Compare Breakdown Cover Car Breakdown Discussion

muddlemand

lisyloo wrote: »

I am not expecting anyone to shop around for me.
I was making a point about the coverage.
It may still be an exellent deal for many people and thats why MSE show it.
Just because its not best for everyone doesn't mean they should not mention it.

Sorry, you've lost me. I must have mistaken what you meant.

Platinum is the name of one of the policies offered by AutoAid, not a general type of cover., so as far as i know AutoAid is the only place to get it.

muddlemand

lisyloo wrote: »

Autoaid (last time I checked) cover repair, at home, recovery and onward travel.
This has been referred to by MSE for a long time as "platinum".

Oh ok, I haven't spent a lot of time reading about breakdown cover on MSE.

The one I've switched to has unlimited number of call outs, covers for misfuelling , punctures and other stuff that some of the others didn't, and I'm likely to get punctures where I live so it suits me. Also zero excess. We each decide based on our own needs.

I'm not expecting anyone to shop around for my specific circs but trying to get to the bottom of why some people feel it's not a good product, when it's platinum for a couple for multiple vehicles.

I wouldn't expect individuals to know that as well as the MSE team who regularly look into the details of all the different options. But maybe someone with more experience can answer.

MB99

Hi

I have tried the comparebreakdowncover.co.uk website and other sources but cannot find a policy that covers multiple vehicles or multiple people when a family member is away at university for part of the year.
Please has anyone found such a policy?

Fielder

Contacted CBC and asked why Start Rescue was not included. The reply asked if I was referring to home start cover?
I explained trying to compare prices and benefits and wondered why Start Rescue was not mentioned?? CBC replied it was not covered under their policy!
I said Start Rescue was a provider of vehicle breakdown cover. Was told they didn't work with them. I have European breakdown cover with Start Rescue (recommended by Which?) and am very satisfied, they even have an app to report the breakdown. Last years premium £49.72 - my renewal premium in Feb 20 £57.15. I shall be renewing

muddlemand

Warning: AutoAid are getting more and more sneaky and underhand.

Stupidy I didn't realise I had already paid to renew with them, three weeks before my policy expired, and then I shopped around and found Eversure - so I had both. I realised today and called to cancel AutoAid. I was within the 14-day cooling-off period from the policy's start date but they have deducted £31.80 to allow me to leave!

This is made up of £15 admin fee for them to process the cancellation, and another £15 + IPT at 12% (ie £16.80) which they take out of the refund that the insurer gives me.

I didn't know businesses were allowed to charge anything during the cooling-off period. It's in ONE of the accompanying documents, so I presume it is legal.

It is not in the "Product Information Document". It is not in the "Full Policy Document".
Both of these say:
"Within the 14 Days Cooling off Period ... We will return any premium paid subject to a minimum premium of £15 (plus IPT) for the number of days for which we have provided cover. The 14-day period applies to new policies and the renewing of existing policies."
... and then go on to cancellation after the cooling-off period is over.

It is mentioned in the "Terms and Conditions of Business" - the SECOND time that this mentions cancellation. Very first thing after "About us", it lists Service Charges including £15 for cancellation. The document then goes on to Protecting your money; Your duty of disclosure; Recording of calls; Personal information (incl. their privacy policy); Identity and data searches... who's going to look in detail at the rest once we're into those kinds of one-size-fits-all clauses? - then eventually, Your cancellation rights. HERE, it says:
"The insurer will charge you for the period you have been on cover subject to a minimum charge of £15 plus IPT. The very last thing in the document apart from cancellation rights, FSCS and governing law.

We will also deduct a £15 administration charge from any refund provided by the insurer."

(My emphasis.)

So it was there all along, but I think it's very misleading indeed. Not to mention that surely it doesn't cost them three times as much to cancel a policy as to set it up! The letter of the law it may be, but this is not in the spirit of the cooling-off period.

