Car recovery companies

For years we have been with the RAC and just coughing up for peace of mind.
I recently heard tales that they can keep you waiting for well over six hours, also that Green Flag was much cheaper and better. So we decided to move to green flag.

Looked at our rac membership and found it renews on the 22nd of this month.
Rang membership to say we wouldn’t be renewing.
They immediately offered to knock off £150 , so we have got the same cover for 75 quid
Can’t understand how these companies work.

I always recommend Autoaid - with a number of older vehicles I have tested the service fully from a classic car to a van pulling a caravan and always had excellent and very quick recovery. Better than some horror stories from family and friends with the big boys. It's a reasonable price with none of this hassle negotiating. I've probably been with them 20 years now it just renews and I don't need to worry about it.

That’s good to hear. I’ve just moved to Autoaid on the recommendation of Martin Lewis. Not had to use them yet but very good price.

Another vote for Autoaid. We've been with them for years and on the few occasions we've called them out it's worked well. Much cheaper than AA/RAC as well.

We were on a group motorbike weekend recently and one of the riders got a bad puncture. We tried to repair it at the side of the road, but it was too big and the plugs were just being ejected at speed when the tyre was pumped up. He and his pillion said that the rest of us should carry on as he had RAC cover and they'd sort him out.

He rang they RAC, told them he had a big bike (BMW 1600cc thing) and that we'd tried to repair the puncture but it was too big for a plug and that he'd need a heavy duty trailer for recovery. They sent out a man with a plug kit, who proceeded to try to fit the plug and, shockingly, found that it was ejected as soon as the tyre was pumped up (who knew?!). He contacted head office and told them what had happened and again emphasised the size of the bike. The RAC sent out a van with a trailer... that wasn't rated to take the weight of the bike. The RAC then spoke to the guy who by now had been on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere with his wife for several hours and said "is it alright if we send someone out to collect the bike tomorrow?". I wasn't there but I imagine a few choice words were chosen.

In the end, having broken down at 2pm, he made it to the hotel at 3am. Thankfully there were lots of people who stopped to check him & his wife were okay, offering food and drinks etc and someone from a local village even offered them a bed for the night if they needed it. Restores your faith in humanity a little but he certainly won't be renewing his RAC membership next year.

Here in Spain all car and bike insurance has to cover recovery, you generally only wait for the recovery for between 15 and 30 minutes.
You tell them where to take the car or bike

Lurker said:

For years we have been with the RAC and just coughing up for peace of mind.
I recently heard tales that they can keep you waiting for well over six hours, also that Green Flag was much cheaper and better. So we decided to move to green flag.

Looked at our rac membership and found it renews on the 22nd of this month.
Rang membership to say we wouldn’t be renewing.
They immediately offered to knock off £150 , so we have got the same cover for 75 quid
Can’t understand how these companies work.

Click to expand...

Wow Lurker even that sounds expensive to me though it depends on your level of cover.

I've been with Britannia rescue for a few years, part of the Allianz group. I've never had to call them out so can't vouch for the service but I have national cover on my car with personal cover added to cover me or my wife in any car so if she's alone in her Mini she's covered as well. Due to renew this October so will see but £42.16 total this year and the same last year.

Wow!
S

I used to be with Green Flag & can’t fault them at all, my old transporter broke down near Boston they were out to me in no time at all, loaded on to a low loader & bought home, excellent fast service.
I’m with the RAC at the mo but only because my new van came with 5 years free cover.