Anyone used their breakdown service?
Discussion
I hope I am not tempting fate by starting this thread but here goes.
No doubt some of us will have had cause to call upon their breakdown service. I am coming up to my insurance renewal and I always take out a discounted breakdown cover at the same time. My renewal is now between two brokers and they use different breakdown services. I don't need cover for other cars, just the TVR.
One insurer provides cover with TRS (whoever they are, anyone heard of them?) so I thought it would be A Plan to find out if anyone has used them and if they are ok.
The other insurer provides cover with the RAC which I would have no problem with but the insurance cover itself has a daft excess.
As a regular water crosser I am more concerned about foreign breakdown cover but any feedback welcome.
No doubt some of us will have had cause to call upon their breakdown service. I am coming up to my insurance renewal and I always take out a discounted breakdown cover at the same time. My renewal is now between two brokers and they use different breakdown services. I don't need cover for other cars, just the TVR.
One insurer provides cover with TRS (whoever they are, anyone heard of them?) so I thought it would be A Plan to find out if anyone has used them and if they are ok.
The other insurer provides cover with the RAC which I would have no problem with but the insurance cover itself has a daft excess.
As a regular water crosser I am more concerned about foreign breakdown cover but any feedback welcome.
I use the RAC when I travel abroad. I think for classic Le Mans last year it cost £16. On the way back the throttle cable on the Sag snapped just outside Rouen. It was Bastille day.......... The RAC had a breakdown truck there in about 30 minutes (not bad for a FRENCH bank holiday) and had us picked up by taxi from the breakdown guys yard and taken to a hotel. (No garages / mechanics working on Bastille day). As it happened the car was taken to a specialist and was not ready until the following evening so they paid for 2 nights in a good hotel and would have paid for a new Chunnel crossing as ours had expired but we were able to blag a free crossing by explaining what had happened. All pretty good for £16.
Ensure that the discounted insurance cover is what you want i.e. includes relay, home start or any other bits as some are only roadside and recovery (and ensure foreign cover is available if you are likely to want that type of thing).
I have been with the RAC for several years now and found them to be very helpful with both the Tiv and daily hack. They were quite willing to take my Tiv in to a specialist (as it's a specialist car) when it needed it even though it was over their 10 mile range for transporting to a garage.
I have also been very happy with roadside assistance and response when required.
I have been with the RAC for several years now and found them to be very helpful with both the Tiv and daily hack. They were quite willing to take my Tiv in to a specialist (as it's a specialist car) when it needed it even though it was over their 10 mile range for transporting to a garage.
I have also been very happy with roadside assistance and response when required.
Ribol said:
Sounds like the RAC is looking like the way to go 
Have used Adrian Flux's cover, which worked - eventually. Have now gone with A Plan and whomever they use. Personally wouldn't go with RAC. If you are considering doing som, give them the following scenario and see what they say:Road pothole destroys tyre, local Kwik Twit doesn't have any - to be fair anyone will struggle to find a Goodyear F1 now. Then ask to be relayed home. Result: Flux's agent did, eventually; A Plan says 'yes', no problem; RAC say 'no', local rescue only because they are not liable if I do not carry a servicable spare - which a T350 does not.
Choose carefully
Edited by earlyriser on Monday 16th February 15:48
Edited by earlyriser on Monday 16th February 15:48
I have used Norwich Union rescue / recovery for some years as I need personal cover (2 drivers with 3 cars) and they have been excellent on callout although I've thankfully not had a breakdown yet over the channel. NU are typically cheaper than RAC and sub out to RAC if they can't come to you in their own truck. However, the euro cover extension is expensive if you're only going once in the year and for a few days.
Sooooo, anyone had any experience with Vehicle Rescue Direct (backed by AXA Assistance) or Eurorescue (associated with Autonational Rescue) as they will provide euro cover for a few days at a good price?
I have used Adrian Flux' once. Was very helpful when my battery died in the middle of nowhere. However when I enquired about getting mine picked up from my house (have home assistance) and dropped to Dulford (25 miles) they told me no and that they would only take it to a local garage (they had nationwide on their system). Told them I would be happy to do that if they were a TVR specialist. Had to pay a mate of a mate a case of beer to use his recovery truck.