(I cancelled anyway. Eversure cost so much less that I'm hardly out of pocket, and that's well worth it to get away from AutoAid's attitude to customers. And to learn that business are allowed to charge for cancelling within the cooling-off period as I had no idea of that!)

MagWag

OnanTheBarbarian said:

Did you know that RAC, AA & Green Flag will charge you to recover your vehicle if it can't be driven after an accident as it is not a "breakdown"? 

Correct, but it is a legal requirement to have accident insurance and it is this that will cover you in the event of an accident...at least that's the theory?  Recently my car caught fire on the A1. A passing breakdown truck stopped to help. My Sister was with me and had a personal car breakdown cover. She phoned her insurer to ask but they said no, not a breakdown.
After Highways and the fire brigade had put the fire out we were taken to the depot and from there arranged car hire to get home. 
This happened in November and I am still waiting for AXA to
 reimburse me for my car and transport home ( inspite a sum being agreed with CoPart at the beginning of December).
I will get the money eventually but it is not ideal to have to shell out when it takes so long to get the money back.
I shall not be renewing my insurance through AXA EVER again!

knightstyle

Unfortunately we are looking for cover whilst towing a caravan and these policies only cover a small caravan for trips of over a month and if we limit our stay to 1 month the caravan must be under 7M long, ours is 7.2M long so still looking for a good deal.

heepyfat

For touring caravans and motorhomes travelling in Europe, make sure your cover will repatriate you in the event of a collision. Most breakdown services are just that; they won’t repatriate you if you’ve had a collision.

We had this problem with the RAC Arrival, which is obtained through the Camping and Caravanning Club. We’ve had their European cover since 2010.

In January I was involved in a collision in France whilst not towing the caravan, which wrote the car off and put me in hospital. When I rang the RAC to repatriate us and the caravan, they refused saying the cover changed in 2018 from recovery to a breakdown only service. This left us with a caravan full of personal possessions and no way of getting it back to the UK. We had to get our Son-in-Law to travel down to France and tow the caravan back to Yorkshire for us.

Read the small print on your policy and make sure it will cover all eventualities.

Sootyblack

I took out a policy with CBC in January. This week I travelled 60 miles to visit a friend. On getting back in my car I switched the engine on but the car wouldn’t move the handbrake has stuck. I called  the breakdown service and explained the situation. The customer services assistant decided it was recovery situation and that a roadside assistant mechanic would not be able to help. I was then asked to tell them which local garage I wanted to use, so that recovery could be arranged. I explained that I was in an unfamiliar area, had no internet access and didn’t know of a local garage. They explained that they would be unable to help me with selecting a garage.
Eventually a friendly local phoned a local garage for me, who assured me it was probably a sticking hand brake. Within an hour they were in situ and after 5 minutes had released the handbrake and had me on my way. No parts no recovery required. They also refused any payment, when I explained the situation I had been left in. I have complained to CBC who on considering my complaint agreed that it was a recovery situation, even though it was fixed in situ. It was also confirmed that it was my responsibility to select a local garage. Having checked my policy it only states.....a garage of your choice....it does not explain that CBC does not provide a selection for to to chose from.

I hate to think what would have happened if I had been stuck in a rural location with no local garage in the vicinity. I would not recommend CBC, if you are a single woman driver, you will be left to your own devices despite having paid for a service providing roadside assistance and recovery.

CBC_Compare_Breakdown_Cover

MB99 said:

Hi

I have tried the comparebreakdowncover.co.uk website and other sources but cannot find a policy that covers multiple vehicles or multiple people when a family member is away at university for part of the year.
Please has anyone found such a policy?

Hi there,

Please accept our apologies for not responding to this sooner, unfortunately the notification for your message did not reach us.

Unfortunately we don't offer such a policy, though it is something we are looking into for the future.

I hope you were able to find adequate cover for your needs.

Kind regards,
The CompareBreakdownCover Team