bigsteve
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 07:24 PM |
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best breakdown cover
after keep putting it off i've decided to join a breakdown company. what are peoples experiances/ recommendations on which one to go for.
hopefully the track car will be up and running this year and dont fancy towing it up and down the country without cover
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matt_gsxr
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 07:37 PM |
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AA are awesome. I will remember forever the time this bloke climbed under my old Golf GTI in the rain with fuel dripping on him and replaced a fuel
hose, all for free. Nice people, and they really try.
Green flag are rubbish. Basically some numpty from a local garage who doesn't care.
Matt
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dhutch
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 07:41 PM |
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Ive got cover with my insurence, found it the cheapest way, cant even remember who it is but the two times ive used them they've taken me home
on my request, first time with a covered fully demountable truck.
Daniel
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Ben_Copeland
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 07:43 PM |
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i think a lot of people switch between AA and RAC depending on which is cheaper at the time of renewal.
I've always been with AA and found their service good
Ben
Locost Map on Google Maps
Z20LET Astra Turbo, into a Haynes
Roadster
Enter Your Details Here
http://www.facebook.com/EquinoxProducts for all your bodywork needs!
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roadrunner
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 07:49 PM |
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I bank with TSB and get AA cover as part of my £7 a month charge. Its just nice knowing if it goes tits up you can get someone to fix it.
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mookaloid
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 08:42 PM |
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It was the AA a few years ago when the battery on my BSA gave up - as he got his booster pack out he said "is it positive earth on this
bike?" I said "yes" and I was about to add that it didn't make any difference to connecting the booster when he swapped the
leads in his hands and connected them the wrong way round. 
Fortunately the bang only split the battery case and blew all the plugs out of the top rather than disintegrating totally, and he wasn't injured
- although rather shocked.
I used his entire water supply washing the acid off my chrome and paintwork before he recovered me home.
It was also the AA who jacked up one of my cars thinking that the oil cooler was a chassis member and promptly shagged my oil system
I'm with the RAC now
"That thing you're thinking - it wont be that."
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flak monkey
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 08:45 PM |
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AA were good when my alternator siezed on the pinto.
But then again they only arranged the recovery guy who was from a big local firm who have a good rep anyway. They didnt send a bloke to have a look, I
reckon they realised I knew what I was talking about.
Sera
http://www.motosera.com
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COREdevelopments
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 08:54 PM |
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I too am looking for breakdown cover. But am a bit unsure. I need recovery cover but if i was to be recovered i would want it to be taken stright home
not to some garage close to where i broke down.
Rob
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GeorgeM
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 08:55 PM |
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check that they will recover your trailer for you as well as the car on it and the tow car.
Not all do
My conscience is clear - I drive a GREEN car
MNR Racing
essexkitcarclub.com
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marcjagman
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 08:55 PM |
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RAC are crap, take ages to turn up, even with my disabled missus who needs certain attention due to MS. Never had such a bad company, changing to AA
when membership runs out.
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GeorgeM
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 09:04 PM |
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you won't get the service that the AA used to give, they don't even salute as they pass me any more.
Don't know what the world is coming to......
My conscience is clear - I drive a GREEN car
MNR Racing
essexkitcarclub.com
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norfolkluego
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 09:14 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by marcjagman
RAC are crap, take ages to turn up, even with my disabled missus who needs certain attention due to MS. Never had such a bad company, changing to AA
when membership runs out.
Sorry, couldn't disagree more, always found their service to be superb, usually very quick to turn up and will always do everything they can to
get you on the move. Some of their guys seem to take the breakdown personally and seem as keen on fixing it as if it were their own car. Voted
recovery service of the year again this year as they usually are, not an accident they keep winning it. Contact them if you have a genuine complaint,
I'm sure they want to get to the bottom of it to make sure it doesn't happen again.
I would honestly say of all the companies I've ever dealt with they'd be right at the top.
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wheelfelloff
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 09:35 PM |
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AA - Hard to Beat
Sunday before christmas, deepest darkest wales, the bit not covered with snow and ice at the time. Son's Astra stops, he phones the AA breakdown
and then me, I set off to pick him up - busy sunday evening lots of roads closed what hope has he of being picked up quickly? Every hope as it turns
out - AA van arrives within 25 minutes and confirms ECU dead. Tows him to service area to get picked up by relay, they pass me as I am looking for him
so I follow the van into service area. As they pull in AA relay lorry pulls out from rest area and loads him up to bring him home. He arrrives home
just 40 minutes after expected.
They are not the cheapest but this experience is typical of the last three times we have needed their help over the last five years. You will find
their service hard to beat. Somehow with this level of service it doesn't hurt quite so much when you reach deep into your pocket.
Repair of the Astra not such good news, Main stealer still not fixed it and the bill currently at £700 with more parts to be delivered
"tomorrow" whenever that is? God save us and our wallets from main agents!
Regards
Keith
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beaver34
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 09:37 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by roadrunner
I bank with TSB and get AA cover as part of my £7 a month charge. Its just nice knowing if it goes tits up you can get someone to fix it.
ahh but they will only take you 10 miles
trust me i know
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Davegtst
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 09:52 PM |
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The RAC and AA give the same service, it just depends on the patrol who comes out to you so you can't really judge a breakdown service from 1
good or bad experience.
