Breakdown Companies.... Which one???

[uncle silvia]

Hi all

 

Well as Ive now started to drive old cars again as dailys Ive decided to be better safe than sorry and get some recovery membership!

Ive never actually had any membership in my 12 years of driving so I have no Idea of what to look for really??

 

I guess Ive just been lucky and managed to fix any minor mishaps at the side of the road myself so far......

 

Also I'm driving my 1978 Datsun that Ive only had a week on a 400 mile round trip soon so i thought ibe better get some

 

Any thoughts on the best one (particularly for modded old cars) and what I should look out for??

 

Anyone know of any special offers at the mo??

 

cheers................. and have some Retro Recovery Vehicles for your troubles

 

 

 

 

[dollywobbler]

I've got classic insurance including breakdown cover, so I just use that. Not that I use it very often - most things can be fixed with gaffer tape, cable ties and insulation tape - perhaps a shoe lace if required.

[barefoot]

I was with the AA until the wipers stopped working on the 944 on the M1 - wife driving.

 

Apparently couldn't fix them so car was recovered to a local garage.

Wiper linkage fixed by sticking a nut & bolt into it but...

 

the AA had cracked the windscreen, crack going up from just above the wiper &

rather than remove the clips & the plastic cover over the linkage, they just ripped it.

 

Needless to say, some harsh words were spoken and a new plastic cover and windscreen were both fitted by the Porsche dealer in Nottingham for an exorbitant amount of money that was paid by the AA.

Membership cancelled the very next day & now I'm with the RAC.

 

Not much help, but nice to get it off my chest.

[Rocket88]

I've found RAC good, as they cover you and not the car. AA work the other way, and they won't cover some old stuff. I've had my money's worth out the RAC over the years................

[Cavcraft]

RAC everytime. If you break down miles from home they use contractors who'll take you all the way and they love it because they get paid a bonus per mile so they love the long journeys.

AA relay you which is a long drawn out nightmare.

[Wilko220]

Been with GEM Recovery for years - always found them to be very good and very competitively priced.

 

http://www.motoringassist.com

[uncle silvia]

RAC everytime. If you break down miles from home they use contractors who'll take you all the way and they love it because they get paid a bonus per mile so they love the long journeys.

AA relay you which is a long drawn out nightmare.

 

hmmmm this is a good point!!

 

I did have the AA recover my Modded Nova on a mates policy and during the relay process from Milton Keynes to Plymouth some parts were stolen off the car........ from the inside!!!! It must of been the AA driver/Contractor! I did complain and they paid for the missing parts.

 

Unfortunately i wasnt with the car as I was in Hospital as my car was recovered after an accident

[flat4alfa]

Been with RAC for 23 years

 

Can't fault them on Breakdown service. Which is what they are supposed to be doing, as a business!

 

But NEVER buy into their other 'INSURANCES'.

During a litany of their stupidness over two years, including that time they even charged my now wife £80 for getting married. Same car, same house, same me. And no, I'm not a hoodie with a bad surname or postcode.

 

NEVER BUY ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE RAC APART FROM BREAKDOWN COVER

 

Right, that's been said.

 

[Mr H Sceptre]

I've found RAC good, as they cover you and not the car. AA work the other way, and they won't cover some old stuff. I've had my money's worth out the RAC over the years................

 

 

I'm in the AA & its cover for me, not a specific car. Never had any problems with them - never had to wait long & will take you anywhere. My mate was recovered by the AA & taken from Middlesbrough to Leicester.

[RobT]

GEM Motoring Assist for me and they are fine, have used them twice so far in 2 years. Bit cheaper than RAC too but if you're canny you might be able to find a cash back offer on RAC via Quidco. Wouldn't bother with AA anymore, been with them before and they were shite.

 

And with GEM you get a quarterly magazine, but not sure it can be classed as a selling point - the letters pages are full of why-oh-why rants from your average Daily Mail reader which always make me

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I'd go with the RAC- always found them prompt and helpful. I've had a couple of nasty experiences with the AA. If you travel long distances and want a cheap recovery option, there's a dirt-cheap pay-and-reclaim company called Auto Aid that gets a lot of recommendations on moneychavvingexpert.

[warren t claim]

I've got classic insurance including breakdown cover, so I just use that. Not that I use it very often - most things can be fixed with gaffer tape, cable ties and insulation tape - perhaps a shoe lace if required.

I'd be very careful with breakdown cover provided by classic car insurance companies, I was left stranded by 1st quote a couple of years ago.

 

I bank with Natwest and get breakdown cover included in my monthly charge, might be worth considering if you're unhappy with your current bank.

 

Plenty of votes on this thread for the Renault Assistance Corporation. Are they that much better than the AA?

[dollywobbler]

Well, the insurance breakdown cover worked when we got stuck in Germany. Not exactly quick, but better than being stranded.

[Father Ted]

Been with GEM Recovery for years - always found them to be very good and very competitively priced.

 

http://www.motoringassist.com

 

+1

Plus they have a very nice shiny silver badge you can bolt to your grille.

 

Actually had to use them on a couple of occasions - once they transported my caravan on a trailer from Taunton to Preston due to bollocksed brakes causing a wheel bearing collapse.

[catsinthewelder]

Both of our cars have recovery with the insurance so I'd let the RAC cover lapse for the first time in years. We've just been on holiday in the Camper so I rejoined, just the one vehicle with relay equivalent for any driver is 7 quid a month. Glad I did as the coil failed on the campsite a day after taking it out, nice chap spent the entire morning running round the factors of Swansea and came back to fit it which saved me a bollocking from the mrs

 

I used to have free recovery from a Lloyds bank account, it was fine until I tried to use it to get a friends moped recovered from the middle of the pennines on a Sunday. That was when I found out about the 10 mile maximum tow, we left it there and I've bought proper cover ever since.

 

I really would rate the RAC, all the patrol men have been very helpful and have fixed stuff that I really wouldn't have expected them to.

[barefoot]

I am amazed that this has come out so one sided

I fully expected my rant to be fully balanced by a diatribe in respect of how good the AA were

but it never happened

perhaps the RAC really are better.

 

Lesson learned?

[Craig the Princess]

I've found GEM to be a lot faster than the RAC, and for any vehicle coverage they are a few quid cheaper, espically their family membership.

 

We are also with First Call on our van as they cover trailers over 12 foot (the only ones we found), they only charge £32 a year per vehicle.

[Cavcraft]

Oh aye, out of the 'big two' one used to check before coming out that your car was taxed, the other just half arsedly glanced at your windscreen to see if a tax disc was there.

[retrogeezer]

Been with the AA for 20 odd years, never had an issue with them at all. Took me to a dealer to get a fuel pipe for my Calibra then fitted it. Home started my Fixed fezza once and fixed the leaking thermostat housing.

 

And it is you that is covered, not the car. Any car I am in is covered actually, so if I'm out with a mate that car is covered.

 

I always ring every year to get the renewal reduced though.

 

Oh, and they do offer a continue on your journey option too.

[theorganist]

AA work the other way, and they won't cover some old stuff.

 

I am in the AA and have never had a problem. In fact I have used them a few times over the last few years and they have always been really helpful to me. My AA covers me and not the car and they have been out to my old Maxi, my old Allegro and the 14 with no problem, in fact the patrolman in each case seemed quite knowledgable about older cars and were also quite young!

[HillmanImp]

i know there will be some people who have issues with every company but I have been stiffed by the AA having 'computer problems' twice in 2 years of cover so will never use them again. Got left at the side of the M6 in 96 and as their way of apology they gave me a years free membership in 97 but then had another computer 'blip' and I had to pay my own way home. Got refunded in the end but not the extra bank charges i got for going overdrawn getting my Imp from Luton to Worthing.

 

I know it was a long time ago but I have never been able to fault the Rac other than the fact that they are now part of AVIVA. I await appauling customer service due to lack of staff in the near future like the rest of AVIVA.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I have never been able to fault the Rac other than the fact that they are now part of AVIVA. I await appauling customer service due to lack of staff in the near future like the rest of AVIVA.

 

Not anymore! http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b5ebf440-9d6d ... z1Uu72vP9M

Whether this will be good for the service levels of RAC is anyone's guess.

[trigger]

I have recovery included in my insurance on all my cars like DW, When i had my crash last year a local recovery company collected my car and when the Kadett broke down last month and i rang up for assistance i got told Green Flag would recover me but i got the car running again before they arrived so i never got to use them.

[dieselnutjob]

I have been an AA member (customer now I suppose) for about 20 years and broken down a few times.

I can't fault the service I've had from them.

[CreepingJesus]

I was with the AA for a while: the patrolmen were great, but the litany of computer failures put me off. In the end I couldn't even renew, so I didn't. Their loss.

[Lankytim]

I have been using a company called Auto Aid for a few years. They are a breakdown insurance company. You break down, and you can ring them to arrange assistance or ring a local garage/recovery firm to come to your aid. You have to pay for the garage.recovery fees yourself but you claim these back from Autoaid. I have used them several times and have always received a cheque within a week. Many of the garages/recovery agents that AutoAid use are subbies to green flag too but Autoaid always get priority as they know they will get paid there and then. Green flag often take weeks to pay them out after a job.

 

If you can cover a few hundered ££'s worth of recovery charges on your overdraft for a week or so then Autoaid are the way to go. Very quick to get you out of trouble and very quick to reimburse you.

[Shep Shepherd]

I've been with the AA for nigh-on 11 years, and they've been fine

[dollywobbler]

To be fair, I used to be with the AA and they've been spot on. Only issue I had was being tow-poled through Birmingham rush hour. That was a horrific experience, especially after some students decided to cross between me and the truck. You can guess what happened. A Pug 306 with the brakes on will not stop a Vauxhall Brava...

[Lankytim]

To be fair, I used to be with the AA and they've been spot on. Only issue I had was being tow-poled through Birmingham rush hour. That was a horrific experience, especially after some students decided to cross between me and the truck. You can guess what happened. A Pug 306 with the brakes on will not stop a Vauxhall Brava...

 

My dad T boned a triumph TR7 with his Ital Van on a roundabout in Birmingham city centre, turns out the TR7 was being towed by an AA van and thats why it pulled out on him!