dorsetfreelander wrote:

I am old enough to remember that AA and RAC patrolmen (on their motorbike and side car) would salute you if you had their badge displayed on your car. You also had a key to the AA and RAC phone boxes. Things have changed a bit.

A school friend of mine joined the RAC as a motorcycle and sidecar patrolman in the 1960s and signed up all his mates including me to join the RAC. I've been with them ever since but as I have never had to call them out I don't know if they are any good!

J

devondave wrote:

dorsetfreelander wrote:

I am old enough to remember that AA and RAC patrolmen (on their motorbike and side car) would salute you if you had their badge displayed on your car. You also had a key to the AA and RAC phone boxes. Things have changed a bit.

I was told that if they failed to salute you it meant there was a Police/ Speed Check further down the road.
Any truth in it.

blueboy wrote:

I have been with Auto-aid for about 3 years, called them when my VW Transporter broke a driveshaft, they were with me within 40 mins loaded up my van & dropped it to the garage I use.

Couple of weeks ago my VW Caddy had a faulty injector, I called & they were with me within 50 mins (not bad for a Sunday)
Could not fix it so arranged to get it loaded up & taken 60 miles home along with me & my passenger.

Can't fault them at all, my renewal has just come in & its £59.99 so well happy with that.

I think its insurance based & use a network of garages obviously signed up to Auto-Aid. I guess depending where you are as to what garage gets the call.

I changed to Auto-Aid because AA was getting expensive, over a £100 & that was 3 or 4 years ago, my first premium was around £35 if I remember.

They are always quick to answer the phone & they organise things very quickly. When my Transporter broke the driveshaft it was on a roundabout (lucky for me not a busy one ) but they rang me every 10 minutes to update me on the progress of the breakdown truck & to check I was safe & ok. I really can't fault them.

I have personal cover so don't matter what vehicle I am in (I have 2 ) or a friends car would still be ok & if they can't fix it will get you home or to where you want to be. I think if you was going on holiday & you asked them to take you to the holiday destination & after a week said can you now take me home that would be a no no. 2014 Freelander 2 HSE Orkney Grey. Now sold.

I keep pushing the escape button but I am still here.

In the end I've stayed with Driver Guardian - £70 less 10% loyalty bonus for UK coverage. Called them out last year when oil filter thread went pouring oil everywhere - as it was a Saturday my Indy garage had already closed so I was brought home and they came back on the Monday to recover to the garage. Independent local recovery firm.
Declined their Europe cover at just over £100 as can't see we'll be heading there in next 12 months

blueboy wrote:

I have been with Auto-aid for about 3 years, called them when my VW Transporter broke a driveshaft, they were with me within 40 mins loaded up my van & dropped it to the garage I use.

Couple of weeks ago my VW Caddy had a faulty injector, I called & they were with me within 50 mins (not bad for a Sunday)
Could not fix it so arranged to get it loaded up & taken 60 miles home along with me & my passenger.

Can't fault them at all, my renewal has just come in & its £59.99 so well happy with that.

It seems now days that whatever break down service you have they are not interested or do not have the skills to do roadside repairs unless its a plug in diagnostics fix, most of the time you just get recoverd home or to a garage, few years ago the Wife broke down in a Defender she told them the water pump had gone and needed a replacement took 9 hours for the RAC to attend eventually recover the Defender home. Took me less than a hour to change the water pump Years ago patrol men got the spanners out and would have done this on the roadside, not any more. 2013 FL2 XS.
Defender 90 300 TDi.
Defender 90 300 TDi CSW.
1964 MGB Roadster.
1944 Willys MB "Jeep" with bullet holes. (gone)
17 hand Irish Drought Thoroughbred (mostly lame)
Nagging Old Boiler.

Mahatma Gandhi said if there is an Idiot in power those who elected him are well represented

FYI, if anyone is a member of the Caravan Club their Mayday scheme operated by Green Flag is very good value. I have the Freelander, Triumph Stag, Motorbike and the Caravan on our policy as well as personal cover for myself and my wife, so any vehicle we are driving or are a passenger in is covered with no size restrictions. We have home start and recovery and regards the caravan onwards journey and dual recovery. Basically should the car breakdown they will tow the caravan to the booked destination, then take the car to a garage for repair. If the car can't be repaired they will collect you and the caravan at the end of your stay and take you home (Caravan to it's storage site if necessary) then take the car to a garage within 15 miles of your home. Just renewed for £137, same as last year. I used them for the Motorbike last year when the immobiliser played up. They had a specialist Motorbike recovery van out to me in less than 40 minutes.

Re the RAC & AA they have always used subcontractors when they are busy. I know this as fact. Back in the 80's I had a second job driving for a South London breakdown company and was often sent out to Assist /Rescue RAC & AA members. 2007 TD4 XS The work horse that earns its up keep
2013 SD4 HSE The posh one for towing the caravan
1973 Triumph Stag I bought in 2009 and restored.

sid wrote:

blueboy wrote:

I have been with Auto-aid for about 3 years, called them when my VW Transporter broke a driveshaft, they were with me within 40 mins loaded up my van & dropped it to the garage I use.

Couple of weeks ago my VW Caddy had a faulty injector, I called & they were with me within 50 mins (not bad for a Sunday)
Could not fix it so arranged to get it loaded up & taken 60 miles home along with me & my passenger.

Can't fault them at all, my renewal has just come in & its £59.99 so well happy with that.

rac carry injectors,and if the patrol is out of stock he will call another patrol to help.

Rommel wrote:

It seems now days that whatever break down service you have they are not interested or do not have the skills to do roadside repairs unless its a plug in diagnostics fix, most of the time you just get recoverd home or to a garage, few years ago the Wife broke down in a Defender she told them the water pump had gone and needed a replacement took 9 hours for the RAC to attend eventually recover the Defender home. Took me less than a hour to change the water pump Years ago patrol men got the spanners out and would have done this on the roadside, not any more.

Bunch of wimps, about all you can get down under after a short trip is a bit of fuel. Maybe a tyre if you are lucky.

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