Timo

I need to cover me scooby for breakdown recovery. Was in the RAC years ago cos they would recover my Rally car too but alas things have changed now so who's the best at the minute?

All advice greatfully accepted.....

Cheers

Tim

Jerome

Seeings no-one else has replied yet, I'm in the RAC. The few occasions (pre-Scoob ) I've had to call them out, they've been quick and professional. Can't comment about the other services, but the RAC seem to be pretty good. I didn't compare prices either, just went for one of the bigger companies.

chiark

I'm with Green Flag or whatever they're called. Impressive speed at turning out, but quality of service varies wildly. One callout for my old Arstra when the immobiliser failed - sorted out in 5 minutes...

One callout for my convertible morris minor accelerator cable snapping on the M1. All it takes to fix it is a cable. Knobend tries just cutting the frayed end off the cable, thus shortening it, and is surprised when engine races upon starting it. Ended up putting it on a trailer for 120 miles - good for the independent recovery service, but fscking stupid for the want of a pound's worth of cable.

ScoobyJawa

Always found Brittania Rescue great, been with them for years until I got the scoob coz it was covered by Subaru Assistance.....

Stuart Knight

iTrader: (2)

When I used Britannia Rescue to get me home the other week, they were superb. Accepted over the phone that I needed recovery, not an engineer, and the guy was with me within 1/2 hour. He did recovery work for all the major companies, so response and service would be the same from him, but he recommends Green Flag or Britannia, cos IHHO RAC and AA were "bloody useless". Don't pay their bills on time/correctly, send out engineers when recovery obviously required, don't give full/accurate details to recovery agents

DavidBrown

I wouldn't recommend Direct Line (who I think outsource it to Green Flag)

I phoned them having broken down in Flore.. here's a rough transcript of the phone call:

Me: "Hello, I've broken down"

Them: "What's your membership number"

Me: "It's {number here} "

Them: "What car are you driving ?"

Me: "It's a '58 Edsel"

Them: "What's that ? How do you spell that "

Me: "E-D-S-E-L"

Them: "Sorry, that car's not in our database"

Me: "O-K.. so..."

Them: "We've never heard of that car, and that's not the car we've got against your membership details"

Me: "Ah, well, that's a Subaru Impreza"

Them: "OK, we've found your details, but have never heard of your car before.."

Me: "Well, it's a big american car, you can't miss it"

Them: "But we need to find what car you have first, and it's not in our database. OK, where are you - and are there any shops nearby"

Me: "I'm in Flore (Northants) and I'm outside the Duke of Wellington Pub"

Them: "Is that a shop or a pub ?"

Me: "Pub" (thinking "dumbass")

Them: "Well, we'll see if we can find your car in our database and send someone out"

Anywho, I fixed the problem before they arrived.

OK, so the car was an odd one, but arguing with them that my car exists isn't what I want to be doing in the rain.

SJobson

Relevant if you break down a long way from home, but the AA still operate a Relay service - i.e. they take you 100 or so miles and then stop at a motorway service area or somesuch until the next recovery truck arrives to take you the next leg. Broke down in Cornwall once (about 10pm) - took 8 hours to get home to Worcestershire (240 miles) on 3 separate trucks. Nice.

Simon

pslewis

Britannia Rescue are the best value by far - however, a word of warning!! if you happen to be a dog owner.

The Alternator went on my Escort Cabriolet 3 weeks ago so I called out Britannia Rescue - the chap on the phone was great he diagnosed the problem and said that it was a recovery job. 35 minutes later the appointed garage turned up, hitched the front of the car up, the hood was still down but that was ok - until - he said ok, stick the dog in the car and we will get off!!!!!!

Now, I dont know what anyone else thinks but my dog aint travelling in a car swinging on the back of a tow truck at 30 degrees!!!!

I spoke to Britannia who said that it was up to the driver whether he allowed the pet in the cab with him (it was a double row cab and the dog would have laid quite happily on the floor behind the drivers bench seat) - it was clear he just didnt like dogs, no other reason.

What happened eventually was that Britannia sent a taxi for the dog to be taken home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! can you believe it?

By the way - the AA and RAC have said to me that they will supply a driver and truck suitable for the job - INCLUDING taking a dog in the cab!! so, just think a while - dog owner? - forget Britannia Rescue!!

Pete

[This message has been edited by pslewis (edited 18 July 2001).]

Scott.T

iTrader: (2)

Try International Breakdown

Timo

Hey guys thanks for all the advice and quirky stories!! I shall read through it all properly and pick the best one

Thanks again

Tim

Scooby Doc

I was a member with Green Flag a few years ago when I had a citroen that kept breaking down.

They just sent the local agent who was only interested in advising that the car be "tuned".

Not impressed. Now in the AA and have a car where I haven't needed to call them

However I guess you get what you pay for

ca

I joined Green Flag in the morning, went to the car park and found I'd left my lights on. I called Green Flag who said that my cover did not start until midnight. I managed to get a jump start. I didn't renew.

Recently joined the AA (25% discount 'cos I'm a IAM member - no jokes please!) - I've used them once, they arrived within 5 minutes and fixed the problem within 5 minutes.

Britannia Rescue give 10% discount to ABD members, so I'll try them next time.

C