Home› Advice
Options

Car Breakdown Cover; alternatives to AA ?

bri160356bri160356 Posts: 5,147
Forum Member
✭
in Advice #1
AA breakdown cover is about to expire on one of our family cars and the ‘introductory’ two year discount will also expire, so they want what appears to be (compared to other ’Breakdown’ companies) an extortionate amount of cash. :o

We’ve only ever used the AA in the past and I’m not really up to speed on any of the other ‘Breakdown’ companies.

We need cover on the ‘car’ not ‘a person’ as the vehicle is used by 3 different drivers. The car is 5 years old.

I tried MoneySupermarket.com and had a look at Greenflag but that only seems to want to quote for ‘1 person’; (Greenflags website direct shows cover for both car & different people though!)

Anyone got any suggestions as to reliable and reasonably priced alternatives to the AA.

All replies gratefully received.

Comments

  • Options
    grumpyscotgrumpyscot Posts: 11,354
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    #2
    Go back to the AA and tell them you don't want to renew and they'll give you a renewal for the same as the RAC introductory fee - I've been doing this for the past 4 years for each of my cars! Last time it cost me £31 for any driver on one specific car.
  • Options
    bri160356bri160356 Posts: 5,147
    Forum Member
    ✭
    #3
    grumpyscot wrote: »
    Go back to the AA and tell them you don't want to renew and they'll give you a renewal for the same as the RAC introductory fee - I've been doing this for the past 4 years for each of my cars! Last time it cost me £31 for any driver on one specific car.

    Many thanks for that. :)

    Out of interest, what level of cover does the £31 give you; i.e. 'home-start ' etc etc ??
  • Options
    mred2000mred2000 Posts: 10,050
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    #4
    This has come up a few times on here recently. My vote is for http://www.startrescue.co.uk/
  • Options
    bri160356bri160356 Posts: 5,147
    Forum Member
    ✭
    #5
    mred2000 wrote: »
    This has come up a few times on here recently. My vote is for http://www.startrescue.co.uk/

    Many thanks for the reply. :)

    Not come across 'Startrescue' before. Why do they get your vote; price or service or something else ?
  • Options
    dekafdekaf Posts: 8,398
    Forum Member
    ✭
    #6
    bri160356 wrote: »
    Many thanks for that. :)

    Out of interest, what level of cover does the £31 give you; i.e. 'home-start ' etc etc ??

    I found this one last year - £28.80, which does include Home-Start.

    :D - Whoops. Forgot to add the link. - http://www.thegreeninsurancecompany.com/
  • Options
    Kiko H FanKiko H Fan Posts: 6,546
    Forum Member
    ✭
    #7
    I'll keep a keen eye on this thread, as my last AA renewal for us, back in February, was eye watering.

    I read that some breakdown companies use local garages, rather than have their own dedicated patrols?
  • Options
    CitySlickerCitySlicker Posts: 10,414
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    #8
    I use Autoaid, £39 for the year and includes home start. Covers the person not the car but one policy will also cover legal spouse, also policy disregards age of vehicle. Used them for quite a while, only needed to call them once. They sort out a local garage, text you the garage details and how long they will be, here's the big difference you pay the local garage then send the bill to Autoaid for a refund.

    It's so cheap because I'd imagine they rely on a certain percentage either not bothering to claim back or forgetting, but when I had to claim back it was hassle free and fast.
  • Options
    Galaxy266Galaxy266 Posts: 7,049
    Forum Member
    ✭
    #9
    Kiko H Fan wrote: »
    I'll keep a keen eye on this thread, as my last AA renewal for us, back in February, was eye watering.

    I read that some breakdown companies use local garages, rather than have their own dedicated patrols?

