AM Recovery Cover

[Longy00000]

My existing Timeless warranty is due to expire soon and I don't intend extending it.
However I would like to extend the breakdown recovery cover if possible. I have only ever heard good things about the AM recovery team so would like to stick with them if possible rather than a generic AA type cover.
The local dealer wasn't aware if you could and suggested getting in touch with rhe warranty company. I sent them an email to which they replied I should contact my local Mclaren dealer (yup Mclaren....cut and paste eh)

Anyway, has anyone done it, knows how to do it or can offer any words of wisdom.

[phumy]

Call them.

[SL500UK]

Many moons ago when I called the Aston Martin breakdown number, they sent out a normal AA roadside assistance chap. But as this was for a flat battery I guess anyone witha booster would have been ok.

[alscar]

I’ve not seen breakdown cover offered separately from the warranty extension from Aston but you can just opt for the warranty alone so assume you cannot but worth a call obviously.

[Jon39]

There was a topic about breakdown cover, active on here not long ago.

A poster with inside knowledge of the recovery business, revealed some helpful points.
AML will not have their own recovery teams, so local contractors will often be called upon.

AA, RAC etc seem to be referred to as clubs, who really pin down the contractors on price. If the recovery happens to be a considerable distance, each contractor only travels part of the journey.
I witnessed a change over once at Membury Services M4. The car on the wagon had the rear nearside wheel missing, but the car was still driven backwards onto the ground, scraping along on the brake disc.

We can phone a 24 hour recovery contractor ourselves if needed and the secret is to then request an SLA truck, because it can handle very low sports cars without risk of damage.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Longy00000]

Thanks all, I shall read the other thread and maybe try to ring them tomorrow to check.

[pschlute]

Longy00000 said:

Anyway, has anyone done it, knows how to do it or can offer any words of wisdom.

AM do not have their own fleet of recovery vehicles (thank the Lord). The repair recovery service is provided by whoever the insurer of the service wishes.

It is how they all work. Never had to use AM, but I have my Land Rover service. Sometimes you get a fellow in a LR van, but in urgent cases you get whoever is free.(AA/RAC/Green Flag)

[Ninja59]

The AM emergency assist is Allianz. Bmw, all VAG brands use them amongst many others.

In regards to the whole warranty side, bluntly I find it the poorest part of ownership (I have used it a few times).

The Allianz techs on the ground are knowledgeable, in office hours have contacts at Gaydon. But, the admin side of it is frankly disjointed and illogical at times.

So much so, my complaint ended up with significant goodwill due to them trying to cancel a hire car before I had even heard about mine being sorted (oil left on the undertray post oil service).

[Longy00000]

That's interesting as I've only ever heard positive feedback about them hence why I was keen to pay the inevitable AM premium tax for the service.
Like most of us I just want to think the car will be treated with the care and attention it deserves in terms of loading on and off trailers etc.
Hopefully I will never need their service but better safe than sorry

[lukeharding]

It is currently Allianz that cover AM for breakdown and recovery, and they do the same for other premium brands such as Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini etc

They will be able to offer you a standalone policy

[Longy00000]

Little update. Rang the recovery service who put me through to AM services there and they confirmed you cannot buy the AM recovery on its own. Its only available via the warranty which you would purchase via the dealer network.
Looked at the Allianz recovery website which won't quote you online at present ( been like that a little while now) and it now states you cant buy it via the call centre either so it looks like I'm back to the usual AA and RAC type contenders.
Hey ho. Maybe there is a gap in the market for the AA etc to offer a super premium level of cover targeting the higher end car market?
Anyway for now it's back to the usual recovery cover.

[pschlute]

I was with RAC for a number of years. Only used them once to change a wheel on my Land Rover.

The cover seemed pretty comprehensive, eg. getting you and your party to your destination.

[alscar]

I've had AA family cover for a few years on top of whatever I've had with Aston and other cars and used it a few times for various things usually on my older Defender - always been good service.
I also used then last year when my R8 needed a recovery due to a puncture ( sorted via Audi themselves ) but again really good service.
Just be prepared to negotiate on the renewal as they automatically jack the price up but always seem happy to reduce it to the previous figure anyway.

[M1AGM]

I use these guys for my cars and bikes:

https://www.startrescue.co.uk/

[Simpo Two]

M1AGM said:

I use these guys for my cars and bikes:

https://www.startrescue.co.uk/

Cheap indeed. But if you need to call them out, are they reasonably competent to fix the problem, or do you just get a gorilla with a breakdown truck?

[Longy00000]

I ended up going with LV=Britannia Rescue

Personal cover, full annual European.cover, home start etc for £70. Rac and AA wanted £240 for same and I couldn't see what extra they were offering within the policy details and exclusions. Mind that said on all the occasions in the past when I have been with Rac and AA it's always been during one of their very frequent 60% off deals which makes them more comparable but neither were making offers this week.

Let's hope I never need them

[Dewi 2]

I have not done it yet, but I understand that either the AA or RAC annual cost, can be reduced significantly by redeeming Tesco Clubcard vouchers for membership.

[M1AGM]

Simpo Two said:

M1AGM said:

I use these guys for my cars and bikes:

https://www.startrescue.co.uk/

Cheap indeed. But if you need to call them out, are they reasonably competent to fix the problem, or do you just get a gorilla with a breakdown truck?

TBH I would never expect a roadside spanner monkey to fix a breakdown, just recover my vehicle to the nearest dealership. I cant recall a raodside assistance person ever actually fixing a problem with a vehicle I have owned.

[lukeharding]

M1AGM said:

Simpo Two said:

M1AGM said:

I use these guys for my cars and bikes:

https://www.startrescue.co.uk/

Cheap indeed. But if you need to call them out, are they reasonably competent to fix the problem, or do you just get a gorilla with a breakdown truck?

TBH I would never expect a roadside spanner monkey to fix a breakdown, just recover my vehicle to the nearest dealership. I cant recall a raodside assistance person ever actually fixing a problem with a vehicle I have owned.

Depends who you are using, some clubs prefer to send a van first because of cost (because everyone wants cheaper renewals), and different techs have different knowledge, skills and experience. Plenty of cars are fixed roadside, even with complex modern cars, but the view that they're 'spanner monkeys' or 'gorillas' goes someway to explain why the industry is underpaid. Plenty of those roadside staff are as knowledgeable as the average workshop fitter you'd find in a main dealer. You get good and bad quality staff as with any profession, but for most of them you probably find they don't have the time or spare money to invest in their own training because people with expensive cars won't pay £100 for what is essentially roadside insurance

[reddiesel]

I can only really speak for light Commercial Vehicles but inevitably the Recovery Work is subcontracted out to the lowest bidder and invariably brain dead halfwit is what you get . I had National Breakdown at 8pm take 6 hours on the M23 a few weeks back and even then he would only go as far as Clackett Lane , the vehicle then having to be parked up overnight along with the key for another Sub Contractor to deal with next morning . I duly arranged for the Driver to be recovered myself . Next morning I got a call saying the key which had been left on the offside leaf spring was stolen . I sent the same Driver down with the spare and when he got to Clackett Lane he looked under the vehicle and found that indeed there was no key . Miraculously it had jumped down from the leaf spring and made its own way down to the inside of the nearside wheel ??? I can only assume that this poor uneducated Recovery Driver had billed National Recovery for a wasted journey and simply moved the key claiming double bubble .
Its like everything nowadays , costs and service are cut to the core to maximise profit .