# Car recovery services (not MH ones)



## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Hi

I have RAC cover for my MH via my insurance with MHF and I have AA cover for our cars. However every year I go through the same thing with the AA:

- They send me a renewal saying how great I am and add around £120 to last years premium
- I ring them to tell them I am 'leaving'
- They go off to "speak with their manager" and hey presto! my premium drops to around 20 quid more than the year before.
- I renew!

This year I am tempted to go with another supplier and Green Flag appear to be competitive. I will want the full cover - At Home, roadside, relay etc.

3 questions then:

- Have you found the Green Flag prices to be competitive?
- Have you found their service to be good?
- Are there any others around worth a punt?

In context: we have 2 well maintained and serviced cars (2010 and 2007 models) and do c.4k and c.2k miles in them each year, respectively.

TIA

Graham:smile2:


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## philoaks (Sep 2, 2008)

Hi Graham.

I've been with Green Flag for a number of years now. Thankfully I've never had to call on their services so I can't comment on that side of things.

As far as the costs are concerned, I have found them to be very competitive. When I first joined them I only had one vehicle named on the policy. A couple of years later I rang to add a second vehicle (part way through the cover period). Their customer services guy was brilliant and went through a few options with me. In the end he upgraded the policy to personal cover, which means any vehicle either of us are driving is covered. 

Even though it is personal cover, the price is still calculated based on the details of one of the vehicles. By using the details of the newer car he managed to reduce the premium so I ended up upgrading the cover and getting a refund 

Edit: I should have added that the Green Flag cover is only for cars and motorbike. The motorhome is covered separately in a combined insurance policy.


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## emjaiuk (Jun 3, 2005)

Now have Green Flag through the bank so can't comment on cost, but I've always found their service superb.

Malcolm


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## deefordog (Dec 31, 2013)

We found Green Flag NOT to be competitive when viewed in isolation. IIRC, GF on their own wouldn't cover "large" vehicles, including caravan towing. For such eventualities, GF refer you to the Caravan Club. However, as we're CC members, we take out their Mayday (in effect Green Flag) Roadside and Recovery package @ £68 http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/insurance/uk-breakdown-and-recovery but the big bonus as far as I can tell, is that we can cover our car as well for just £22 extra. So for £90 we get cover for two vehicles. Never had to use CC/GF yet and hopefully will never have to.

Edit - just found this in the GF policy T's&C's:

"It can't weigh more than 3.5 metric tons (3,500 kg) in total, including any load being carried. • It can't be more than 7 metres long (apart from a tow bar or coupling device), 3 metres tall, and 2.55 metres wide."

But the mayday package is "any length, any weight". Food for thought Graham?


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

GMJ said:


> Hi
> 
> I have AA cover for our cars. However every year I go through the same thing with the AA:
> 
> ...


There are no 'points' for loyalty these days. I have been with my home & contents insurer for a number of years and each year go through a process remarkably similar to yours. This year I have taken advantage of an offer through my bank which is £100 cheaper plus an additional £50 cash back.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

deefordog said:


> We found Green Flag NOT to be competitive when viewed in isolation. IIRC, GF on their own wouldn't cover "large" vehicles, including caravan towing. For such eventualities, GF refer you to the Caravan Club. However, as we're CC members, we take out their Mayday (in effect Green Flag) Roadside and Recovery package @ £68 http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/insurance/uk-breakdown-and-recovery but the big bonus as far as I can tell, is that we can cover our car as well for just £22 extra. So for £90 we get cover for two vehicles. Never had to use CC/GF yet and hopefully will never have to.
> 
> Edit - just found this in the GF policy T's&C's:
> 
> ...


Hi Dfd

I have cover for the MH via the RAC, as I mentioned, through my insurance.

Its only for our cars I'm looking around.

Graham:smile2:


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## Matchlock (Jun 26, 2010)

My MH breakdown is with Adrian Flux who is competitive and have used for quite a few years now although you have to have insurance with them.

For my car for the last few years I was with Direct Line insurance and breakdown, insurance is competitive but this year they hiked up the breakdown cover so for the breakdown I went with Start Rescue, http://www.startrescue.co.uk who came in at less than half the price.
As for reliability I don't know, in all the years I have car breakdown cover I have never used it.

Barry


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

If you've ever worked for .Gov or a family member has join *CSMA* and use their breakdown service, which is Brittania Rescue.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Matchlock said:


> ...so for the breakdown I went with Start Rescue, http://www.startrescue.co.uk who came in at less than half the price.
> As for reliability I don't know, in all the years I have car breakdown cover I have never used it....


Anyone ever had occasion to use these?

