Car Breakdown Recovery - Emergency Assist

AndyB72199

Just wanted to hopefully enable others to avoid making the expensive mistake I made in using Emergency Assist as my vehicle breakdown/recovery service. I had the unfortunate incident of hitting a pot-hole last week, and when I called Emergency Assist to ask for recovery and to be taken to a local tyre replacement facility, they advised me that as a result of hitting a pot-hole and not actually having a breakdown or accident, the cover didn't apply and I was excluded from recovery.
Whilst being exceptionally annoyed at the time, and having to pay out for an emergency recovery from someone else, I chose to at least complain to see if the operator on the day had got it wrong, but the response from their customer complaints department supported the initial decision and confirmed I wasn't covered.

In this current climate with so many pot-holes in the UK, I can only suggest that no one uses this company for their breakdown needs, as you will be fobbed off by a poor and inadequate level of service. As you can imagine, I have voted with my feet as far as Emergency Assist is concerned. Please be aware.

Alderbank

'I had the unfortunate incident of hitting a pot-hole last week...'

Did it happen unexpectedly and unintentionally? I take it you did not deliberately drive over the pot-hole!

Among their many exclusions, their terms and conditions say you are not covered for any incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally.

gingerjulie

So glad Martin has removed this company from his recommendations page. When I joined them 3 years ago I couldn't fault them but after my experience yesterday I would whole heartedly tell anyone to avoid them. If you look up google reviews for the company too so many of the recent ones are not good as well....its like they will do anything to not have to come out to you.

Basically they left me stranded on a busy road due to a blown out tyre, with 3 young kids in the car. Apparently it could have been related to the flat battery I had in March 🤔 not a mechanic but don't think that's actually possible. I asked to speak to a manager but apparently there were none on shift yesterday...

Oh then they charged me £380 to send recovery out to me and paid that company roughly £70. (apparently I can get my £380 back if its proven to be unrelated 🤔 - I expect a battle though). The operative sounded very surprised I was willing to pay this but she had already read out a condition that said if the fault is unrelated I will get my money back...I wasn't going to be out of pocket by going to someone independently! 

Oh and then when I found out the tyre place I originally asked to be towed to was in fact shut they refused to tow me to the closer tyre place I had found!!! A 'manager' said no by their text system apparently (sorry thought there were no managers on shift 🤔) but couldn't possibly call me to discuss. Said they would call me today...still waiting for that call.

Absolutely disgusting customer service by Emergency Assist. They literally couldn't care less and will try and avoid coming out to you at any cost.

cwillsher

I had a similar experience yesterday and have written to Martin to flag them up.

Clearly Emergency Assist Ltd are a call centre scam operator in the Emergency Breakdown sector. 

I have been researching them since they left me stranded in the New Forest with a simple flat battery - this on their Premium Breakdown policy! I spoke to 4 operators and supervisors who all refused to send help, claiming 'human error'. This despite their listing stating '...our Premium with excess breakdown cover is specifically designed for the average motorist who wishes to be covered in every eventuality.' Clearly not! They won't even come out for a simple jump start or refuel. 

Mine is far from the worst review I have since read about them. They are clearly just a call centre scam with no intention of sending help. Read their 1-star reviews on TrustPilot (not the fake 5-star ones they pay for) or visit their, seemingly unmoderated, Facebook page where it is clear that countless, vulnerable customers have been left in danger at the roadside. 

I am alerting Trading Standards, the Financial Ombudsman, BBC Watchdog and anyone who might be interested. Drive safe!

LikeDeals

Similar experience here. In summary, they are full of excuses and will make you pay extra (extortionate) charges when you are in a breakdown situation as they know you are vulnerable in that situation and money is the last concern on your mind!

