Car breakdown organisations - well what do you know?

Purplepixie

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

Same.

We need the all singing, all dancing options and add ons.

Disadvantages[no idea if other organisations are the same] - they stick to a script on the phone if have broken down, regardless of where you are broken down to, or circumstances.

And, even their own breakdown vehicles can have trouble getting through, if it is a busy time.
I said to the breakdown man who had tried for 10 mins to speak with them, "oh, I thought you would have had a hotline to Head Office". He replied "We do. This is it"!

The last time I called anyone out was five years ago when DH decided there was a problem with the accelerator jamming up. I only had coverage from Green Flag for 10 miles, which covers me for most things I do. Unfortunately because we hadn't long had the car it had to go back to the dealer which was about 20 miles. In the end getting it towed and looked at cost around £200 - and there was nothing wrong with it! Long story but DH was very ill at the time and not thinking straight.

NanTheWiser

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.

You lucky thing. I’m with the RAC and this morning my battery was flat so as I have Home Start I phoned them straight away. They gave me an ETA of two hours and told me to keep refreshing the tracking message in case the time changed.

Well, it did…all day by two hours at a time. I’m still waiting. The next ETA is 6.30 - 8.30pm. I’m furious but at least I’m at home in the warm and not standing in the freezing cold at the side of a motorway! 😡

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

Green flag is £99 for both of our cars.

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.

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

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!

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 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.

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 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.

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.