Cost of Roadside Recovery

[quote="Andy_B1,
Cheap, but a bunch of cowboys.
[/quote]
Why do you say that? Have you actually had a bad experience? If so please let us know as it’s only right to warn us of any problems.

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‘Cheap, but a bunch of cowboys.’ Words fail me.

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AutoAid as mentioned.
used them for years.
good service too when needed :wink:

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During the past 5 or 6 years when my membership expired, I had to contact them to renew my membership by payment with my debit card. This year I did not want to renew my membership and thought no problem just let my membership expire and that will be that. By chance I checked my online bank account and saw a pending payment for £55 to Auto Aid in 2 days time. I contacted them at 0730 the day before payment was due and told them I didn’t want to renew my membership. They said to late you have to pay £36 cancellation fee (even though payment wasn't due for another day}They only had one agenda, make money. So as I said in my previous post " They are cowboys"

Thank you for the explanation.

Well as in my post above I’ve been getting fed up with them sending me renewal advice emails since July for the cover which expires in September. Since my post above I’ve had two more and one was to change to auto renew. No way do I want auto renew, the way they are bombarding me with emails I don’t think I’ll bother.
I usually renew via online payment around two days before payment is due, I’ll keep a watch on my bank account just in case.

I’ll look elsewhere for cover.

Online reminders don’t bother me, and I get them for virtually everything the is annual, it’s easy enough to delete them, and there have been times that with my memory, or lack of one, I’d have missed something important without a reminder.

They’re insurers, and from what you’ve said they’ve done the automatic renewal thing that the car insurers try.

A few years ago, I was insured with a particular outfit who automatically renewed my policy. I’d never heard of automatic renewal, and had already decided to let the policy finish on the end date.
( Can’t recall if I’d already gone elsewhere for a new policy ).
Anyway, first thing I knew was when I checked my bank account, and saw money gone.

I tackled them and they said what they had done. From somewhere, I remembered something about contract law… which goes something like … any condition within a contract which seeks by default to alter the end date of the contract, or create a new contract… has no legal standing, and cannot be enforced.

I wrote them, and in the meantime deleted the Direct Debit mandate from my bank account.
Before I received a response from them, about 5 or 6 , I think days later, I checked my bank account again, and … blow me down, they’d set up again their Direct Debit mandate.

I then wrote an absolutely fuming letter to them … that not only had they acted illegally in the frst place, but they had completely crossed the line by accessing my bank account to reset their D/D mandate.

I think at this point, someone at their end must have s*at the bed, because out of the blue I received an email which advised the refund of the monies they’d taken, and also the full year’s premium of the year now gone by. So… , I left it at that. Thank you 1st Central.

I think you’ll find also that, as automatic renewal has no legal enforceabilty, then ‘admin charges’ arising out of it are also unenforceable.

The whole business of automatic renewals is a massive try on. I just happened to call one company’s bluff.

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If you want to get your breakdown cover down to the minimum, try using one of the companies where you pay for the breakdown call out, then claim the cost back from the insurance company. I’ve used GEM Motoring Assist for many years. They have been perfectly efficient on the very few occasions I’ve had to use them. You may find some recommendations on the moneysavingexpert website.

No problem.

I’ve been using AutoAid for a few years now. Just done my renewal - £60 for me and my wife in any car.

Never had to call them out so can’t vouch for the service but they get top reviews on Which? And in the motoring press.

RAC offering 50% bank holiday discount. Got roadside, recovery & home start for £75 on personal so covers me in any car

Serves me right.
Went round to the lock up this morning to fire up the Mk1…not been out for 3 weeks.
Nothing. Nada.
No dash lights, no pop-ups, zilch.

Then it occurred …the Panasonic is on trickle in my workshop.
Shut it you lot. You’ve done similar.
Please say you’ve done similar.

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Only last week set off to walk to lock up for an afternoon of tinkering, 10 minutes later get there, no keys to said lock up. No one died so what the hell. Welcome to the ‘club’.
:heart:

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Thank God for that then. :joy:

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I get Breakdown Cover for any car registered at my address, with my current bank account from Nationwide. It costs me £13 per month for Breakdown, Identity Theft, Mobile phone theft, additional warranty on goods and International travel insurance cover. Also, I could get full breakdown cover from my car insurance provider, for much less than you are paying.

Well, I’ve got into the car and pressed the “start” button, nothing :astonished:, but the green light in the middle of it is flashing :-1:, get out check the leads, all OK, :+1: try again, nothing same as before, cold sweat, thinking WTF, :anguished: after what seems a lifetime the penny drops in my ancient head, :thinking: you’ve either got the wrong fob or you’re sitting in the wrong car! :hot_face: Serves me right for having 2 NDs with similar fobs. :crazy_face:

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Done it many times, tried to start the NC with a SEAT key. Trouble is the key blade won’t even go in the lock, I still try and make go in.:grin:

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Download and sign up to the TopCashback App.
Search Emergency Assist for 45% cash back.
I have two vehicles covered.

Even the following year I pay less than £100 for the two vehicles.
It’s worth a look

Hi
Had similar experience with Saga, I tried comparison websites to get some idea of current cost, I then phoned Saga and asked them to consider their renewal quote of £189, I gave them my best offer from comparison site and they reduced it to £137, so within £3 of best quote. I would advise going through Martin Lewis site and get quotes in the order he advises.
Best of luck.

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