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Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: rikki_essex on 19 July 2010, 11:38:16

Title: Breakdown cover
Post by: rikki_essex on 19 July 2010, 11:38:16
Just looking at getting cover and dont know weather to choose RAC or the AA is there any differecne between the services as the price is more or less the same. Or have you had any bad experiances with any of them also are green flag worth considering.
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: bob.dent on 19 July 2010, 12:27:04
Probably not much to choose between them. A friend of mine has the AA breakdown cover and has had no problem with them. He had to call them out recently as the header tank spilt on his Beemer. Had the work carried out by local garage and I belive he just had to pay around £25 excess. I think I'll probably be taking out the AA breakdown cover this year.
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: mudflap on 19 July 2010, 12:32:17
been a member of the AA for many years, they always have been reliable, by mistake i had direct debits arranged for two accounts,  when i told them of the error they responded honestly and refunded my money for eight years' membership of one account at my old address  8-). i also have my motor insurance with the AA too.

 i heard of a recent controversy with RAC over over-charging for new battery on a lot of callouts but think they may have "revised" their policy since.
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: rikki_essex on 19 July 2010, 12:32:22
yeah i was thinking of taking that part of the cover out as well the pay the first £500 with a £25 excess
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: Entwood on 19 July 2010, 12:47:24
After being with the AA since 1970 I have recently changed to Green Flag.

2 reasons ..

firstly cost .. for the equivalent cover for SWTSMBO and myself as "solo" drivers, the difference is over £60 a year.

Secondly .. towing cover ... AA have recently made numerous changes to caravan cover, the most stupid being that they will not recover a broken down 'van if the car is serviceable !! The weight/length rules would not affect me at present, but could have been a factor.

Only been with them a few months, but had to call them on the way back from "The Lakes" meet due to a puncture in a position it would have been totaly stupid/dangerous to try and change the wheel myself.. I expected them to position the truck as a barrier to allow the wheel change to take place .. but the driver thought that too dangerous and opted to "recover" the unit home.  Wait was 35 minutes on a busy Sunday, which I thought pretty good.

All in all .. quite impressed so far ..   :y :y
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 19 July 2010, 12:58:40
Yeh, wait until you have a flat battery in a car park....then Green flag dont come to the rescue  >:(
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: Lizzie_Zoom on 19 July 2010, 14:19:31
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Yeh, wait until you have a flat battery in a car park....then Green flag dont come to the rescue  >:(

Indeed, but the AA come quickly to the rescue in my experience :y :y  AA I have had for years and I will also say they are the best after experiencing (briefly) RAC and Green Flag, who were not good. ;) ;) 
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: neilr on 19 July 2010, 16:04:26
Dont use RAC bunch of bodgers caused damage to another part when doing a repair but woudnt pay or replace damaged part. Have been with AA for 13 years and have have all the family on it well worth it for peace of mind. In my opinion
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: Andy B on 19 July 2010, 16:14:19
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Yeh, wait until you have a flat battery in a car park....then Green flag dont come to the rescue  >:(

tell us more!  :-?
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: mudflap on 19 July 2010, 17:37:35
one more AA "good guys" story - a few years ago while driving to South Devon in my old Carlton, the M5 got closed and so i got stuck in Bristol on the hottest day of the year, after 2 hours the temp went up to red and a hose burst, that rusty smell, the little trail of water in the road behind ...

called AA and they came in 10 minutes, the guy couldn't replace the hose but managed to fit a plastic sleeve in it (a small branch off the bottom hose) for a "temporary repair"....which lasted all the time up until i scrapped the car, at the time my garage when i got home said the repair was so good they couldn't even tell where it had been fixed  8-)

Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: steve_daly on 19 July 2010, 18:22:18
I have been with the AA for many years, and only called once when the battery on my Galaxy went flat, came to the house and got me going in about 30 mins all in all :y

Any experience I have had with the RAC has been mixed to say the least. However, one thing I believe with the RAC is that they contract work out to other people, so you call them and sometimes they will send a recovery van out from a local garage rather than a 'proper' RAC guy. Never had that with the AA, you call them and the AA turn up.
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: r1 on 19 July 2010, 18:55:17
aa, rac are fine if you have a lot of money.
if you want a cheaper option and have a credit card go for GEM.been a member for 15 years you can either phone them up or go to a local garage.you have to pay the bill but if you pay by credit card you get the money back before you get the statement [48 hrs useully] used about 6 times and well happy.
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 19 July 2010, 18:56:41
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Quote
Yeh, wait until you have a flat battery in a car park....then Green flag dont come to the rescue  >:(

tell us more!  :-?

