Cheap breakdown cover

[Lacquer Peel]

£32 for national recovery, etc.

 

https://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/emergency-assist-6

[Tepper]

These lot were pretty terrible, I wouldn't use them again based on my experience but your mileage may vary!

[Lacquer Peel]

These lot were pretty terrible, I wouldn't use them again based on my experience but your mileage may vary!

Tell me more. The race to the bottom here probably doesn't help and I've just aided it by buying the cheapest possible breakdown cover.

[Zelandeth]

I've heard a few horror stories from this mob.  I'd just pay an extra tenner to get cover from AutoAid.

They're not picky about vehicle age either.  Think it's £45/year for cover for both me and my husband for any vehicle.

[HillmanImp]

I just signed up with Autoaid. Was a bit wary to switch from Start Rescue who I was impressed with but the potential saving was too tempting. 

[Aston Martin]

Autoaid are supposed to be good 

[Lacquer Peel]

Doesn't a lot of the service you receive depend on the local agents the breakdown service use?
I kind of wish I'd gone with Autoaid again, they've been good in the past.

[Tepper]

13 hours ago, Lacquer Peel said:

Tell me more. The race to the bottom here probably doesn't help and I've just aided it by buying the cheapest possible breakdown cover.

They didn't answer the phone at one point when I tried to call them for a breakdown - it rang for half an hour or something stupid like that. When I finally did manage to get hold of someone, they sent a recovery truck to a completely unrelated address 60 miles away. That truck wouldn't then come to the correct address and I was looking at another 3 hour wait. They told me that I'd given them the wrong address and I'd be charged £100 - in the end I asked if I could arrange my own recovery and be reimbursed for it, which they agreed to provided they were able to review the transcript of the call and find out who was at fault. They did eventually get the money back to me, but these aren't the kind of people I'd want to be dealing with in the aftermath of my prized conveyance shitting its pants.

[colino]

Since they were bought out, is everyones AutoAid premium jumping?  Last year it was £41.94, my renewal is £59.99.

[loserone]

Yes, they also have three different policies now

[Shirley Knott]

I'm with autoaid, read lots of good things about them but have to say their call centre staff were probably the most unpleasant people I've ever spoken to. Signed up anyway, basically because they're cheap and breaking down is something that happens to other people and not me, ergo I'm probably never going to need them anyway.

[Lankytim]

Auto-aid has been taken over and the policy has taken a hike, it’s also not a “pay and claim” service, you now ring them and they arrange breakdown. 

[loserone]

It hasn't been pay and claim in practice for the six years I've been using them

[Kiltox]

2 hours ago, loserone said:

It hasn't been pay and claim in practice for the six years I've been using them

Must depend who they send to you - i had to pay and claim several times in 2014 and 2015 but not at all after that. 

[Datsuncog]

Yes, my Auto Aid premium jumped to £59 this year too.

Haven't needed to use them yet, and yes reports have been mixed - but if I'm going to spend hours on hold, get dicked about by recovery crews turning up 200 miles away, and ultimately end up having to sort it out myself, I'd sooner pay £60 than the thick end of £150 to let RAC or AA be the source of my rage and disappointment.

[willswitchengage]

Anyone got any hacks here? Unfortunately AA have ended their promo of £20 cover if you buy their home insurance policy and mine's up for renewal. For a breakdown-only quote the age of my car limits to me having to pay >£100 for AA/RAC. Only want a basic service (roadside assistance) but even that is ridicu-expensive.

[tommytwo]

I went with Autoaid following a recommendation on here. Broke down while on holiday on a very hot day. Took a half hour to get any response and waited 3 hours for recovery.  In the end, I had no chice but to fix things myself or I would still be there now . Hope you have better luck than I did, I wasted my money! Disgusted!

[Craig the Princess]

Certainly had better luck when I had the Saab convertible recovered last January. Answered immediately, did have to wait 75 minutes for a truck which is better then my Dad waited 4 hours for the RAC.

