Skip to main content

'I saved cash with new roadside recovery plan': Best route for motorists to avoid rising costs of vehicle breakdown

With the half-term school holidays approaching and millions of motorists planning to set off on long journeys with the family, cover against a roadside breakdown is essential.

But motorists should also keep a close watch on the cost of renewing existing breakdown cover – especially if they are with the AA.  

One Mail on Sunday reader saw her annual AA renewal surge by £18 to £198. She was shocked by the fact that her plan, which covers roadside breakdown and home assistance, cost almost £200 – especially when she discovered that new customers applying online are offered the same AA cover for just £99.  

Economy drive: Javey Botha saved cash with a car and motorcycle deal

The reader, who did not want to be named, says: ‘The woman who answered the phone at the AA admitted the firm had been inundated with calls about the price rises. But when I complained, she immediately offered to cut the price to £104 and was incredibly apologetic.’

When The Mail on Sunday contacted the AA it said it ‘offers these lower prices from time to time to attract new customers, rather than spending large sums on advertising’. 

  More... It's been months since a car crashed into my garden, so why won't my insurer Aviva pay for the damage? Majority think drivers over the age of 66 should have to retake their driving test to prove they are safe on the road ASK TONY: I was snowed in ... and my claim was frozen out Can you get a better deal? Get a car insurance quote

A spokeswoman added that our reader was given a £94 discount because she had been a loyal member for ten years and had hardly used the service.

She said any customers unhappy with a renewal quote should ‘always contact us as we might be able to do something’.

WHICH TYPE OF ROAD RESCUE COVER IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Providers like to boast about the size of their repair fleets, response times and the number of callouts allowed each year. 

Claimed response times are similar at about 30 to 40 minutes. Most allow five or six callouts a year before charging, though a few, such as GEM Motoring Assist, are unlimited.

More likely to influence your choice is the level of cover and price. Scott Kelly, head of motor at Gocompare, says: ‘There are lots of policies available from many providers, so it’s important to find the right one for you, your vehicle and your budget.’

Policies that cover only a specific vehicle and have fewer features will be the cheapest, but drivers who regularly use other vehicles, or are a passenger in someone else’s car, can opt for a scheme that covers the individual. Joint cover is also popular and this is where the AA comes out cheapest, at least for roadside cover only, at £70 a year, according to Gocompare.

Extra features are sometimes included by providers who shave costs by doing everything online. Kelly says: ‘With some services online you won’t get a membership card or even a letter, but you’ll get an email confirmation with your policy details and the number to call in case of an emergency.’

This includes Rescuemycar (the cheapest cover on Gocompare for the individual driver roadside-only cover at £37.90 and £48.90 including nationwide recovery, home assistance and onward). Rescuemycar differs from most others in that it offers variable pricing depending on the age of your car.

A vehicle-only plan with roadside, national recovery and home assistance is £23.90 for  a one-year-old motor but £10 more for an eight-year-old vehicle.

Some providers keep costs down by offering reclaim-only services. Kelly says: ‘This means you would have to pay the towing company, garage and any other bills, but you can then send these receipts away to your breakdown company who will reimburse you.’ 

AutoAid, which tends not to appear on comparison sites, charges £39 a year for a plan that covers the driver and spouse or civil partner for any vehicle for roadside, national recovery, home assistance and onward.   GEM’s reclaim policy is the cheapest cover (£85.25) to appear on Gocompare in the joint category for roadside, nationwide recovery, home assistance and onward.

Price increases at renewal should serve as a warning to all drivers who stay with a single breakdown insurer. At the very least they should compare deals elsewhere so they have the ammunition to negotiate with their current provider.

But shopping around and switching could earn even bigger savings, especially when cover costs as little as £18 a year for a basic roadside assistance plan and £29 for one  that also includes home assistance and a driver service for the vehicle and passengers.

Javey Botha, 37, looked for cheaper deals after he was quoted £90 from the AA to cover his Toyota Corolla and motorbike.

The school groundsman, from Weybridge, Surrey, chose a roadside recovery plan from the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) for just £29.

ETA donates part of each premium to the Environmental Trust and uses profits to campaign for sustainable transport.

Javey says: ‘I like to do things that support the environment – we try to be environmentally friendly at the school too. With this policy I can do that and I saved money.’

ETA says that by tapping into a network of mechanics local to breakdowns, rather than operating its own fleet of vehicles, it is not only supporting local businesses, but is greener because there is less travel.

But check you are not about to double up with insurance. Toyota includes roadside assistance for the vehicle and driver on new cars for the first 12 months. Vauxhall offers cover on the vehicle (and for whoever drives it with the owner’s permission) for 12 months in a deal with the AA.

And it’s worth checking any extras with your current account. NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland’s Select Platinum packaged accounts (costing £16 a month) offer free breakdown cover from Green Flag. Nationwide’s FlexPlus (£10 a month) has a tie-up with Britannia Rescue.

Some motor insurance plans also include free cover, such as M&S’s Premier Cover, which includes European and UK breakdown insurance.

The Post Office is offering free cover to new customers of its car insurance (up to age 49) until the end of September.

Some motor insurers offer discounts for those also buying a breakdown plan. For example, a vehicle-only UK recovery and home assistance plan (also covering onward travel if necessary) with LV= would cost £85 bought alone but £64 if taken with its motor policy.  

One of the cheapest ways to buy a breakdown plan is through a cashback site such as Topcashback or Quidco. At the time of writing buyers of breakdown cover from providers including the AA, RAC and Green Flag could get significant cash refunds – as much as £60 on an annual plan of £151 or more with The AA – by buying through Topcashback.

Another route to low-cost cover is through Tesco Clubcard vouchers. If you have £18 worth you can buy a £30 annual roadside policy online from RAC.

Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o