I'm an AA patrol and we have some very very bad patrols who couldn't give a crap about you or your car but we also have some excellent
mechanics that will try their best to get you going and save you a fortune on repair bills. The RAC also have good and bad patrols. Both companies
now run a bonus system that has destroyed the way members are treated because some patrols are trying to do as many jobs as possible and cutting
corners to make more money. If you get a patrol who doesn't care too much about the bonus system (has realised the carrot keeps getting further
out of reach) and maybe cross his palm with silver a little you can virtually get what you want. I wish i could tell you more how they are run as
there are so many negatives to this industry but i would probably lose my job.
The only real difference between the two is the amount of patrols, the AA is the bigest in the UK. Go with one or the other but please don't
think about any others, there is a reason why they are cheaper trust me.
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Davegtst
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 09:55 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by beaver34
quote:
Originally posted by roadrunner
I bank with TSB and get AA cover as part of my £7 a month charge. Its just nice knowing if it goes tits up you can get someone to fix it.
ahh but they will only take you 10 miles
trust me i know
Depends what bank account you have with LTSB. A gold account will only get you a local recovery but with a platinum account you get alot more. You
can always upgrade to relay by ringing the AA.
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COREdevelopments
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 10:12 PM |
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Dave do the AA cover kitcars? and will they take me straight home instead of to a garage with the relay package as i am a mechanic and would want to
fix it myself.
thanks
Rob
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McLannahan
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 10:15 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by COREdevelopments
Dave do the AA cover kitcars? and will they take me straight home instead of to a garage with the relay package as i am a mechanic and would want to
fix it myself.
thanks
Rob
Rob - My KC (Fury) is covered with the AA with relay cover. The AA recovered the car from the M6 and transported it nearly 200 miles to my home. Spot
on service from them.
On another note - the temporary repair they did 7 months ago on my car is still going strong! 
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Davegtst
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 10:24 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by COREdevelopments
Dave do the AA cover kitcars? and will they take me straight home instead of to a garage with the relay package as i am a mechanic and would want to
fix it myself.
thanks
Rob
Yes they do, if it's registered for the road and under 3.5 tonnes it's covered. You can be recovered anywhere you want but you will only
be entitled to 1 recovery per breakdown. If you want it to go to a garage and it's shut we will also either store your car or take it home then
come back and take it to the garage when it's open.
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beaver34
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 10:24 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Davegtst
quote:
Originally posted by beaver34
quote:
Originally posted by roadrunner
I bank with TSB and get AA cover as part of my £7 a month charge. Its just nice knowing if it goes tits up you can get someone to fix it.
ahh but they will only take you 10 miles
trust me i know
Depends what bank account you have with LTSB. A gold account will only get you a local recovery but with a platinum account you get alot more. You
can always upgrade to relay by ringing the AA.
correct, although its pointless as its alot more to upgrade your account than take out cover alone with the aa,
the aa did recover me, fix the car and were great
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COREdevelopments
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 10:36 PM |
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cheers McLannahan and Dave, Think i will go for the AA.
Thanks
Rob
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Davegtst
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 10:45 PM |
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If you do join the AA have a look at this page. It's my 'personal' page and apparently it's the best prices you will get from
the AA. We also have a membership target to get every quarter so if you do join up through this page it keeps my boss of my back for a
while.http://www.theaa.com/patrol/69593
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Humbug
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 10:49 PM |
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I've previously been with Green Flag and had absolutely no problems. The advantage of not having (many) of their own patrols is that they get
someone who's actually close to where you are, rather than having to wait for a branded service to come. The 2 or 3 times I had to call them
they came promptly and recovered me home with no probs. On at least one of the times, then recovered me to home in the evening, then came back in the
morming and took the car to a garage.
Currently with Auto Aid (cheap at £35 a year for self + spouse for any car including kits). It's a pay and reclaim service and I haven't
so far had to call them out, but you can't go far wrong with the price.
Money Saving Expert has some info and may help you get a better price
whichever one you do choose.
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McLannahan
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 10:52 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by COREdevelopments
cheers McLannahan and Dave, Think i will go for the AA.
Thanks
Rob
Coolio - no problem!
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Davegtst
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| posted on 13/1/10 at 11:00 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Humbug
I've previously been with Green Flag and had absolutely no problems. The advantage of not having (many) of their own patrols is that they get
someone who's actually close to where you are, rather than having to wait for a branded service to come. The 2 or 3 times I had to call them
they came promptly and recovered me home with no probs. On at least one of the times, then recovered me to home in the evening, then came back in the
morming and took the car to a garage.
Currently with Auto Aid (cheap at £35 a year for self + spouse for any car including kits). It's a pay and reclaim service and I haven't
so far had to call them out, but you can't go far wrong with the price.
Money Saving Expert has some info and may help you get a better price
whichever one you do choose.
Pay and reclaim! You're brave, i've seen some bills from contractors and they can run into thousands.
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