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Vehicle recovery (Breakdown) times..

I'm with RAC never waited more that an hour, even in the depths of the Highland's.
Mind you.........only ever had 3/4 call outs in 50 years.

{applying sods law I probably should not have posted that last bit. }
Ah! the memories of the RAC patrolman saluting when they saw the badge on your car.
Back when we carried a jack , tyre levers and a puncture repair kit in the car.
Just seems like yesterday :smirk: oops forgot to mention the starting handle.
 
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HID has called the RAC out several times and they've been pretty good (around 35-40 minutes) and always got it started. I have to say the few times we've used them and Green Flag before them they have always been very good
 
Ah! the memories of the RAC patrolman saluting when they saw the badge on your car.
Back when we carried a jack , tyre levers and a puncture repair kit in the car.
Just seems like yesterday :smirk: oops forgot to mention the starting handle.
You forgot the starting handle, that could break your wrist at a moments notice.
 
I am with Green Flag, a freebie through the bank, have called them twice, funnily enough both coming back from golf at Southport, both arrived within 40 minutes, one fixed me by the roadside, the other towed me off the motorway and had a recovery truck there within a further hour.
 
You have to watch these freebies you get through your bank current account though as some only tow you a maximum of 10 miles to the nearest garage rather that to your destination of choice which is obviously no good in some circumstances.

I would recommend AutoAid for c£40 a year. You have to pay the breakdown driver that comes out and claim the costs back from AutoAid but have used the service twice in last year and very quick to both collect me and repay me.
 
Went to ischia and flew from stanstead. Came back and Missis Tash had left an interior light on rang the AA from one of hundreds of car parks and the AA guy turned up within one minute of me putting the phone down. When he turned up i said " is Clark Kent your brother", he laughed and said it happens all the time. Within seconds a guy came running up and had done exactly the same. the AA should run the ambulance service.

Apparently the AA have someone at the car park full time just for us wallies who forget to turn things off.
 
When he said it happens all the time I thought yeah right ho. When that other guy turned up in seconds I was gobsmacked.

AA = fantastic
 
The experience Fish had is unacceptable. I don't care who the provider was, it was a ridiculous time to take to get Fish back home and get his car back to him.

That said, after many a year doing big mileage thru business I'd not look past either the AA or the RAC. I cover my own car and the wifes via AA. They' ve been excellent any time I've used them. RAC have even got me out of a pickle miles from civilisation in the far N W of Scotland. The only company to fail in my eyes was Green Flag for a fleet car that broke down in central Edinburgh. Three hours to get to me as he had crossed Scotland from Greenock !

It's all about risk management, if you want better service you end up paying more. Cheap & cheerful doesn't always work out best.
 
This pretty much sums up breakdown companies and a lot of other things in life!!!

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Thing is, mine isn't cheap compared to many that were available, I chose a name/brand also I recognised, so, I feel I have been royally shafted.

Sent them an email Monday complaing and listing my blow by blow account but heard nothing back, not even an acknowledgment to say they've received it and there sorry and are now looking into it.
 
To be slightly fair to them they do priorise females on their own or cars with young children in them, which you would kind of expect them to do. Never needed them myself luckily, wife is with Green Flag and the only time she has ever needed them they were out to her very quickly, something like 20 mins and she was in the middle of nowhere.
 
in the middle of nowhere.


Being in the middle of nowhere is a whole lot easier to deal with over being in need of help, of a Sunday evening, anywhere near a main route in or out of London... Happened to me once... Made initial call at five and got 'rescued' at eleven... Not nearly as bad as Mr Fish but bad enough...
 
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