Which roadside assistance is best?
Discussion
With two classic cars and a third well out of warranty, it's time to get serious about roadside recovery. For years I've had the 'recovery' option on my classic insurance, but all you get is a flatbed truck, even if the problem is quite fixable on the side of the road. So I want to get the full set - roadside, home assist, relay, everything.
So which to choose? AA, RAC or Green Flag? All my mates have only used one or the other, so they have no comparative data. So have any of you had experience of several, so as to compare? And which would you choose?
Advice gratefully received...
So which to choose? AA, RAC or Green Flag? All my mates have only used one or the other, so they have no comparative data. So have any of you had experience of several, so as to compare? And which would you choose?
Advice gratefully received...
I've had experience of green flag and the AA and they were both pretty good.
The AA I called when my Saab lunched the bottom end they came reasonably quickly (about an hour and a half it was peak rush hour, I just sat in a pub opposite) the guy reaslised straightaway that the car was going no where and managed to persuade the control room that he had to tow it there and then rather than wait for a flat bed.
Green flag was a home start, did all the diagnostics, seemed to think that it was a fuel problem (even though the light wasn't on) managed to get it started followed me to the local fuel station and then home again to make sure that everything was ok. They arrived really quickly, kept me informed by text etc etc.
Overall I would go with the green flag option, but then that might have just been the individual guy going over and above.
The AA I called when my Saab lunched the bottom end they came reasonably quickly (about an hour and a half it was peak rush hour, I just sat in a pub opposite) the guy reaslised straightaway that the car was going no where and managed to persuade the control room that he had to tow it there and then rather than wait for a flat bed.
Green flag was a home start, did all the diagnostics, seemed to think that it was a fuel problem (even though the light wasn't on) managed to get it started followed me to the local fuel station and then home again to make sure that everything was ok. They arrived really quickly, kept me informed by text etc etc.
Overall I would go with the green flag option, but then that might have just been the individual guy going over and above.
AA have towed me when they could have qouted terms and conditions to get out.
They also were out within 15 minutes of call on Christmas Day and fixed the car there and then.
I think with all of them it's a combination of who you get on the day and how stressed they all are at the time that you call.
They also were out within 15 minutes of call on Christmas Day and fixed the car there and then.
I think with all of them it's a combination of who you get on the day and how stressed they all are at the time that you call.
Used AA
Could of told me to sod off as my car is modified and was on track when it let go but they towed it
As its quite low the guy struggled to get it on his van but kept trying until it was on there as it was a 5hr wait for a low loader
If you believe the guy I had he said that greenflag are more recovery drivers and aren't mechanics, and RAC only half are mechanics, whereas AA they are all trained mechanics, how true this is I don't know but I didn't bother argueing
He did stop off when I asked so I could something to eat though
Could of told me to sod off as my car is modified and was on track when it let go but they towed it
As its quite low the guy struggled to get it on his van but kept trying until it was on there as it was a 5hr wait for a low loader
If you believe the guy I had he said that greenflag are more recovery drivers and aren't mechanics, and RAC only half are mechanics, whereas AA they are all trained mechanics, how true this is I don't know but I didn't bother argueing
He did stop off when I asked so I could something to eat though
I will never use the AA again. Caused damage to one of my previous cars and made me do a dangerous drive home because the moron they sent out was after brownie points (refused to send out a truck).
I have a strong feeling that if the car had been something expensive rather than an Astra I would have been sent a truck - that irks me.
Been an RAC member for over a year but haven't had to use them yet.
I have a strong feeling that if the car had been something expensive rather than an Astra I would have been sent a truck - that irks me.
Been an RAC member for over a year but haven't had to use them yet.
Edited by SuperHangOn on Thursday 6th February 11:40
digger_R said:
Has ADAC in the past, now I wouldn't have anything else
^ This, with one caveat. They won't recover you from one end of the UK to the other. They have a "towing allowance" (cost limit). Above that, they'll take you to a local garage and pay for three days hotel accommodation (or onward travel) for you whilst it's fixed at your cost. After that, they'll get you/the car home.OTOH, they're cheap as chips (€90 for full year, personal cover for two people) and that includes full cover across all of geographical Europe plus any non-European country with a Med shoreline.
I've been with 'em three years, used 'em three times (once in France, twice in the UK), and I'm not planning on changing in a hurry.
AMST09 said:
If you believe the guy I had he said that greenflag are more recovery drivers and aren't mechanics
Greenflag are all just garage agents, even the ones in Greenflag liveried vans. They don't have a dedicated patrol force like the AA and RAC. The RAC have just had a terrible result in the Which? survey, the AA won it, again...
TooMany2cvs said:
I've been with 'em three years, used 'em three times (once in France, twice in the UK), and I'm not planning on changing in a hurry.
