Any recommendations for breakdown cover for older cars over 15 years old?

AdrianC

From that link...

Page 33 of the membership doc for RCIS policies...
https://secure.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/documents/AutoAid Membership Document RC.pdf
defines "Vehicle" as...
Any vehicle being driven by you at the time of the breakdown and which meets the following eligibility criteria:
•any car, van or motorcycle (no sidecar) or motorhome (up to 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight) which is no more than 15 years old unless shown otherwise on your schedule;
or
•any trailer or non-motorised caravan no more than 7 metres long (excluding the A-frame and hitch) and which is attached by a standard 50 millimetre towing coupling. Any attached trailer or non-motorised caravan will be entitled to the same service as the vehicle

Page 5 of the similar doc for ERS policies doesn't include an age cap, but does include a lower weight cap for vans/motorhomes.
https://secure.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/documents/AutoAid Policy Wording.pdf
• The vehicle / your vehicle
- a saloon car, hatchback, estate car, car derived van or motorcycle over 150 cc's. Motorised caravans can be covered provided they are under 2.5 tons gross vehicle weight and with an engine capacity of no more than 2500 cc, which is being driven by either you, or your legal spouse or civil partner

No idea which of those would apply to a personal membership, but they both rule themselves out for my personal requirements. And they still seem to contradict themselves on whether the "free spouse" cover applies to long-term partners, or only those in a marriage or civil partnership. So would we (together 25 yrs, living together 23) require one policy or two?

MX5huggy

Ok that is for policies that have a policy number starting “RC” which seems to be policies purchased from Right Choice Insurance Brokers.

Mine doesn’t and I did not. There’s nothing about age of car in the other policy document. 

I understood they had changed to include partners not just spouses at the same address.  Does not effect me so I’m not going to check in detail.

AdrianC

MX5huggy said:

Ok that is for policies that have a policy number starting “RC” which seems to be policies purchased from Right Choice Insurance Brokers.

Right Choice own Autoaid, having bought them from ERS in 2016.
I suspect non-RC policies are long-term legacy ones, and I wouldn't guarantee that those terms will continue in force.

I understood they had changed to include partners not just spouses at the same address.  Does not effect me so I’m not going to check in detail.

Their wording is different in different places.
"Your legal spouse, civil or common law partner"
"And as we cover any legally recognised spouse*"
"AutoAid Breakdown covers you and your legal spouse or civil partner"
"Cover applies to you and your legal spouse or civil partner as shown in the schedule."
...and they're just from the website front page and FAQ page.

Look at the definitions docs, and you get...
"The AutoAid Breakdown Service covers you and, where we have agreed to include them, your spouse, civil partner or common law partner," P7, RCIS
"you and your legal spouse or civil partner" p5 and p10, ERS

How are they defining "common law partner"? It's a layman's term that doesn't carry any legal meaning or weight whastoever, and is directly contradicted by their references to "legally recognised".

The one time I actually phoned them to clarify, I was told they definitely would not provide the free cover to an unmarried partner, regardless of duration of relationship - and we would need to buy a second policy.
It's an ill-thought-out dog's breakfast, and if there's the slightest chance of my OH getting refused cover without paying for a second policy, then... there's quite simply other providers. 

EdGasketTheSecond

Norman_Castle said:

EdGasketTheSecond said:

I have two cars and myself and spouse to cover; nationwide recovery required.

Both cars are over 15 years old which rules out AutoAid as buried in their terms it states they only cover cars up to 15 years old; I only realised this by a tip off in a review as it is not until you get the full-length t&c's that this is stated and then in the definitions; not exclusions! Nowhere in the application process, nowhere in the product information sheet. Very poor practice by AutoAid.

I was with RAC personal cover but don't have enough Tesco vouchers this year and the quote was too expensive (£160 I think).

Can you link to the age restriction from autoaid.

It's in the full length terms and conditions which you have to search out and download. It's not an exception but a definition that the vehicle covered is any but not more than 15 years old. It was not in the terms in previous years. It must apply now as the reviewer I referred to had to cancel the policy once he had paid, got the documents and realised his old car would not be covered. Autoaid then made a charge for cancelling the policy even though at no point in the application are you made aware of the car age limitation. Disgraceful practice by Autoaid imho, I would not want to support such an underhand organisation.

MX5huggy

I had mine probably 20 years. (Maybe not perfectly continuously). I have always found them straight forward, the price has increased in that time but it’s always been a simple price no special offers or hoops to get the price. 

Probably would have been better to self insure (I think I’ve called them 3 times) but you have it cover big claim.

noitsnotme

@AdrianC - thanks, I knew I’d miss it!  Luckily mine is an ERS policy so looks like I’m ok (for now!).

AdrianC

noitsnotme said:

Luckily mine is an ERS policy so looks like I’m ok (for now!).

How long have you been with them?

noitsnotme

AdrianC said:

noitsnotme said:

Luckily mine is an ERS policy so looks like I’m ok (for now!).

How long have you been with them?

Can’t remember the exact number of years but a long time.  Certainly from way before 2016 when Right Choice acquired ERS.  I think I remember only paying around £19 or maybe £29 for the annual policy when I first took it out?

MX5huggy

noitsnotme said:

AdrianC said:

noitsnotme said:

Luckily mine is an ERS policy so looks like I’m ok (for now!).

How long have you been with them?

Can’t remember the exact number of years but a long time.  Certainly from way before 2016 when Right Choice acquired ERS.  I think I remember only paying around £19 or maybe £29 for the annual policy when I first took it out?

You used to get the sticker to stick in your policy book. Simple times.

EdGasketTheSecond

If there's a clause in there about not covering 15 years and older cars then I would not want to be trying to argue the toss with autoaid at the side of a motorway when trying to get them to honour their policy. StartRescue seem to have much better reviews and customer service these days than AutoAid plus you can simply opt out of auto-renew online; I'll be going with them this year. 15% cashback too. Thanks for all replies.