[Lankytim]

I had to use Autoaid a couple of months ago when the fuel pump packed up on my V70 and left me in lane 1 of a smart motorway at 05.30 in the dark and rain. Pretty good service, they came out after an hour or so and recovered me home. While I was waiting they also rang me every 15 mins to ensure I hadn't been killed. 

I was happier with AutoAid than I was with the highways agency, who despite being told twice exactly where I was left the lane open for 30 minutes or so before closing it on the overhead matrix signs. Scary stuff. Fortunately my Volvo remained unobliterated, nobody got hurt and I'm still smoking about in it now. 

[keef]

On 4 August 2019 at 12:33 PM, colino said:

Since they were bought out, is everyones AutoAid premium jumping?  Last year it was £41.94, my renewal is £59.99.

Just had my renewal through and a similar increase.

Don't think I will be able to beat it for any vehicle I am in though?

[wesacosa]

I have been with autoaid years and never had any issues. Premium did go up last year but given its pretty comprehensive and they don't seem to care what I am driving.....

Best bit is the Mrs is free and gets same. level of cover as the main policy holder, don't have to be married either, think I just emailed them a scan of a joint utility bill or two

 

[Floatylight]

I have been with autoaid years and never had any issues. Premium did go up last year but given its pretty comprehensive and they don't seem to care what I am driving.....
Best bit is the Mrs is free and gets same. level of cover as the main policy holder, don't have to be married either, think I just emailed them a scan of a joint utility bill or two
 

I had to use autoaid yesterday, came out in 30 mins and loaded the car up on a flatbed and took me home..

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[loserone]

On 1/19/2020 at 6:31 PM, tommytwo said:

I went with Autoaid following a recommendation on here. Broke down while on holiday on a very hot day. Took a half hour to get any response and waited 3 hours for recovery.  In the end, I had no chice but to fix things myself or I would still be there now . Hope you have better luck than I did, I wasted my money! Disgusted!

Would like to know more about this.  You're saying they didn't answer the phone for half an hour?

[keef]

Autoaid paid me compensation for a very long delay in recovering me and a modern from out near Bristol to Kent. 

[Rocket88]

I'm still with the  A.A.................you'd get better service from their namesakes...........other half broke down in our Elgrand, and phoned me. Sounded from her description like a fuelling problem. Patrol comes out and diagnoses plugs and coilpacks. Decides he can't be arsed to investigate any further. Recovery arrives 6 hours later [another story] and gets her home. The following day, I notice the fuel gauge is behaving strangely, so I chuck 5 litres in, starts first time. 

[barefoot]

Another vote for Autoaid here, I went through a bit of a bad patch and had to call them out four times for four different cars and faults in an embarassingly short period of time. I've never asked them to repair anything, just to recover me home.

And they phone every half hour to update you

[keef]

What are people paying?

 My premium is going up 20% this year! Seems a huge jump to £60 from under £50.

[Asimo]

Just had my renewal notice from RAC.

£199.98 for recovery and roadside only for two drivers.  Time to change?

(I wouldn't bother for me, I've only needed it 3 times in 30 years and not at all for the last 12 - but it stops SWMBO  worrying)

[Floatylight]

Just had my renewal notice from RAC.
£199.98 for recovery and roadside only for two drivers.  Time to change?
(I wouldn't bother for me, I've only needed it 3 times in 30 years and not at all for the last 12 - but it stops SWMBO  worrying)

Time to give them a call and threaten to leave at least... they just rob those who are loyal to them..

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[w00dy]

29 minutes ago, Asimo said:

Just had my renewal notice from RAC.

£199.98 for recovery and roadside only for two drivers.  Time to change?

(I wouldn't bother for me, I've only needed it 3 times in 30 years and not at all for the last 12 - but it stops SWMBO  worrying)

The RAC are useless if you ever have to call them out now, free is the only price I'd pay for their lack of assistance. Another happy AutoAid customer here although it's definitely not as cheap as it was.