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How much do you pay for roadside asssitance?

63 replies

F0XCUB · 13/06/2024 15:03

I'm with AA and I'm now paying £176 annually. I'm sure it used to be £50!

It does cover my kids and partner too if they are in someone else's car

But no homestart so pretty basic

OP posts:
Negroany · 21/09/2024 09:39

I've never had breakdown cover. I would just call a friend or a local garage, now we have smartphones it's easy to do that. Though I've never needed to.

Though I think I might have it on my car insurance currently, I recall looking at it and it was only about £20 extra so I think I included it. I should check really, in case I do need it some time.

Imagine how much I've saved over the years!

julesagain · 21/09/2024 16:00

I pay an additional premium on my car insurance with the NFU (who are lovely to insure with). I can't remember how much I pay, but the contract out the the RAC .

NewName24 · 21/09/2024 19:00

Negroany · 21/09/2024 09:39

I've never had breakdown cover. I would just call a friend or a local garage, now we have smartphones it's easy to do that. Though I've never needed to.

Though I think I might have it on my car insurance currently, I recall looking at it and it was only about £20 extra so I think I included it. I should check really, in case I do need it some time.

Imagine how much I've saved over the years!

I would just call a friend or a local garage

Yes, but not everyone has someone who can fix cars on speed dial.
Let alone ones who have the ability to drop what they are doing and appear anywhere in the country at a moment's notice.
Local garages don't always do roadside rescue, or start at home, or come out to you on the side of a motorway, and even if they do, they don't tend to be there to answer the phone between 5pm and the next day at 8.30am.

Though I've never needed to

How lucky you have been (or have you not been driving long?)

VictoryOrDeath · 21/09/2024 19:18

I don't do this as an add-on with other products as I want to be able to choose the level of cover I want for my peace of mind. We do tend to go on day trips and relatively long UK drives, so I definitely find it worth it. Although that said, I think most breakdowns occur at home.

Daisymay2 · 21/09/2024 19:27

F0XCUB · 13/06/2024 18:53

Worth also noting with that Flexi Plus account that the mobile phone insurance and travel insurance is for all the family. Kids must be under 23 years old

Did they tell you that the charge is going up to £18 per month in December? We are reconsidering it as we don't get full benefit of the travel insurance due to age and DH's medical history and kids both over 23.
AA left me at the roadside on a rural unlit road for 2 hours last November.

Littlebitpsycho · 21/09/2024 19:33

My AA membership has just gone up to £28 a month which annoys me since when I look on their website the same cover is £13.74 per month for a year and £22.90 thereafter.

Not interested in their loyal customers are they! Anyone know if I can just cancel the DD and then restart membership for the cheaper price?

VictoryOrDeath · 21/09/2024 19:39

Littlebitpsycho · 21/09/2024 19:33

My AA membership has just gone up to £28 a month which annoys me since when I look on their website the same cover is £13.74 per month for a year and £22.90 thereafter.

Not interested in their loyal customers are they! Anyone know if I can just cancel the DD and then restart membership for the cheaper price?

I actually think you can - why don't you price up the AA and the RAC, then phone them up to find out about cancelling? They'll offer you a reduction, which might or might not be decent.

It's so strange - I wonder how a company would get on if they said, These are our prices for new or old customers.

Negroany · 21/09/2024 20:58

NewName24 · 21/09/2024 19:00

I would just call a friend or a local garage

Yes, but not everyone has someone who can fix cars on speed dial.
Let alone ones who have the ability to drop what they are doing and appear anywhere in the country at a moment's notice.
Local garages don't always do roadside rescue, or start at home, or come out to you on the side of a motorway, and even if they do, they don't tend to be there to answer the phone between 5pm and the next day at 8.30am.

Though I've never needed to

How lucky you have been (or have you not been driving long?)

What a silly response. I don't know anyone who can fix a car, but I'd call them for a lift (and I don't have anyone at all on "speed dial", what is that anyway?). And obviously I would only call someone I was close to, not expect anyone to drive across the country. And they don't have to say yes. So, then I'd google and call a local garage to where I was.
There are plenty of garages that do 24hour call out. Including on motorways - they are who the police and breakdown providers who don't have their own vans use (so most other than AA and RAC).

I'm currently on the M3, so the screenshot shows Google results for right here, right now.

I've been driving thirty years. I do probably higher than average miles per year. I did once have a flat tyre I couldn't change myself actually so called someone.

