Car breakdown organisations - well what do you know?

I was with the RAC in the 80's. At midnight the new bypass round our local town opened so on our way home I decided to go on the bypass as it was 12.15. I broke down and there was absolutely no other cars on the road, my son who was 15 left the car to go to his dad's to use the phone to call the RAC. He gave them full directions of where we were and the fact that there was a baby in the car too. That took about 20 minutes before he came back. An hour later a police car came past and stopped ask if we were ok, I said the RAC are on the way. 2 hours later the police came past again and insisted on taking me and the kids home. I left my husband with the car to wait for the RAC, they finally turned up at 6 am, saying they couldn't find the road!

I use my Tesco vouchers to pay for my RAC, absolute bargain!

We're with the AA, I don't know exactly what they charge but I do know that we get free "Home Start" so they well help even if our car is at home.
As a family we've had problems with tyres over the past few years, caused by potholes and debris from storms I believe, and the AA have always arrived and put on one of those temporary tyres then taken us to a tyre fitter. Sometimes it has taken a couple of hours at busy times, but my daughter found that they arrived very quickly when they heard that she had two young children in the car.
We did compare costs a couple of years ago and found that they were the best value for us.

My clutch went as I was coming down the slip road off a fast dual carriageway. As there was a slight bend at the end of the slip way I was in a very dangerous position and it was getting dark. I rang AA and left the car and watched several near misses despite putting out a red triangle. 90 mins later a Tactical Firearms Officer complete with flak jacket arrived saying he’d been sent because the AA couldn’t get there!!! There was a petrol station nearby and he got found a van driver who kindly came and towed me the 100yds to the garage. The policeman then bought me a cup of coffee and the AA eventually collected the car and took me home 6 hours later. What a waste of our Police Service but very grateful to them. Bet the AA didn’t reimburse Police for his time.

I have RAC cover built in with my car insurance. I had to call them last week as my car boiled over like a kettle; most alarming. They arrived within the hour, suggested it was the fan, and towed my car fifteen miles to the mechanic we use. It was in fact a faulty thermostat, but nonetheless they were quick and helpful. I have always found them so.

We use Green Flag. They’ve always (so far) been very good, whether the car has stopped working on the M6-they arrived within half an hour as I was a lone female, or needing homestart because our drive is on a slope and the car, which had worked perfectly driving home the night before refused to start to take me to work.

I had RAC cover with my car insurance in the past. However there us only one RAC van for the region I live in which spans three counties. If I needed assistance my chance of actually getting the actual RAC van was negligible and a local garage would be sent instead. When I renewed my car insurance this year I opted out of the RAC cover and will go with the AA instead. The AA have far more breakdown vans in this area and I was very pleased with the service they provided when I was a member many years ago. Also my son is an AA man so I am biased. He works long hours (12 hour shifts not uncommom) and is out in all weathers. I would not want to by laying on the road in bucketing rain, driving snow, etc but he loves his job. I am happy to pay for the service as I ,now how scary it is to break down in the middle of nowhere.

As others have said, you are paying far too much. Try Green Flag but go directly to them. I used to pay for them as part of my insurance payment and it was a lot of money. Then I realised I could contact them directly and ended up paying peanuts !

I had breakdown insurance through my paid bank account until this year but they only cover cars up to 15 years old, which mine reached in February. I took out cover with a company called 'Rescue my Car'. It was very reasonable though I can't remember how much. There are 2 options on price - a low price with an excess if you needed to call them out, and a higher price with free call out. As I've had to call out breakdown so rarely, and always locally due to flat tires or flat battery I took a chance as I am better off with the low price as long as I don't have more than one call out a year.
Haven't needed them yet so no idea if they are any good!
Back in the 70's when I was a student driving a succession of old bangers I certainly had my money's worth from breakdown insurance, but cars are generally more reliable these days. Hope I didn't just speak too soon as mine is due its MOT again soon!

One word - Gem a motoring organisation. Brilliant - nothing is ever a problem.. £130/40.a year joint membership.

That is an awful charge and terrible service.I have an SUV last year I parked it at my son's house whilst I went on holiday. Son found a flat tyre, he texted me, I contacted Green Flaf who collected car on liader, took ut to garage for repair. Son collected . I have "at home; recovery take home or to repair; car hire if can't be repaired same day when travelling". Will renew in January for £56 up £12 from last year. Been with them for years always good service especially when towing caravan. You should seriously research other organisations.

Green flag is £99 for both of our cars.

Start Rescue here too, had them out twice in 3 years they are brilliant, even got me out of a stream. I pay £ 43p.a. too, covers everything I need, but not abroad.

im with start rescue just renewed its £29 a year ,been with them a few years only had 1 call out, you are paying far too much

I have home start. It's included in my insurance for about £40.
Are you sure your £400 isn't your insurance including your break down cover.

I use Eversure recovery service which is about £24.00 a year but they have twice recovered me after sudden flat tyres. My car doesn't have a spare, and the flat tyre was too damaged to use the coating gunk aerosol , The last time being Xmas Eve 2022. They send a vehicle to get me within 1 hour to a garage of my choice. being Xmas even I phoned ahead to ensure the right sized tyre was in stock, and went to Halfords as was the only garage open after 12.00, but they put on a new tyre while I waited which was about £90.00

As said previously , I change my breakdown service every year by getting quotes from several companies. I would never renew any kind of insurance without shopping around. I seem to alternate between AA, RAC, Green Flag etc

Another vote for Start Rescue.
We have been with them for years now. Very efficient.

I had to call the RAC last week for a banjo'ed tyre (the builders doing the never ending renovations in our street never bother to clean the road after them, nails everywhere).

They were excellent and start to finish the whole thing took two hours from banjo'ed to brand new tyre.

I’ve been using the AA for over 20 years and never had a problem with them.

We have RAC cover included with our car insurance. We’ve only had to call on them once, when we broke down at our daughter’s house one evening. They said that as we were safe there, we were not a priority, which was fair enough. They gave us the option of their coming at midnight, 3 hours later, or early the next morning, if we wanted to stay there. We chose the latter. They turned up as promised the next day, and as the car needed a garage, they loaded it and us up and drove us to our local one, 15 miles away. We were happy with the service, but have no way of knowing how quickly they’d have got to us if we’d been in your position, Chardy.

£400 though? That really is extortionate.

I am with the AA and they sent me a renewal which was £400 - we have full cover. I rang them saying if I took out cover as a new member it would be less than £200 and they immediately matched it.
If I need them, generally for home start I do it online and they send me updates as to when they will be there. I find them very good.

Btw I am covered for the whole service in any car for that price.

Ever since AA doubled my membership fee five years ago, I've used Green Flag several times and been equally satisfied with their service.

The AA are far and away the best of all. I've tried them all