Breakdown Cover

[Hendry]

Just realised my AA cover is up on 19th March so need to renew, I currently have the full package including roadside, relay, home start and the onward travel (courtesy cars and hotel rooms included) and I only paid £55.76 last year because I had a brand new Corsa with free 12months AA cover, so when it ran out Vauxhall had a deal with the AA to offer cover at a 75% discount to Vauxhall owners with cars coming up to 12months old and the end of the AA Vauxhall Assistance Cover, so obviously this year with no discount it's well over £220 for the same cover.

 

I want to pay monthly which means any cash back or voucher codes deals don't apply as they are only valid on annual continuous payment methods, not monthly direct debit payment and I don't have the spare cash to fork out all in an oner for the cover. So who's the best to go with, I've had no bother with the AA but only used them twice for simple faults (melted headlight relay on a Clio and a flat battery on the Jetta)

 

Green Flag can do cover for £60-70 including all the features of the AA one I have but I don't want cheap cover that's hopeless when I come to use it, or to wait ages, and I almost never see Green Flag vans and flatbeds whilst I see AA and RAC ones daily, is this representative of them having a small fleet that takes ages to come out because they are so busy.

 

Also is the garage cover any good (says they pay upto £750 per repair if it causes the car to break down, either via them fitting new parts as a roadside repair or them towing to a garage and then fitting new parts and repairing) or is it just like a used car warranty (actually on used cars it's not a warranty but mechanical breakdown insurance unlike proper new car warranty) where they will try to wriggle out of everything by saying it's a part not covered by the cover or that it's failed due to wear and tear thus not covered? Anyone any experience of them?

[Kiltox]

Autoaid - £42 a year. Full cover.

 

They don't even make you pay and claim any more in my experience

[hpi_matrix]

Ive always had cheap cover and they normally source a local firm and I end up waiting 1-2 hours (only been recovered 3 times).

 

I'm currently with autoaid, this is because they cover you (and your spouse) instead of just the car, its roughly £55 for the year. The catch is you pay for recovery upfront and they reimburse you. There are plenty of reviews on them on the money saving expert forum.

 

I think RAC and AA are the only people that are likely to try and sort a problem out though, rather then just tow you home.

 

If your Corsa is only 12 months old surely it still has manufacturer warranty, so no need for garage cover?

[Hendry]

Ive always had cheap cover and they normally source a local firm and I end up waiting 1-2 hours (only been recovered 3 times).

 

I'm currently with autoaid, this is because they cover you (and your spouse) instead of just the car, its roughly £55 for the year. The catch is you pay for recovery upfront and they reimburse you. There are plenty of reviews on them on the money saving expert forum.

 

I think RAC and AA are the only people that are likely to try and sort a problem out though, rather then just tow you home.

 

If your Corsa is only 12 months old surely it still has manufacturer warranty, so no need for garage cover?

Corsa gone now, got given a free ex taxi 2009 VW Jetta 2.0 CR TDi with 147,000 miles on it by my dad so I wasn't forking out £235 a month on HP payments. It's already stranded him with clutch/DMF failure, failed fuel pump and snapped aux belt causing timing belt to skip teeth and bent 7 valves, 9 new rockers and cylinder head work so although these are unlikely to happen again for another 140,000 miles, what else has worn out at that mileage to cause it to FTP, let's just say I've never bothered with breakdown cover before and never been caught short but I just don't trust this car after that, between me and my dad we've never had another car in the last 20-odd years break down on us ever. Don't want to be stranded and need the police to tow me off the motorway via one of their contractors which incurs an immediate £150 plus fee.

[hpi_matrix]

Corsa gone now, got given a free ex taxi 2009 VW Jetta 2.0 CR TDi with 147,000 miles on it by my dad so I wasn't forking out £235 a month on HP payments. It's already stranded him with clutch/DMF failure, failed fuel pump and snapped aux belt causing timing belt to skip teeth and bent 7 valves, 9 new rockers and cylinder head work so although these are unlikely to happen again for another 140,000 miles, what else has worn out at that mileage to cause it to FTP, let's just say I've never bothered with breakdown cover before and never been caught short but I just don't trust this car after that, between me and my dad we've never had another car in the last 20-odd years break down on us ever. Don't want to be stranded and need the police to tow me off the motorway via one of their contractors which incurs an immediate £150 plus fee.

 

Sounds like a crock of shit thats ready to go poof.

[Mally]

RIng the AA, tell them you are leaving because of the cost.

The cost will fall rapidly.

Think about if you actually need the add ons.

 

My sons AA is due. Renewal quote £205, 2 cars personal cover bits and bats. 10 year 'Gold' member.

New member price £129.

Cancelled existing renewal, his wife took out new member cover x2

Similar cover £76 saved.

 

If Green flag cover suits you go for it, ask the AA to match it first, worth a try.

[mrcitroen]

Phone AA. As said they will drop the price no probs. I done that earlier in the month. I have the all singing / dancing gold and got it for 120 ish.

[Hendry]

Sounds like a crock of shit thats ready to go poof.

In fairness to the car, 140,000 on a clutch and DMF isn't too bad, the aux belt snapping and causing the Cambelt to skip teeth thus causing bent valves, damaged rockers and Cylinder head damage was down to the fact my dad neglected to have it changed, it was the one on it from new that lasted 6 years and 3 months and 140,000 miles, had it been changed timely it would never have snapped nor caused any of the aforementioned damage, the fuel pump again 140,000 miles mostly as a taxi so heavy use not pounding up and down a motorway at 70mph for thousands of miles and also apparently there was an iffy batch of diesel pumps fitted to 2009 and 2010 VWs.

 

For the first 4 years my dad had it and by which time it'd done that mileage it never once FTPd but yeah it'll likely be fine but I'm just iffy because it has failed now 3 times, and I'm wondering what else will have wore out with age and mileage as it's covered more miles now than most cars cover their whole life before they are cubed to make dishwashers and washing machines.

 

Hoping Joey Spud will come on and see this and provide some advice on the Garage repair cover thing.

[twosmoke300]

Isn't this becoming a weekly thread now ?

[Eddie Honda]

Yeah. Only had one two days before:

http://autoshite.com/topic/27328-breakdownrecovery-service-recommendations/

[New POD]

My RAC breakdown cover is up for renewal tomorrow.

 

I go for 4 named people in any car, with recovery to any UK destination.

 

So that's me, the wife and 2 offspring, who still live at home.

 

(one rents a room in some blokes flat, midweek near his work but spends weekends at his girlfriend's or here and his car and insurance is registered here although he's declared to them that midweek it is parked at the other address.  The other is a student and only uses wife car when at home in holidays - which is about 18 weeks of the year)

 

Anyway they wanted £183.

 

So I go to quidco.com, and I can get the same cover from AA for £169 minus £75 cashback (which takes 2 months to get) So that's £94.

 

I phone RAC. Tell them I'm cancelling and guess what ?

 

£93.50 is the new price.

 

I've gone with that because Cashflow is king.

 

I note that with an AA credit card you can get free cover, but after a year they charge £42 a year for the card.