Breakdown cover championship: The AA against the RAC!
Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 5:07 pm
My car is just over 3 years old and less than 45K miles and had a fatal transmission failure which prevented the front wheels from turning, but that is another story that I will sort out with warranty. What I thought would interest you is that especially with winter coming, I had a very interesting experience trying to get the AA to recover my car all day long but didn't manage to, whilst the RAC got it done within 30 minutes!
Two yellow AA angels came out today. The first one said my car wouldn't fit on his trailer he got inside his van, the second said his flatbed truck wouldn't get to my car (although there was plenty of space for it) and called a third party specialist recovery company that wouldn't be covered with my policy. When the AA guy was on the phone with them, their conversation was VERY friendly, starting with football, going over the next Euromillions draw and other stuff I didn't get...on the sidelines he also mentioned that I needed some skids under my front wheels. After he left with a smile, I called the AA to check out which company it was, then I called that company to see how much it would cost me and they said "at least 150 Pounds, sir, but that is just a ballpark figure and could raise depending on how much work we need to do to recover your vehicle". I thought "bollocks, sod that - I am paying the ADAC European breakdown cover for a reason and its not to pay unnecessary specialist third party companies!!"
How lucky I am that banks and bike insurance had sold me all-in deals that are cheaper with RAC cover than without it and orange RAC angel number one and only came around, put my car on his trailer that is exactly the same way the AA one is and did in 30 minutes what the other guys didn't do in a day and wanted to skin me off for!
So if in doubt between Yellow and Orange, go Orange!
Two yellow AA angels came out today. The first one said my car wouldn't fit on his trailer he got inside his van, the second said his flatbed truck wouldn't get to my car (although there was plenty of space for it) and called a third party specialist recovery company that wouldn't be covered with my policy. When the AA guy was on the phone with them, their conversation was VERY friendly, starting with football, going over the next Euromillions draw and other stuff I didn't get...on the sidelines he also mentioned that I needed some skids under my front wheels. After he left with a smile, I called the AA to check out which company it was, then I called that company to see how much it would cost me and they said "at least 150 Pounds, sir, but that is just a ballpark figure and could raise depending on how much work we need to do to recover your vehicle". I thought "bollocks, sod that - I am paying the ADAC European breakdown cover for a reason and its not to pay unnecessary specialist third party companies!!"
How lucky I am that banks and bike insurance had sold me all-in deals that are cheaper with RAC cover than without it and orange RAC angel number one and only came around, put my car on his trailer that is exactly the same way the AA one is and did in 30 minutes what the other guys didn't do in a day and wanted to skin me off for!
So if in doubt between Yellow and Orange, go Orange!