So I managed to burst a tyre (stupid alloy wheels) just outside the office. Rang the breakdown company and went back into the office to wait. Two young women there told me they could change the tyre for me (where's the "embarrassed" smiley?) but at my age I'm not going to start doing that sort of thing.
Any breakdown company that you'd recommend?
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I'm with Britannia rescue and the 1 time I've used them in 10 years they were fine. Go to one of the comparison sites and see what they offer. Travelsupermarket.com and moneysaving expert.com. You can get basic AA cover for £37 and get £20 M&S voucher back and there are plenty of other providers
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AA
Basic cover, but rushed to SWMBO when a gearbox bolt sheared in the middle of her home care round. He then swapped a bolt over and followed her for miles to a Fiat garage.
This dealer we have bought 3 new cars from would not fit a new bolt despite clients dirty/soiled/hungry/trapped in bed.
So the AA bloke took the bolt from parts dept, put his flashing lights on and proceeded to do the job at the roadside right in front of the Fiat dealer showroom window.
If only I had been there with a camera - the image would be permanently on my site.
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I've had similar experiences with Fiat dealers too oilrag.
They're taking over Chrysler? Blind leading the blind as far as customer service goes IMHO
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It wouldn`t have been so bad - but it was literally a five minute job to put the new bolt in. She told them of the totally uncovered work situation. "No - you can book it in next week"
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So I managed to burst a tyre (stupid alloy wheels) Why the alloy. How did it burst your tyre. Regards Peter
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AA is fine. I would even say good value for a lady with an old jalopy. Rescued me a couple of times too.
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So I managed to burst a tyre (stupid alloy wheels) Why the alloy. How did it burst your tyre. Regards Peter
I touched the kerb. Wouldn't have been a problem with a steel wheel and a normal thickness tyre. But the bling things they put on cars nowadays ...
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I have used Boncaster www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/
for many years as their quotes are always excellent value for money.
However, as I'm obsessive about car maintenance, I've never needed to use their services so cannot comment thereon.
In addition, it is insurance based, so you pay up front then claim back the cost, although I'm not aware of any problems with obtaining the money.
Edited by doctorchris on 23/05/2009 at 17:12
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I've been with Autohome (Northampton) for donkeys, prefering to give my money to a local company whenever possible.
Same as the Doc, haven't needed them for breakdown (you know what's going to happen now don't you) but have had cars recovered to my home twice after serious accidents from long distances.
Daughter had exhaust break at the cat on her little car dead of night, the recovery chap Autohome used took her car to his workshop and ran her and her fella home about 5 miles from their flat, welded the exhaust up the following day (solid job, probably stronger than new and will stay on for the forseeable) and got one of lads to fetch them to collect car, charged a very reasonable amount for the job £40...Reading area.
They're not the cheapest, but i have no intention of changing...the car's covered not the person by the way.
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I changed to the RAC 12 years ago, as I was fed up with increasing AA charges, and every day I got junk mail for loans, credit cars, insurance etc, and they were always more expensive. The RAC leaves me alone till I need them. Being with them for so long they also came out and did a home start when I dropped my keys down a drain in the yard, and ruined the immob fob. I did not have home start, but they were very kind as I had been with them for so long.
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Further to Woodspeed's post,once you have called the AA out from your mobile you are constantly harassed by calls from their 0800 number,often with no reply when answering.Even more annoying,you phone to tell them to stop,they say they will,then they carry on doing it.
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£46 worth of Tesco Clubcard vouchers buys RAC family roadside and recovery for SWMBO, the Misses ONB and me - and covers us all in any vehicle.
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The standard of service depends largely on the patrol who attend. I've changed from my previous breakdown cover a few years after being left out in a lane for four hours on a freezing December night. I've called my current service twice since I joined, once for a clutch cable, and just a few weeks ago after running out of fuel (yes, I know, no excuse really but I'm blaming the fuel guage in the Espace which swings wildly between forlorn pessimism and amazing optimism).
There were two patrol men who attended the clutch cable and although they arrived promptly their level of competence was slightly below that of Laurel and Hardy. Suffice to say they proved totally incapable of fitting the cable, and I ended up driving the car 20 miles to my local home mechanic who did the job on the spot in less than half an hour. I complained about the service and was offered a 25% reduction in the next year's cover which I accepted.
The guy who attended when I ran out of diesel on the other hand was great - turned up quickly with a tin of the thick stuff, gave the engine a good looking over, primed and started it, then followed me up the road to the nearest garage to make sure it was running well - and didn't laugh at me once.
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