Did you just call the number on the membership card? No problems with you being in the UK? Who did they send out?(We've got ADAC membership and not had to use it, so I'd like to know more)
vit4 said:
Autonational Rescue have been excellent, cheaper for doing a few cars as well. AA on the other hand, I've had a couple of experiences with them and neither of them good.
Also with these guys, but not had to use them for a callout yet. Would be interested to know if anyone has used them for recovery from a trackday...I can't find anything.I've called the RAC out twice.
The first time to a motorbike with a broken reg/rec that fried the battery. After 3 hours a patrol finally showed up and was understandably a bit annoyed they'd sent him as he's unable to move motorbikes, so I had to wait again for the contractor to show up with a flat bed. 4.5 hours wait.
The second time I phoned them was in the car. Took 15 minutes to get through to them on the phone, patrol took another 1.5 hours, and it turns out that they can't tow an Octavia as the front end is collapsible, and can't put on a towing dolly as the front skirt is too low. He nicely towed me very slowly off the mina road, but then nobody told the contractor they sent out that I'd been moved so he spent a further 15 minutes driving around trying to find me on top of the 1.5 hours it took to get there. Round about 4 hours in total.
On the plus side they are fairly cheap.
The first time to a motorbike with a broken reg/rec that fried the battery. After 3 hours a patrol finally showed up and was understandably a bit annoyed they'd sent him as he's unable to move motorbikes, so I had to wait again for the contractor to show up with a flat bed. 4.5 hours wait.
The second time I phoned them was in the car. Took 15 minutes to get through to them on the phone, patrol took another 1.5 hours, and it turns out that they can't tow an Octavia as the front end is collapsible, and can't put on a towing dolly as the front skirt is too low. He nicely towed me very slowly off the mina road, but then nobody told the contractor they sent out that I'd been moved so he spent a further 15 minutes driving around trying to find me on top of the 1.5 hours it took to get there. Round about 4 hours in total.
On the plus side they are fairly cheap.
With regard to Brittania Rescue - I used to have them through the CSMA.
I had their full all bells and whistles cover, however what I didn't spot was that only the "primary" vehicle has got european cover; it was only a chance remark on renewal with their agent that made me notice this.
I drive abroad a lot and I was quite shocked to learn that I'd spent quite a bit of time in the previous year in the OHs Volvo and on motorbike tours innocently unaware that the euro-cover only applied to the primary vehicle (my Merc) which was tucked up at home in the garage.
I had their full all bells and whistles cover, however what I didn't spot was that only the "primary" vehicle has got european cover; it was only a chance remark on renewal with their agent that made me notice this.
I drive abroad a lot and I was quite shocked to learn that I'd spent quite a bit of time in the previous year in the OHs Volvo and on motorbike tours innocently unaware that the euro-cover only applied to the primary vehicle (my Merc) which was tucked up at home in the garage.
Dog Star said:
Did you just call the number on the membership card?
The German number - the UK one goes to an AA control room who don't want to know... But the Germans are very happy to call straight back.[quote]No problems with you being in the UK?
[quote]Who did they send out?
First one was a burst hose - roadside fix, on our way within half an hour.
Second one was a dead alternator - second battery placed in footwell, on "extension leads", and followed us ~30 miles home.
The French call-out was a bit more stressful, though...
http://wherevertheroadgoes.com/2011/08/09/are-we-m...
http://wherevertheroadgoes.com/2011/08/15/are-we-m...
http://wherevertheroadgoes.com/2011/10/24/are-we-m...
TooMany2cvs said:
The French call-out was a bit more stressful, though...
http://wherevertheroadgoes.com/2011/08/09/are-we-m...
http://wherevertheroadgoes.com/2011/08/15/are-we-m...
http://wherevertheroadgoes.com/2011/10/24/are-we-m...
A good read. You can't really blame ADAC for much there, beyond being a big organisation and a bit slow in responding. The Brive VW garage sound a right load of useless gits though.http://wherevertheroadgoes.com/2011/08/09/are-we-m...
http://wherevertheroadgoes.com/2011/08/15/are-we-m...
http://wherevertheroadgoes.com/2011/10/24/are-we-m...
I always look upon episodes like this as part of the "experience" of holidaying. We had a similar run a couple of years ago; the OH and I were going to Spain (via a leisurely tour through France) in my SL with a small tent and some other camping gear. The vast bulk of our stuff (big tent, clothes, diving gear) was with my parents who had set out the week before in their Landcruiser/caravan combo via Germany. Unfortunately they had a breakdown in north-eastern France and we were on a campsite near Carcassonne. It looked like the Landcruiser couldn't be fixed, and all looked lost. However a friend of mine works as a chef in a chateau near where we were and the owner put us up in a room there for pennies (not hundreds of euros). In the end we had a fantastic time, the Landcruiser was fixed and they arrived only a couple of days late at the site in Spain (a day after us).
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