What is the panels view/choice of provider. My AA renewal has come through at a P taking price again. I'm fed up with bartering with them.
|
I'm with AXA this year for breakdown including homestart. I paid £53
Be aware that some policies exclude recovery following an accident.
|
Greenflag - I have been £57 +/- for the past 4 years - top cover but no European Cover
They up it by £10 every year and I phone and they knock it back to the new customer price.
|
I cancelled my AA cover on 31 Jan when the year was up after 48 years membership. The RAC were doing an offer of the full works for £124 per annum which is 50% off and the AA couldn't come close to it.
Just checked and the offer is still live.
|
Funnily enough we were just talking about this last night. I’ve paid for breakdown cover for all my driving life and so has my wife. Latterly, my son has had it for 4 years. Apart from those dreadful two years with an Espace when I certainly got my money’s worth none of us has ever otherwise actually used it.
|
Stick it on the car insurance when you renew. You'll get it for around £30 - £35.
|
At that price I would expect the level of cover to be quite basic.
|
>> At that price I would expect the level of cover to be quite basic.
>>
Roadside cover, home cover with the RAC. What's wrong with that?
|
The AA do cover my 3.5 ton master van. I'll have to see if the others will. Last time I enquired the RAC wouldn't.
|
>> Roadside cover, home cover with the RAC. What's wrong with that?
The only thing I’d check is that roadside cover includes taking you to where you want to be / where you want the car to be fixed, rather than being dumped at the nearest garage to where you breakdown if it can’t be fixed at the roadside.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 15 Feb 21 at 12:53
|
We had never given a great deal of thought to our breakdown cover - we always said 'yes' when renewing our vehicle insurance and, as we both have youngish cars, had questioned ourselves as to whether we needed it all.
Then, on that cold, rainy, rush-hour, November evening on the M6, when the tyre blew, we were EXTREMELY GLAD that we had breakdown cover.
|
I am much of the same mind. Breakdown cover seems a bit OTT until that time you breakdown late at night on a motorway. Or worse, in rush hour.
Consequently, I want it and don't stress over a few quid here or there.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Mon 15 Feb 21 at 19:22
|
...and with so many cars having a can of gunk now, rather than a spare tyre; I suspect more of us will have need of a recovery truck for that than as a result of an actual mechanical breakdown.
|
>> ...and with so many cars having a can of gunk now, rather than a spare
>> tyre;
However, we do have the choice whether or not to buy a car than has a can of sealant rather than a spare wheel.
The choice is ours.
|
I don't know how much of a faff it is, but you can emergency join the AA when broken down (and maybe others too). Strikes me there might be an imperitive on them to provide good service as people that do such a thing are probably quite likely to try and get their money back.
Son-in-law did it when his car had a flat battery. Not quite the same as being stuck at the side of a motorway, I suppose.
|
You cadn indeed but you will pay the full price. Don't look for a discount!
www.theaa.com/breakdown-cover/instant-cover
|
>> You cadn indeed but you will pay the full price. Don't look for a discount!
>>
>> www.theaa.com/breakdown-cover/instant-cover
>>
Yes - he paid around £250. The amount makes me feel sick, but he doesn't care.
I guess if you've avoided 10yrs of paying it, then there's some justification. Borrowing a set of jump leads would have been my solution though.
Last edited by: Bill Payer on Tue 16 Feb 21 at 11:39
|
>> However, we do have the choice whether or not to buy a car than has
>> a can of sealant rather than a spare wheel.
>>
>> The choice is ours.
If you're clued up on such things and it's a matter of principle for you then you can rule out cars with no spare. Not so easy if spare is not even an option on a car that otherwise ticks all the boxes or you've not been aware and only find out when you've wrecked a tyre.
Both my cars have a full size spare. When I bought the previous Skoda, a Roomster, I asked for a spare and jack vice the gunk as a condition of the deal.
|
I used to think a spare wheel essential but now happy to live without one. To be honest with a slightly dodgy back its longer a job I relish and certainly not by the side of a busy road let alone a motorway. Should the eventuality arise, and it hasn't done for over ten years, I am happy to wait for the RAC.
