Car Break Down Cover

[cruiser2]

Just got my renewal quote from one of the well known companies. If I have some extras it trebles the quote.
I have got an online quote from another company which gives the same extended cover but cheaper.
Do you change or do you stay with the same company?
We will have one of them as I do not feel capable of changing a wheel if we have a punture, especially if it is dark and we are on a motorway.

[TheOstrich]

We've been with the AA for 40 years, and we have Relay and Home Cover and Joint Cover. But it's approaching £300 a year, and yes, I think it's a bit of a rip-off.

But on the other hand, on the occasions when we have had to call them out, (probably about 4 or 5 times overall), the service has been efficient and fine, and has got us sorted and on our way. So I tend to regard it as a necessary evil, like an insurance policy.

I know I could change to the RAC and halve that bill (well, for the first year, certainly), but inertia rules these days .....

Like we've said many times on these boards, customers never get rewarded for loyalty .....

[Workingman]

Change never bothers me. When I get renewal quotes I ring round others to see if I get the same cover for less..... and if I do I ring my existing company and ask if they can match or better it. If not it's "Aufwiedersehen Pet".

[tonicha]

We pay just under 300 euros, which covers breakdown, car hire for 3 days, all windows and I can't remember what else That about covers it really, doesn't it?

Oh, sorry, and no, we don't shop around, not over here, there isn't really a lot of choice. Pick your company and stick with 'em.

[Diflower]

I shop around for everything, every year - except on the rare occasions when this year's quote is for less than last year's with the same company - then I leave it and breathe a sigh of relief

But £300 a year?! - are you kidding? I thought we were paying a lot at £150, so yes Ossie you could definitely halve it, but if you can afford to throw away £150 then good for you, because that's what it amounts to, and that's what they rely on

[debih]

We get ours through our bank account.

We pay fees of around £200 a year and get insurance, car breakdown - including home start, card cover plus other stuff.

I think it's quite a good deal.

[tonicha]

I forgot to mention, it's the car that's insured, here, not the driver.

Anyone can drive our car - as long as they have a licence, and they're covered.

[manxie]

In the Isle of Man we only have the AA and the RAC so each year we play one off against the other and go with whoever gives us the best price on all we require.

In a way we don't really need it here as the furthest we can be from our house is less than 30 miles.

We used to cross over to England often twice a year and for a couple of years we have been over up to 10 times in a year but this now is rare due to our ages and retirement, we seem to have kept the cover out of habit only.

There are about 3 private recovery services on island and if they charged even £100 recovery to our house which I doubt, then even breaking down once a year it would be cheaper than either of the big UK ones as neither has a dedicated team over here they send out one of the local firms anyway.

Maybe time for us to have a rethink come october when it is due for renewal, the £300+ that we are paying would be a nice sum to save.

I think they load us because if we were in the UK and broke down it would be very costly to get us back to the Isle of Man for them, and we have a family contract for 4 people covered even if in someone elses car.

Manxie xx