Nationwide quite happy to leave you stranded

[Kirsten]

Many years ago I arrived at the house of a [male ] friend ; 3 of us had been asked to dine there. He was slightly dippy, when I got there there was an AA van on the drive; host explained dinner might be delayed as a fuse had gone [IN THE HOUSE] and he had 'phoned the AA to say he had no lights. The poor AA man had arrived expecting to fix a car and he had been blagged into fixing the house lights so we could have our meal.

 

[Yorick]

Unfortunately, Green Flag don’t appear to offer EUROPEAN cover.

Unless you know different?

If so, they would be our first choice.

Green Flag insured me in Europe for 15 years. They repatriated my motorcycle to UK once and gave us a hire car. And they recovered the camper twice

 

[tonyidle]

43 years and counting. Never had a breakdown (I couldn't sort) and never taken out breakdown cover (yet). Do you think I'm pushing my luck?

 

[The Dotties]

43 years and counting. Never had a breakdown (I couldn't sort) and never taken out breakdown cover (yet). Do you think I'm pushing my luck?

Get a lottery ticket. Quick!!

 

[ChrisL]

Quite a few years ago we did a gig at a girls boarding school for the PTA, and after the gig I found that the transit van with all our kit, PA, amps speakers lights etc. was stuck in the playing field behind the sports hall where it had been parked, the RAC came out and towed me off with no issues, except I don't think the Headmistress was very happy with the tram lines we left in her field .

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[Rapido925M]

Eldest son slid his car into a field late one Sat night approx 20y ago.

RAC contacted a local recovery company who brought the totally wrecked vehicle back home BUT charged £80 for getting it out of the field.

Gordon

 

[pappajohn]

AA do contract out, my brother was the director of the 4th biggest recovery company in the country until he retired. They subbed into the AA all the time he was there.

Not 20 year ago they didn't.
If you were in the AA and needed help the nearest depot was York.... 40 miles away.
To this day you won't see a local AA van in Scarborough.... The biggest coastal town between the humber and the tees.
I would think a local agent would be more economical..... We only got paid per job, not on retention to the clubs.
Out of interest who was the 4th biggest b/down company?

 

[Gooney]

In 1968 / 69 I worked on a night breakdown service (5pm TIL 2am) we did sub contract work for the AA, RAC, Police work removing crashed vehicles and in the case of fatilites removing vehicles to the police compound apart from any other breakdown work from non motoring association drivers.

 

[G-RMPS]

Gosh, reading this I am grateful that our breakdown cover was enough to retract our broken awning in France last year. Arguably not a breakdown, and certainly no “recovery” needed.

 

[tjay]

I have been with Autoaid for two years + now and have no complaints, we have full personal cover (covers both wife and I in any car)
Last year My volvo timing belt bus at 70mph, recovery truck with us in 55 mins and recovered us home that night, took car away and delivered to the garage I use next morning.
Was out with son in his auto box packed in ! we had a repeat of the above with no problem.
That impressed bought the same cover for son and daughter in law as part of their Christmas.
Best part of all it only cost £49.50 per year (UK only)

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[Jagtazman]

I’ve always assumed that by default accident cover was or is not covered by breakdown insurance cover ? Two entirely different things ...

Yup
Unfortunately OP is referring to an accident not breakdown

 

[RandallC]

Re Nationwide Cover:

As I use this for car and scooter (MH 0.5m too long) in UK & Europe and was a bit concerned by some of the comments had another look at the T&Cs.

Suggest everyone who uses/depends on Nationwide should read them:



However Section E general conditions of service is quite clear in para 6 in the event of an RTA your first call is to your insurance company if they can't/won't/whatever help, Nationwide will.

Was surprised to find that although the cover is personal and covers each joint account holder, the vehicle registered to the account holder (or joint) is also covered even when not present providing driven by an authorised insured driver.

You have to be clear in the difference between accident and breakdown. Any form of RTA is an insurance claim, stuck in a ditch for instance. Gets a bit wooly me thinks with things like hitting a pothole and wrecking wheel & tyre.

So what's the general view on this?

