Breakdown cover: Get the cheapest roadside recovery

Sam2007

^^ Right so you think Tesco Value bread and Finest bread are as good as each other? As that is the comparison I was making, any comparison between Tesco and Aldi as a whole are completely irrelevant as this was made by yourself.

Autoaid can charge you labour after a reasonable amount of time. end of. you can sit there all day and say they didn't charge you, lucky you! When you break down in the middle of night in the pouring rain and you get a random mechanic telling you he can fix you for £70 an hour, how good is your Autoaid policy going to look then? Sure you can get your tow but your car is still broken.

As regards to cover in an accident, RAC would charge you if the accident was already covered on your motor insurance, if it wasn't then the recovery is free. I can't find a copy of Autoaids T&Cs on their website (convenient?) but as far as I've heard they have been known to refuse service as well.

Oh and also you've never actually called Autoaid out, everytime you ring them its pot luck as to which contractor is sent out to you, I await the day they send you a spotty teenager who knows nothing about cars and won't even open your bonnet but simply ask where you want to be towed. Thats when you'll realise why the policy is so cheap and why people pay more to go with AA/RAC.

purplestar133

Has anyone seen the "pay for 12 months breakdown cover, get 3 months free" offer on the RAC website?

http://www.rac.co.uk/web/breakdowncover/15for12/affiliates/

The terms and conditions say: "Offer available to first year membership only and is based upon your continuous annual payment and applies to personal based cover only. Offer may be withdrawn at any time.
3 months' free membership will be credited after 12 months' full membership has ended."

Does this mean I can't cancel after a year and my free 3 months?

If so, how would they enforce it? For instance, if I rang up to cancel at the end of the 3 free months, would they try and charge me for those months because i'm not renewing?

MarkyMarkD

I'm not sure why you read it that way, purplestar. The 12 months paid for end after 12 months. You are talking about cancelling in month 15 which is way after the end of the 12 paid for months.

When they say "based upon your continuous annual payment" they just mean that you must use a continuous payment method, not that you actually have to continue paying!

purplestar133

ok, so if i wanted to go to another provider at the end of the cover, when would i cancel so they don't automatically renew it, and ensure I still get my 3 months free?

EDIT:
sorry, i should say that it's an extra 3 months, so 15 for the price of 12

purplestar133

Another question!

Has anyone got any experience with Autonational breakdown cover? Would you recommend them?

I'm shopping for cover for both me and my dad. I'm of the best value persuasion but my dad is sticking to the "big companies are best" way of thinking...just can't convince him!

martinlewisismyguru

My AA cover was up for renewal this week so last week I carefully read the related articles and realised that the AA was really not at all good value for money. I have been with them for many years and always had a good service but the cost was much more than other quotes. My renewal this year wa 116.00 for joint cover for me and my partner for roadside, relay and (complimentary) home start. We only have one car and are not married so could not take advantage of some of the really cheap offers detailed by Martin. I have just phoned to cancel my membership and they have advised me that as I only have 1 car I do not need joint cover and can insure just the car - that was 25.00 less. Then they knocked off a further 22.75 for being a loyal customer. A total saving of 47.75 with one quick phone call and the only change in the cover is that it is the car, not me and my partner that are covered which makes no difference to us at all. Bargain!

Sam2007

purplestar133 wrote:

ok, so if i wanted to go to another provider at the end of the cover, when would i cancel so they don't automatically renew it, and ensure I still get my 3 months free?

EDIT:
sorry, i should say that it's an extra 3 months, so 15 for the price of 12

If you don't let them know by the renewal date that you want it cancelled then it will auto-renew from the last payment method you used. You're not bound into a contract to renew with them.

purplestar133 wrote:

Another question!

Has anyone got any experience with Autonational breakdown cover? Would you recommend them?

I'm shopping for cover for both me and my dad. I'm of the best value persuasion but my dad is sticking to the "big companies are best" way of thinking...just can't convince him!

Apparently Im biased but still Autonational are fraught with hidden costs and spotty teenages coming out from local garages. Some people are lucky and haven't had a problem but I wouldn't feel totally confident calling 'them' (local garage) out as they could just try and palm the work off back to their garage.

If you and your dad know a fair bit about cars and would know when a mechanic is telling you lies about your alternator being faulty when its actually your spark plugs, then you *might* be ok with cheapo cover, if you have no clue you're better off going with AA/RAC.

