Breakdown recovery company recommendations ?

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RogerS

Established Member
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In the eternally wet North
We've talked about this in the past and, like many others, we were with ABR (Auto Breakdown Recovery) but they got taken over recently by AutoAidBreakdown and based on the following I'm wondering whether it's time to ditch them.

18.00 yesterday broke down on M5 J17 bringing back the missus from a consultant appointment. Standing outside in the bitter cold on the other side of the barrier for safety is NOT recommended. She does not have very much surplus fat to keep her warm. Rang breakdown company. Told they'd get back to me.

18.42 No return call so rang breakdown company again to be given some rubbish about 'tried 15 companies' and 'no-one available for 2 and a half hours'. Told them not happy. They've recently been taken over. There's a surprise.

Walked down the hard shoulder in the bitter cold and drizzle, cars belting past, to find an emergency phone to see what other options we had. Very impressed with professionalism of Highways England. "Where are you" Do you have breakdown cover ....yes, but 2.5 hour delay claimed...That's not acceptable, please hold while I speak to them....They say they've tried 20 breakdown companies but they're all busy. I find that strange, as we're very quiet tonight. I can see you on my camera. You can join another company. Would you like a number ? Is the Pope Catholic ? Ask about waiting in the car, told that safest place is where we are but if it's getting too cold then both sit on the passenger side with seatbelts on.

19.19 call in from breakdown driver..Whereabouts are you.

19.33 towed up onto back of recovery truck for a 'safe recovery' to Michaelwood Services

Highways England call back to check recovery vehicle is there. Looks like they kicked some butt.

Talking to the recovery driver (who had knocked off for the night) and asked if he had been sent by the breakdown company or Highways England. "Everyone" he said. Turns out he is the owner of the recovery fleet company. Dropped off at the services. Told next recovery vehicle would be along within the hour.

21.30 finally picked up from the services.

23.30 home

So....anyone else had recent experience? Just a one-off or now the norm? In the past whenever we called out ABR they were there very quickly. Maybe we were just lucky.

Time to move? If so, where ?
 
Why are you using Mickey Mouse recovery companies?

I've been with the AA for over thirty years and they have never let me down.
 
I find that both AA and RAC jack the prices up after your first year so you either have to get tough or switch between them. The point about a breakdown is that it is unexpected and potentially dangerous. I am not looking to save a few quid, I am looking to get my family rescued pronto. I have used RAC for the past three years and they recover / repair cars and motorcycles with reliable service in my experience.

The trouble with the cheaper companies is they are really just nagency connecting a network of private companies who usually work for themselves and multiple agencies. This can result in very inconsistent service.
 
MrTeroo":1yeghg2h said:
Why are you using Mickey Mouse recovery companies?

I've been with the AA for over thirty years and they have never let me down.

I, and many others on here, have been with AutoBreakdown Recovery for many years and had very good service from them. Doing a little research this morning, Which's user survey didn't rate the AA.
 
AJB Temple":1tozyktf said:
...
The trouble with the cheaper companies is they are really just nagency connecting a network of private companies who usually work for themselves and multiple agencies. This can result in very inconsistent service.

Interesting point, that. Intriguingly the recovery vehicles that came to us also do the RAC according to the logo on the cab.
 
Just to add, I belong to a large motorcycle club and bikes are prone to "issues" as they are somewhat exposed to the elements, so we get a lot of feedback on breakdown companies. When you are frozen and wet, fast response time is quite high on the list of priorities. All of the companies get negative feedback. They all use misleading promotion. For example the AA has the biggest network, but whether this is better than RAC or not depends on network to customer ratio.

I tend to buy BMW bikes and our car scheme is also BMW and their recovery service in my experience (for new / under warranty vehicles) is superior to both RAC and AA.
 
RogerS":1gu2se8a said:
MrTeroo":1gu2se8a said:
Why are you using Mickey Mouse recovery companies?

I've been with the AA for over thirty years and they have never let me down.

I, and many others on here, have been with AutoBreakdown Recovery for many years and had very good service from them. Doing a little research this morning, Which's user survey didn't rate the AA.


Well my experience of the AA over decades is very good.

Are you sure the Which survey wasn't referring to the other AA?
 
AJB Temple":rog10o04 said:
...

I tend to buy BMW bikes and our car scheme is also BMW and their recovery service in my experience (for new / under warranty vehicles) is superior to both RAC and AA.

That made me smile as I think at the end of the day it has to be 'luck of the draw'. I know I mentioned the Which survey. Well, they also reviewed carmaker breakdown cover and BMW were way down at the bottom ! Not to knock your own experience by any means. I wonder if BMW bike recovery is separate to their car recovery service ?
 
MrTeroo":1st0q5o3 said:
RogerS":1st0q5o3 said:
MrTeroo":1st0q5o3 said:
Why are you using Mickey Mouse recovery companies?