I had a DPF issue back in March for which I only contacted Emergency Assist via phone (no assistance/service was called out). In June, my car broke down due to timing chain issue with the engine. They said both those things could be related and I will need to pay £380 to be recovered less than half a mile to my home. It is bizarre when there was no callout in the first instance, how could they say it could be related and I need to prove these are different issues for reimbursement? I tried to explain to the lady that DPF is concerned with tail pipe emissions while timing chain is at the front with the engine but she won't budge. Now after proving them the diagnostics that issues are separate, they are suggesting prove it with receipts of full work completely done at a garage! It is bizarre as it seems they operate on their own terms and just test your patience and I can imagine many would give up on chasing them - that is their business model it would seem from all the experiences above and the 1* reviews on Trustpilot. 

I am interested in understanding if a collective complaint against them to the Ombudsmen or another service that might be quicker would help current stranded customers and save future innocent folks to be not held at ransom in breakdown situations. 

scrapmum

To say I am angry is the understatement of the century!!!! As far as I am concerned  you have broken your contract to me on so many occasions it is not real. Listen to the phone conversations you are at pains to tell me about!! If I cancel I will not be responsible for any cancellation fee, as you have broken your contract with me, so as far as I am concerned you will not only owe me compensation but waive any right to any cancellation fee.

£££££

I recently had to attempt to use Emergency Assist (EA) Ltd service and I discovered that the premium policy that was sold to me with national recovery cover had a very different definition of national recovery within the small print. Their definition of this is 3 options - recovery to a local garage, onward destination or recovery home and they will choose the one that is geographically closest. In my case this was local recovery but it was a Sunday of a bank holiday weekend and garages were closed for two days.  I didn't wish to be taken there and be stranded there as that felt less safe than where I had broken down on the side of the A30.  No call handlers spoke to me about onward travel options. I was also told roadside assistance wasn't available. Therefore, I requested recovery home which they wouldn't do as part of my policy.  I ended up paying £625 for this to happen. At one point, one of the call handlers even told me that they were unlikely to be able to help at all, due to it being a bank holiday and the fact that I was towing a trailer.

I made a complaint and this was unsuccessfully resolved but during this process I had a look at the reviews,  particularly the one-star reviews, on Trustpilot. There are thousands of people with similar experiences and these include many vulnerable, disabled and elderly individuals.  I have read a lot of these reviews and it seems that nobody is offered anything other than recovery to a local garage, but many do not even get this.

Reading through these reviews it seems like EA will ask a series of questions to prevent having to come out at all - for example they will ask people who are phoning in with battery issues whether they had the radio on prior to calling. If they have then they don't go out. If people want recovery support for flat tyres if they can establish that they hit a stone or a pothole, then again, they won't go out as they say it's an accident and they are not covered. If people have used them previously, they will say it's the same fault, even with proof it's not, and again they won't go out. If people do get offered recovery to a local garage, many are saying they have to find that garage themselves! In an area they likely don’t know at all!

EAs detail is all in the small print and people are missing this. As did I. I accept that legally they may be scraping by, but their advertising feels very misleading and disingenuous. Morally they are not fulfilling their commitment to customers. And the fact of the matter is they really do not care at all.  It feels like the service is bordering on a scam.

When you go on Trustpilot there are many five star reviews. However, if you look at these, they are mostly for purchase experience only including auto renewals. All of these people are yet to actually attempt to use the service!

I am £625 out of pocket, but for me, having seen the sheer number of vulnerable, disabled and elderly victims that have been stranded and who have suffered emotionally and financially by the actions of EA in their time of need at a breakdown, for many in potentially very dangerous situations, it is these people that I want to do something about this for.. 

Reading all the one-star reviews was literally heartbreaking. 

While 2gether Insurance, who sell the policies, are regulated by the FOS, EA are unregulated. Other than a money claim in court, there is nowhere to escalate a complaint to, as I am sure many other people have discovered also.  

I intend to do what I can to prevent this continuing to happen, with whoever I can and with whoever will listen. 

If anyone can give me any advice as to who to approach, I would be very grateful. I have contacted ASA today.