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After years of car warranties that included breakdown cover (only needed once), I am now on my own and need to enrol with a breakdown service. What organisation do members think is best for an elderly driver who does not plan to take his car abroad?
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When Which? tested breakdown organisations in December last year they recommended the AA.
Also - I don't know what model/age of car you have but some manufacturers (e.g. Toyota) have good value breakdown cover that you can buy even if your car is long out of the warranty period. This is often just re-branded RAC or AA cover.
Some key points from Which?:
"Here are the basic policy types and features to help you make sure you get the cover you need ? but don't pay for things you will not use.
Me or my car
The biggest difference between packages is that some cover the person and others cover the vehicle. The RAC offers only personal cover, so you can call it out to any breakdown, even if you are not driving. Other companies provide vehicle cover, so your car is covered, no matter who is driving. This might be the cheaper option if, say, several members of a family all use one car.
Basic packages
These usually offer only roadside assistance or a recovery service. The company will attempt to repair your car or tow it away, though you may not have any choice over which garage it's taken to.
Home repair
Basic packages won't usually cover your car if it won't start at your home. If you want this cover, you'll have to opt for a more expensive package, or pay for it as an add-on (around £15 to £30).
Recovery to destination
This means that you, your car and passengers will be taken to your destination (in the UK) if your car can't be fixed at the roadside.
Hire car
Some packages include the use of a hire car to let you continue your journey
Relief driver
Some packages include cover for a relief driver to drive your car to your destination if the only driver is taken ill or is too injured to drive.
Accommodation costs
If you can't continue your journey, some packages will pay overnight accommodation costs for you and your passengers (there may be a maximum amount -- usually around £50 per person).
Discounts
Another way of cutting your breakdown costs is through discounts. Common ones include having two cars or two people (for personal cover) on the same policy. However, the people usually have to be living at the same address, or the cars registered at the same address.
Other discounts include discounts for paying by annual direct debit, or paying online, and a no-claims discount, which works in much the same way it does for car insurance."
Best Buys
"The AA outperforms its competitors in almost every way. It is quicker to arrive and more likely to repair your car there and then. The RAC, though, is seriously lagging behind
The AA left the rest standing when it comes to service levels and response times. AA staff answered the phones quickly and gave good estimated arrival times. Its patrols responded to calls quickly and were also more likely to carry out a roadside repair than other companies.
It has four policies. Prices can vary depending on whether you want car cover or personal cover. Prices quoted here are for car cover. The cheapest is Option 100 which offers only roadside repair for £45. Option 200 offers roadside repair, and recovery to your destination for £94. Option 300 offers home repair in addition to the Option 200 services at £134, and Option 400 offers all these things with free hire care and accommodation thrown in for £174.
None of the basic packages covers home repair ? which for the AA means repairs within a quarter of a mile of your home. GEM is the cheapest provider of this cover ? £55. However, unlike the AA, GEM requires you to pay a tow truck at the time and claim your money back later. It doesn?t have its own patrols.
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Some useful links:
www.autonational.co.uk/home.htm
www.theaa.com
www.britanniarescue.com
uk.directline.com/rescue/welcome.htm
www.eta.co.uk
www.europ-assistance.co.uk
www.gemrecovery.co.uk
www.greenflag.co.uk
www.morethan.com
www.peopleschoice.co.uk
www.rac.co.uk
My personal opinion is that the better AA offerings are very pricey and that there are better value options available however.
good luck!
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Many thanks for these and other helpful leads.
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I can recommend GEM.
Have a look at: www.gemrecovery.co.uk/
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I was thinking of changing from RAC to GEM as with two bikes and a car it would save money. However, the requirment to carry a spare wheel would invalidate the bike cover - so why do they mention motorcycles??
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Don't forget to look at breakdown direct. They have a banner/button add on the right of this column, and are seem to be offering HJ users a 10% off their normal rates. Depending on the cover you take out you also get some freebies.
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Good point - that\'s a lot cheaper....
Does anybody have any good/bad experiences of Breakdown Direct?
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