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  1. #1
    DF Super Moderator piggzy's Avatar
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    Default Vehicle recovery - The AA / RAC etc

    Over the years I have had the misfortune to be a long time RAC member. Used them a handful of times and always thought they were poor, anyway after my last experience, which I wont bore you with. I decided to bin em off.
    Anyway months go by then I had a day off yesterday and thought I would sort it . Cancelled RAC, sorted out AA cover. Checked all the small print, stuff like cant recover for 24 hours after policy start etc.

    Go out today and as I was leaving a car park bang. Front coil spring snapped.
    Unbelievably I shit you not, it was 26 hours after starting new policy. Honestly no bullshit.

    Anyway I can say that I am glad I switched. The AA make the RAC look like a bunch of fucking cowboys.

    For those interested (if you havent got bored already)
    The AA had this what I can only describe as a Hub extender, which screws on the wheel hub after wheel removed, extending it a good few inches and allows a sort of universal space saver wheel to be attached protruding from the side of the vehicle a few more inches so it clears the snapped spring. They made it purely for snapped coil springs apparently. Simple yet ingenious.


    Well my mind numbing story may help someone choose a better recovery provider :-) You can stop yawning now.

    4 Thanks given to piggzy

    BIG-TED (21st February 2018),  cyprus (21st February 2018),  Mystical_2K (21st February 2018),  Over Carl (20th February 2018)  


  2. #2
    DF General DogsBody
    Mickey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vehicle recovery - The AA / RAC etc

    Had to use the AA for the first time, glad I got them last year when car was slightly poorly. they came after an hour or so and towed my car to my garage

    I have had 20 plus years of not needed anyone like this,glad I now have them and yes the guy came over from wakefield to sort/tow me to my garage
    would have cost me about £80 for a tow alone

    Thanks to Mickey

    piggzy (20th February 2018)  


  3. #3
    DF VIP Member Over Carl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vehicle recovery - The AA / RAC etc

    While it does sound like a clever innovation, I'm scratching my head thinking surely it can't be legal to intentionally drive a car in such condition, and really the AA should be recovering it?

    However AA have got me out of trouble a few times. Would happily recommend any driver to sign up.

    Thanks to Over Carl

    piggzy (20th February 2018)  


  4. #4
    DF Super Moderator piggzy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vehicle recovery - The AA / RAC etc

    Quote Originally Posted by Over Carl View Post
    While it does sound like a clever innovation, I'm scratching my head thinking surely it can't be legal to intentionally drive a car in such condition, and really the AA should be recovering it?

    However AA have got me out of trouble a few times. Would happily recommend any driver to sign up.
    You are 100% correct and the AA were completely legal about it.
    Basically all that trouble was so I could maneuver the car in the car park to get hitched up onto his winch which pulled me up on the back of the towing thingy which lifts you wheels off the ground.
    He showed up in 40 minutes and was great but the time was taken because the car was too low to get a jack under and drive onto ramp (so clever buggering about was involved) then when he got it to destination the reverse etc.

    Credit it to them because they wasted all that time and work purely to try and save my tyre. I doubt from my experience with the RAC they would have done the same.

    2 Thanks given to piggzy

    JonEp (21st February 2018),  Over Carl (20th February 2018)  


  5. #5
    DF VIP Member Rhinoz's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vehicle recovery - The AA / RAC etc

    Quote Originally Posted by piggzy View Post
    Credit it to them because they wasted all that time and work purely to try and save my tyre. I doubt from my experience with the RAC they would have done the same.
    I'm with the RAC and only called them out once in 15 years, they turned up in an hour but couldn't fix the fault so had to call a tow truck which took over 3 hours so in all I waited over 4 hours but I'm pretty sure it was a contractor rather than RAC who towed me, could be wrong or maybe they changed now, does the AA use contractors for towing?

    Could it be the longer they take the more they get paid?

    Admittedly he did apologise saying there was a smash on a motorway which a few cars got damaged and needed moving hence his delay.
    Last edited by Rhinoz; 21st February 2018 at 10:19 AM.

  6. #6
    DF VIP Member DavidF's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vehicle recovery - The AA / RAC etc

    Quote Originally Posted by Rhinoz View Post
    I'm with the RAC and only called them out once in 15 years, they turned up in an hour but couldn't fix the fault so had to call a tow truck which took over 3 hours so in all I waited over 4 hours but I'm pretty sure it was a contractor rather than RAC who towed me, could be wrong or maybe they changed now, does the AA use contractors for towing?

    Could it be the longer they take the more they get paid?

    Admittedly he did apologise saying there was a smash on a motorway which a few cars got damaged and needed moving hence his delay.
    Nope. Most of them are independent contractors who get paid on a per job basis. They get £X per mile to recover you and they get a fixed rate for roadside fix. As with AA anything that is your own fault carries a charge - ie not carrying a spare and putting the wrong fuel in the tank.
    TBH I find both of them can be great or crap lol. There is certainly no loyalty to be had by staying with any of them. At the moment I "pay" for full nationwide recovery and home start using about tesco clubcard about £44 worth gets you the full shebang.
    Also worth seeing if you can add a small amount to your insurance premium for "free recovery"...so no need for AA or RAC ect.....Finally also check your fee paying bank account extras....some of them chuck in free recovery/aa type insurance.

