Breakdown cover - AA/RAC

yellowlawn

Always been worried about using other 'breakdown services'. The AA/RAC have a dedicated fleet of breakdown service staff and vehicles, compared to others who use ad-hoc garages. That withstanding they charge a premium for the full on service compared to some others.

Start Rescue looks enticing and have good online reviews.

Confused.com now

Iceweasel

yellowlawn wrote: »

Always been worried about using other 'breakdown services'. The AA/RAC have a dedicated fleet of breakdown service staff and vehicles, compared to others who use ad-hoc garages. That withstanding they charge a premium for the full on service compared to some others.

Start Rescue looks enticing and have good online reviews.

Confused.com now

The AA and the RAC also use ad-hoc local garages depending on the location.

But really it's very simple - you play them at their own game - an AA member who breaks down in France or Spain or wherever phones the AA number and gets routed to assistance from the national club of whichever country they are in which is affiliated with the International Alliance of Motor Clubs, the FIA.

All you need to do is join the biggest and best Motor Club in Europe (the biggest in the world if you exclude the AAA in the US who won't let you join anyway) and you get the best breakdown service anywhere you happen to be in Europe at a fraction of the cost.

Plus a load of other things that the UK companies can't offer at any price.

Even if you never go outside the UK it's a no brainer.

ADAC for me.

Ultrasonic

yellowlawn wrote: »

Always been worried about using other 'breakdown services'. The AA/RAC have a dedicated fleet of breakdown service staff and vehicles, compared to others who use ad-hoc garages. That withstanding they charge a premium for the full on service compared to some others.

Start Rescue looks enticing and have good online reviews.

Confused.com now

FWIW I made quite a few call outs with Autonational Rescue (same company as Autoaid but without the reclaim bit) and never had any complaints. You just get a recovery vehicle sent out from a local garage, usually one with stickers on the side from a whole range of breakdown recovery companies since they are used by many, although obviously not AA/RAC. I've no experience of call outs with Start Rescue but I rather suspect there is a fair chance that they'll use the same garages/recovery vehicles.

It possibly partly depends quite what you want a recovery vehicle to be able to do. AA/RAC do I believe carry things like replacement batteries, whereas a local recovery vehicle would not. But you pay a big price premium for this sort of thing, and for me I just want my breakdown cover to stop me (and my car) getting stranded somewhere.

Cyberman60

macman wrote: »

With Auto-Aid at £39.90, why use either?

I pay another 9p but get AA !!

I never automatically renew and then they phone me with an offer !!

Ultrasonic

Cyberman60 wrote: »

I pay another 9p but get AA !!

I never automatically renew and then they phone me with an offer !!

Including all the bells and whistles like home start, overnight accommodation and onward travel?

ilikewatch

I was with the RAC for many years with my last car (an old Renault) and had no-end of electrical problems and flat batterys. When I bought my new Yaris 4 years ago I moved to the AA and haven't had a single breakdown or problem since - an excellent service and well worth the annual fees.

Ultrasonic

ilikewatch wrote: »

I was with the RAC for many years with my last car (an old Renault) and had no-end of electrical problems and flat batterys. When I bought my new Yaris 4 years ago I moved to the AA and haven't had a single breakdown or problem since - an excellent service and well worth the annual fees.

I'm confused. How can you say you've had a good service from the AA if you've never had a breakdown?

tabbycat2k

Ultrasonic wrote: »

Thanks for the tip . I was about to renew with Autoaid but have gone with Start Rescue instead. It's £4.45 cheaper and doesn't require me to pay at the time of a call out and claim back later. Hopefully I'll get an extra £5.58 cashback as well, making it about £10 cheaper.

Yes this looks interesting - has anyone used them before? Also, who did you use to get cashback for them?

FairyShazza

Also interested in Start Rescue. Their quote is not the cheapest but is cheaper than my renewal from The Green Insurance Company, they seem to have good online reviews.

SBOSlayer

FairyShazza wrote: »

Also interested in Start Rescue. Their quote is not the cheapest but is cheaper than my renewal from The Green Insurance Company, they seem to have good online reviews.

Well i've just bought my first car... totally expensive, but started a grad job - so it's a necessity. Anyway, I'm gonna give them a shot... already shelled out a fortune buying my Grandads car, although reliable, never know Plus they have home start and Quidco cashback

Although I might use Topcashback, Qudico is in my bad books atm.. after a Sky debacle.