Car Breakdown

Hockham Admiral · October 22, 2015

When I had bought the shopping on Monday I brought my goods to the car before I went for a coffee in the store cafe. Normally I open the boot by using the boot-open key, rather than the all-locks key. The car then automatically re-arms when I shut the lid.

I did just that and then felt in my pocket for the car keys............. they weren't there. I hurriedly searched every pocket but no luck anywhere; so I'd call the breakdown lot to get into the car for me............

We had been with the free Ford recovery service for the first three years of Red Ford's life and had intended to renew with the RAC or whoever on March 1st this year. Therein lies the problem as we were somewhere in the South Atlantic during March!

So can anyone suggest a good, reasonably priced breakdown service, please? There seem to be so many out there now unlike in my early days when it was the Automobile Association or the Royal Automobile Club or nothing!

Oh, and by the way, I had used the all-locks key and was able to retrieve the errant keys from the boot myself!

johnb · October 22, 2015

My son is with Green Flag, and we have used them before. They have helped well on a few occasions and never let him down. I guess it's a bit of a lottery and everyone's experience is different. Glad it worked out ok, apart from the original panic I guess.

Jbx5 · October 22, 2015

Hi John

We use Auto Aid (Equity insurance) £41 per year

If you need them you pay for the breakdown and then claim it back

seems to have good reviews and reputation on auto express etc.

regards John

MBA Marine · October 22, 2015

If the majority of your travel is local then I would look for a service that is based fairly close. being in fairly rural north norfolk if I want rapid assistance its better for me to mates with a local garage owner than call a breakdown service that has to come from south of Norwich.

Hockham Admiral · October 22, 2015

If the majority of your travel is local then I would look for a service that is based fairly close. being in fairly rural north norfolk if I want rapid assistance its better for me to mates with a local garage owner than call a breakdown service that has to come from south of Norwich.

That's a good idea, Mark. We don't very often venture out of Norfolk!

Do your haverage any suggestions?

MBA Marine · October 22, 2015

That's a good idea, Mark. We don't very often venture out of Norfolk!
Do your haverage any suggestions?

Totally depends where you are, personally I have a un-polished diamond at Mundesley that if I called him any time of day or night he would do his up most to help.

grendel · October 22, 2015

Green Flag here, they use local recovery, and I have had great service when I have broken down in the past - once I had an alternator fail, the guy turned up, and when he found where I had to get to, didn't really want to have to drive that far and back, so much so that he trailered me to his yard, then swapped out my alternator for a matching one from a car in their yard (they also had a small breakers business, this got me on the road and home - normally I would have had to pay if the vehicle was repairable, but he balanced it against the trip home, and claimed he had recovered me home, while I had my car fixed and no need to get a new alternator - win - win.

Grendel

BroadScot · October 22, 2015

Now, things may have changed, but one of the banks if you are on a certain account, covered you with Green Flag. This may still be the case. Maybe worth checking.

cheers Iain.

MauriceMynah · October 22, 2015

Banks will always cover you with something, but for locking ones keys in the car, I'd use Bobby 'hotwire' Jones who lives quite close (except when he's away). Well I do live very close to Essex.

SANTED · October 22, 2015

Well I think it’s just a case of personal choice. I’m in the AA simply because it covers the person and not the car meaning no matter where we are, in any car, we’re covered for recovery.

Incidentally I got locked out of my car once due to a faulty car alarm and the AA man had some very interesting ways to get back in

October 22, 2015

Thinking about the aspect on this thread of being locked out of your car, rather than which is the best breakdown service -

I'm always surprised at how many people don't realise how out on a limb they are these days with sophisticated car keys.

Spare chipped keys and remotes cost about £300 when there is one to copy, or three times as much when a locksmith has to decode the lock.

I've never been able to forget how vulnerable we are when losing car keys when any distance away from home, where most people seem to keep the spare, (if they even have one).

I've always kept the spare within the car itself, very well hidden, behind a panel etc.., where it could be retrieved in emergency.

How do I get in the car then ?

Well I also always get a simple non-chipped key made as well (for about a tenner), which can only unlock the car, nit drive it away. I then conceal that beneath the car, in one of those magnetic boxes, tucked away in a hidden corner somewhere.

I can therefore gain entry to my car and drive home if I either lock myself out or even lose the keys.

(and in 40 years, it's happened twice...) :rolleyes:

Hockham Admiral · October 22, 2015

Thanks for the tips, peeps. :clap

Now there's an idea, Strow....... I'm sure I was given such a non-chipped key when I bought the car... I even remember where it is (together with the spare chipped-key)! :wave

Paul · October 22, 2015

I use start resuce, £16 for roadside / local recovery, £18 for nationwide recovery, £28 for home assistance as well. Only ever had cause to call them once and their agent turned up within half an hour.

rates are for cars upto five years old, above that they add IIRC 25%, you can also add personal cover if you want

even most AA and RAC breakdown vehicles are franchised now, gone is the man on the motorcycle who saluted your metal badge as you drove by.....

BrundallNavy · October 22, 2015

I use the AA, don't accept the first price they knocked £40 off my renewal , as already said cover is personal so will cover car and bike.

Doug.

BroadAmbition · October 22, 2015

startrescue.co.uk

Their price is hard to beat, we now have all our vehicles with them - never had cause to call them out, a friend did and the the response was fine

I used to be with the AA for years but got sick of their high prices and when I did need them they ripped me off

Griff

Hockham Admiral · October 23, 2015

Thanks again guys. Paul and Griff, I haven't heard of startrescue before, I'll look them up when I get back home.

Hockham Admiral · October 23, 2015

Thanks again guys. Paul and Griff, I haven't heard of startrescue before, I'll look them up when I get back home.

In fact I've just joined!

Paul · October 23, 2015

I used to be with the AA for years but got sick of their high prices and when I did need them they ripped me off

My niece found the same, the service was excellent but they charged her £116 for a replacement coil pack for her 1250 Fiesta. When I checked with our local Ford dealer the shelf price was £40 plus VAT. She wrote to the AA who pointed her to a raft of weasel words in their Ts&Cs such as restocking fees, carriage charges etc.

That said, I have never come across anyone else having parts fitted at the roadside so it may be something they are all up to, and the fact that the van which attended was carrying the correct part could be considered merit worthy. It depends which way you look at it I suppose. She was certainly not going to find a coil pack at 6pm on New Years Eve anywhere else!

Hylander · October 23, 2015

Green Flag , at the moment they have a buy one get one free offer, so if you have two cars you two for the price of one.

GeoffandWendy · October 24, 2015

You can't go wrong with The Very Nice Man! in his yellow van. He will even turn up, if your ice cream van breaks down inside a nudist camp, as long as you are covered of course! :nosey: :lol: