WHICH BREAKDOWN COVER ?

[Surebet]

Well its that time again, to renew car breakdown and recovery service. There seems to be more and more companies offering breakdown service every year. I've tried many different ones over the years, fortunately never had to use any of them. They all seem to offer similar cover at very different prices, Has anyone had good or bad experiences with any breakdown companies out there.

[NemesisUK]

Is it needed on a Lexus??

Choose the cheapest or out the money aside, just in case..

[Britprius]

I have been driving for 60 years, and in that time I have broken down twice. On both occasions I was able to fix the car, and finish my journey. This makes a saving of about £3000 averaged out. I could buy a half decent car for that.
I must admit that at times when I had a company car as well as my own the company car had breakdown cover, but was never used. 
If I was driving abroad I would take out cover, but not in the UK.
I realise to some cover gives piece of mind, and is there choice, but particularly now with modern technology "mobile phones" I see little advantage unless you are incapable of changing a wheel or are perhaps disabled.

John.  

[Grumps]

When I last had break down cover I used Start rescue.

Although I never had to use it, the reviews from Which magazine rated it as the 2nd best recovery firm. You will find the prices are very good.

[Surebet]

28 minutes ago, Grumps said:

When I last had break down cover I used Start rescue.

Although I never had to use it, the reviews from Which magazine rated it as the 2nd best recovery firm. You will find the prices are very good.

Hi Paul

Thats who i'm with at the moment and like youself never had to use them. Like any insurance policy you never know how good the company is until you go to claim. May just stick with them.

Thanks Alan

[Farqui]

Thanks, I've never heard of Start Rescue so this thread could potentially be an eye opener to a few folks.

We used to use one of the big 2 recovery companies for years but their prices gradually increased year on year, despite no calls.  Come renewal time, I would call and enquire why the price increase was so high? and they would instantly discount it until a few years ago, so we moved on.  

We've since been with Flux Rescue who also offer EU recovery without a significant price increase.  I've used them once (in the UK) and have no issues with their service and enjoy the significant annual saving.

[Malc]

Used RAC Breakdown and Recovery for about 53 years

These past few years it's been Complimentary ..............  wonder why 

Yes I have called them out on a few occasions

flat tyres a few times over the years coz i know for me it's a struggle and the jack on the Ls400 barely seems to hold the car !

Inconvenient ............... alternator going pop, 3 x now on 3 different cars and all at night and miles from home

Ls400 ........... slid on bus diesel fuel spillage going round the corner off the A2 at Sidcup, slid into the grass bank, the RAC pulled the car out of the shrubbery and back onto the road while the police diverted all that A2 traffic to the next junction .......  that was fun for a few hundred other poor motorists 😲

EVERY time the service has been exemplary and amazing

 

NATIONWIDE B/Socy recovery etc .......  don't bother, wouldn't respond to me positively when I slid into a hidden roadside gulley, told me to contact my insurers to arrange assistance

............... a passing farmer and policeman sorted me out as I was just blocking the country lane 

[PCM]

Green Flag was the cheapest I could find... about £36 for my 'older' car.

[royoftherovers]

35 minutes ago, PCM said:

Green Flag was the cheapest I could find... about £36 for my 'older' car.

GF is good value, but cover is free with certain Bank/Building Society accounts.

[Malc]

2 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

free with certain Bank/Building Society accounts.

hope it's not with the Nationwide coz that was appalling ! ......  it's the quality and delivery  of the cover ................ not often the price matters when you come to need it all of a sudden

Malc

[royoftherovers]

2 minutes ago, Malc said:

hope it's not with the Nationwide coz that was appalling ! ......  it's the quality and delivery  of the cover ................ not often the price matters when you come to need it all of a sudden

Malc

I had a Water Pump go pop 5 years ago on a French Autoroute en-route to Spain. Nationwide performed admirably and then reimbursed me with every penny of my reimbursable expenditure Malc.

One can only speak as one finds.

[flookyk]

On 7/3/2020 at 9:34 AM, Farqui said:

Thanks, I've never heard of Start Rescue so this thread could potentially be an eye opener to a few folks.

We used to use one of the big 2 recovery companies for years but their prices gradually increased year on year, despite no calls.  Come renewal time, I would call and enquire why the price increase was so high? and they would instantly discount it until a few years ago, so we moved on.  

We've since been with Flux Rescue who also offer EU recovery without a significant price increase.  I've used them once (in the UK) and have no issues with their service and enjoy the significant annual saving.

I used Start Rescue for a year a few years ago after I left the AA due to them putting the premiums up for their long term customers.

I chose them due to the price and had to use them twice on my motorbike due to a flat back tyre and a fuel pump relay.

Unfortunately they were a complete waste of time.

First was a puncture on the bike on the A1M just before the A64 turning near York

I told them I was on a motorbike and first they asked me if I was carrying a spare tyre??? 🙄 then was the problem of them finding me, the person at the other end could not find the A1M or the A64 or even York on their map and when eventually they sent a breakdown truck they had told him I was around 40 miles north of where I actually was (that was even after telling the call handler the junction number of the sign I was parked up next to)

The second time was a little better in finding me (fuel pump relay) but even with road numbers and junction numbers and the nearest town they did not seem to be able to read maps (this was before What3Words etc)

I left them as soon as got it fixed and joined Green Flag was with them until Sept last year when I changed to the 2017 RX which came with a years Lexus Breakdown cover, from what I have read I will be sticking to Lexus cover from now on.

[The-Acre]

31 minutes ago, flookyk said:

I used Start Rescue for a year a few years ago after I left the AA due to them putting the premiums up for their long term customers.

I chose them due to the price and had to use them twice on my motorbike due to a flat back tyre and a fuel pump relay.

Unfortunately they were a complete waste of time.

First was a puncture on the bike on the A1M just before the A64 turning near York

I told them I was on a motorbike and first they asked me if I was carrying a spare tyre??? 🙄 then was the problem of them finding me, the person at the other end could not find the A1M or the A64 or even York on their map and when eventually they sent a breakdown truck they had told him I was around 40 miles north of where I actually was (that was even after telling the call handler the junction number of the sign I was parked up next to)

The second time was a little better in finding me (fuel pump relay) but even with road numbers and junction numbers and the nearest town they did not seem to be able to read maps (this was before What3Words etc)

I left them as soon as got it fixed and joined Green Flag was with them until Sept last year when I changed to the 2017 RX which came with a years Lexus Breakdown cover, from what I have read I will be sticking to Lexus cover from now on.

I had the same with the AA, been a member since 1983 and called them about 5 times over those years.  They give you absolutely nothing for being a "loyal" customer.  Now I'm with GEM, much cheaper and no price rise this year, plus their app can track me if necessary.

[Caldean]

I've been a member of GEM ( Guild of Experienced Motorists) for quite a few years now. Called on them a few times, usually for a flat Battery, but not for my NX, and once for my wife's car when the rear brakes decided to seize for no apparent reason. My wife and I are covered for any car we are a passenger in, at home or elsewhere, even in a friend's car, and there are additional membership discounts, offers and benefits on other products, if you want or need them. The process is slightly different though - you call GEM and they arrange for a local breakdown service to come round ( always been within the hour), you pay them on the spot and then send the claim form and invoice to GEM who reimburse you within a few days with no excess applied. Always been a handy service with no small print that other breakdown companies rely on to get out of footing the bill themselves. Their website comes under Motoring Assist.