Start Rescue beat Autoaid and Brittania in Whch. But I’m not sure if the Nationwide cover is a slimmed down version of A A.

The new cover with AA seems to have so many loopholes. Just need recovery to my indie whenever the Van breaks down, which Brittania had no problems with .

Last Thursdays Rip off Britain featured a motorist that had hit the kerb with his low profile tyres and was refused by the RAC because it was damage he had caused.

He was paying £28 a month and received this response when he made a request. But it took three hours for the RAC to cone to this decision.

Its stories like this that explain how these recovery services respond , but it’s usually too late to get assistance.

Looks like I will be returning to the AA under my Nationwide Flexplus cover but the AA trust pilot reviews are atrocious. Mostly long delays in turning up .

Are they really that bad ?

Still with Start Rescue, real people whose language skills are excellent, they do a discount for NHS via the blue light card, both cars covered, both drivers plus the EU addon, which was a discounted extra policy..

Stll lovely people to deal with.

Only ever used once,the Venga in 2018 and very prompt, even coming into the hospital carpark..

Like Big John, I’ve swapped my Start membership for Nationwide Flex plus in order to qualify for their Travel insurance.

But along with the travel insurance comes with breakdown cover from the AA .

Hearing yesterday of a friend in his eighties left stranded on the roundabout at junction 15 for three hours makes me wonder what response i will have. Once the motorway police saw the situation they arranged to pull the car to safety from one of the busiest motorway junctions.

And understanding the relay system that AA work to brings some concern. Friends had a steering power steering motor fail at the ferry terminal and AA agreed to receiver them to their home in Northamptonshire.

It is then you realise that the journey is limited to three hour slots. Maybe because this is the limit that non HGV drivers can travel ?

So first stop Dartford depot and a wait of two hours. Similar stop at Toddington and then Northampton .
All in all the journey took from 7 in the morning to 8 in the evening.

Is this just an isolated case or do the AA operate a two tier service , one for actual customers and another for those gaining entitlement through third parties such as car warranty companies.

This relay system might have something to do with drivers hours of work.

HGV recovery drivers when operating within a certain radius don't have to adhere to HGV drivers hours so i'm told, beyond that radius they do, sensible really when the full outfit when towing can be 100ft long and weighing 60+ tons all in.

I don't know if car recovery vehicles are subject to similar restrictions.

I've renewed with Autoaid, they've now put a £25 excess on older cars payable at the time of breakdown, but unless one is very unlucky its still cheaper than most alternatives...what the service will be like in the event of a breakdown i hope never to discover.

Edited by gordonbennet on 01/04/2023 at 12:19