Have the breakdown organisations like AA, RAC, Green flag etc refused to attend an RTA and vice versa any insurance companies left you feeling abandoned.

 

[RandallC]

bump

 

[davebav]

I rely on Nationwide. They recovered my Renault on a flatbed 150 miles home when the front brake caliper failed. Prompt and efficient. They also cover my scooter when in Spain as well as the van.

 

[JaG]

We have been with ADAC since 2011. I love discussing it with the AA reps at their locations.
"Do you cover 8.25m caravan for 365 days a year on the continent?"
"No," they say.
"That's OK because we are with ADAC in Berlin, with 365 days European cover," we say.
"Ah, that's all very well but what happens when you break down in the UK?", they say
WE CALL YOU, because you are contracted with them...and walk away.
Not sure how Brexit will affect it yet though, but that is a different subject.

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[JonP]

sorry but have to disagree Lenny . I had all singing all dancing RAC last year . But when avoiding a pile up ,l got a puncture and had a slight get together with the central crash barrier
Called the RAC to be told not covered in the event of needing recovery.
They would attend to change the wheel but nothing else.

We manage to get to the hard shoulder ,and change the wheel ourselves.
The patrol when he arrived also thought we were covered .

After sending them a recording of the call when I joined and the call from the roadside I eventually received a full refund

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We had a flat battery on a forestry site and used our Nationwide cover to start us

 

[Wildbill]

Unfortunately, Green Flag don’t appear to offer EUROPEAN cover.

Unless you know different?

If so, they would be our first choice.

Think you can get it through the caravan club I did when I was a member
bill

 

[Wildbill]

You can't even get the RAC when you brake down I have bean let down two times now by them and I left my lights on my car when we were out shopping a few weeks ago.
The call centre operative told me five hrs till they could get a patrol to me.
I called a taxi and the taxi driver gave me a jump start
bill

 

[paulhelenwilko]

We use C&MC Mayday breakdown cover (Green Flag). It is UK only, but covers the MoHo and any car my wife or I are driving or are passengers in. (Option to cover any other vehicle registered to your address as well ).

For £134 I consider it good value having just looked at other policies. The CCC policy with the RAC seems to be more expensive but does have EU cover for extra £94 ish.

We have always found Green Flag to give good service, for instance we were using the Mother in laws car one day when the clutch went. Green Flag recovered us home and came back the next day to take the car to the garage once we had decided which one gave the best quote.

When abroad we have used Red Pennant from the C&MC. Unfortunately we have had to call on their services a few times. It is a great help being able to speak to a English speaker back in the uk who gets everything sorted (including the hotels). We actually used them as a translation service between us and the garage mechanic so that we both understood each other ! Couldn't fault them, and they paid the labour at the garage, we paid for parts.

Another point worth considering we have our transit based MoHo serviced every year at a Ford Main Dealer (Just an Oil Service - about £120) and with this you get European breakdown cover for free !
I guess it just is a tow to the nearest Ford Dealer but it's worth considering or keeping in your back pocket if your breakdown doesn't show. Fiat and Mercedes may offer similar ?

Paul

 

[55149]

After sending them a recording of the call when I joined and the call from the roadside I eventually received a full refund

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Recording such calls sounds like a good plan. Were you recording a land line or a mobile? Only ask as seems easy enough to record a land line but never worked out how to record while conversing on a mobile. If you have an app for the mobile record function I’d love to know.

(please folks only interested in the tech side of recording not a lecture on the legal side)

C

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[jollyrodger]

Recording such calls sounds like a good plan. Were you recording a land line or a mobile? Only ask as seems easy enough to record a land line but never worked out how to record while conversing on a mobile. If you have an app for the mobile record function I’d love to know.

(please folks only interested in the tech side of recording not a lecture on the legal side)

C

I use a free android app from apstore
ACR

Have it on a phone and phablet .you can switch on/off d-l & save delete etc ect .not had any problems and definitely came in handy a few times especially when bluetooth hands free driving and can play back anytime .
Hope that helps

 

[55149]

It does. Thank you. I’ll check it out.