ADAC Membership In The UK - Exclusions ?
Discussion
Hi,
I have read a few threads and googled a fair bit but am struggling to find the relevent bits.
I want to join the ADAC as their breakdown cover seems excellent and is relatively cheap at 98.70 Euros for Partner Plus (European recovery for 2 people)
Can anyone tell me what the exclusions are (if any) for:
Max age of vehicle ?
Size / weight of vehicle ?
Also has anyone used them in the UK, are they easy to contact or do you have to call a German No. ?
Thanks
I have read a few threads and googled a fair bit but am struggling to find the relevent bits.
I want to join the ADAC as their breakdown cover seems excellent and is relatively cheap at 98.70 Euros for Partner Plus (European recovery for 2 people)
Can anyone tell me what the exclusions are (if any) for:
Max age of vehicle ?
Size / weight of vehicle ?
Also has anyone used them in the UK, are they easy to contact or do you have to call a German No. ?
Thanks
Don't think there are any in terms of the age of the vehicle - it's not fixed down to a specific car.
However, if you break down overseas, I believe you will have issues in getting the car repatriated if it is worth less than a certain amount (I think it might be as high as £5,000).
I found out recently that you can only get recovered up to a distance of 50miles from your home address. Had to fork out for AA Insurance on that occasion.
However, if you break down overseas, I believe you will have issues in getting the car repatriated if it is worth less than a certain amount (I think it might be as high as £5,000).
I found out recently that you can only get recovered up to a distance of 50miles from your home address. Had to fork out for AA Insurance on that occasion.
I have an ADAC membership. You do have to call a German number (and you can't apply online either as their site has problems with UK post codes).
IIRC you have to call a German number when if break down too but it will be the AA that come out to you if in the UK.
Didn't know about the recovery of not more than 50miles, only ever used them once and that was a very long time ago but they towed me to a local garage and paid for a hotel overnight whilst the car was repaired and I carried on with my journey the next day.
Don't think there are any exclusions, like the earlier poster said, the cover is for you not your car so it doesn't matter what car you're in.
IIRC you have to call a German number when if break down too but it will be the AA that come out to you if in the UK.
Didn't know about the recovery of not more than 50miles, only ever used them once and that was a very long time ago but they towed me to a local garage and paid for a hotel overnight whilst the car was repaired and I carried on with my journey the next day.
Don't think there are any exclusions, like the earlier poster said, the cover is for you not your car so it doesn't matter what car you're in.
I used to work in the ADAC foreign call centre in Lyon, which handles UK-based breakdowns (they share the same office as AA European Assistance).
One of our running call centre slogans was "ADAC cover anything!" - and they really do.
Excellent, dilligent service with all the benefits of the most expensive UK breakdown packages - plus they cover you abroad AND on the Nurburgring (no other EU breakdown cover does to my knowledge).
Can't rate them highly enough. The only difficulty you may have is late at night when a fluent English speaker is not always guaranteed (although the AA are only 6 feet away and can help!) If you speak German or French, then no problem.
One of our running call centre slogans was "ADAC cover anything!" - and they really do.
Excellent, dilligent service with all the benefits of the most expensive UK breakdown packages - plus they cover you abroad AND on the Nurburgring (no other EU breakdown cover does to my knowledge).
Can't rate them highly enough. The only difficulty you may have is late at night when a fluent English speaker is not always guaranteed (although the AA are only 6 feet away and can help!) If you speak German or French, then no problem.
Edited by PottyMouth on Monday 28th September 14:15
NickXX said:
Don't think there are any in terms of the age of the vehicle - it's not fixed down to a specific car.
However, if you break down overseas, I believe you will have issues in getting the car repatriated if it is worth less than a certain amount (I think it might be as high as £5,000).
I found out recently that you can only get recovered up to a distance of 50miles from your home address. Had to fork out for AA Insurance on that occasion.
50 miles ! That would be a problem, the only time I'm likely to need them (rather than call out a mate) is when I'm a long way away.However, if you break down overseas, I believe you will have issues in getting the car repatriated if it is worth less than a certain amount (I think it might be as high as £5,000).
I found out recently that you can only get recovered up to a distance of 50miles from your home address. Had to fork out for AA Insurance on that occasion.
Did you have the 'Plus' membership as it seems strange that they will repatriate your car from abroad yet only recover it 50 miles.
What happens if you are 100 miles away ?
PottyMouth said:
One of our running call centre slogans was "ADAC cover anything!" - and they really do.
That doesn't seem to tally with the 50 miles mentioned previously.I also have a 3.5ton van (like a very big Transit) which I'd like covered if possible.
I'd translate their terms and conditions but its a PDF so I have to keep cutting and pasting into google which at 7 pages of fine print could take a while.
Edited by OnlyMX5ives on Monday 28th September 14:48
The reason for the recovery limits is cost.
Repatriations are carried out by a transport company who send a low-loader to wherever your car is and bring it back to the UK.
Recoveries are carried out by the AA or AA-appointed garages and invoiced to the ADAC accordingly. Pound-for-mile, these are a great deal more expensive than repatriations.
