breakdown recovery options

Usually before brand new cars taken off the forecourt to come with some type of breakdown cover 3 years free cover can be gotten as a perk when getting a new vehicle. You wouldn’t expect a new vehicle to breakdown but mechanical failures can happen to any car but you don’t expect it to happen to a new one. Common errors such as running out of fuel, lock yourself out of your car or get a flat tyre then you can receive help.

What breakdown cover can do is provide mental assurance that If your car breaks down you won’t be left stranded at the side of a road and you can rest assured that you will be provided with swift help to get you on the go again. To receive help the person must fit the breakdown criteria of the breakdown policy taken out. If a breakdown occurs the person experiencing the breakdowncontacts the breakdown company giving them details regarding their situation and their location and the company would come to their assistance.

A large number of people don’t have breakdown cover can the saving be worth the risk? Well the people that fall into this category are those motorists who believe that breakdown cover is an unnecessary expense. They more than likely haven’t experienced a breakdown situation before and believe it will not happen to them. They basically haven’t the understanding as to what a nightmare it can be to breakdown.

Assuming you don’t have breakdown insurance , for one moment Imagine you’re travelling up the country late at night and you break down hundreds of miles away from home not knowing the area alone how would you cope?

The major question is which company to go for? traditional companies such as the two biggest (AA and RAC) are typically more expensive as they have a larger number of higway patrols and premier services, other breakdown services use regional mechanics thoughout the UK and don’t pay extra for dedicated patrols saying it is an advantage because they have local knowledge and none of what you pay goes towards the cost of branding patrols. A negative point could be that they don’t actually belong to the company. With a larger patrol force you would assume you would get helpfaster when you breakdown, speed of assistance is obviously very important. Often people renew their cover with the traditional branded companies, Breakdown cover companies have high retention rates as members feel the company is reliable and don’t want to take risks in going with someone else. No matter who you go with there are going to be members who have had good and bad service with the company after all they will from time to timeall make mistakes.

Levels of cover entitle the user to varying degrees of recovery assistance however even with the entry level of breakdown cover you will receive assistance from a patrol man if your car cant be repaired then you will be taken to a home or a local garage whichever is closer. Usually the next levels of cover are a relay/recovery service which gives the user access to a tow to a destination of their choice anywhere in the UK not just the local tow you can get with roadside cover. The other common level of assistance you may want to take out is breakdown assistance at your home, without home assistance you typically have to be at least ¼ of a mile away from your registered home address to receive assistance.

Jaqui has spent many years involved with breakdown companies and understands it can be hard to find good car breakdown cover that protects the user from everything they need and is good value for money