Breakdown cover, who is good and who is wack?
Discussion
I've used two companies for breakdown cover, both were absolute crap.
RAC, used them twice. Had a 4 hour call out one time and second the mechanic wouldn't even bother coming out. Just said "I can't fix that" and ordered a flatbed on a friday evening. It turned out a fuse had gone on my fuel pump.
Rescue my car are also hilariously bad. Despite having national cover I was charged for recovery, the flatbed driver then told me he didn't get paid enough to drop my car at my home so he will only drop it off when he has either 2 cars he can take in one trip or finds a return load. Absolutely incredible.
Is there a good roadside service out there? I know cars are becoming less and less repairable kerbside but surely there's some company out there who at least turn up quickly and try.
What are you recommendations?
RAC, used them twice. Had a 4 hour call out one time and second the mechanic wouldn't even bother coming out. Just said "I can't fix that" and ordered a flatbed on a friday evening. It turned out a fuse had gone on my fuel pump.
Rescue my car are also hilariously bad. Despite having national cover I was charged for recovery, the flatbed driver then told me he didn't get paid enough to drop my car at my home so he will only drop it off when he has either 2 cars he can take in one trip or finds a return load. Absolutely incredible.
Is there a good roadside service out there? I know cars are becoming less and less repairable kerbside but surely there's some company out there who at least turn up quickly and try.
What are you recommendations?
Another 'crap' vote for RAC. I've used them 3 times or so in the past, two times they took 4 hours to get to me and the other time I told them the alternator had gone, it was very obvious to me and I was a ways from home, so I said either a flatbed or a spare battery please. Ordinary van turned up to try and diagnose the issue first, after about 3 hours of course. Alternator had gone, so had to wait about another hour, maybe more for another truck to turn up.
Avoid RAC like the aids. Was with them for around 4 years through my bad lays bank account, I had a Jaaaaaag XF that I had about 4 callouts in, they were awful everytime, left me stranded overnight in the middle of nowhere once too.
AA were decent when I called them out for my TVR that decided to drop it's arse with coolant earlier this year but they've just decided to triple my cover, so might change.
AA were decent when I called them out for my TVR that decided to drop it's arse with coolant earlier this year but they've just decided to triple my cover, so might change.
I've been with RAC for years, but hadn't used them for decades until the electric water pump on my BMW 325i died.
Thankfully it was a pleasant day in May 2018 and I had got to a lay-by on the A31. The guy responding called me and suggested fitting the towing eye to the front to save a bit of time and turned up within about an hour, confirmed my diagnosis then towed it to my local Indy.
Then in December it wouldn't start so I called them again (I had Home Start) and told them I thought it probably needed a battery, then made another cup of tea. Just over an hour later the RAC van arrived, confirmed a dead battery and fitted one from the stock on the van for a sensible price.
So I'm still with them, even if I have to haggle about the price every renewal.
Thankfully it was a pleasant day in May 2018 and I had got to a lay-by on the A31. The guy responding called me and suggested fitting the towing eye to the front to save a bit of time and turned up within about an hour, confirmed my diagnosis then towed it to my local Indy.
Then in December it wouldn't start so I called them again (I had Home Start) and told them I thought it probably needed a battery, then made another cup of tea. Just over an hour later the RAC van arrived, confirmed a dead battery and fitted one from the stock on the van for a sensible price.
So I'm still with them, even if I have to haggle about the price every renewal.
miniman said:
Britannia Rescue.
Gets my vote too: https://www.britanniarescue.com/breakdown-cover/br...I would assume that apart from the AA and to a certain extent, the RAC, all the others have arrangements with garages so the quality of service depends on the garage used.
Ive always used AA and can't fault them, had a tyre cut totally deflated and they came out quickly and recovered car home to later get tyre replaced.
I always renew when they have an offer on.
Ive always used AA and can't fault them, had a tyre cut totally deflated and they came out quickly and recovered car home to later get tyre replaced.
I always renew when they have an offer on.
Don't do AA
Worse we've seen was we were off to an event in France, one of the cars wouldn't start in the morning at the hotel in Folkestone. No spark, looked like the electronic ignition had died suddenly.
AA called at 7am, told the problem and they'd need recovery, it wasn't fixable at the roadside. Owner thought he'd get recovered home, jump in another car and rejoin us later.
AA took 4 hours to send a van, who announced there was nothing he could do, then called for recovery which took 5 hours to get there. Which is where relay rears it's head. They took the car so far, dumped it at services for another recovery truck to come two hours later, which took them so far, then dumped them in services (having tried to leave them on a sliproad off the motorway). Another long wait before being collected and taken home.
They arrived at midnight, on what should have been a 3 to 3.5 hour run home.
They didn't bother coming on the trip after that
Worse we've seen was we were off to an event in France, one of the cars wouldn't start in the morning at the hotel in Folkestone. No spark, looked like the electronic ignition had died suddenly.
AA called at 7am, told the problem and they'd need recovery, it wasn't fixable at the roadside. Owner thought he'd get recovered home, jump in another car and rejoin us later.
AA took 4 hours to send a van, who announced there was nothing he could do, then called for recovery which took 5 hours to get there. Which is where relay rears it's head. They took the car so far, dumped it at services for another recovery truck to come two hours later, which took them so far, then dumped them in services (having tried to leave them on a sliproad off the motorway). Another long wait before being collected and taken home.
They arrived at midnight, on what should have been a 3 to 3.5 hour run home.
They didn't bother coming on the trip after that
I think a lot depends on the luck of the day. Ive had good and bad experiences. It depends on your call handler, the driver, how busy it is, etc.
- RAC - EU cover - camper broke down in Italy - they were superb, without exception
- Green flag - Despite being told several times, sent a regular truck instead of low loader for sports car - had to wait for another, but got home eventually. Drivers were nice.
- Rescue My car - broke down in van towing caravan, on Glasto-Thursday last year . 3 hours and they sent an innapropriate vehicle.Driver said Glasto call outs were tieing up all big recue trucks. Eventually got to destination at 10pm (broke down at 2pm). Driver was nice. Can't blame them for being hyper busy but again, call handler messed it up.
The two fails were call handlers, and I chatted to the Rescue My Car driver who said the call centres just don't pass on the details to the contractors - the systems are not in place. Which seems really daft.
- RAC - EU cover - camper broke down in Italy - they were superb, without exception
- Green flag - Despite being told several times, sent a regular truck instead of low loader for sports car - had to wait for another, but got home eventually. Drivers were nice.
- Rescue My car - broke down in van towing caravan, on Glasto-Thursday last year . 3 hours and they sent an innapropriate vehicle.Driver said Glasto call outs were tieing up all big recue trucks. Eventually got to destination at 10pm (broke down at 2pm). Driver was nice. Can't blame them for being hyper busy but again, call handler messed it up.
The two fails were call handlers, and I chatted to the Rescue My Car driver who said the call centres just don't pass on the details to the contractors - the systems are not in place. Which seems really daft.
Mr Squarekins said:
Never ever RAC again. Puncture on my car, the kit wouldn't seal it. On the hard shoulder of the M40. Totally flat.
They quoted 8 hours minimum, to 'come and assess it'. Then, who knows after that.
I remembered that I had BMW cover. Trailer was there in an hour.
Bring back the jack and spare wheel.They quoted 8 hours minimum, to 'come and assess it'. Then, who knows after that.
I remembered that I had BMW cover. Trailer was there in an hour.
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