Ah you say but I don't want to be carted away to the nearest garage. Fear not, the RAC (and I think the AA carry universal spare wheels. You can drive to a garage at your convenince, get the tire sorted and leave the spare there.
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Tue 16 Feb 21 at 10:48
|
"However, we do have the choice whether or not to buy a car than has a can of sealant rather than a spare wheel.
The choice is ours."
A friend and his wife were touring Scotland in their new, goo-equipped Qashqai - and a tyre blew in the middle of nowhere; the tyre was ruined. They had breakdown cover so, when the breakdown chap arrived, all he could do was phone for a pick-up lorry ...... and the whole recovery process took ages. At least, if they'd had a space-saver, he could have changed it for them and they could have gone on their way.
Twice, I have been out at night to swap wheels for the space-saver on my wife's car; she was fortunately able to pull over on a not-very-busy country road. We could get her home (only 4 or 5 miles), then get the tyre changed next day. BUT .....
Even if you have a space-saver that you know is perfect 'cos you pumped it up the previous day - you don't want to be changing it at night at the side of a loony motorway. When the breakdown chap arrived, he was able to park his truck with its 3 massive flashing orange lights behind, and work with the light of his headlights. He was also able to shield us with his truck when we pulled out back onto the road. Without the space-saver, we would have needed a full recovery job but, as it was, we were only delayed by about 1hr20m - which I thought was very good going.
|
Well, what about the third side to this particular coin?
How many cars have, (or indeed, the space for) a full size spare wheel?
|
"How many cars have, (or indeed, the space for) a full size spare wheel?"
I would be tempted to buy a spare, wrap it in a plastic bag, and place it on the rear seat.
Anyway, a space-saver is enough to get you home.
;-)
Last edited by: Haywain on Tue 16 Feb 21 at 11:34
|
>> "How many cars have, (or indeed, the space for) a full size spare wheel?"
>> I would be tempted to buy a spare, wrap it in a plastic bag, and
>> place it on the rear seat.
>> Anyway, a space-saver is enough to get you home.
I think what Duncan is saying is: What do you do with the full size, wet and dirty puntured wheel and tyre that's too big to fit in the space of the space-saver when you've a car full of people and a boot full of luggage?
|
"I think what Duncan is saying is: What do you do with the full size, wet and dirty puntured wheel and tyre that's too big to fit in the space of the space-saver when you've a car full of people and a boot full of luggage?"
Somebody's going to get their suit dirty, aren't they!
;-)
|
Way back in the early 80's an acquaintance bought a 911 with a space saver the size of a pram wheel. Porsche supplied a plastic bag, I don't recall whether it had the badge on it, to put the large dirty wheel in before it went on the front seat or the passenger's lap.
|
>> Way back in the early 80's an acquaintance bought a 911 with a space saver
>> the size of a pram wheel. Porsche supplied a plastic bag, I don't recall whether
>> it had the badge on it, to put the large dirty wheel in before it
>> went on the front seat or the passenger's lap.
>>
I forget the story now - perhaps a bulge in the tyre? - but a lady in a BMW Z3 was killed when the spare she had on her knee exploded.
ETA: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8600833.stm
Last edited by: Bill Payer on Tue 16 Feb 21 at 17:41
|
>>They had breakdown cover so, when the breakdown chap arrived, all he could do was phone for a
>> pick-up lorry ...... and the whole recovery process took ages.
www.rac.co.uk/innovation/universal-spare-wheel
|
I've just signed up with Auto Aid. Thank you and thanks to everyone for their input.
|
Does this include Homestart, or is that an optional extra ?
|
Their website is not playing ball and I'm busy I'll look when I can. Cheers...
|
www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/faqs/
Does AutoAid cover home breakdowns?
Yes. If your breakdown occurs at your home, AutoAid Breakdown will arrange help. If your car can’t be repaired quickly, we will tow the car to the nearest available garage.
|