Breakdown insurance

[Martin]

need to renew my breakdown insurance (pending the trek to the BGG) - I ended up with Green Flag last year, and cost me £75 for the year, this year I've been quoted just under £60 from International Breakdown for the "full breakdown, and tow you home" service, that includes cover when towing a caravan. Anyone do better?

[Muddypause]

Yes. Put the money in the bank.

In nearly 40 years of driving, I have only once ever needed a breakdown recovery service. Do the sums. Pay for it when you need it, not before.

[red]

financially - you are right Muddy - but what you are paying for is knowing who you will call at an ungodly hour for assistance, and the reassurance that they will actually come.

If you breakdown you will have to find a garage willing to do 24 hour service.

Martin - in my experience.. if you go to any of the breakdown service companies.. they will always drop their price if you say you have a better deal...

[Masco&Bongo]

You're lucky.... we've needed to be towed home etc about 5 times in the last 2 years!

On the way back from Wales last summer, our car lost all power in the fast lane of the motorway... rather scary.

A bolt had sheared off something inside and the battery hadn't been charging up

We had to be towed about 150 miles home.

I'd always pay for breakdown cover, and £60 doesn't sound bad at all

[Martin]

thanks for the replies -wish I'd got Muddy's confidence - having had an aged Volvo that had to be towed back from Bristol once in the past, the thought of the costs involved in repatriating a blooming great 4x4, caravan and passengers is fairly daunting!
(that's probably at least 5 year's premiums) - with a 14 year old vehicle, I reckon I'll "waste" the £60!

[Muddypause]

Actually, I'm surprised that a breakdown company will take on a vehicle as old as 14 years. I haven't actually pursued a quote for my 20 year old Volvo, but I kinda thought I just get a lot of raucous laughter before the phone was firmly put down - especially when I mentioned that I converted it to run on LPG myself. I would have guessed it only makes financial sense to provide breakdown cover on fairly new cars.

Don't know anything about this lot, but they've been lurking in my Bookmarks for a few years: Environmental Transport Association. They say they provide breakdown cover and may be worth contacting. Let us know if you get a result; I'd be interested to hear.

M&B, I don't put it down to luck so much as routine car maintenance, done with my own hands, so I know what's happening (now, just wait for the post that says I broke down 100 miles from home).

[Martin]

£124!!!!!!!!!!!!!! apparently had it been under 5 years old, it would have been £61 - I gently berated him for being "not very green" in discriminating against the older vehicle, and he actually agreed.....but wouldn't budge on price!
One thing I found most annoying was the recorded "intro" on the phone, including one of the noxious "if you don't want us to swamp you with every kind of spam, please say so, or you have, by your silence, agreed to a slow death by spam......"
I said so, rather loudly!

[Masco&Bongo]

M&B, I don't put it down to luck so much as routine car maintenance, done with my own hands, so I know what's happening (now, just wait for the post that says I broke down 100 miles from home).

Eek! Hope that never happens to you!

We'd just had our car serviced and MOT before we broke down (the car is 12 years old). It had passed with flying colours (and only a few minor charges etc). The bolt that sheared off was something that was buried really deep in the engine and only by cleaning the part off would you have realised there was something wrong.

My OH can do a litte car maintenance, but otherwise we have to rely on local garages etc to do that for us.

[pskipper]

I'm currently with Britannia, they'll cover any age car (one of mine is a 36 year old Morris Minor) and while I'm not sure if they are the cheapest they are the only one who will recover you anywhere and any distance on the basic policy.
This is something to look out for as a lot of the big companies have in their small print that the first 10 miles of recovery are free and then charge you by the mile (not fun if you are being towed from the lake district home to wiltshire!

[Martin]

well, eventually I went with International Breakdown (usual disclaimers) - cost me £59.82 for a year, and I was very impressed with their service - not often that you get a bright, pleasant person on the end of the 'phone, in an English call centre!
Just hope their breakdown service is as good if called on!