    If you call the AA out either when they are very busy or at an unsociable time of day then, chances are, you will get a local garage and not an AA patrol.
  • Options
    PuckyPucky Posts: 4,521
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #10
    I get RAC cover with my bank account. It covers me, not the car and I've used it for my car (when I had one!) and also for my boyfriends. It didn't seem to matter that I wasn't driving it either, I just phoned them and gave them the reg number. It includes home start and recovery.
    So, if you have a non-standard bank account, check to see if RAC/AA cover is included.
  • Options
    mred2000mred2000 Posts: 10,050
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    #11
    bri160356 wrote: »
    Many thanks for the reply. :)

    Not come across 'Startrescue' before. Why do they get your vote; price or service or something else ?

    I used them for a few years on my older car (before getting my new car last year which has RAC cover thrown in). Price is excellent, you don't have to claim back costs (unlike other cheap breakdown places like Autoaid), phone staff are excellent and they don't hide the fact that they use local garages/pick-up crew, unlike others... Never had a problem with them and I was only paying about £33 a year for a service often quoted up to 3 or 4 times that much with Green Flag/RAC/AA etc.
    Galaxy266 wrote: »
    If you call the AA out either when they are very busy or at an unsociable time of day then, chances are, you will get a local garage and not an AA patrol.

    Greenflag and the RAC also do this. I know a couple of people with the AA who have never had an AA van turn out to them in all the years they've been paid up members...
  • Options
    gds1972gds1972 Posts: 6,613
    Forum Member
    ✭
    #12
    OP is the car your looking to get cover on a Ford?
  • Options
    DMN1968DMN1968 Posts: 2,875
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #13
    CitySlicker wrote: »
    I use Autoaid, £39 for the year and includes home start. Covers the person not the car but one policy will also cover legal spouse, also policy disregards age of vehicle. Used them for quite a while, only needed to call them once. They sort out a local garage, text you the garage details and how long they will be, here's the big difference you pay the local garage then send the bill to Autoaid for a refund.

    It's so cheap because I'd imagine they rely on a certain percentage either not bothering to claim back or forgetting, but when I had to claim back it was hassle free and fast.

    Ditto here. I use Autoaid. We have called them out twice, and both times were recovered home - got the money within the week in both cases. They are very comprehensive, and cover you and your spouse (so therefore not suitable for OP) in any car.

    Note that many cheap breakdown policies will simply take you to a local garage who are then at liberty to charge you silly fees for "daily storage" and rip you off for any repair work they do.

    Out of interest, I was charged about £140 and £170 for an approx 100 mile recovery to home. If you anticipate breaking down less than once every 4 years, then you are probably better off not bothering with breakdown cover at all and paying for recovery when you break down.
  • Options
    morganb1611morganb1611 Posts: 458
    Forum Member
    ✭
    #14
    I'm with AXA, and have had two callouts in the year. Both times the service has been brilliant. It cost £29 for the year, and I've been recovered ~100 miles to home on one occasion. They also use local firms (a positive in my opinion).
  • Options
    bri160356bri160356 Posts: 5,147
    Forum Member
    ✭
    #15
    gds1972 wrote: »
    OP is the car your looking to get cover on a Ford?

    It's a Vauxhall Astra.
  • Options
    newda898newda898 Posts: 5,466
    Forum Member
    ✭
    #16
    Anyone used Asda breakdown cover? I was looking at that the other week as an alternative.
  • Options
    bri160356bri160356 Posts: 5,147
    Forum Member
    ✭
    #17
    Update from OP:

    Many thanks to all for the replies; very helpful & informative.

    After a bit of delving and unsuccessful discourse with AA, I’ve decided to opt for 3-Star cover from

    http://www.startrescue.co.uk/annual-breakdown-cover

    • Roadside Assistance
    • Nationwide Recovery
    • Home Start
    • Accident Recovery
    • Alternative Transport
    • Overnight Accommodation
    • Key Assist
    • Message Assist

    The policy seems to be a ‘decent fit’ for the vehicle in question and our particular requirements; at £35.40 p.a. appears to be excellent value also.

    Whether it really is good value for money remains to be seen; however, on a personal level, that’s something I would rather not find out!

    Once again, thanks for the help/suggestions. Much appreciated. :)
Sign In or Register to comment.