Roadside Recovery: AutoAid Feedback

Optimist

derrick wrote: »

I agree re the FSCS, but is it what jazzy is talking about, as whatever they are talking about they imply it only came into effect "1st Jan 2010", the FSCS has been in existence a lot longer than that?

True but that is the only reference to 90% I can see on my policy which was renewed last month. So I guess Jazzy needs to clarify

jazzy

Optimist wrote: »

I think you might be referring to the FSA compensation scheme in case Autoaid go out of business

"Financial services compensation scheme (FSCS): If we cannot pay all amounts due under this policy,you may be entitled to compensation under the
FSCS. The first £2000 of the claim is fully protected and 90% of the rest of the claim will be paid. You can get more information from us or the Financial
Services Authority or by visiting the FSCS website at www.fscs.org.uk

thanks for clarifying this. It is the Financial services compensation scheme (FSCS) that I was querying.

slimmillipede

My wife made the mistake of filling our diesel car with petrol recently, fortunately the car (Citroen Xsara Picasso) turned on a warning light quite promptly.
My wife called Autoaid and a recovery truck appeared within 30 minutes (not bad for a Sunday), they took her and the car to a garage where they sorted the car out.
My wife paid the bill (about £240) and I put in the claim to Autoaid, they had refunded the full amount within a week.
Very good value and very good service.

MarkyMarkD

We haven't got our money back yet - over £400 - in respect of the claim I spoke of a few posts back, but it's because the recovery firm didn't send us an invoice - d'oh! Autoaid won't pay up until we get the invoice which my wife has been chasing today.

roseview

I am a little disappointed in a recent experience we had with Autoaid, having used them in the past with no problem. OH phoned them a couple of weeks ago when the exhaust broke, 100's of miles from home at about 5.15pm. As he was away from home he called the helpline number.

A breakdown truck was sent and they automatically uploaded the car and took it to their garage where they did a temporary repair to get him home. Sounds fine, so far. However, they then billed this in 2 parts. One for just the callout and one for an hours labour (£52 + vat).

Autoaid have sent a letter stating that they only pay the callout and roadside repairs. I can understand that in the normal scheme of things. However, the garage were not equipped to do anything at the roadside and OH was not given any option about what he wanted them to do. I guess that, as their garage was only 3 miles away, they deemed it easiest to take the car back there. By our choice it would have been sensible to have taken him and car to one of the 3 Kwik Fit depots in the area where they could have sorted it out at once. Instead of that, we have been left with having paid over £65 and still having to get the job done properly back home.

Quentin

When they couldn't do a repair at the roadside, why didn't he ask they do a "recovery" , and take the car to a destination chosen by him (which is covered by the policy)?

The policy only covers roadside repairs, so it was correct they didn't reimburse for the work done in the garage bill.

lisyloo

However, the garage were not equipped to do anything at the roadside and OH was not given any option about what he wanted them to do.

I would suggest the drivers in your family get familiar with the polciy and be more assertive about what you want the recovery company to do.

If that's too much hassle get an AA/RAC policy where you won't get this problem.

With "pay n claim" I would see it as your responsibility only to get work done that you are covered for.
Sorry.

alihusain

I've used this service for a number of years and when I have needed them it has always been pretty simple.....just a phone call away. Response times have been pretty good and for all my breakdowns as long as I have had a credit card that was enough to allow me to pay the rescuer.

Great service at an incredible price.:j:j

roseview

It's not really a case of being familiar with the policy or being more assertive more the fact that the people sent to do the repair were not in any position to do so at the roadside, and clearly did not intend to. Neither of us are mechanically minded but it would have been more sensible for the breakdown people to take the car to a place where it could be repaired if they could not do so , as opposed to just patching it up temporarily. How was OH supposed to know that they did not have the necessary parts at their garage?

The policy would not have covered the vehicle being transported the 250 miles home under the exclusion

The cost of recovering the vehicle and its passengers if the vehicle can be repaired within a reasonable period of time at or near the place where it has broken-down.

It seems as though the labour charge is for the length of time from when they left their garage, drove to breakdown, uploaded vehicle, returned to depot, fixed the problem and did up the bill, hence the charge for labour is equally due to Auto Aid, as the in garage repairs were only half of the time charged.

lisyloo

How was OH supposed to know that they did not have the necessary parts at their garage?

He couldn't have known that but he could have asked them to phone him after assesment and not authorised them to do anything except assess the repair.
AutoAid don't cover ANY repairs at garages, that's down to you.
If you didn't want them to repair it then they should have been told
that.
If you give any trader an open chequebook and no instructions then of course most of them will try to make money, that's what they do.
AutoAid don't cover repairs expect at the roadside.
That would be the same with the AA/RAC.
Sorry, but I'm still of the opinion that you should know the basics of cover i.e. it's a breakdown/recovery policy and not for repairs (except roadside).

It seems as though the labour charge is for the length of time from when they left their garage, drove to breakdown, uploaded vehicle, returned to depot, fixed the problem and did up the bill, hence the charge for labour is equally due to Auto Aid, as the in garage repairs were only half of the time charged.

I would agree with you that some of this is covered under your policy.
Have you spoken to AutoAid about it?
Put in a formal complaint?
What have they said about the things you think they should pay for?