I've been with the AA for over thirty years and they have never let me down.

I, and many others on here, have been with AutoBreakdown Recovery for many years and had very good service from them. Doing a little research this morning, Which's user survey didn't rate the AA.


Well my experience of the AA over decades is very good.

Are you sure the Which survey wasn't referring to the other AA?

LOL!

Ouch...mea culpa...mea maxima culpa :oops: Very senior moment going on here. The AA was up there ...it's the RAC that were rated lower.

My sincere apologies, MrT
 
AJB Temple":3qnsxlhy said:
The trouble with the cheaper companies is they are really just an agency connecting a network of private companies who usually work for themselves and multiple agencies. This can result in very inconsistent service.
And the other problem with this system (as told to me by an independent tow truck driver) is that they get paid very little if they fix your car at the roadside, so there is a huge incentive for them to tow you so that they can collect a decent fee. Whereas the AA will do their utmost to fix your car at the roadside and avoid calling out a tow truck.
 
When I had a garage/service station (years ago) we were agents for both the AA and RAC. I still have nightmares of trying to recover broken down cars on the motorways with idiots whizzing by my ear at 70+mph. On one occasion a lorry ploughed into our pick-up truck completely wrecking it. We had to get ourselves recovered as well as recover our customer. What a night that was!

Try GreenFlag https://www.greenflag.com/
 
We use Green Flag and our car broke down in the summer towing a caravan. We were just outside York, so that possibly helped our cause. We waited for an hour and were picked up and towed home to the door caravan and all. Can't fault that but maybe it's the luck of the draw, right place right time, who knows?
 
I'm with the AA. I left the RAC after they wouldn't take me home (with 3 children) because my car was muddy and had been used off road. Well that's not true they said they could take me but it was some stupid fee of £200 for 30 miles. My car is always muddy. It's a Land Rover and I like it looking muddy as it stops people parking too close!

The AA have been excellent. I recently had a breakdown on the M27 at 6.45pm. I called them and no lie within 15mins my car was loaded on the back of a flatbed and I was sat in the cab on my way home. I must have been incredibly lucky but they did say because I was on the motorway and it was dark I was treated as a high priority. Can't fault that.

The only thing I have found in the past is that they normally insist on sending out a mechanic rather than recovery. I understand why they do this but when I explaining that I'm holding bits of the AC compressor in my hand and that there is no way the guy is going to fix it then I find it frustrating. On that occasion the mechanic arrived, I told him what was wrong and he went and phoned for recovery, he never even lifted the bonnet!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Ouch...mea culpa...mea maxima culpa
RogerS was you an altar boy too ? :eek:

I pay an extortionate £179 for 2 drivers 2 cars to RAC
Hardly used them at all

Couple of times Mrs C called them out; but I could have driven the odd few miles to her and sorted the problems
 
16 years and 3/4 million miles with the AA covering the company van. i used them several times and had very good response. But one time I had a puncture on the M5 and they put me to the bottom of the list because i was alone.
After 3 hours waiting and no eta I drove the van 4 miles on the hard shoulder to the next exit, 4 MPH with hazards on and leaving lumps of rubber behind me. A highways agency pulled up, I told them I was waiting, they said "O.K." and that was the last of them.
Once off the motorway I changed the tyre myself.
So the AA scores mostly good but not perfect.

Green flag? PAH! I broke down and they would not attend at all because I was more than 30 miles from home. I was 130 miles from home, and had to risk life and limb driving back with no clutch.

Green flag> MINUS 50,000!!!
 
MrTeroo":1r4kmt3w said:
Why are you using Mickey Mouse recovery companies?

I've been with the AA for over thirty years and they have never let me down.

Plus one.

I have been with the (AA) since 1963, would recommend. =D>


Chris.
 
I can highly recommend GEM Motoring Assist.
Good value for money and prompt service.
https://www.motoringassist.com/


*I was a loyal customer of both RAC and AA over the years and neither offer good value for money or prompt response times in my experience.
An RAC patrolman once demanded I produce ID on one occasion, I had none on me at the time.
So I had to call my wife to drive to my location with my bank debit card.
Great customer service, I think not!
 
I use Startresuce, they are cheap and cheerful. In the very few occasions we have had a problem they have had someone to us within the hour. I'm not paying the insane prices charged by RAC and the AA, the money I have saved over the years has more than covered any trouble I might have in the future.
 
Rorschach":3ii2u9yt said:
I use Startresuce, they are cheap and cheerful. In the very few occasions we have had a problem they have had someone to us within the hour. I'm not paying the insane prices charged by RAC and the AA, the money I have saved over the years has more than covered any trouble I might have in the future.

AA £99 per year incl home start / roadside recovery to a destination of your choice

£99 per year = 28 pence per day

INSANE PRICES!! (hammer)
 

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