Recovery firm wants to charge me £138 - should I pay?

My 10 year old Smart Forfour lost its oil while driving recently. I stopped immediately and arranged for recovery to my local garage with my recovery provider. After a 10 day wait for a replacement sump the car was repaired at my expense. At the breakdown companies request I sent them a copy of the repair invoice to (I thought) prove that the car was repaired and roadworthy.

To my astonishment they have now sent me a bill for £138 saying that this fault is damage to the underside of the vehicle and is something that could be claimed from my insurance company. Having paid for my recovery policy and for the repair to the car where do I now stand with respect to this unexpected bill from the breakdown company?

Asked on 30 January 2015 by polar

Answered by Honest John
Many breakdown policies do not cover damage; they only cover breakdowns. The same is true of the AA and RAC. But, of course, if you claim the £138 from your insurer this could cost you more than £138 in subsequent increased premiums.
Similar questions
It is all very well relying on the AA (new hybrid car supplied with AA cover) to get me home in the case of a puncture, but how many multi-fit spares do they carry on one van? If he has just lent his...
Which are the best and most reliable breakdown and recovery clubs these days?
I had a semi breakdown the other day - a wheel started to make a strange noise and the brakes felt a bit dodgy plus the car started to smoke slightly. And the brake disks and wheels got hot. At first I...
Related models
Funky-looking, versatile hatch with plenty of safety kit. Manual versions drive well. Four stars for the diesels, by far the best in the line-up.
 

Value my car

Save £75 on Warranty using code HJ75

with MotorEasy

Get a warranty quote

Save 12% on GAP Insurance

Use HJ21 to save on an ALA policy

See offer