Which breakdown cover??

[Cymruambyth]

I`m with Rescue...I have all breakdown cover (no parts or labour) except european and pay £36 per year.

 

[PenelopePitstop]

Nationwide Flexaccount might be the solution. £10 per month fee but it includes full European breakdown and recovery with no age limit on the vehicle. Cover is personal too so applies to any vehicle you are travelling in. Fortunately have not needed to use it yet. I understand they use Britannia rescue as service provider.

I used them for recovery once. Call picked up straight away and got help in 20 minutes, local guy subcontracting for Britannia. Much better then previous experience with AA and RAC when I had to wait 1-1.5h for help.

Car that was recovered was around 30y old. Guy tried to fix it without success so it was towed to the garage, which was conveniently one street away. At least car knew where to break down ;-)

 

[AMGeed]

That's interesting, but will they cough up £500 towards a new SCB pump?

No.

 

[Huw 800S]

I've been paying £39.76 per month for AA breakdown, relay and parts and labour (max £500 per claim) cover for 2 cars. That adds up to £477.12 per year and £199 of that is the parts and labour cover.

SWMBO's car is a Nissan Quashqi so we probably don't need the parts and labour for that one, it only does 3,000 miles a year.

Mine, on the other hand is a 2004 E270cdt with 180k miles on the clock and I do c15,000 mile a year.

What do you think guys, stick with the AA cover I have, drop the parts and labour or change to another company?

PS: my SCB pump is the original one fitted at the factory when the car was new and I don't like the thought of a £1,000 bill if it packs up.

Are you sure you are covered with 180k on the clock. I thought it was only cars up to 15 years and 150k?

 

[The Mirror Man]

Are you sure you are covered with 180k on the clock. I thought it was only cars up to 15 years and 150k?

I phoned them with details of the change of car to a 2004 E270 with 180,000 on the clock and they were fine with it.

 

[st13phil]

I'd never had breakdown cover until an incident in 1992.

I was travelling on the M11 on a motorcycle when the oil filter o-ring decided to let go and dump the contents of the sump. The plume of oil smoke in the mirrors was enough to tell me that something had gone nastily wrong, so I grabbed the clutch and hit the engine kill switch as I coasted onto the hard shoulder. It was then that I learned that if you don't have breakdown cover, you are obliged to pay a hefty fixed fee for the tow off the motorway.

The bike was under warranty and had recently been dealer serviced. The reason the oil filter o-ring let go is because the fitter who changed the filter didn't remove the original one before fitting the new filter Fortunately the dealer took everything on the chin - including reimbursing the full cost of the recovery - but that was my lesson learned, and I have since maintained AA membership as despite both Angie and I owning Mercedes-Benz cars, Mobilo don't cover Honda motorcycles

 

[Huw 800S]

I phoned them with details of the change of car to a 2004 E270 with 180,000 on the clock and they were fine with it.

Happy days. I had two new rear struts off them on my W221. Well worth the outlay

 

[Dryce]

That's interesting, but will they cough up £500 towards a new SCB pump?

Have you done the maths on this?

AIUI from your posts you're apparently coughing £480 a year for recovery and insurance that will give a £500 repair contribution.

 

[Alps]

Mobilio here too, called them out 3 times since owning the car, oil leak, puncture(mrs driving) and broken door lock.

no they wont pay for parts but arrived promptly and know what they are doing as they are manufacturer specific.

 

[Rory]

I've been paying £39.76 per month for AA breakdown, relay and parts and labour (max £500 per claim) cover for 2 cars. That adds up to £477.12 per year and £199 of that is the parts and labour cover.

When you renewed after the first year did you try and negotiate a better deal? I've read of varying results with some people getting big reductions and others being stone-walled.

I took the AA breakdown and £500 repairs cover last year when I stopped using the dealer for servicing but the cost was mitigated by a £75 fuel offer. Apparently it's quite normal for people to swap from AA to RAC each year to take the introductory offers.

 

[Rory]

Mobilio here too, called them out 3 times since owning the car, oil leak, puncture(mrs driving) and broken door lock.

At what age did they happen? They're all things (perhaps except the oil leak, depending on how severe) that look iffy for coverage once the car is 3yrs old, if it was registered before April 2008.

My dealer has this guide linked on their website:

https://www.mercedes-benz.inchcape....hash=C37D62AD65FAECAF9DFFA4A892B405FBF250CD69

 

[GLK]

I too have Mobilo or Mercedes Roadside Assistance as they call it now, which for an 11-yr old car is pretty good, I think.

Had to use them once, earlier this year - OSF wheel bearing seal gave up, sensor went nuts, ESP kicked in and limited the car to 30mph (on a DCW) ...

I must say, my normal scepticism towards any 'free' service, offered by a large corp was completely dispelled - excellent service, free taxi home ("can we de-tour and pick up my wife from her office?" - "certainly sir!" ), courtesy GLA delivered to my home that same evening - absolutely cannot fault a single aspect of the whole experience.

Just renewed my Service Care Plan for the next three years (B-A-B), so will continue to rely on Mobilo.

 

[Rory]

Just renewed my all-singing all-dancing AA cover but I had a bit of a shock when the renewal letter arrived and they wanted £345!!

Called and without much discussion they offered same as I paid last year - £222, although that cost was mitigated by a £75 introductory fuel voucher and I couldn't get them to budge further.

Was tempted to switch to RAC but to get that cheaper would mean faffing with a cashback site and I don't seem to see RAC vans much, whereas AA vans seem much more prevalent. Family members have used the AA on a couple of occasions recently and it's worked well.

 

[ampwhu]

before you buy breakdown, use a different address (second house or family's or something) then when you car break down outside your house, they will class it as roadside recovery and you don't have to pay for the home start element, saving you a few quid.

been doing this for 29 years!

my mothers house is where my breakdown cover is registered!