Breakdown insurance - older car

[johnsco]

For some years I've insured with Churchill and have bought the add-on breakdown insurance for myself and favourite wife.
Problem is that I read they cover us for breakdowns in any car under 16 years old.
My E300TD will cross that threshold in January next year.
I do about 20k per year.
Present mileage on car is 212k.
Mrs J's E430 does about 10k per year.
Mileage on hers is 154k.

Any thoughts / recommendations would be appreciated.
Current renewal from Churchill is £89.04 ... That's with 4 years no-call-out discount.

 

[Dieselman]

Aviva. All my cars are covered as I now have personal cover, but did have 24 year old cars on there.
I now have active Mobilo cover as well. (Not for the 300)

Just go for the personal cover as it covers you and your Wife in any car.

 

[V12]

We're with Autoaid now. £39 a year for a couple. Covers us rather than limiting to certain vehicles. Very handy for me as I'm in and out of dozens of cars all the time.

I've not needed to use it yet but it does have some great feedback online.

 

[johnsco]

Thanks for the advice.
I'll check it out.
What a wonderful Forum this is !!

 

[flango]

Thanks for the advice.
I'll check it out.
What a wonderful Forum this is !!

RAC personal cover for 3 of us any car including Homestart, Full Recovery, European cover £7.46 per month, I couldn't find anything close for the money.

 

[johnsco]

The best I could get from Aviva was £69
(Less than Churchill at £89).
I went for Autoaid which appears to provide everything that Churchill were offering at an excellent price of £39.
It's provided by Equity Red Star and appears to offer all we want.
Personal cover for the two of us in any car that we're ever likekly to drive.
I've not gone for the European option ... But it appears to offer everything else.

I've also got a reduced quotation (by £50) from Aviva for my fully-comp on the E300TD.
I'm going to seek one or two other alternative quotes for both of us.

 

[IanA2]

Try RescueMyCar.com My G and GS are covered as an add on with NFU, but the SL is covered by RMC. A tad under £30pa.

 

[johnsco]

Thanks Ian.
I've done the deed now with Autoaid

 

[Dieselman]

Thanks Ian.
I've done the deed now with Autoaid

Does that work on you pay and they reimburse you, or do they cover the cost directly.

I was with Admiral and had to use them twice in two different cars. Once for a new to me car with a dodgy battery which died on a trip, the other for corroded brake pipe leaking fluid.
Both times the service was excellent, response in about 40 minutes, both turning up with a recovery lorry.

 

[Dieselman]

I've also got a reduced quotation (by £50) from Aviva for my fully-comp on the E300TD.
I'm going to seek one or two other alternative quotes for both of us.

So far I've found Aviva to be very good and currently have 5 cars and two lots of breakdown cover with them, all covering for full business use.

Some years ago I had an issue with an unsettled claim that caused me to have to declare zero NCD.
It took three years to get the claim settled, but when it was NU (as it was then) refunded me the extra premiums they had charged, which amounted to over £1200, as well as giving me a new renewal price £400 cheaper.

 

[johnsco]

The Autoaid works like this.
You pay any repair / recovery/ accommodation /other allowed costs.
You submit the receipts.
They reimburse.
Check out their web site.
It's all there.

Regarding the fully-comp for Mrs. J and self ... So far - Aviva appear favourite.
Saga are less than Churchill but more than Aviva.
I'm going to check out LV and Admiral later today.
I'll let you know where I end up.

I'm definitely leaving Churchill.
The degree of unhelpfulness when I got rammed by a boy-racer in Bradford was spectacular.
They have still not restored my NCB, and I'm less than happy.

In 48 years of driving (cars + motor-cycles), the only thing I've ever cost my insurers is one windscreen claim.
OK - It could change tomorrow.
Here I am (in my late 60s) with a restricted NCB.
Something wrong here.

 

[V12]

I moved from Churchill to Aviva some years ago and never looked back.
My E320CDI was written off (not at fault) and Churchill were useless. Eventually got paid out after about 6 months but excess (£1000) wasn't re paid until 5 years later.

Admittedly this year i've moved over to swiftcover as they were substantially cheaper than Aviva. Up until last renewal, Aviva had always been cheapest despite using multiple price comparison websites.

 

[johnsco]

Well - It's been an interesting evening, and I've saved quite a bit of cash on insurance renewals:

1. Breakdown Cover. My existing policy was for personal cover for Mrs J and self with Churchill ... Renewal premium (with 4 years NCD) was to be £89.04
Aviva offered same cover at £68.90
Autoaid offered same cover at £39.
I didn't look any further.
Saving ... £50

2. Fully comp for self for E300TD for SDP + Business use (20k miles pa)
6 years NCD Excess £300 No NCD protection or any extras
Churchill renewal premium was £360.40
Aviva offered £311 for similar
SAGA offered £351 for similar
Swiftcover offered £349 for similar
LV offered £259.65
BINGO ... A saving of £100

3. Fully comp for Mrs J for E430 for SDP (10k miles pa)
9 years NCD Excess £600 Includes NCD protection and no other extras
Churchill renewal premium was £276.66
LV offered £205.31 for similar but with a lesser excess (£300 I think)
BINGO ... A saving of £71.

It was a bit of a pain trawling thru the various sites, but a total saving of £221 is a good saving for 3 hours work ... An hourly rate of £74 per hour.

And ... Bye Bye Churchill

Thanks for all your advice.
Hope this feed-back helps other Forum members.

 

[Dieselman]

a total saving of £221 is a good saving for 3 hours work ... An hourly rate of £74 per hour.

I bet that's not as quick as Mrs J. can spend the saving.

 

[johnsco]

Or half as quick as she can drive the E430.

 

[jonthetourist]

A bit of lateral thinking that might help anyone in the same position.

Packaged bank accounts are always poor value, except one. Nationwide Flexplus joint account gives you travel insurance, breakdown cover (Europe-wide, no age limit) and mobile phone insurance for two people, for £10 a month. All policies rated 5 star by defaqto. Not the least of the advantages is one company to deal with, and one phone number.

Seems great value to me, as the owner of a 22-year-old car.

Jon

 

[johnsco]

Thanks Jon-T-T.
For me that would not be attractive.
I'm the only person you know who doesn't carry a mobile phone ... although Mrs J carries a cheapish one.
Travel insurance is something we've looked at and decided it was not really worth the hassle.
The health questionnaire caused me to lose the will to live.

My last two trips abroad have been two-day business trips to Germany and I have not bothered with insurance.
We've tended to holiday in the UK for the past 8 years.

For both of us, the breakdown insurance with personal cover was only £39 for the year ... and that was the real attraction.