Cabrio is a bit special if its the car you like.

If its good condition and recently serviced etc, then you have a car thats not seriously gonna go wrong for a long while.
Its a gamble buying another car,,,,
Depends on your funds...


Im with AA basic thingy 40odd quid. Doesnt do home start but at least its peace of mind i can get home.

AA or RAC are just as good as each other i think.

But then again...the AA didnt help Ste220 at all, infact, they gave his car lots of problems.
They didnt solve my sisters problems either.

 

I've got the £44 AA Cover, and they fix / take me home. Used it more since buying my new Zed than in the previous 6 yrs though.... so don't think a new car means cover's not required...

 

£44 quid AA usually wont take you home from anywhere as far as i know
thats either fix it or local garage or home - which ever is closer - normally its local garage unless there is an extra charge - i could just be out of date with thier packages though

Ive always been with the AA at about £100+ a year but got family membership + club discount which helps -

it used to be called roadside relay - think its called option 200 thesedays - take you whever you like - home/desitination/garage wherever

I have used them a few a times once got towed all the way from notts to south wales - saved no end in petrol - they always seem to know where i am too - never had any problems with them getting lost -

im sure RAC are just as good though -

I would always go for the full cover though - so you know that your going to be taken where you need to go - for free - last thing u want is to pay for a tow

wouldnt be without cover - u can be pretty sure u will break down on a cold dark night when you dont have a decent coat with you and a long walk from the nearest pub

 

Yes god bless the f**kin AA :guns3: I was on my parents AA scheme. They decided to DRAG my car up the back of the transporter, scraping my exhaust on the way up when he didn't have to have it so steep (it went in the complaint form), they then decided to lie through their teeth about what was wrong with my car and what can only be described as amateurish methods to try and fix it. They lied every day about what they'd done, even though i walked past the AA garage everyday and could see my car. They broke my ABS sensor, bought me a drive shaft i didn't need and tried to charge me loads. So i got it released, got it towed home and re-built the car myself. I wrote out a 32 page report with photo's, diagrams and descriptions from the time it was picked up to the time i finished the car. Sent it to them and got a huge apology and some dosh.

I will NEVER trust the AA again, and am now with the RAC.

 

Yes god bless the f**kin AA :guns3: I was on my parents AA scheme. They decided to DRAG my car up the back of the transporter, scraping my exhaust on the way up when he didn't have to have it so steep (it went in the complaint form), they then decided to lie through their teeth about what was wrong with my car and what can only be described as amateurish methods to try and fix it. They lied every day about what they'd done, even though i walked past the AA garage everyday and could see my car. They broke my ABS sensor, bought me a drive shaft i didn't need and tried to charge me loads. So i got it released, got it towed home and re-built the car myself. I wrote out a 32 page report with photo's, diagrams and descriptions from the time it was picked up to the time i finished the car. Sent it to them and got a huge apology and some dosh.

I will NEVER trust the AA again, and am now with the RAC.

ste, what was wrong with your car for them to tow her??

 

This -

Diff sheared in half.

Broken ABS sensor.

This next one is what i managed to achieve after an hour, that the AA took 3 DAYS to TRY and do.

I removed the outer CV from the hub.

 

bloody hell mate, that looks unlucky. Glad you managed to sort it yourself! I think that has given me no confidence in the AA.

cheers

Ben.

 

AA service centres are qutie different to AA patrols - i would never let them choose the garage where to have my car towed - or let them fix it from what i have seen AA service centres arent much better than ATS or kwikfit -

its not as bad as the RAC battery scam highlighed by whatchdog where RAC patrols were given bonuses dpending how many batteries they sold - so if ur battery was flat - they wouldnt give u a jump
they would sell u a new battery - joe public obviously falls for it quite alot

 

AA service centres are qutie different to AA patrols - i would never let them choose the garage where to have my car towed - or let them fix it from what i have seen AA service centres arent much better than ATS or kwikfit -

its not as bad as the RAC battery scam highlighed by whatchdog where RAC patrols were given bonuses dpending how many batteries they sold - so if ur battery was flat - they wouldnt give u a jump
they would sell u a new battery - joe public obviously falls for it quite alot

i saw that watch dog thing too, the boss of RAC who they interviewed did have a good point and he was quite a smart guy. But, who do you believe? at the end of the day its money and no matter what company in the world say, its always the same thing. At college we were give a unit in car mechanics to stop people pulling the wool over our eyes. Im glad i did it but you cant put down everyone that works for these break down companys (not saying anyone was, just a general thought) some people are honest whilst others do ruin it.
lecture over, resume people!!!

 

RAC - Home Start named member (me not the car).

If you read my "400 miles after HG repair - bang" post (and also take into account that the car was flat-bed towed back from Surrey when the Rad failed), then i think I've had value for money so far!!! (Sadly!) :lol:

 

i saw that watch dog thing too, the boss of RAC who they interviewed did have a good point and he was quite a smart guy.

I missed that, what was the interview about and what were his good points he made?

 

The basic AA package won’t necessarily take you home. They’ll take you to the nearest garage & dump you there unless home is nearer. You need Relay before they’ll automatically take you home, or onwards to your destination if that’s what you prefer.

I personally despise the AA. Several years ago my wife had to call them and they refused to recognise her membership, leaving her stranded on a sub zero winters day with my youngest daughter. I kicked up an incredible stink & got my full years subscription refunded. Also, the AA wrongfully sacked a friend of mine & they’ve just settled out of court for more than £20k. And all his tools have mysteriously ‘disappeared’ so the AA have had to cough for them.

