Do you have roadside recovery with AA or Green flag etc? Advice welcomed

[Rickpercy87]

Hello, I have a temperamental car. I have recently replaced a couple of parts on the gearbox and now I don't have 4th gear.

Anyhoo... I have decided i'll probably need some roadside recovery. I am interested in this from the AA:

Parts & garage cover
Helps cover the cost of parts and garage labour if you break down. Make up to 5 claims a year (each up to £500 with a £35 excess) and cover up to 4 cars. Claims can be made from day 15 of your roadside assistance cover, so any faults that occur before then are excluded.

National recovery
We'll take you, your car and up to 7 passengers to any single destination on the UK mainland if your car can't be fixed at the roadside.

Considering my clutch is already on its way out. Does anyone know if the 'parts and garage cover' would cover getting the clutch done considering it is basically wear and tear?

It is only £100 for the year (including the £35 amazon gift voucher)

Also as it covers one year, how many times can you call them out?

Thanks alot, I hope this helps other too.

[Dblock]

Im sure those garage cover ones arent worth the paper they are printed on but could be wrong. Especially for clutch or gearbox they will always say wear and tear and usually never pay out.

[m1cr08472]

If you read the fine print, they usually say that the car has to be under a certain age like 5 years and needs to have a full service history.

[loepan]

Won't cover wear and tear, otherwise everyone would do it

[Silver!]

I have had AA for over 30 years now. Probably only used it 5 times in the entire time.

I am thinking of getting breakdown cover for my daughter as she's doing a roadtrip south this year, but will most likely get a cheaper option.

[Defcon5]

You can get good AA cover through quidco for about £25 quid.

I've never had breakdown cover, only been stranded once when my clutch cable snapped, luckily the passenger had it so the AA came and sorted it. Excellent service I must admit

[Skezza]

I get Green Flag discounted by my insurer. It's the limited cover. I very much doubt they cover anything mechanical, but they provide 24/7 service and will drive you to a garage or home within 10 miles, assuming you are within that limit, if not, you'll be going to the first garage they can find.

I used them once when I blew the main fuse on my car. I was stuck in the middle of nowhere in a hotel and obviously I didn't have a spare to hand (i actually do now!), so I phoned up Green Flag. They took about an hour and half to arrive (which is understandable, although they claim the maximum should be an hour). The bloke made a DIY main fuse out of two pieces of thick wire and a wall fuse of the same amps. It worked really well actually and I used it for about 4 weeks while I got round to getting an actual main fuse from VW (about 50p). One thing he said to me, (which may or may not have been a lie) is that Green Flag only pay him time, not parts, so I gave him about 2 quid for the fuse (probably a 10p fuse but who the hell cares when you're standing in the freezing cold on a hotel car park flipping a coin as to whether your car is about to start or spectacularly melt the two wires connecting the fuse).

Ultimately, he went beyond the call of duty as far as I'm concerned. Doing what he did is quite dangerous and there is a risk of electrocuting yourself when doing something like that. His fix allowed me to get home and meant my life wasn't in any way impacted (Apart from the boredom sitting in the hotel foyer waiting for him).

The equivalent RAC cover will either spray a load of Bradex Easy Start in your airbox (regardless of whether it's suitable for the car in question, or whether the issue requires it, 1, 2, Google for more) or simply tow your car without even attempting to sort it properly (1, Google for more). They rarely try and fix anything. I think it's a no brainer to consider Green Flag or AA though.

Edited April 2, 2013 by Skezza

[truCido]

I was with Green Flag as part of a deal with a car I bought. There service was crap....I didn't have the tools in the car to remove a wheel, so the guy turned up and basically gave me a breaker bar and I had to change my own wheel! Another time I stupidly ran out of petrol and it took them 2 hours to get to Silverstone Circuit, the guy got lost apparently!? They also damaged a bumper because they didn't have a flat bed and the car was lowered.

Quite a few Green Flag guys seem to be local garages that Green Flag pay to do call outs for them (I don't think I ever had a Green Flag van turn up, it was always a local garage). So the service isn't really consistent like the RAC or AA would be.

Since it ran out I've been with the AA and they've been great. I've been flat bedded from London to Bristol. I've had mates given transport from Santa Pod to Bristol. I've called them out for friends cars when I've been with them. I had a guy take a part apart and remove the insides so it wouldn't stop the car working etc. Never had a problem with them and they've always been good.

[Silver!]

That's why I've stayed with the AA.

However I have had sub-contractors turning up once to relay me from Redcar to Brechin. Guy was fine though. He initially turned up in an HGV, but after he OK'd it with me and the AA he went and got a Rangerover and trailer. Apparently he had a Rally Event the next day and needed the HGV so by using the HGV to deliver me home, would've put him over time.

It was a few, quite a few, years back now.

Another time "someone" managed to break the rear halfshafts on the Mountain Rescue Landrover offroad at the top of the A9 we limped it to a layby. I had my card which covered me, as opposed to the vehicle, so called it in. Operator asked how the driver would recognise the car and when I told her he "couldn't miss it" as it was large and white with a flourescent orange roof she didn't ask any more questions. So it got relayed back to Perth Landrover dealer with me and 5 passengers. This was a subcontractor too.

[Rickpercy87]

I think i'll go with the AA, but not select their garage and labour option.

Its £82 with their national cover and a £20 Amazon voucher. I'm about to have alook on quidco, top cahsback and various other voucher/code websites. I'll let yas know if I find anything worth mentioning.

Cheers

[Rickpercy87]

You can get good AA cover through quidco for about £25 quid.

I've never had breakdown cover, only been stranded once when my clutch cable snapped, luckily the passenger had it so the AA came and sorted it. Excellent service I must admit

I got £35 cashback with quidco, bringing my total to £47 for the year. Not bad considering I get 'national break down' cover aswell.

Topcashback was 35 pence extra though. GUTTED!!

[Rickpercy87]

Check these guys out! Gona check some reviews! Gona end up cancelling AA probably lol.

Anyone used these before?

http://www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/autoaid/breakdown_services.jsp

[truCido]

Sounds horrible...its insurance not breakdown cover.

'You will have to pay for costs and expenses yourself, safe in the knowledge we will reimburse** any amounts covered by this insurance in approximately 14 days.'

So if you breakdown on the otherside of the country you'll have to payout hundreds to be recovered and wait 2 weeks for it back. Probably some crappy t&cs as well to try and wiggle out of it!