Breakdown

[madasa]

I broke down last night at 9pm on a very dark stretch of motorway.

I had taken out breakdown membership two weeks earlier with a company I had not used before.

It was pitch black, windy, no safety barrier to stand behind and I was alone.

The quickest they could get someone to me was 1 hr 45 mins!

WIBU to tell them to stick their membership in a shady place?

Bollocks isn't it. I broke down with 2 children. They wanted me to wait 3 hours! Lucky for me I was a a friends but they didn't know that

Not good is it, but at least you had cover.
I had to ring my son to bring jump leads yesterday as I had a flat battery Outside nursery.
I was 4 miles away from home in the pouring rain with a'challenging' 3 year old, and 2 1 year olds who had no comprehension of why we weren't moving.
It was horrid!
I'm so glad I got home safely and I think you probably are too.

Oh Borntobeamum that sounds miserable glad you got home safely.

Do you mind me asking who you were with Cranky ?

I told my breakdown company not to bother. I joined the RAC there and then and they were with me in 30 minutes.

Obviously had to pay extra for the recovery last night but at least I was safer quicker.

which company was it? name and shame

It was Autonational

That's disgusting madasa dump them. I'm with Green Flag and on the odd occasion I've had to call them out they've been much quicker than that, even when I've been in my own home and the car wouldn't start.

On one occasion when I had a flat tyre they came within 15 minutes because I was on my own: it was 5 o'clock on a light afternoon in a station car park. The man who came told me they don't like to leave women on their own in car parks and women on their own are always a priority.

I have dumped them pigsDOfly. I have just fired off an e-mail of complaint and demanded my money back.

I was with Brittania Rescue for years and had to dump them two weeks ago because they took 2 hours to get to me. At least then I was in my own home. My car had decided to lock itself with keys inside and engine running.

I have not had to call breakdown services for about 25 years then twice in one month!

Stick with the main three. AA, RAC and Green Flag !

I've never needed to call the AA for me, done it for a relative when I was with them (AA membership is the 'person' with the card).

They had a car broken into (not driveable), I cycled to meet them, phoned AA, they came and took car home, I cycled back !

When I used to drive a long distance to work I had full cover with the AA. I got a flat tyre on the way home once and I called the AA to change it for me. Bearing in mind that this was during rush-hour, plus it was light and I was pulled over in a safe place on a busy road so not vulnerable, from the time I called them to the time I was on my way again with spare tyre on the car was around 15 minutes. Cannot fault their service at all.

Thanks for your responses.
Am with the RAC now. Fantastic job last night, arrived in 30 mins, changed tyre in about 15 mins and put the heater on in his lorry so I could sit there and warm up.
No response yet to the e-mail I sent to Autonational.

Aa was awful refusing to come out to me once as they were too busy. Went to green flag and both times i called out within 30 mins as use local garage. At moment back with aa and hoping not to use them. 15 pounds for a years cover was hard to beat

Glad you ok op

I had to wait FIVE hours for the RAC once in the pitch black. I am now with GEM. Half the price and the one time I needed to call them out they were there within 15 minutes.

I waited for 2 1/2 hours between 11.30pm and 2am for the RAC at the side of a remote country road in September. Couldn't even wait in the car as it was half way down a ditch. God, it was cold, September or no!

I'm with the RAC, I went in a pot hole once and the suspension broke, I called the rac who asked what happened, and they said they were not going to come out as it was a road traffic accident, and not there responsibility.

I said the the pot hole was small and maybe it was something else as I wasn't a bloody mechanic. They ended up coming but said if it was my fault and was because if a pot hole I would have to give them £105.

The rac man looked at it and said it was wear and tear.

So now I'm really vague about what's happened if I need to call them