I now have the top RAC package which with my no call out discount costs just under £100. Only had to call them once and the guy was prompt, friendly, helpful and knowledgeable – totally at odds with my brushes with the AA over the years.

Good luck,

DD.

 

Brittania are good. They cover the person rather than the car. They also include cover to Ireland at no extra cost.

We pay just short of £100 a year for two people, any car.

We have called them out twice, with no problems. Arrived quickly and towed us to our destination, both problems weren't fixable at the kerbside.

 

My AA covers me not the car, i thought that was a standard thing througout all companies

 

it does. I used me AA cover to get my mates car back to his house.

 

Deffo go for the one where they tow you anywhere - I speak from experience of being stranded in the yorkshire dales for 3days!!because of the cheap rac cover which would only get me 20miles (unless i wanted to pay £1 a mile after that!)
:twak: Alternator...grrrrrrr.

 

My AA covers me not the car, i thought that was a standard thing througout all companies

Yes AA do, but some of the other companies didn't. I have remembered why we didn't go with the AA now. If your car is over 10 years they almost double their price.

 

do not go with the aa i was in town (swansea) main part about 5 minutes from the actual aa garage when i phoned up they said the estamated time would be gewt this 3 1/2 hours lol i said ok thinking no way where they going to take that long...

First hour though may as well have a look

second hour started messing with the fual line

4 hour still no sign phoned again said on way

4 1/2 saw two aa vans now go right past my car like i was nothing

by the 5th hour i got the car ticking don't ask me how lol and drove home.
than aa had a nerve to say that i should have told them that i had fixed my car lol and they said it was a waste of time going out to tow my car

by this time i was fuming i called the guy in the aa truck more foul words than i even thought i knew

any wayz whatever you do don not go with the AA i pay £100 and i feel it has been wasted.
Will be with rac next year.

and the problem was blocked fuel line wich was fixed in 5 minutes lol

 

Thanks for all your sugestions, and comments.

I think i'll go with the RAC, it seems better value, and not as many (admittedly only a small audience!) bad comments!

As a matter of interest, the AA do a parts and labour cover for £50ish. Does anyone knoe about this??

 

I pay only £44 a year for the AA, and they've taken me over 20 miles home... they never even mentioned a garage....

 

I missed that, what was the interview about and what were his good points he made?

Im not sure about good points made, but imagine the scence, people phone watchdog up, 'RAC conned me, my battery was fine and they put a new one in and charged me loads' you can imagine. So watch dog decide to investigate 'lets go out, pretend our battery is dead and we can exploit a company without getting ALL the correct facts' they did just that, but failed really badly especially when Nicki Cambel fell on his face. The big boss for RAC just said 'there was a problem with the car, you never gave us any details, we only did what we thought was right' i cant imagine the exact wording, i think the watchdog website still might have it. but to sum it up, the manager layed the facts down, and to be quite honest, got my respect.

Watchdog are the type of thing that can be there for the customer or really mess things up. I think i will be speaking for a few people, but what about the review on the K series?? they never got the true facts on that.

Ben.

 

As I work for the AA I would have to say go for them really wouldn't I! The Parts & Labour Cover is a £52 add on that will cover you for three claims up to £500 each when something goes wrong with the vehicle. There is a £25 excess on the policy, but compare that to an hours labour at a garage. Even with the £52 price, thats less than 2 hours labour at most garages nowadays, and it will cover the parts AND labour costs. The car must be less than ten years old, have less than 100,000 on the clock, and have had a service in the last twelve months.

As far as patrols go, we have the most patrols on the road, operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (certain others only operate 6am til 11pm, etc, etc), and we have just undertaken a multi-million pound investment in the technology that the vans are fitted with. All patrols now carry VIxEN, which is a computer diagnostics tool which has increased the percentage of call outs that are fixed at the roadside.

I must however point out that the RAC now also does their own version of PLC cover, in the interests of fairness!

 

As I work for the AA I would have to say go for them really wouldn't I! The Parts & Labour Cover is a £52 add on that will cover you for three claims up to £500 each when something goes wrong with the vehicle. Their is a £25 excess on the policy, but combine that to an hours labour at a garage. Even with the £52 price, thats less than 2 hours labour at most garages nowadays, and it will cover the parts AND labour costs. The car must be less than ten years old, have less than 100,000 on the clock, and have had a service in the last twelve months.

As far as patrols go, we have the most patrols on the road, operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (certain others only operate 6am til 11pm, etc, etc), and we have just undertaken a multi-million pound investment in the technology that the vans are fitted with. All patrols now carry VIxEN, which is a computer diagnostics tool which has increased the percentage of call outs that are fixed at the roadside.

I must however point out that the RAC now also does their own version of PLC cover, in the interests of fairness!

Ive got the £52 parts and labour on top of the £40 odd for the breakdown cover. All in all I think the AA are probably the best bet (even tho' I haven't needed them yet (touches real wooden dashboard!!))

Y

 

I'm with the "Guild of Experienced Motorists" - aka GEM. Never mind the name, the cover is good. For £60 a year they cover myself and my wife in any car.

They are one of those organisations that use local garages to fix/recover as required.

I have had to use the service once following a major suspension problem on an old Citroen I had and they were good. The only downside is that you pay the agent (cheque etc) and then claim back from GEM, so it's really an insurance policy. They paid up nice and propmtly in my case.

http://www.gemrecovery.co.uk/

 

Is the policy full of exclusions and conditions?