Car breakdown organisations - well what do you know?

Green Flag rescued MrJ a couple of months ago, the alternator went on his car, he had to wait three hours, understandable the more vulnerable come first. He could track the technician coming to him on their app, they fitted a battery booster thingy and followed him home, very good service.

Thanks Jax

I have RAC breakdown cover with my car insurance (£36 a year), and had to call them out last Friday due to a flat tyre (bolt in the tread). I did this online - very quick and easy, and the mechanic was with me within half an hour. Fortunately I have a spare wheel, so it was an easy job to replace the wheel. Next morning I went to my local (highly recommended) tyre place, where I had to wait over an hour as they were so busy, queuing in the road. Eventually got a new tyre and trundled off home.

This was the second time I had to call the breakdown service in a few weeks, as I had a flat battery about a month ago, parked in our local shopping parade. It was the same chap both times! Very pleased with the service I had.

I have RAC and also pay £36 per year, £400 seems excessive. When I had a flat tyre I was taken to a tyre shop collected a new tyre which the RAC person put on my car.

Three years ago I broke down on a country lane with an 18 month old in the car with me.

I was with Green Flag so obviously called them. I was told that as the child was over 12 months, there was no priority.

The only place to stand out of the car (which I felt we needed to do in that particular spot) was the wild, wet, overgrown verge full of brambles and hidden rabbit or badger holes that caused me to fall over several times with the toddler in my arms. There was no where I could safely put her down.

It was over 3 hours before they got finally got someone to me, and he hadn't even been made aware that there was a child of any age in the car.
By then it was just too late to be recovered to the garage that had been expecting me all afternoon, so the car had to be taken to a 'pound' instead, supposedly to be taken to the garage next day. Despite lots of calls from me, it remained there for a whole week before the company finally took it to the garage! On top of that, it was absolutely filthy when it did eventually arrive there. Goodness knows how it had got like that.

I was absolutely disgusted with the whole experience.

Fortunately, I did manage to get a family member to come collect the little one within 30 mins or so of breaking down. Otherwise, I really don't know how we would have fared.

Been with the RAC for many years this year I paid £230. I’ve not called them out much but they’ve not taken long to get to me and got me back up and running or brought me home quickly.

I always make sure my car insurance includes breakdown cover. When I had occasion to use it last year I was very pleased with the service.

I'm with AA and have been very pleased with their services. My last car had constant battery problems and was always letting me down. They sent a VW specialist who diagnosed the exact problem and gave me a print out to show the garage who'd fitted the battery (and who'd told me it was absolutely fine!). The garage had to fit a new battery. The AA man even followed me to the garage in case the battery failed again if I got stuck at lights. Helpful, professional and friendly. Full marks.

I pay £10 a month for AA’s top level cover which includes homestart (most other levels of cover don’t come to your home address and will only attend if you are at least half mile from home), roadside assistance, onward travel, overnight accommodation if required and also full European cover.

I’ve used them a few times and found them to be fast and efficient. For many years I had this cover as part of my car insurance but I found it cheaper to separate them this year. £400 sounds very expensive and it would certainly be worthwhile to shop around. I was paying less than £400 for fully comp car insurance and AA cover combined.

The trouble with Green Flag is that they don’t have their own mechanics but just use the nearest garage local to the breakdown. I’m not sure who I use to be honest, I do it through Toyota and they use either the AA or RAC. I think I pay @ £100.

You should never renew breakdown cover with either the AA or RAC at the price offered to you. Always look up what they charge new members - it will certainly be less - then phone and haggle for something closer to that.

I can recommend GEM www.motoringassist.com/breakdown-cover??gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkseE0oScgwMVM4xQBh2eJwjOEAAYASAAEgITbPD_BwE

The price for what you want for one person is £78 a year.

Never just go for auto-renewal. You seem to have been well and truly fleeced Chardy
I’ve just taken out 2Gether again (a couple of months before my Mini breakdown expires). It’s
less than £30 a year. Called them out a couple of years ago (different car) when I blew a tyre - easy to contact, breakdown vehicle arrived, tyre changed and I was on my way.
If you go to comparison sites, they will let you pick and choose the cover you want and adjust the price accordingly.

I’ve just had a thought Chardy you did ring your breakdown service and not your car insurance?

Sounds an excessive cost, mine is less than a quarter of that! Have you let it roll over year by year? I try to shop around and negotiate the best deal as otherwise they can treat loyalty with contempt! A letter to the CEO to complain I'd suggest.

I use Britannia (which includes home start and foreign cover) and have no complaints. £400 p.a. is ridiculous.

£400 is definitely excessive! We have joint cover with AA and never had a problem. 🤞🏻🤞🏻

Autoaid. As recommended by Martin Lewis. About £65 per year, covers the person and includes a spouse, includes home start and has never let me down in the very few occasions I’ve needed to ring.

I've been with Auto aid for some years now. They have rescued me a few times, quite promptly. To be honest I can't remember how much it costs - no more than £70 or80 per year, I think. If they can't solve the problem on the spot they will take you and car to one destination of your choice, usually a garage! .

I was very impressed with the AA when my car broke down. I could tell them i had broken down via the AA app. It told me the waiting time and the it showed a map with the little car coming. Then the car was taken to my preferred garage and I was given a courtesy car while it was fixed.

I’m with AutoAid. About £80 for a very old car, including Home Start. So far, have only called them out once. They were brilliant. With me within 45 minutes.
Had Green Flag years ago. Kept me waiting for four hours with two children in the car. 😡 Never use them again.
Have had good and bad experiences with AA. Much pricier than AutoAid.

£400!!! Wow, you are being well and truly ripped off.

I dumped the AA when they kept hiking their prices up year on year and refused to negotiate.
I then joined Green Flag and have negotiated with them about the annual price increase ever since
.
I have been lucky enough never having had to call on their services but it’s there for my piece of mind.

Georgesgran

Never just go for auto-renewal. You seem to have been well and truly fleeced Chardy
I’ve just taken out 2Gether again (a couple of months before my Mini breakdown expires). It’s
less than £30 a year. Called them out a couple of years ago (different car) when I blew a tyre - easy to contact, breakdown vehicle arrived, tyre changed and I was on my way.
If you go to comparison sites, they will let you pick and choose the cover you want and adjust the price accordingly.

their recent reviews are not good.

smartmoneypeople.com/2gether-insurance-reviews/product/Breakdown-Cover?filter=most-recent&ratingFilter=1

£400??? OMG you're definitely being ripped off Chardy. I've been with RAC for many years and have only needed them twice in all that time. I received their renewal notice in October quoting £129 for road side assistance and onward travel or return home. But I ignored the letter, intending to look elsewhere for a better quote. But the RAC phoned me and said that I was "a valued customer that they were anxious to keep" and they promptly found that they could reduce the fee to £44.60 and give me Home Start too! Lesson learnt. Never auto renew, be prepared to go elsewhere and never accept their first offer. Time to vote with your feet.

Which recommend Start Rescue. I am with them and paid £43 for an all singing and dancing policy but of course it depends on make, model and age of car, area you live in, mileage, etc.