They seem very competitive....

ta

Graham:smile2:

PS I'v not worked for a .Gov business re: CSMA...what about being a teacher would that qualify do you think?:smile2:


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

When I was a traffic cop the company that always provided the best response times was Green Flag by a huge margin. AA and RAC were the worst, which surprised me. Green Flag would always send out their nearest garage agency and they (according to one I spoke with) have very stringent response times. If they failed to meet them they were removed from Green Flags agency list 

I have breakdown cover until March when my car reaches 3 years of age. I will try and renew my warranty with Mazda (which will have breakdown included) if not then it wil, without a doubt be Green Flag I go for. 

Andy


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## philoaks (Sep 2, 2008)

GMJ said:


> PS I'v not worked for a .Gov business re: CSMA...what about being a teacher would that qualify do you think?:smile2:


A good friend who was a teacher (now retired) failed to get into CSMA based on being a teacher but when he mentioned that, in his student days, he had worked as a temp in the Post Office sorting office one Christmas, he was welcomed with open arms :smile2:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

GMJ said:


> Anyone ever had occasion to use these?
> 
> They seem very competitive....
> 
> ...


Annual membership is just £22 and to join you must simply be a current or past Civil Service employee (including organisations with their roots in the Civil Service such as the Post Office and BT) or be a relative of a current CSMA Club member.

I worked for Royal Mail for a week and qualified.

You get Motor Legal Expenses cover from LV= worth £24.90 as soon as you join - saving the cost of membership instantly!

There used to be a list of qualifiers, can't find it now, but would have thought teaching would be on there though.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

I thought that RAC membership covered the driver for any vehicle? So if your motorhome is with the RAC are you covered as a the driver of your car?


We took out our RAC membership through the C&CC as it was the only way to cover our elderly motorhome. It is called RAC Arrival. We have had occasion to use it a couple of times and they have been excellent. As I say the driver is covered and is also covered if a passenger in another car.


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## SunsetLancs (Mar 11, 2014)

Depends if you want recovery or repair. We were with Green Flag/Direct Line for many years, they were quick to respond and would change a wheel but anything more complicated they would just recover you. They tend to use local garages, therefore quick to respond but no interest in repairing anything more complicated, more profit in recovery?

I have swopped to the AA (although the RAC have the same recommendation) as they want to repair the car if they can rather than recover you. I swopped after hearing other's experiences. It was worthwhile as last year my daughter had brake problems with her car 100 miles from home. The AA man replaced a faulty rear wheel brake cylinder, including then bleeding the brakes, so that she could drive home. She had to pay for the brake cylinder and the new brake shoes (fluid had leaked on to them) - he even changed the shoes on the other wheel so they were "matched"! Labour was free of course. Saved me a job when she got home!

Yes you do have to bargain with them each year but that seems to be the norm nowadays, as said before no reward for valued customers. At least when I rang up I got through quite quickly and soon reached an amicable settlement.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Sorry to bump this up again but can anyone advise on what the differences are between the AAA and Green Flag?

By this I don't mean the different levels of cover but any differences for equivalent levels of cover between the 2?

In terms of price would I be comparing like for like at each cover level or am I missing something glaring?

ta

Graham:smile2:


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

No Graham but if you go to their web sites they detail what you get.

I found the easiest way to get cover was to upgrade our bank account to one which gave us both full holiday insurance (up to 80 yrs of age), AA breakdown/ recovery for any vehicle we drive and a few other things like phone cover etc. for £17 per month.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

I just wanted to check that I was comparing like for like...or if anyone had been caught out on this (i.e. thinking it was a comparable service but then finding it that it wasnt!)

ta

Graham:smile2:


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

UPDATE

I just got my AA renewal and they wanted £255 :xcensoredx:

We did the usual discussion '2 step' and the price came down to £165 however I wont be renewing as I got Green Flag for 50 quid cheaper.

Shame as their Gold membership cards look really smart this year but tbh I don't use the service anyway (tempting fate I know!) plus if we are not happy I'll get requotes for next year and no doubt they will have an introductory offer on :grin2:

So that's the utilities switched (c.£300 saving); recovery (£50) switched; and in Jan it will be the bank account which will hopefully net c.£500 in cashbacks and interest :grin2:

Graham :smile2:


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

GMJ said:


> UPDATE
> 
> I just got my AA renewal and they wanted £255 :xcensoredx:
> 
> ...


Well done! Isn't it such a blooming faf though! How much does it cost for these utilities and other companies to keep closing accounts and opening new ones. It is us paying for all this in the end


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Im with Autoaid now. https://www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/ Its only £42 a year and its brilliant. Covers me for any vehicle I am in (Does not include the scooter or motorhome though).

The difference is sometimes you have to pay the recovery company and claim it back, sometimes you dont. Once I had to fill out a simple form and send in the receipt but there were no issues. This can work in your favour though as if you wish you can just call your own garage who will come out, recover and / or fix the car and you just send Autoaid the bill for recovery. Not sure if they just pick whoever the nearest and quickest is but they have always been pretty fast.


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