Breakdown cover

[BE57 TOY]

I always used to have breakdown cover with one of the main two companies and it was always around £60 for the top package.

I've spent 4 years with Audi assistance and now find myself needing to buy cover again, but the main two companies now want £150ish???

1) why has it gone up so much?

2) are the cheap companies listed on comparison sites any good?

3) who does everyone use?

[BFG TERRANO]

Greenflag. Same as the main two but cheaper

[Troubleatmill]

BE57 TOY said:

I always used to have breakdown cover with one of the main two companies and it was always around £60 for the top package.

I've spent 4 years with Audi assistance and now find myself needing to buy cover again, but the main two companies now want £150ish???

1) why has it gone up so much?

2) are the cheap companies listed on comparison sites any good?

3) who does everyone use?

Autoaid.

Anything money saving related.... this should be your first port of call. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/car-insurance/bre...

[BE57 TOY]

BFG TERRANO said:

Greenflag. Same as the main two but cheaper

I checked them out but they wanted around £130!

[BE57 TOY]

Troubleatmill said:

Autoaid.

Anything money saving related.... this should be your first port of call. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/car-insurance/bre...

Cheers it looks like buying by linking though a cash back site is the way to go!

[Gafferjim]

Try through you insurance, they often get deals that you can't.

My son recently got full recovery for his car through "Rescue my car" at a very low price, I don't know if they go off the model / year of the car, but it certainly was cheep.

[NISaxoVTR]

Be wary of the small print as well as the price. During a recent break down I discovered the RAC won't help if:

- Your car's suspension is modified. My (track day) car isn't very low but it wouldn't go onto the RAC van's wheel lift device. They flatly refuse to send a low loader truck for modified cars but I'm guessing they would for some exotic.

- Your car has no MOT. Unlikely to be a problem but was for me as I had a brake line burst during the MOT test itself.

- They won't recover your car if it's at a place of repair, again probably unlikely to be a problem but it took me a good 15 minutes of arguing with a rude woman on the phone to explain the N.Ireland government test stations don't repair cars.

- You need towed over your policies agreed range (if it has one). Literally they won't go half a mile more without charging you a large sum, even if like my case they were going that direction anyway.

In the end my RAC cover was worthless when I needed it and it was cheaper for me to get recovered by an independent tow company than pay the RAC ransom!

[Robin Hood]

I've found this very reasonable if your car is under 10 years old:

http://www.breakdowndirect.co.uk

[alangla]

BE57 TOY said:

I always used to have breakdown cover with one of the main two companies and it was always around £60 for the top package.

I've spent 4 years with Audi assistance and now find myself needing to buy cover again, but the main two companies now want £150ish???

Is Audi Assistance actually a name for one of the main operators? I normally get a letter from the AA when my Ford Assist package is about to run out offering me cheap membership for the following year. I think the record was a year's relay & recovery for £12. Even the AA's letter now mentions that servicing your car at a dealers will get you another year's cover free anyway, so I doubt they get a huge amount of take-up with Ford owners these days.

[OldBuoy]

I've had MSM this yr just to get euro cover most won't cover 20yr old cars I think it's about £60

[Qwert1e]

Gafferjim said:

Try through you insurance, they often get deals that you can't.

^^^^ This. But remember they usually cover the "car" rather than the "driver", so not much use if you have several cars.

[anonymous-user]

Autoaid. Excellent and cheap.

[ben5732]

NISaxoVTR said:

Be wary of the small print as well as the price. During a recent break down I discovered the RAC won't help if:

- Your car's suspension is modified. My (track day) car isn't very low but it wouldn't go onto the RAC van's wheel lift device. They flatly refuse to send a low loader truck for modified cars but I'm guessing they would for some exotic.

- Your car has no MOT. Unlikely to be a problem but was for me as I had a brake line burst during the MOT test itself.

- They won't recover your car if it's at a place of repair, again probably unlikely to be a problem but it took me a good 15 minutes of arguing with a rude woman on the phone to explain the N.Ireland government test stations don't repair cars.

- You need towed over your policies agreed range (if it has one). Literally they won't go half a mile more without charging you a large sum, even if like my case they were going that direction anyway.

In the end my RAC cover was worthless when I needed it and it was cheaper for me to get recovered by an independent tow company than pay the RAC ransom!

AA recovered a lowered car for me under the understanding of which if it gets damaged in the process then it's not their responsibility which is fair play, especially as the guy recovering it was still really careful and got it up via planks of wood.

They also towed me home in other car then arranged two days later to tow it to the garage for me.

[BE57 TOY]

Thanks all.

In the end I have renewed with RAC and kept the top package. Some of the alternative providers didn't give the level of cover I need.

Negotiated the price down by 66%.