hour each time.

Edit: That is not to say that others experience hasn't been poor.

It would seem that service from many organisations is patchy; more problematic nowadays.

Sign of the times

lisyloo

I had a call out for first call.

They sent me a text to tell me which company was coming (so I could look out for them).

We were out with parents and the comapny agreed to drop off my parents (not TOO far out of their way).
I don't think dropping off of passengers is automatically included.

Our parents are in their 70s and disabled so wouldn't have wanted to leave them at the side of the road awaiting a taxi, so their extra service was quite welcome.

I think like deez99 says it all depends on the quality of the local operator.

My only minor complaint was the driver answer his mobile phone twice whilst driing down narrow roads which was a bit scary (and illegal).
I was verging on reporting him but they were helpful as regards the parents.

Katie_C_3

I joined AutoAid in June this year after seeing them on this site and tried to call them out last night but was not at all impressed with their service. My car was at home and wouldn't start - the operator told me that it wasn't worth sending anyone out as they probably wouldn't have a new battery (if thats what it was) and even if they did start it may very well break down again the next day. He then asked if I could call them in the daytime to which I explained that I worked during the day and was away at the weekend. I need to use my car on Monday hence my reason for calling them out last night but he basically didn't want to send anyone out unless it was during the day! Not all the 24-hour service I was expecting! Needless to to say I will be demanding my money back from them.

lisyloo

Needless to to say I will be demanding my money back from them.

The local garage is nothing to do with Autoaid.
Did they outright refuse?
If so then why didn't you call someone else?

Autoaid is just an insurance.

Katie_C_3

I called the Auto Aid 24 hour helpline as I didn't know any local garages that I could call during the evening. Perhaps my expectations were wrong but I was under the impression that Auto Aid were there to help if you couldn't find a garage to call out.

lisyloo

Perhaps my expectations were wrong but I was under the impression that Auto Aid were there to help if you couldn't find a garage to call out.

Yes they are.
Did the garage outright refuse to come out?

Sorry if I've got this wrong but it sound like they tried to persuade you out of an overnight call and you went along with it rather than insisting they came out.
Sorry if I've read that wrong but that's the way it comes across.

Did you call AutoAid back and report that they wouldn't come out and ask for another garage?

I'm sorry if I've got this wrong but it sounds like you've been bullied by someone that didn't want to get out in the night and I don't think AutoAid are to blame if you allowed yourself to be bullied and never reported it.

Again I'm sorry if I got his wrong, but if I have then please clarify it.

On the otherhand they may have just been genuninely trying to establish whether it was an emergency and you failed to get this across.

Katie_C_3

I didn't speak to a garage! I spoke to the Auto Aid 24 helpline as it says on their website that this is what you should do if you break down (see http://www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/help01.htm).. they are then supposed to call a local garage for you. So it was Auto Aid that refused to arrange for a local garage to come out. Maybe I should have been more insistent but I wasn't expecting them to be so difficult about it.

Hope this clarifies what I mean

lisyloo

Yeah, sorry again if I misunderstood ....jsut trying to get to the bottom of it.

It's difficult to comment without hearing the conversation but you are only covered for £65 at home and at night a call out could exceed this so I think they are justified in asking questions to establish the severity and making you aware that it may only be a temporary solution.

If you feel that they didn't provide the service you should have had then you should complain in writing as per the instructions in your policy.

I really wouldn't want to judge as to whether they were "difficult" or whether they were just trying to establish the severity to see if a night call-out was justified.

Hopefully their call will be recorded and if you put in a complaint then they can check in out.

I've not used them but in general people have been very happy with them.

You can call out a local garage if you wish but be be aware of the £65 limit at home.
So you don't have to use their helpline you can just call out the garage directly.

Ferris

apologies if this is the wrong place to put this, but do any of the alternative (i.e. non-AA/RAC) recovery companies offer joint cover for a member of the household who is not a spouse?

i'm currently with the AA, with roadside+relay joint cover with my brother. paid £80 last year, they expect £120 for the renewal (even though I haven't used the service once in the three years i've been a member). on the phone they reduced this to a grand 'discounted' £96 (exactly the same figure available for a new customer on the website). so much for loyalty...:mad:

as the AA don't seem to be on quidco anymore there's no point going for them again. RAC offer a similar package for £96 again, but offer £21 quidco. is there a cheaper alternative than either of these for this type of cover?

VIJAY_FROM_KENT

I was with First Call last year and after reading the comments on here I don't really want to renew with them at £42.50. Auto Aid isnt good for me as both me and my mum share the car. Can anyone suggest someone else instead of First Call please?