I have an 09 reg Mondeo that came with 6 months roadside assistance from Ford remaining when I bought it in September.
So, from March, I will need to get buy further cover, and I wondered if anybody had any recommendations and also what things to consider when looking for a provider.
My insurance is with Admiral and I know that they do can also include roadside cover (I think it might be with Green Flag).
Currently, most of my driving is within London with the occassional trip outside (or along) the M25, but I am changing jobs soon, so it may be that I will be doing a lot more commuting (probably outside of the M25). Aside from that, I also hope to take a few more leisure trips, once the weather gets a bit better.
Any thoughts on what to look for and any recommendations would be really appreciated.
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I can only recommend the AA. They're not the cheapest but I'd be surprised if there was a more reliable and efficient alternative. I've had occasion to call them out 3 times in the past 15 years and each time their 'man' has been absolutely superb. One of them was even (slightly) reluctant to take the tenner that I offered him to have a drink after work. And I have never had to wait more than 30 minutes for help although I realise that this aspect is very much the luck of the draw with regard to where you happen to be when you break down and the time of day.
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Sorry. Didn't realise that there was a simultaneous thread running about the AA. My above contribution could just as easily applied there.
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Hi,
Please have a look a thread I started a couple of weeks ago:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=81...4
I've just signed up with 'AutoAid' highly recommended on here and also at MoneySavingExpert.com. I haven't used them yet but the majority of feedback is positive.
The website explains how it works, but for £37 it can't be beaten!
www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk
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" but for £37 it can't be beaten!"
It can be beaten if you're left stranded on the Yorkshire Moors at 3.00am and nothing resembling a breakdown wagon appearing for a couple of hours. AutoAid might well be very good but their subscription looks very cheap in today's market. They are a 'third party' provider whereas the organisations like the AA and the RAC have their own vehicles and staff. I would have thought that in busy times that would give them a distinct advantage.
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Britannia Rescue is by far the best!!
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I'm with autoaid as well and have had no problems. They have access to a very wide range of "suppliers". I like the fact that they have dedicated motorcycle recovery as well rather than just strapping a bike on a spectacle lift.
I have been with a friend who broke down with the RAC and after an hour a local garage subcontractor turned up. So not all AA/RAC callouts are with their own vehicles.
p.s. "busy time" and "3am" don't really got together ;)
Edited by martint123 on 01/02/2010 at 10:43
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As per MoneySavingExpert forum, AutoAid is a very good one!
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"p.s. "busy time" and "3am" don't really got together ;)"
That's exactly the point I was trying to make. A small time local garage might be reluctant (or unable) to get out at 3.00am and at busy times might be similarly unable to get to multiple call outs at, say, rush hour.
I don't doubt that AutoAid is a good operation - there are enough recommendations on this site to support them - but a low subscription will almost certainly mean fewer 'suppliers' than would be available to the larger national operators. I'm certainly not decrying AutoAid but I'll stick with the AA on the basis that they have given me good service in the past.
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Scouseford - you need to understand what Autoaid is. What it isn't is a breakdown operation like AA/RAC etc. Your £37 buys you an annual insurance policy specifically for breakdowns.
This £37 covers you for any vehicle you happen to be driving when you break down - it includes cover for your spouse as well - most others charge extra if you want additional poeple on the cover.
Should you break down the policy holder is free to call whoever they like (which could include AA/RAC if they do call outs to non members) to deal with it. You don't even have to call Autoaid. So if you break down in an urban area and there's a garage handy you can walk in and let them sort you out.
You pay the breakdown operator directly and then Autoaid reimburse you the costs incurred.
If you need a hotel stay as a result of the breakdown this is also covered by Autoaid.
The main restriction is on homestart where they only pay the first £60.
Edited by daveyjp on 01/02/2010 at 11:43
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>>The main restriction is on homestart where they only pay the first £60
Indeed. If it wasn't for that I would have joined them last year.
Clk Sec
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"Britannia Rescue is by far the best!!"
So how do you come to that conclusion? Without a detailed analysis of response times, cost, and effectiveness difficult to see how you can really judge.
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Twice I've used them;both times got to me in under twenty minutes.Did what I asked for and nothing else. Google them! They quote their prices.
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daveyjp
Thanks for clarifying Autoaid's operation but, surely, the AA and RAC operations are similarly just insurance policies. I stand by my earlier scenario of a breakdown in the early hours at a lonely spot. With an AA facility (or RAC etc) a phone call will result in help arriving in pretty short order. If you were driving from, say, Glasgow to Bournemouth and broke down in the New Forest at 3.00am how would you know who the nearest local rescue firm were.
This must sound as though I am banging the drum for the AA. I assure you that I'm not. I'm just saying that £37 sounds very cheap for that type of service and, as with all things, you usually get what you pay for.
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"If you were driving from, say, Glasgow to Bournemouth and broke down in the New Forest at 3.00am how would you know who the nearest local rescue firm were."
I think you will find Autoaid have a 24 hour hotline just like the AA. the difference is you don't have to use their recommended garage if you don't want to. You might break down in a town with a garage just round the corner. Rather than wait for an approved agent you can use that garage if you want.
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Britannia consistently the best for turnout times for many years.
I have read all the surveys and reports. I worked for them for many years as a controller and agent.
Biased, of course!
Ted
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The Which? magazine best buys for 2009 were the AA, Britannia Rescue, AutoNational and the RAC.
Which? takes into account not only price, but also things like speed of response, ability to fix breakdowns rather than recover, members views, etc.
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I think you really have to rely on the reviews such as Which?, because they are based on large amounts of data, not on one individual's good or bad experience.
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We used to do breakdowns on behalf of the AA, RAC and the police.
Quite a few AA/RAC customers were disappointed when a mechanic turned up in an elderly Minor pick-up, rather than a patrolman in a liveried breakdown tender that was only a few months old.
My gaffer said he made good money from that type of work, although it dried up virtually overnight with the introduction of AA Relay.
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I have used these for the last couple of years www.quotelinedirect.co.uk/breakdown/ (they use europ assistance) For £59 I get full UK and European cover, which is far, far cheaper then any of the main stream services.
Not actually had to call them out at all so can not comment on their service, but not found any negatives about them when I googled them.
Edited by R75 on 01/02/2010 at 18:34
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