Question for the supercar owners....

[Tallbut Buxomly]

Hi all.

Just a quick question for all you owners of lambos k segss etc etc etc.

Would you be willing to pay between 350-500 per year for "premium" breakdown cover??

Bear in mind this is just an idea festering in my head so figures for cost are extremely rough.
Could be lower.

Thanks for any answers.

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

What's 'premium' about the service? Without knowing that how can anyone judge?

[Original Poster]

Unless you would have a number of specialist tow trucks dotted all over the country there would be nothing premium about it.

The initial outlay would be absolutely huge.

[Tallbut Buxomly]

OK

Well and please bear with me here just as said a thought floating around inside my head.

I see quite often threads on ph from "supercar" owners going on about problems they have when they break down or are trying to move their cars due to them being very low or wide and therefore requiring slightly specialised transport.

There is also the issue of where they are taken for repair iirc someone on here lost a tyre the other day and mentioned his breakdown wanted to take his car to lambo for a new tyre.

So the idea.

In event of a home or onroad breakdown you would call a freephone number for the callcentre.
The first person you speak to will be your spoc (single point of contact) who will give a direct extension to call them with any queries.
You will deal solely with them throughout your breakdown unless they are going off duty in which case you will be informed of new spoc half an hr before duty ends.
You will be asked a set of questions about the issue so they can get an idea of what is required ie recovery or repair.
The goal would be to have the relevant recovery to you wherever you are within 1hr no more (hard to achieve i suspect) from time of first recieving your call and if possible have you back on the road in under an hr.

In an ideal world for a roadside repair during business hrs if you know exactly what has caused the breakdown you could inform the spoc who will then see if the specific part if not normally carried could be collected enroute to yourself rather than having to recover your vehicle and fitted quickly at the roadside.
This obviously would be a within reason situation and the part would have to be paid for by yourself.


Recovery will be based on answers given by you on first call.

If you so desire due to believing you know what has caused the fault and it cannot be repaired roadside or you simply would rather no one but your designated mechanic touches your car you could simply request recovery to place of your choice within reason (dover to scotland would be a bit of a pisstake i think though maybe a cost subsidy could be levied at your choice ?)
A low loader or similar which will be able to carry a low or wide car will be sent out to recover the vehicle unless you have a different recovery vehicle request.

Once recovered or repaired you would get a call the following day from your spoc to see if you were happy with everything and if there were any issues outstanding or comments.
Unlike most this would be a quick call if you so wish as it will be the line i wrote above and your answer effectively.

The cost.

Well if it is lets say 500 per year for top level and you dont use it during the year you would get offered a rebate of say 150 pounds or if you want to continue cover for the following year the fee would be dropped to 350.

Gosh long winded. If you've got through all that your thoughts please?

Edited by Tallbut Buxomly on Thursday 24th June 19:18

[ianqv]

Sounds like a good service.
However, I used the AA to get my Countach home once.
They turned up as requested with a detatchable low loader, they were on time, polite and very very helpful.
The driver even turned up with a bag of sweets!!
Dropped us off exactly where we wanted to go!
All this for about £130 a year - I now get it free with Lloyds bank.

Hope this helps

Good luck if you take the plunge with your new venture.

Ian

[Tallbut Buxomly]

Thanks for the thoughts ian. Not really a new venture just something i was thinking about on the drive home this evening.

Good to hear you had good service from the AA. They seem to get slated a bit here (ph) i believe.

[andysv]

same as ian, i broke down once in a countach, the aa were told it was a tricky car to move, the guy turned up quickly with a tow bar that adjusted to suit the lambo and towed us the few miles home, it was a painless experience, by the way if anyone joins the aa as a new member go through quidco or topcashback and it's cheap as chips i think joint relay cost me around 50 quid, just remember to alternate you and the wife as new members each year
i wish you luck but i wouldn't be joining the premium scheme.

[Tallbut Buxomly]

Thanks for the comment Andy. As i said above just something i was thinking about not something i was in any way seriously thinking of doing.

Quite surprised that all of you seem so blase about your cars and who gets to handle them and how they are transported though. Got the feeling that most "supercar" owners were a bit sensitive about their cars as it were.

[UH-Matt]

I think you would struggle to compete with AA/RAC... Even though they are not specialists for supercar owners, they have such massive fleets that as long as they are aware of the type of car they should be able to get something relevant out fairly quickly...

[Tallbut Buxomly]

UH-Matt said:

I think you would struggle to compete with AA/RAC... Even though they are not specialists for supercar owners, they have such massive fleets that as long as they are aware of the type of car they should be able to get something relevant out fairly quickly...

Well RAC i would have no doubt as any time i have ever used them their response was both rapid and they were really helpful.

As i say though it was more the proper personal touch and getting what you want that i was thinking about.
I have a vague recollection of seeing threads or hearing people comment about how they knew they needed a specific type of transport and the breakdown company has ignored them and sent the wrong type of vehicle meaning damage to their vehicle or delays whilst the right one is sent out.

I also thought the business hrs roadside repair side of things might appeal as it would prevent the owner wasting time going to a dealer/workshop to get something fairly simple fixed which the rac/aa/greenflag etc wouldnt be able to.



ETA

This thread...
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0... blowout ...

Is also kinda where my thoughts come from. With lambo assist they wanted to argue the toss about how where wh and when where what i was suggesting is you the owner are in charge of the situation and make the decisions.
You pay for a service you should get what you ask for.

Edited by Tallbut Buxomly on Thursday 24th June 23:23

[Sarnie]

/Duncan Banatyne voice on


Its a crap idea, don't give upyour day job. I won't be investing, I'M OOOT!


\Duncan Banatyne voice off

[andrew.]

two years ago, "lambo assist" were actually "audi assist" ( where's jon ? ) using different phone numbers
they despatched any random local breakdown company and the service varied accordingly

first time my car threw a warning light wobbly, their service was fine
second time, i found out that my car was sitting at a motorway service station overnight on an uncovered truck, so a late night trip up the m1 to unrescue my car

[jdwcd]

andrew. said:

two years ago, "lambo assist" were actually "audi assist" ( where's jon ? ) using different phone numbers
they despatched any random local breakdown company and the service varied accordingly

first time my car threw a warning light wobbly, their service was fine
second time, i found out that my car was sitting at a motorway service station overnight on an uncovered truck, so a late night trip up the m1 to unrescue my car

Here

[diablo_pete]

Similar problem here in my SV when a hose burst last year. Called the AA at 5.30pm. They eventually brough a sufficiently low-loader at 2am. Was a long wait.

[andrew.]

jdwcd said:

andrew. said:

two years ago, "lambo assist" were actually "audi assist" ( where's jon ? ) using different phone numbers
they despatched any random local breakdown company and the service varied accordingly

first time my car threw a warning light wobbly, their service was fine
second time, i found out that my car was sitting at a motorway service station overnight on an uncovered truck, so a late night trip up the m1 to unrescue my car

Here

[andysv]

Tallbut Buxomly said:

Thanks for the comment Andy. As i said above just something i was thinking about not something i was in any way seriously thinking of doing.

Quite surprised that all of you seem so blase about your cars and who gets to handle them and how they are transported though. Got the feeling that most "supercar" owners were a bit sensitive about their cars as it were.

i am sensitive about my car but they don't break down a lot (once in 16 years, ok i speak for myself) and if you stand and watch the guy load it up carefully and he has plenty of liability insurance if it went wrong it doesn't make me think i need premier breakdown cover.
i think you may have a small market but as someone said earlier it won't be a hit on dragons den, original idea though.

[labrit]

Based on the numbers and the idea I don't think it would make it through it's first year.

[Tallbut Buxomly]

As said before not something i was seriously considering just a thought in my head.

Thanks for all your comments though everyone. Had serious doubts tightarses like yourselves would spend any money on a real service....






( Runs, hides, dons flamesuit and takes up a new religion just in case he is found....)

Edited by Tallbut Buxomly on Friday 25th June 19:04

[labrit]

Yup, we're all real tight arses because we wouldn't want to use a theoretical service which doesn't measure up to something that's a proven product and far cheaper.

[Tallbut Buxomly]

labrit said:

Yup, we're all real tight arses because we wouldn't want to use a theoretical service which doesn't measure up to something that's a proven product and far cheaper.

What no sense of humour??? Or am i missing something as i thought i made it quite clear the comment was a joke.

All of you seem to be reading my post as if it is a serious business plan or something. It really isnt. It is merely something i was thinking about during the day and was wondering what people thought about it.