Green Flag experience - anyone use them?

JennyW_2

I need to get breakdown cover for my car. RAC and AA are quoting me about £75.

I then went onto Greenflag, and with an introductory discount, it's still on £35.

That's a great price but it also worries me.

Does anyone have cover with them, can I rely on them? I'm a lone woman driving so wouldn't want to be left stranded for too long!

The_Black_Sheep

Well unlike the AA and RAC Green Flag doesn't have its own fleet of vehicles and instead uses local contractors - you'll get a local garage coming out to you if you break down not a Green Flag van.

Autoaid is another option you might want to look into, again going down the local contractor route.

Although factoring in the 'lone woman' comment I can see why you would chose to pay a premium and go with the AA or RAC for increased peace of mind - even £75 is only £1.50 a week or something.

balletshoes

I've used them in the past, as a lone woman driver/lone woman driver with a young child. Had no problems with them.

I'm not with them now because I'm with ICB (I think thats what they're called). They were cheaper, I've been with them 2 years now, had to call them out a couple of times, and they were fine too.

Indout96

The main thing is they dont have a fleet of vans, they work with local garages under the green flag name. for basic cover I cant see this being a problem but if you needed recovery from one end of the country to the other it MAY be.
If you are with RAC / AA now ring them with the Green falg quote and the should match it to keep you.

Hasbeen

I have Greenflag, recovery Plus, had to call them when they depended on local gareges/operators, no problems car and myself taken home. Quickly. They were cheapest for me at time combined with cashback and the policy is same as RAC AA etc

They now depend on super depots which individually cover large areas, no experience how long they take to get to you now.

Quidco etc are giving £50 for joining through them for Plus policy

JennyW_2

thanks for your replies.

Yes I've been reading about AutoAid, bit wary but then again never gone for a breakdown policy like that before but the reviews seem favourable.

My vehicle is a year old so hopefully I wont need them (much) but you never know.

From what I read, the recovery companies only take your vehicle to a local garage - what if you were 400 miles from home?

My vehicle is under warranty so would need to go to a main dealer.

Does AutoAid take your vehicle to any garage you choose?

poppasmurf_bewdley

I've used Green Flag via the Caravan Club for two cars for the last four years and on each occasion we have used them they have been very good. Always arrived within an hour, and on one occasion brought my caravan back from Devon.

Contrary to what has been said, on the last two occasions, we have been attended by specific Green Flag vehicles, not a breakdown truck from a local garage.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chris999/7140086841/

balletshoes

JennyW wrote: »

thanks for your replies.

Yes I've been reading about AutoAid, bit wary but then again never gone for a breakdown policy like that before but the reviews seem favourable.

My vehicle is a year old so hopefully I wont need them (much) but you never know.

From what I read, the recovery companies only take your vehicle to a local garage - what if you were 400 miles from home?

My vehicle is under warranty so would need to go to a main dealer.

Does AutoAid take your vehicle to any garage you choose?

I think that depends on the policy.
My car has been taken to the garages of my choice or to my home/a UK address (certainly not the nearest garage the recovery service deals with on any occasion) 5 times in my driving history over the last 10 years or so. This was with various breakdown companies, including RAC, ICB, rescuemycar. ICB would have taken me 370 miles home on my last breakdown, if I had chosen that option.

slyracoon

The_Black_Sheep wrote: »

Well unlike the AA and RAC Green Flag doesn't have its own fleet of vehicles and instead uses local contractors - you'll get a local garage coming out to you if you break down not a Green Flag van.

I would disagree with other posters using ther term 'local garages'. Green Flag do not use local garages, so its not just anybody coming from a random local garage to help. This used to be a case, they used to have a network of hundreds of local garages now they now contract the work to just 5 'super contractors'. Many of the vans used are also fully livered with Green Flag logos.

I have been with Green Flag for 3 years, its a benefit of the Natwest Advantage Gold account. I've had 3 call outs, all less than 30 minutes, each time I was attended to by Westbourne motors who have the Green Flag contract for Southern England. http://www.westbournemotors.co.uk

hethmar

I came here to check out reviews on Greenflag too. Just had a quote of £220 from AA for our 3 year old golf plus our 7 year old maxus van. Seems a lot compared with £106 for Greenflag less £25 cashback from topcashback =£81 for both vehicles for the year for Recovery Plus option (which includes nationwide recovery)

peachyprice

We've used them for years, we've always had excellent service and wouldn't pay over the odds for AA or RAC when GF is just as good. We've also used the European add-on for holidays.