What level of cover do you think you need to get green flag to come out if your battery is flat in a car park.....needless to say my breakdown cover did not cover it.....at 2.30am, with a 1 and 3 year old......but I could pay 120 quid.....but I was not a priority.........and at this point I had been a member for 9 years.......but that soon changed
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: PhilRich on 19 July 2010, 19:14:48
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Yeh, wait until you have a flat battery in a car park....then Green flag dont come to the rescue  >:(




I had a flat battery on my drive & Green Flag had a local company here in 20 minutes :y
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: Lazydocker on 19 July 2010, 19:59:31
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Quote
Quote
Yeh, wait until you have a flat battery in a car park....then Green flag dont come to the rescue  >:(

tell us more!  :-?

What level of cover do you think you need to get green flag to come out if your battery is flat in a car park.....needless to say my breakdown cover did not cover it.....at 2.30am, with a 1 and 3 year old......but I could pay 120 quid.....but I was not a priority.........and at this point I had been a member for 9 years.......but that soon changed

I'm assuming you had the "Recovery Only" option which does exactly what it says on the tin ;)

If you'd told them it just wouldn't start (and not mentioned the battery) they may well have turned up ::)
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: Lazydocker on 19 July 2010, 20:00:25
Forgot to say... ADAC come highly recommended. German Equivalent of AA and cover all of Europe
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: tunnie on 19 July 2010, 20:04:20
ADAC here, though never had to use them yet. AA breakdown in the UK, ADAC in Europe, for not much more than standard AA price.
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 19 July 2010, 20:14:10
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Quote
Quote
Quote
Yeh, wait until you have a flat battery in a car park....then Green flag dont come to the rescue  >:(

tell us more!  :-?

What level of cover do you think you need to get green flag to come out if your battery is flat in a car park.....needless to say my breakdown cover did not cover it.....at 2.30am, with a 1 and 3 year old......but I could pay 120 quid.....but I was not a priority.........and at this point I had been a member for 9 years.......but that soon changed

I'm assuming you had the "Recovery Only" option which does exactly what it says on the tin ;)

If you'd told them it just wouldn't start (and not mentioned the battery) they may well have turned up ::)

Nope, I had breakdown cover.....
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 19 July 2010, 20:14:48
......I shoudl add that they considered this to be a 'home start' issue
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: TheBoy on 19 July 2010, 20:23:23
I'm with the AA purely for emergencies.  I tend to use Tunnie's Towing Services in preference.  In addition, because I never use my AA, they offer me a decent discount when we come to negotiate the fee each year (never take the offer they send in the post).
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: tunnie on 19 July 2010, 20:28:56
Nationwide service, just the humiliation of 2.2 pulling a V6  ;D - I got told off for driving too fast  :o
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: Andy B on 19 July 2010, 20:31:18
Quote
Quote
Quote
Yeh, wait until you have a flat battery in a car park....then Green flag dont come to the rescue  >:(

tell us more!  :-?

What level of cover do you think you need to get green flag to come out if your battery is flat in a car park.....needless to say my breakdown cover did not cover it.....at 2.30am, with a 1 and 3 year old......but I could pay 120 quid.....but I was not a priority.........and at this point I had been a member for 9 years.......but that soon changed

I'll ask the question if I decide to go with them under the guise of May Day. I'm also aware of the fact that Smart Roadsters don't carry spare wheels  :-/
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: Lazydocker on 19 July 2010, 20:31:28
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......I shoudl add that they considered this to be a 'home start' issue

Find that amazing, unless the aiport is within 1 mile of your home ::)

I used to work for Green Flag's main agent in Basingrad and we were (by a long way) superior in turn out time and roadside repairs than any other of the big companies. My roadside fix rate, for example, was in excess of 92% :y
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 19 July 2010, 20:32:51
Quote
Quote
......I shoudl add that they considered this to be a 'home start' issue

Find that amazing, unless the aiport is within 1 mile of your home ::)

I used to work for Green Flag's main agent in Basingrad and we were (by a long way) superior in turn out time and roadside repairs than any other of the big companies. My roadside fix rate, for example, was in excess of 92% :y

Birmingham hence a fair trek.....ended up calling my dad out as the booster pack that NCP had was flat and buggered
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: VXL V6 on 19 July 2010, 23:09:20
Quote
Quote
Quote
......I shoudl add that they considered this to be a 'home start' issue

Find that amazing, unless the aiport is within 1 mile of your home ::)

I used to work for Green Flag's main agent in Basingrad and we were (by a long way) superior in turn out time and roadside repairs than any other of the big companies. My roadside fix rate, for example, was in excess of 92% :y

Birmingham hence a fair trek.....ended up calling my dad out as the booster pack that NCP had was flat and buggered

Should have called me.... I'm only a few miles from there!
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: Martin_1962 on 19 July 2010, 23:20:22
Europ Assist - last time I needed them they jump started me and followed me home.

Battery failure and crank sensor failure at the same time.

Got back running badly then a leaner baulked me car stalled and too flat to restart.

And CS was in post during a turd strike
Title: Re: Breakdown cover
Post by: VXL V6 on 20 July 2010, 00:52:45
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Got back running badly then a leaner baulked me car stalled and too flat to restart.

And CS was in post during a turd strike

Sorry Martin, you'll have to run that one by me again.  :D