Years ago I had a company car and that had a head gasket blow, it was fairly new, but I managed to drive it to a garage. That was in the days pre mobile phone. And another company car, I picked it up, drove it about two hundred miles (so it had under 500 on the clock) and the next day it wouldn't start so the main dealer sent someone out, ended up taking three weeks to fix during which I had a courtesy car. Moral of that story is that I would never buy a Vauxhall!

But I only had company cars about two years of my life, often I've been offered car or allowance and always chose the allowance and drove a cheap old car.

How much do you pay for roadside asssitance?
roses2 · 21/09/2024 21:42

Daisymay2 · 21/09/2024 19:27

Did they tell you that the charge is going up to £18 per month in December? We are reconsidering it as we don't get full benefit of the travel insurance due to age and DH's medical history and kids both over 23.
AA left me at the roadside on a rural unlit road for 2 hours last November.

Edited

Martin Lewis recommends waiting until December when the increase kicks in to see what other banks do before switching. It's definitely made me think again but looking at the prices for roadside cover in this thread, £18/month still seems a good deal!

sansou · 21/09/2024 23:27

I think £18 pm is still a good deal especially with a joint account i.e personal cover for both of us. DH pays £20 for extra cover for the travel insurance to cover his asthma, Type 2 diabetes & high cholesterol (all of which he has prescribed medication for). It's definitely worth it for us.

SnacklessWonder · 21/09/2024 23:30

Green Flag, about £3.75 a month.

Happyher · 21/09/2024 23:44

I use Start Rescue and it cost about £45 annually. Don’t pay for European cover
What is this type of insurance?
This vehicle breakdown insurance cover is an insurance policy that provides roadside assistance and recovery when your vehicle
unexpectedly suffers a breakdown in the Territorial Limits (UK).
What is insured?
Roadside Assistance.
Nationwide Recovery.
Home Assistance:

  • assistance at your home address or within
a quarter mile radius/straight line from your home address. Breakdowns following an electrical or mechanical failure, lack of fuel, lack of charge, misfuel, flat battery, puncture to the vehicle or accident which immediately renders the vehicle immobilised. Alternative Travel:
  • up to £250 towards the reasonable cost
of alternative transport or a hire vehicle up to 1600cc;
  • up to £150 towards the reasonable cost of
alternative transport for one person to return and collect the repaired vehicle. Emergency Overnight Accommodation:
  • up to £150 for a lone traveller or £75 per
person. The maximum payment per incident is £500. Misfuel Assist: Up to £250 for a recovery operator to either recover your vehicle and the passengers to the recovery operator’s base where a drain and flush to your vehicle’s fuel tank can be conducted, or to conduct the fuel drain and flush at the roadside. Caravans and Trailers:
  • maximum length 7 metres/23 feet (not
including the length of the A-frame and hitch) recovered with the vehicle if the vehicle cannot be repaired roadside. Key Assist:
  • if you lose, break, or lock your keys within
your vehicle, callout and mileage back to the recovery operator’s base or home address if closer. Message Service:
  • two messages to your home or place of work.
What is not insured? Assistance outside of the United Kingdom. Assistance following Vandalism or Theft. Driver Illness/Injury Cover. Any vehicle not listed on the Policy Schedule as being eligible for breakdown cover. Breakdowns or accidents to the caravan or trailer itself. Minibuses, limousines, motorhomes, horseboxes and any other vehicle not detailed in the definition of vehicle. Cost of Specialist Equipment. The cost of any parts, components or materials used to repair the vehicle. Vehicles being used for motor racing, rallies, rental, hire, public hire, private hire, courier services or any contest or speed trial or practice for any of these activities. Costs or expenses not authorised by rescue co-ordinators. Any excess payable on a claim. Are there any restrictions on cover? Claims totalling more than £15,000 in any one period of insurance. Recovery must take place at the same time as the initial callout. Subsequent callouts for any symptoms related to a claim which has been made within the last 28 days, unless the vehicle has been fully repaired at a suitable garage, declared fit to drive by the recovery operator or is in transit to a pre-booked appointment at a suitable garage. Any claim within 24 hours of the tim
Mossstitch · 22/09/2024 00:31

I've been with the AA for over 20 years but I don't let it auto renew, I dread it but every year I ring up and barter, so far I've always got the price down to an acceptable amount. Think less than £50 last year for just roadside assistance but just had renewal letter through and as usual gone up to £73. Bracing myself for the phonecall😳

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