Repatriations are carried out by a transport company who send a low-loader to wherever your car is and bring it back to the UK.
Recoveries are carried out by the AA or AA-appointed garages and invoiced to the ADAC accordingly. Pound-for-mile, these are a great deal more expensive than repatriations.
Thanks.
So if you break down say 100 miles from home (in the UK) they will only recover you 50 and then you have to pay the rest I presume.
TBH that's no good for me, I'm fairly unlikely to use the European cover so I guess I'll go back to the AA Relay who TBF have always been pretty good with me.
So if you break down say 100 miles from home (in the UK) they will only recover you 50 and then you have to pay the rest I presume.
TBH that's no good for me, I'm fairly unlikely to use the European cover so I guess I'll go back to the AA Relay who TBF have always been pretty good with me.
Orangecurry said:
PottyMouth said:
ADAC have been known to approve very long tows in certain circumstances. If you never take your car abroad, then you're probably best off keeping domestic cover.
So if I break-down abroad, they WILL repatriate me to my home address?(Disclaimer: I don't represent ADAC!)
Edited by PottyMouth on Monday 28th September 15:42
RSGulp said:
I've had ADAC membership for around 4 years. When an engine sensor failed in my BMW last year it was taken on a flatbed from Hammersmith to Gloucestershire.
105 miles door to door, no mention of mileage limits and no problems.
That's interesting.........105 miles door to door, no mention of mileage limits and no problems.
I had a breakdown, so I called ADAC. ADAC use the AA as their partner in the UK. AA bloke rings me and says fine, we're coming to pick you up, but there's going to be a £140 charge. Why? Because ADAC only cover the first 200 Euros and my recovery was going to cost £140 more than that. So, given the fact I was (a) freezing, (b) it was late Saturday afternoon and © that evening I was taking a lady out seventy miles away, I told them I'd pay but would take it up with ADAC.
The AA bloke came and was a star. He couldn't understand why I had to pay, but we figured out that the journey was being logged as 180 miles. Why? Because that's the way ADAC operate with the AA. The clock started at the Darlington depot, he drove twenty miles to collect me, took me seventy miles home and then would do ninety on the way back He said it'd be not much more to join the AA at the roadside, but we dealt with it all through ADAC because I was sure it was a mistake.
It wasn't a mistake. There's a subtle difference between the words towing and transportation; well, at least ADAC think there is anyway. Simply, if they assist me in Germany, they'll repatriate the car totally F.O.C. because it's transportation. Seventy miles from home classifies as towing and thy only cover the first 200 Euros of that cost. So there you go; the story of how I was taken for 200 Euros. Not good, eh? Read on........
The recovery was October 2008 and I paid by debit card over the phone in the recovery wagon. I came home in February to find a letter from ADAC. Could I pay them £140, please? I rang them and eventually got through to an English speaker. Situation explained, I thought that was it. She was going to speak with the AA and everything's golden. Came home in March to find another letter in German, this time from a Solicitor. ADAC had passed a bad debt their way to collect and they now wanted close to £300 from me; the original £140 plus interest, plus charges, etc. I rang them and explained the situation, but they wouldn't speak with the AA. It was for me to sort everything out and get documentation from the AA to them. After a few choice comments, I ended up speaking to the AA and they were great in helping me out.
I'm now an AA member.
RSGulp said:
I've had ADAC membership for around 4 years. When an engine sensor failed in my BMW last year it was taken on a flatbed from Hammersmith to Gloucestershire.
105 miles door to door, no mention of mileage limits and no problems.
To add clarity: if youre in the Italian Alps (or somewhere equally distant from home) then distance is an issue. I had assumed that most would consider ADAC if they were going to the Nordschleife particularly, or Europe generally.105 miles door to door, no mention of mileage limits and no problems.
Reading this thread with interest as I'm about to buy ADAC membership to cover a Eurotrip later this year. Sorry for the 3 year old bump but it seemed relevent.
There seems to be conflicting information about repatriation distance. Having read the T&C's I can't see anything that stands out as a problem but this thread seems to indicate there might be.
To clarify, I don't care what happens in the UK as I have AA cover anyway. What I want to know is if my car breaks down in Hungary or something will they repatriate it to the UK?
Also, some people claim they only repatriate if they deem the car to be worth more than the cost of doing so yet I cannot find this in the T&C's either. This part is crucial to me as I don't want to argue about the value of my 10 year old 5 Series beside the road in a foreign country.
Any experiences?
There seems to be conflicting information about repatriation distance. Having read the T&C's I can't see anything that stands out as a problem but this thread seems to indicate there might be.
To clarify, I don't care what happens in the UK as I have AA cover anyway. What I want to know is if my car breaks down in Hungary or something will they repatriate it to the UK?
Also, some people claim they only repatriate if they deem the car to be worth more than the cost of doing so yet I cannot find this in the T&C's either. This part is crucial to me as I don't want to argue about the value of my 10 year old 5 Series beside the road in a foreign country.
Any experiences?
Edited by Fox- on Wednesday 20th June 13:06
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