Breakdown Cover

RastaManBob

RastaManBob

RastaManBob

Associate
Joined
30 Dec 2003
Posts
2,254
Hi,

Just wondering if anybody has any particular breakdown cover options that are particularly good value for money?

I've been with the RAC for two years now and am fed up with the renewal costs being more than those for a new member... They are going to charge me £50.50 for single roadside personal based cover... It seems I can get a lot more for my cash elsewhere.

Since getting this cover in the past two years my use of driving has changed from simply hopping around local areas and now I'd like to get some cover which is more helpful if I'm a little further a field (Where roadside will not simply be enough)... I'm not talking mega miles here but simply the odd trip to the coast I would never have done when I originally took out my cover. I'm concerned, however, that if I break down on only one occasion where the fault cannot be sorted at the roadside I could be faced with a heafy bill to be towed away.

I would prefer cover of myself and not a specific vehicle.

With this in mind the best options I've found are:

1) AutoAid
Very good value at £37 and includes all levels of cover however the only disadvantage is that you must cover all costs up front, which get paid back to you within 14 days (Usually 10).

2) The AA
Basic cover comes in at £39.50 however there is scope to get some cash back from QuidCo (~£20) but this is not 100% guaranteed. AA are currently running an offer where you can add the "Relay" package to your cover for only £10.

If anybody could suggest alternatives that'd be great.

I would also like to hear, from experience, how much towing tends to cost - I'm trying to calculate if I tend to have enough money available to pay up front if I did opt for AutoAid cover.

Cheers!
 
And for the second time in 5mins... I use First Call motorbreakdown at £32 for roadside cover.

Used them twice, loaded my car onto the back of a truck and had me home quickly the first time and fixed it at the roadside the second time. No complaints, would recommend them.

Saitrix also uses them and they towed his old Dolly home no problem when it broke down for the 24342th time.
 
First call look great but I was hoping to get personal cover rather than vehicle cover, meaning that I could make use of the services even as a passenger in another vehicle.
 
Give them a call and see if they will try to keep you :)

The AA done everything to get me to stay! Previously when i bought my car it had cover included, so when that was up (when the networkQ thing finished) they renewed me for £25 for the basic package (roadside) which was fine!

This year they tried for £52 for just roadside... i called them up to cancel and after about 20 mins of talking, being indecisive, offered me roadside and relay for £60. I asked if i could think about it, then he went away to speak to someone and came back and offered me both for £47... Sweet :D Went with that!

I dont know what the RAC will do to keep you, but if you mention moving to the AA, they might suprise you!
 
When I rang them they really didn't seem to care. Their attitude was "Even if you find better elsewhere it'll only be for the first year and then you'll be in the same situation".

Now stopped my renewal with RAC and looking elsewhere... Finding it hard to decide though!

AutoAid are good but it's a pay and claim scheme.

First call are good but they cover the vehicle and not the individual.

AA work are good using some offers online but come renewal I'll be in the same situation.

I'm hoping I can find a good compromise otherwise it's out of those three.
 
I've heard so many horror stories about the cheaper breakdown cover companies that don't do what they say on the tin when you actually need them. I'm pretty sure "first call" was one of the ones with a terrible reputation.

For this reason i'd always stick with the major ones and grab the quidco back on top, hardly costs anything then :p

I've always thought the only really things to consider are relay or no relay? ;)
 
Not had a problem at all and I have used it twice for myself last year. Both times really quick response and took me to the address I wanted. So my experiences are flawless. Certainly was quicker than the RAC I used the year before that.
 
well my understanding is also that all these places use the same firms as a call out?

So you'd expect them all to be the same speed providing they do offer a proper service.

Glad they didn't leave you stranded anyway :p
 
saitrix said:
Surely First call will be good enough. How often are you in other cars with no breakdown?
Click to expand...

The frequency that I am in a car without breakdown is pretty low, but none the less the reason that I'd like to have the cover for myself rather than a specific vehicle is incase I find myself in a situation where I'm in another car (Possibly as a passenger) that breaks down, without any cover... For example if the owner/driver has none. Even in this situation I'd like to think there is an easy way to resolve it... It's possibly one of those features I'm paying for and never use but since having it on my RAC policy I'm keen to retain it for the piece of mind.

I believe I'm going to be going with AutoAid but want to give them one call to confirm if I can use the policy as a passenger. For £37 the cover is essentially the top level as offered by anybody else (Even including keys locked in the car and run out of fuel which other policies do not include) at a much-reduced price. As I intend to rarely use the service (Touch wood I have yet to require the use of a breakdown service!) the extra "work" in having to pay and reclaim does not bother me... Instead I see it is as more of an insurance policy where I'm paying a reduced rate in the hope I don't need it but it is there for me (With all of its features) in the case that I need it. I have checked my bank account and I am positive my agreed overdraft would cover me in the situation where I may need to pay in advanced for a recovery service.

If AutoAid do not allow it to be used as a passenger then I'll have to reassess the situation and see how important this is... The fact is that even without that it is still on par with First Calls Platinum Plus policy at £57.75 and my research leads me to believe that First Call offer the best value for money for break down cover outside of pay and claim schemes. Certainly, it'd be a choice between AutoAid and First Call as I've decided I'd rather avoid the cash-back route of the AA where I'll find myself only having to source a cheap policy again this time next year.

For anybody interested, I enquired with AutoAid regarding payment who confirmed debit and credit cards are accepted (By recovery services) and when I asked about the case that I do find myself without the cash available (E.g., no card or cash on me) they confirmed they would phone around and find a recovery service willing to invoice me... Though they suggested this may take them longer to get assistance out as it would require them phoning around for a suitable local service...

Reading on some feedback websites it appears recovery times are reasonable as you are free to allow AutoAid to organise everything or you can call somebody yourself - This allows you the chance to find possibly a local independent or similar who is immediately available.
 
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