AutoAid recovery... Seriously...?

AdrianC

After a saga with ADAC refusing to renew us, we've been looking around for alternative breakdown cover. AutoAid seem to be the least-worst option, even though they don't do European cover.

But... no.

They won't give us the free partner cover - we'd have to have two separate policies, and pay twice as much.

Why? Because, even though we've been together 20yrs and living together the vast majority of that time, we aren't married. Yes, seriously.

Who is running this lot? My flamin' mother? I am gobsmacked.

consumers_revenge

I buy an Autoaid contract, then the lodger decides he would like to go halves so we tell them we are living together to get it cheap?!?!


Any difference?

robbies_gal

so it states free partner but not if youre not married?

Ebe_Scrooge

robbies_gal wrote: »

so it states free partner but not if youre not married?

Correct. From their FAQs :


"AutoAid Breakdown covers you and your legal spouse ...
However, if you are not legally married or in a civil partnership (same sex marriage), we are unable to cover a common-law partner under the same policy. If your partner would like to become an AutoAid Breakdown member, a separate breakdown policy would be needed."

reddwarf2002

It may seem unfair but it is there to protect themselves from fraud and the extra effort that is required to verify the partnership is genuine.

AdrianC

reddwarf2002 wrote: »

It may seem unfair but it is there to protect themselves from fraud and the extra effort that is required to verify the partnership is genuine.

They ask for the partner's name as part of the sign-up. Does it make the slightest difference?

hc25036

It's a function of the drive to keep prices down. The cheap insurance that we all search for means the companies have to save money on customer services and cheap breakdown cover means restrictive terms and conditions to keep their costs down.

TeamPlum

Would it be possible to just say "yeah, we're married, but we have different last names"

I can't imagine them asking for marriage certificate?

Car_54

TeamPlum wrote: »

Would it be possible to just say "yeah, we're married, but we have different last names"

I can't imagine them asking for marriage certificate?

I think that's called fraud.

fred246

As an ADAC member I'd be interested to know why they won't renew your membership.

AdrianC

fred246 wrote: »

As an ADAC member I'd be interested to know why they won't renew your membership.

<direct quote>"Due to previous abuse"...

We called them out once in 2011 in France, and twice in 2013-14 in the UK. One of those UK calls was a half-hour roadside cooling hose fix, one was a dead alternator on a different vehicle - the AA patrol chucked a spare battery in and followed me the 20 miles home. The French call was more of a saga - the garage they took the camper too didn't even look at it for three days, and we had a battle not to be repatriated to the UK...