Breakdown Cover for several cars

Messages
1,117
Does anyone have any experience of GEM Breakdown & Recovery policy? I need to cover my wife and I on 4 cars:
Home Start
National Breakdown Assistance
Recovery
Onward Travel (pay for hotel accommodation or courtesy car to continue the journey)
Mis-fuelling
Puncture at Roadside
(Optional Legal Expenses for Motoring or Personal Enquiries)

Current Green Flag personal cover policy does not cover vehicles over 16 years old - so it will not cover the Turbo and from November this year the E-Class will not be covered.

Looking to switch to another provider. RAC ? Works out at £134 but I guess at renewal we will be stung. Also they want Continuous Recurring Payment (CRP) to be set up where they take annual premium ad infinitum and difficult to stop (unlike a Direct Debit that keeps me in control). With a Direct Debit, if I change provider, I can cancel it at my Bank. With a CRP, only the organisation that holds the CRP can stop collecting the payment (in this example the RAC).

Never had to use any breakdown service but an evil necessity in case it ever happens - and it happened once with a puncture and Green Flag came to the motorway for my wife in her run-about. European Cover can be optional extra as and when required for a single trip - no point paying for the cover unless making the trip in my opinion.

Any recommendations for any provider of Breakdown/Recovery service providers?
 

Navcorr

Member
Messages
3,839
I have RAC personal breakdown cover - so any car I'm in, etc, etc. With all the options above extended throughout Europe. No mention of vehicle age restriction.
Not sure how it would work for both you & your wife if you were in the car together. Maybe something to check re: multiple cover.
Policy was approx. £250 but got £135 back through Quidco.
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
I've had RAC personal for decades incl. the Mrs until renewal last month.
It had slowly crept up to £160, and to the advantage of the RAC, my last claim was back in 1990 when the cam belt snapped in my Lancia Y10 Turbo!
Knocked the Mrs off the policy, the Volvo is covered by her employer, she isn't on the insurance for the Maserati or Stag anyway to drive, and the BMW is covered by BMW recovery presently, so halved the cost.
Never bothered by 'at home', if a flat battery can sort myself and can always use another car!
 

Trev Latter

Member
Messages
1,213
I'm a few years out of date now, but having worked in the industry previously, Britannia Rescue are very good and don't have an age restriction as far as I know. They can be a bit pricey though. You can take the policy out on one vehicle and add personal cover. Another option is AutoAid for around £50 for personal cover for you and your spouse without vehicle age restriction, full cover except for euro. If your cars are fairly reliable, it's definitely the way to go. They work on a pay and claim system and like Britannia and Greenflag, use a network of local operators (same as all the others) rather than dedicated patrols like the AA. With the former, you're obviously at the mercy of how good the local operator is. Worth pointing out that in order to provide cover, pretty much all of the insurance companies insist on PAS43 compliance for their operators, which is a code of conduct introduced in the early 00's and improved standards dramatically with MOT compliant vehicles (exempt previously), operator training standards etc.
 

Corranga

Member
Messages
1,219
I'm with Auto Aid who do most of what you want for about 50 quid a year.
Plenty of talk about them on pistonheads and various other car sites.
Never had to call them out personally mind..

Edit to say, never thought of vehicle age, might need to check that !