AA vs RAC vs other?

[Punt]

Evening all.

With my new job, I'm required to drive from Gateshead/Newcastle (my home town) to Carlisle (Company head office) two to thee times a week. They pay a decent mileage rate along with a decent car allowance so not fussed on that side of things.

This being my livelihood, I think it may be prudent to get some sort of breakdown cover. I suppose if I break down and it can't be fixed road side, then a tow to my home town rather be stranded 70 miles away would be better. Work is flexible about getting there, I can WFH or plant myself in the Newcastle office temporarily if the **** hits the fan.

Not sure how this works, all new to me. Does this sound unreasonable? Anyone else in a similar situation? Any advice?

Cheers!

 

[flea.rider]

put the wife on green flag .. £5 a month .. saves me worrying ..

 

[mickyflinn]

STARTRESCUE is another to look at my son uses and it has an app so you don't even have to call them.

Just check what you want from breakdown cover as some have a limit on how many call outs.

Options such as homestart and onward travel may be handy.

 

[savagesam117]

You’re getting a new company car? I wouldn’t bother personally. I used to be on my dads AA plan, used it twice. I blew a hole in my gearbox, they put my car on a flatbed 70 miles from home and took me back and then a spark plug decided to leave the engine on my mini after a service at bmw about 2 miles from my house, took them 36 hours to make it to the vehicle

 

[Semple]

Yes well worth the peace of mind. Last thing you want is to be stuck at the office and not be able to make it home.

Make sure you choose the onward travel as otherwise I think all they will do is drop it at the nearest garage - which is of no use to you if you're many miles from home.

Look at topcashback/quidco as there's always cashback offers on.

Then it's just a case of choosing AA/RAC vs others.

Others tend to have smaller fleets, and/or subcontract out to local rescue companies, but can sometimes be quicker. AA/RAC have much bigger fleets, but also a bigger customer base.

I've only needed to use the RAC twice, and on both occasions they were pretty quick at getting to me.

 

[Haggisman]

Been with Autoaid the last couple of years, covers me and my partner in any car, cover at home, roadside, national recovery & onward travel for £60/year, so quite a bit cheaper than AA etc.

They don't have their own fleet - use local companies instead, I've only had to use them once for a puncture about 4 miles from home, but they got to me within ~45 mins

 

[ahar]

Always read good things about Green Flag. I've had to use the AA a couple of times though and they have been fine.

Make sure the cover includes recovery - you can asked to be towed home and sort it all out from there

 

[poosemon]

Might be worth checking in case you have a packaged bank account as some include some level as breakdown service.

 

[Punt]

Cheers everyone.

All done. RAC have a half price for 12 months offer on, so I’ve signed up for that.

 

[Cyber-Mav]

Rac let us down badly taking over 5 hours to turn up and then police towed the car and was charged 150 quid release fee. Rac should have covered it but they didnt.

 

[DanTheMan]

Rac let us down badly taking over 5 hours to turn up and then police towed the car and was charged 150 quid release fee. Rac should have covered it but they didnt.

I think all recovery companies have their fair share of horror stories. I worked for a bank who provided breakdown cover through AA then Green Flag and some of the complaints we received were terrible.

Numerous complaints with people left stranded for hours or were only taken half way home and left at the services for hours whilst the next van arrived to take them home.

 

[Stumble Bum]

I have a premium bank account, includes full AA cover, travel insurance and mobile phone insurance. Might work out as the best value way of doing it if you use those other features.

It also saves the hassle of having to shop around each year for new breakdown quotes and it's also paid monthly.

 

[dacads]

Autoaid

personally used twice, once when I had a puncture on way to a track day. Towed to tyre shop and still made it to track day

second time jump starting my car from home

as someone mentioned they just use the closest local recovery person

 

[Dav4]

I have been with AA for 5yrs always believing they are the biggest and the best with there claims of fixing most cars at the roadside and quick call out time’s but having only used them twice both in the last few months I have been let down on both occasions recently.
First time was a tyre come off the rim at 11pm on the motorway home from Wales despite being a high risk and major priority was stranded until 1am when some random third party company turned up.
Then the second was on my work early this morning ball joint/ track rod end broke meaning my wheel basically came off leaving me stranded in the middle of the road again high risk and priority near a busy school but no 2hr30 later I was only just getting towed away! First guy turned up said he can’t shift it with the wheel like that and buggered off then it took over an hour for the second guy to turned up with a wheel skate to move it. Was an absolute joke.

 

[ezekial]

I have the AA with my bank account and it has been pretty good.

One time I got them to pick me up from Penzance and drive me to the vehicle in St Ives at 2am on a Sunday where they managed to get it started.

 

[ezekial]

I have a premium bank account, includes full AA cover, travel insurance and mobile phone insurance. Might work out as the best value way of doing it if you use those other features.

It also saves the hassle of having to shop around each year for new breakdown quotes and it's also paid monthly.

+1 for this, I never used to bother with any sort of insurance and luckily never needed it. But then I got this and within the first 7 months needed to use all 3 services!

 

[Jez]

My opinion only but honestly don’t bother with subscribing to breakdown cover. I used to for years, I do high mileage and thought it prudent.

In probably 400-500k miles I never used it. Plenty of flat tyres, not worth calling them, a flat battery once - again not worth calling them, keep a small emergency kit under the boot floor with jump leads, decent wheel wrench, small jump starter, tyre compressor etc.

99.9% of faults will not leave you stranded...

Worst case in the unlikely event you need them, just call the AA or RAC out of contract, they’ll still come and get you.