Chaufeurse1956

I paid £32 for a one year breakdown cover with Auto Aid today. It took a few minutes to sign up and pay for via credit card. It covers me and hubby (not the cars) and based on the excellent feedback this company receive I don't foresee any problems. I was particularly impressed with the chap who has used them 4 times in one year and just been invited to renew his subscription plus the other gent who has been with Auto Aid for over 10 years.

What does concern me is the way Auto Aid take such a hammering from people who appear to generally have not used them, or in the case of Sam2007, work for one of the bigger firms - if the 'big boys' feel they knock spots off the likes of Auto Aid they should have nothing to worry about - or should they? Why knock something that you have never tried? I have grounds to knock the AA as they left me sitting on a busy road for 4 hours on one occasion. I never renewed with them and never would. My parents have been with the AA for many years but following my Auto Aid subscription they will not be paying £80 a year for just my father's coverage.

Hmmm, still hoping to remain breakdown free though!

Christine

Happy_Shrimper

Chaufeurse1956 wrote: »

I paid £32 for a one year breakdown cover with Auto Aid today. It took a few minutes to sign up and pay for via credit card. It covers me and hubby (not the cars) and based on the excellent feedback this company receive I don't foresee any problems. I was particularly impressed with the chap who has used them 4 times in one year and just been invited to renew his subscription plus the other gent who has been with Auto Aid for over 10 years.

What does concern me is the way Auto Aid take such a hammering from people who appear to generally have not used them, or in the case of Sam2007, work for one of the bigger firms - if the 'big boys' feel they knock spots off the likes of Auto Aid they should have nothing to worry about - or should they? Why knock something that you have never tried? I have grounds to knock the AA as they left me sitting on a busy road for 4 hours on one occasion. I never renewed with them and never would. My parents have been with the AA for many years but following my Auto Aid subscription they will not be paying £80 a year for just my father's coverage.

Hmmm, still hoping to remain breakdown free though!

Christine

Oooh, that'll be me then
Haven't had to call them out for a good few weeks now. Hopefully won't have to again in a hurry.
You won't regret it. I can't praise them enough in the excessive way I have used them in my first year, with no claims penalties etc
Just a shame that they had to pay out and not the AA who I must have given £1000s over the years.
You will never look back as long as AutoAid keep going!
And no, I don't work for them!

Happy_Shrimper

Optimist wrote: »

I would beg to differ both on the Aldi, Tesco comparison and more importantly on your last paragraph about accident cover with the cheaper policy

The following from Autoaids Terms and conditions compared to the AA, RAC and Greenflag.

From AutoAid

Breakdown means a mechanical or electrical failure, accident, theft or vandalism, which renders the vehicle immobile

From AA

Assistance is not available following a breakdown or accident attended by the police or other emergency service, until the vehicle's removal is authorised. If the police insist on recovery by a third party, the cost must be met by you.
No recovery (including a local tow) is available following an accident;

From Rac

If you call us for assistance following an accident, fire, theft or act of vandalism or other incident covered by a policy of motor insurance, you will be liable to pay us for the costs of removal. See General Exclusionsí on page 20 for more details.

Greenflag

We can repair/recover your vehicle after a road traffic accident but you will be responsible for any costs involved. You may be
able to recover these from your motor insurer.

So RAC and Greenflag will recover after an accident but you pay, no different to Autoaid . The AA refuses to do so under any circumstances

The other plus point with Autoaid is they cover both the main driver and spouse so we have two cars covered for £32.

Sorry but you haven't persuaded me to change I will stick with Autoaid

Wow! It gets even better
I never realised that about accidents etc.
Just to follow up on another point in this thread, if Autoaid can't fix you by the roadside, you get recovered to your choice of destination. Home, work garage, in my case holiday home and onward journey next day home, auntie Lils. You are not taken the nearest local ripoff garage to be fleeced, so you can go to your regular garage or mechanic.
So I have to disagree with the comment about cheap policy is fine if you know about cars.
Most of the recovery trucks also sub contract out to AA, Green flag etc and have the logos on the trucks!

Also, its not pot luck when you call autoaid. I have called them 4 times in my first year. None of this 0870 c**p (EDIT Sorry, I think its a 0800 number but thats only free on land lines and O2 I believe) and put on hold for 20 minutes. Autoaid is a geographical call (01277 so inclusive in mobile minutes) and I have always been answered immediately.
even if they didn't, you have the freedom to book your own recovery with anyone and they will reimburse.
I can only speak from my own personal experience, but they have far exceeded my expectations and never once have they got shirty like the AA (two breakdowns in one year and a letter warning about a charge if I call them anymore).
If you're not comfortable with the claim back model; fine, you makes your choices, but to write them off because they don't cost the earth seems a little short sighted.