My breakdown cover is through A Plan, they use ResQ who also cover Europe. They have been very good on the 1 occasion i've had to use them. Requested a low loader and that's what they sent.
Have been with the AA before and they will try and come and "fix" the problem, thing is most of them haven't got a clue what they are looking at so they send a van then you have to wait another hour or so for their low loader to turn up enen though you asked for one instead of said man with van.
Good luck!
Have been with the AA before and they will try and come and "fix" the problem, thing is most of them haven't got a clue what they are looking at so they send a van then you have to wait another hour or so for their low loader to turn up enen though you asked for one instead of said man with van.
Good luck!
I have personal cover with the AA, have been with them two years plus but have yet to call them with any car, but on renewal I do check the price they want to charge me against what they will charge a new member joining on line. Then I spend ten minutes on the phone getting them to give me the cheaper new member price!!!
Before that I was with the RAC had to call them twice, both times arrived in about 40 minutes, both times they got us going and loved the fact they were working on a TVR and could sort it, one was a damaged fuel pump electric wire, (damaged by the idiot who had jacked the car up the day before to put new tyres on)the other was a broken battery connection.
I think Norwich Union Rescue and the RAC are in the same group, if they are not and Norwich Union Rescue are separate, then why do they use RAC as the breakdown back up on the Norwich Union MSA Classic Car rally.
Before that I was with the RAC had to call them twice, both times arrived in about 40 minutes, both times they got us going and loved the fact they were working on a TVR and could sort it, one was a damaged fuel pump electric wire, (damaged by the idiot who had jacked the car up the day before to put new tyres on)the other was a broken battery connection.
I think Norwich Union Rescue and the RAC are in the same group, if they are not and Norwich Union Rescue are separate, then why do they use RAC as the breakdown back up on the Norwich Union MSA Classic Car rally.
Hoolio said:
Have been with the AA before and they will try and come and "fix" the problem
Exactly what happened to me at the weekend when serp drive belt broke (I started to describe the problem but was told I'd need to be seen by engineer). Engineer apparently told the controllers they might as well get me towed before he came out, as there would be little chance he could remedy/patch the problem. ~2 hour wait for first bloke, then over an hour for a tow. =3+ to start my journey to the garage. Naturally it had closed by the time I arrived. Tow truck driver intimated it was 'policy' to send someone out, saying they 'always' insist on it. Whether this is accruate or not I don't know. But I wouldn't be at all suprised if many of the major players did this.
I will probably switch my cover, just to get same treatment from new bunch!
Been with the RACs main competitor for years - used a few times and always been very happy (once with Tuscan over a year ago where they recovered me over 60 miles to a specialist garage)
BUT
My trusty Alfa has caused me a bit of grief recently and I have had a succession of people who had no idea what thye were doing - turned out to be a simple two minute fix but they recovered me (again over 60 miles)
Alfa dumped its coolant the other day and it was a succession of lies and fob offs before they finally recovered my girlfriend 6 hours after she first called.
Putting in a complaint and have really lost faith in said automobile association (who shall obviously remain anonymous…)
BUT
My trusty Alfa has caused me a bit of grief recently and I have had a succession of people who had no idea what thye were doing - turned out to be a simple two minute fix but they recovered me (again over 60 miles)
Alfa dumped its coolant the other day and it was a succession of lies and fob offs before they finally recovered my girlfriend 6 hours after she first called.
Putting in a complaint and have really lost faith in said automobile association (who shall obviously remain anonymous…)
winters said:
Tow truck driver intimated it was 'policy' to send someone out, saying they 'always' insist on it. Whether this is accruate or not I don't know. But I wouldn't be at all suprised if many of the major players did this.
This is my experience with NU/Barclays/RAC breakdown cover, where they will always send out a man-in-a-van to diagnose that you did indeed require a low loader.Gassing Station | General TVR Stuff & Gossip | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff