Auto Aid breakdown cover no longer as attractive

RaceyT

I've been loyal to Auto Aid for many years having followed MSE pointers towards them being competitively priced. Thankfully I have had little use of their services over the years and in the past it has been incident free when I've needed it. I appreciate that they were bought out a few years ago and there definitely seems to have been a culture shift in terms of customer service with a much more hard-edged manner, not listening, talking-over tactics, etc.

As there are now other options for securing competitively priced comprehensive breakdown cover (e.g. through packaged bank accounts, with switch bonuses to cover costs), and with recent highly unpleasant experience with customer service, it's no longer as attractive.  

SiliconChip

I've also been covered by Auto Aid for the last 5 years, but as I have a reliable car (touch wood!) I've never needed to use their service or speak to them at any time, so I've no idea what their customer experience is like. It's doubtful if I'd ever bother to pay for a packaged bank account to get the breakdown cover, if I do a switch the bonus will be coming to me not used to cover the costs of the package, but I am seriously considering using Auto Aid's sister company Auto National (as suggested on here) who provide cover for the car rather than the person for around half the cost.

Mgman1965

Be very wary of "cheap" breakdown cover.

I was with Emergency Assist along with most of my family members for years with no need to use them.

Then, one cold, dark, wet morning on a country road, i hit an object in the road (brick i think) puncturing beyond repair both nearside tyres and damaging one alloy as well.

Called EA, told them what happened, the damage, and that I am a disabled driver with limited mobility and a blue badge.

Refused any assistance as they classed it an accident (not covered) and not a breakdown and we're comfortable to just leave a disabled driver stranded on the side of the road in the early hours of the morning. 

That cost them four renewals and we're all now with the AA who would have assisted me as a priority. 

Jenni_D

My partner has Auto National and when it was necessary one time to use them they were very responsive and no hassle.

Bigwheels1111

We get AA family cover for 4, home, national, relay and onward travel.
After cashback it’s around £30 each.
All 4 need to live at the same address, Cough Cough 😷 .
Watch out for their 50% deal.

Car_54

Mgman1965 said:

That cost them four renewals and we're all now with the AA who would have assisted me as a priority. 

You’re confident about that? AFAIK they don’t cover accidents either.