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[SJKOO01]

Well times up for my breakdown cover and to be honest I'm not keen on going with the main players as think their getting a bit too steep in their pricing for the level of service.

Through a money advisory site, I've found a service called 'Quoteline Direct', anyone on here a customer of theirs and do you rate them highly or waste of space.  As I was thinking of using them, but keen on getting some feedback before shelling money out.

If anyone can offer some feedback, I'd appreciate it - Thanks.

[M]

I would take the advice of others of the money saving website mate then

Personally I have never heard of them, and find the AA parts and labour policy a nice little safety net should anything go wrong with the Superb

Asda seem to offer quite a good value breakdown service, and at least its a familiar name

 

[Webby the Bear]

this may not help but ive just shopped around for my car insurance. cheapest was RAC and with that they offered £4.30 A MONTH FOR FULL rac BREAKDOWN COVER AS An offer for also taking out the insurance.

coincidentally the AA was up for renewal at the same time and they wanted £267 a year.  >:(canceled it and gone with the rac ins and breakdown. great saving 

[Darth Loo-knee]

Personally I think the RAC are far better than the AA.

I can only speak from past experience, but also would not leave home without them

[TheBoy]

I use AA, purely because I can't be bothered to change (never use the service anyway), and when I worked for Telecom, the RAC were utterly useless, I once waited 6 hours for them.

I pay approx £90 each year (always ring up and argue the point, they always lower to £90ish) for a Joint Personal membership (so member is covered, not tied to specific car).  I have to have the Personal membership (slightly more expensive) so it covers the 3 cars and the bike, and because the bike, the MV6 and the Rover are too old for Car membership

[Webby the Bear]

I use AA, purely because I can't be bothered to change (never use the service anyway), and when I worked for Telecom, the RAC were utterly useless, I once waited 6 hours for them.

I pay approx £90 each year (always ring up and argue the point, they always lower to £90ish) for a Joint Personal membership (so member is covered, not tied to specific car).  I have to have the Personal membership (slightly more expensive) so it covers the 3 cars and the bike, and because the bike, the MV6 and the Rover are too old for Car membership

90 quid a year!  so why were they quoting me 270? lol well all irelevant now as cancelled! Maybe i should be more assertive 

[TheBoy]

I dont have Home start - just Roadside and Relay. Thes £90 to cover both of us (Mrs TB and I), whichever vehicle we are in, whether its ours or not.

That said, I tend to use Tunnie's Towing Services.  Expensive, but it gives the poor, useless student some pleasure...

[Nick W]

As a recovery driver, I see all sorts of problems when people haven't read the paperwork that goes with their cover.

First thing to check is exactly what they cover you for: you NEED national recovery, most of the local ones give you 10miles, which isn't enough to get you from one side of town to another.

Secondly, many of the cheaper ones will only give you one recovery, so if you breakdown late at night and have the car taken home(which you would), then they won't take the car to your garage. AA, RAC, GF, Britannia etc ALL give you the continuation.

Third, many of the cheaper ones will give you the run around about where the car goes; I waited nearly an hour last month whilst the member argued for his car being taken to the garage he'd used for over 30 years, as they insisted that there must be a garage closer than 25miles! Had another when the provider rang the member while I was recovering her car to tell her that if she had it taken home(as was the plan, she had a hospital appointment) rather than a garage(and demanded an invoice to prove it!) they would charge her £90 - twice what they were paying us!

NONE of them pay the specialist charges; that's winching out of ditches, getting an immobile car out of a multi-storey carpark, use of skates for a car stuck in park(you wouldn't want it just dragged up the bed would you?) etc etc.

If you expect a man with a van, tools and parts to turn up and fix it, then join the AA or RAC. And if they're really busy you may still end up with a contractor who will be setup more for recovery rather than repair. Although we will always look at it first! Don't forget that modern cars are not likely to be fixed with 'get you home bodges' as was possible with old cars!

It's not up to the driver where to take YOUR car! So try and have a rough idea at least.

All this means that there are a couple of providers that I wouldn't touch with a barge-pole! Just because you pay ABC insurance does NOT necessarily mean that they are the company that arranges the callout.

Hope this helps,
Nick

[Lazydocker]

Good summary and pretty much what I experienced 10 years ago when I was doing Breakdown and Recovery. We were a main GF agent and they were pretty good (unless the customer only had 10 miles recovery and wasn't aware of it ) but any RAC jobs we got were always a PITA because we only got the job after the customer had been waiting for around 6 hours 

I have Full RAC cover as part of my Bank Account Fee, otherwise I would have GF National Recovery Only option

Anyway... I would concur... Check the small print very carefully

[Mr Skrunts]

Girlfriend has RAC cover which we used in the snow to recover the Omega when the back box fell off and dug into the ground and we found we couldnt remove it to continue.

Since joined the AA myself after freezing the lump over christmas and needing a new water pump, added the Garage service with the home start and relay etc, week later belt tensioner went, recocovered to garage and bill of £150 cost me £25, battery dies (3 year and 2 month old Vauxhall Go battery) got a HD replacemrnt fitted on the spot, (Thier normal price was £110 (would never pay it though)) £25 fitted.


Seems I have to have a new Power steering pump

5 claims upto £500 each per year, I pay the 1st £25 

Cost just under £19 per month but only covers the Elite.  Rest of cover is to get me home I believe.

[saltyone]

had the AA full works for 5 years costs 15.67 p/m they always try hike the price up at renewal but was told by a nice lady a the AA to just let membership lap and re join and get a new customer discount . the amount i pay them every year i always get back under there parts and labour warranty . so far on  this  membership new battery.starter motor a rad and x2 rear springs .up for renewal in Sept so two claims left as battery and starter counted as one 

[Jimbob]

We have the AA....but through a reward current account...

£12 pm gives us both AA, phone insurance, travel insurance and loads loads more.  May be basic cover...but it works 

[Darth Loo-knee]

I waited around 20 minutes for the RAC to remove me from the M25. He then towed me to what looked like a Pub (top man) which turned out to be a posh Indian Restaurant and there was I stood in my oily overalls  I sat there eating Chicken Tikka Musala Balti, Garlic Naan etc oh plus a Pint of their Best  before getting taken all the way home as my "Wifes new present had broken down!" 

Another time my clutch cable broke on one of my SRi Cavaliers. The RAC van pulled up, a young woman jumped out and fitted one there and then. Excellent service recieved each time by me. 

[tunnie]

I now get it with my bank account as a perk, but i used to use ADAC. German version of the AA, it was around £80 a year. But that included full european breakdown cover!

I had quotes from the AA for about £50 for just one weeks cover!

So very useful if you drive in Euroland, just ask to be transfered to an English speaking customer services person 

[dbug]

Personally I think the RAC are far better than the AA.

I can only speak from past experience, but also would not leave home without them

Even if you're only going for a walk?   :-?