    2 Thanks given to DavidF

    Over Carl (21st February 2018),  Rhinoz (21st February 2018)  


  7. #7
    DF VIP Member rmj2663's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vehicle recovery - The AA / RAC etc

    As a side note, Natwest offer Greenflag cover with one of their accounts.
    Used once as I had a flat battery one night, they turned up in around 30 mins, so not bad, but I did have nipper with us, which can give a priority.

    Thanks to rmj2663

    Over Carl (21st February 2018)  


  8. #8
    DF VIP Member BigBrand's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vehicle recovery - The AA / RAC etc

    RAC went down hill when it was sold off by Aviva in 2011.

    It was sold onto a private equity firm originally, and then resold.

    Lost its identity and customer service.

    AA has always monopolised the markets, and they do that by (most of the time) being one step ahead on equipment and servicing the customer as a priority.

    I've used both, plus Green Flag, and AA outshone RAC every time.

    I do think AA could really kick it up a gear by enhancing their APP. Being able to report a breakdown, use your location, select your breakdown type and track your driver should be where AA push themselves now, really move into the digital era.

    I think they should also employ "breakdown Motorbikes & Small cars" during peak times.

    Always hear about and have been involved (once) a "flat battery" on a cold Monday morning. The time waiting for a fully equipped van to do the rounds for a jump start, or a tow to a garage can be vastly improved by a smaller fleet of cars to be deployed for quick fix jobs like battery, tyre issues etc, and Motorbikes for perhaps easier jobs, such as no fuel, fluids, that can be resolved quickly.

    Half the battle is getting the correct information into the AA from a growing population of people who just simply get in a drive, and know naff all about how the car works (ie the PLUG AND PLAY generation)

    2 Thanks given to BigBrand

    Over Carl (21st February 2018),  piggzy (21st February 2018)  


  9. #9
    DF Super Moderator piggzy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vehicle recovery - The AA / RAC etc

    Quote Originally Posted by BigBrand View Post
    I do think AA could really kick it up a gear by enhancing their APP. Being able to report a breakdown, use your location, select your breakdown type and track your driver should be where AA push themselves now, really move into the digital era.
    Already done. When I phoned to report my breakdown it had a recorded message telling me to download the APP to do all the above. However when I tried I got the message "Sorry we wont run on a rooted device" :-) lol
    But I still got SMS messages every few minutes to give an ETA followed by a phone call from the driver himself to tell me he was 10 minutes out.

  10. #10
    DF General DogsBody
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    Default Re: Vehicle recovery - The AA / RAC etc

    Quote Originally Posted by rmj2663 View Post
    As a side note, Natwest offer Greenflag cover with one of their accounts.
    Used once as I had a flat battery one night, they turned up in around 30 mins, so not bad, but I did have nipper with us, which can give a priority.
    I think they charge you £25 a month for the privilege with holiday insurance and a few other benefits, I told NatWest to fuuck emselves as the 2 claims I put in (one for the alleged phone insurance) and I cant remember other never paid out.
    I put a claim in for mis selling stating the fact that I was mis informed about the deals and I got a nice refund

    2 Thanks given to Mickey

    piggzy (21st February 2018),  rmj2663 (22nd February 2018)  


  11. #11
    DF Super Moderator piggzy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vehicle recovery - The AA / RAC etc

    Quote Originally Posted by Mickey View Post
    I think they charge you £25 a month for the privilege with holiday insurance and a few other benefits, I told NatWest to fuuck emselves as the 2 claims I put in (one for the alleged phone insurance) and I cant remember other never paid out.
    I put a claim in for mis selling stating the fact that I was mis informed about the deals and I got a nice refund

    Exact same thing but with Barclays which is where I got the RAC cover. Got turned down for a claim on a mobile and shocking service from RAC so told Barclays to shove it.

  12. #12
    DF Super Moderator
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    Default Re: Vehicle recovery - The AA / RAC etc

    I've used AA a few times, usually because of flat battery (alternator on one motor was an intermittent issue). They were always good, I am covered through my bank account which is £15pm and covers me for travel, home emergency, mobile cover etc.


  13. #13
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    Default Re: Vehicle recovery - The AA / RAC etc

    Thought you went regularly to AA

    Thanks to flypitcher

    BigBrand (23rd February 2018)  


  14. #14
    DF VIP Member BigBrand's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vehicle recovery - The AA / RAC etc

    Quote Originally Posted by evilsatan View Post
    I've used AA a few times, usually because of flat battery (alternator on one motor was an intermittent issue). They were always good, I am covered through my bank account which is £15pm and covers me for travel, home emergency, mobile cover etc.
    I used the same, I had to make a travel claim for lost baggage a few years back, I left my bag in the back of a taxi and it was lost. It was through Lloyds bank, and the insurance asked for a list of items in the bag, and once submitted said I can only claim for the 5 most expensive.

    Seemed very odd!

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