Car Breakdown Cover

[dipseydiva]

Hi everyone, just a little rant. Number 2 daughter bought car breakdown cover online, well paperwork came on Saturday and I was looking through it, and guess what, breakdown cover is only in the case of a breakdown NOT in the case of a motor accident. What the use is that. This is a well known company not a small cheap affair. She will be on the phone in the morning to cancel her policy.

[Starchild]

In the even of a motor accident then the Police usually sort out recovery.

[Shortie]

Hhmmm we were miffed a few years go when my Dad and I were in a smash on the motorway. Dad was covered with a very well known company at the time so we called them to be recoverd. The Police told us they had a legal obligation to be with us within 45 mins (or something similar) as it was a motorway recovery. So there we sat on a cold Novemeber morning in shock and pain just wanting to get home. An hour, and then an hour and a half later we checked and they were nowhere near us.

It turned out that Dad had free cover through his insurance so we told the paid cover wher to stuff it, and their mmbership and we were recovered 15 mins later by a much smaller company

It might be worth seeing if your daughter can have it added for less to her insurance policy?

[shirlthegirl43]

I have always understood breakdown cover to be exactly that. Any accident recovery should be in your insurance policy.

[dipseydiva]

In the event of an accident, breakdown companies do not want to know, they only deal with breakdowns - fair enough. However, insurance companies will gladly pick up your car and take it to a garage but do not offer a service whereby they pick you and your passengers and take you either onward or home, which can be offered on a breakdown policy. Some will try to arrange a hire car others will reimburse taxi/train fares but after an accident where even if not hurt you could well be shaken why can they not offer the same service as after a breakdown. If you dont believe me read the small print on your policy.

[Shortie]

Maybe my Dad had quite a comprehensive insurance cover then as we were picked up, car on the falt bed and us in the cabin all the way back home which was a good 3 hours away.

It was the police who told us who call our breakdown cover though, so we just took what they said, and when we phoned them they didn't say they wouldn't come out, they just put us in the queue.... They knew it was an accident too as we told them so straight away and they knew they needed a flat bed as the car was a write-off

[Two_Sheds]

Car Breakdown Cover - mmm, I guess there's a clue in the title.


We got caught out with our car insurance last year. There was a small clause that said we weren't insured if we crashed on the way to work. So ... we crashed on the way to Tesco instead