... The biggest names include AA and RAC who advertise extensively on TV but a lesser name worth considering is Autonational Rescue.
***Who are They?***
Autonational Rescue has been around since 1993 and is backed by equity Red Star Policies at Lloyds. You can find the company at http://www.autonational.co.uk/. ... Read review
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Advantages: Low cost, reliable, friendly Disadvantages: Haven't found any yet
...lesser name worth considering is Autonational Rescue.
***Who are They?***
Autonational Rescue has been around since 1993 and is backed by equity Red Star Policies at Lloyds. You can find the company at http://www.autonational.co.uk/. The website will tell you that the company above has been providing insurance since 1908 and now has over 600,000 clients.
***What’s the website like?***
I’ve been with ARN ... ...recommend AutoNational Rescue ~ they are a damned fine outfit and so much cheaper than the alternatives!
Thanks for the read
More info at: http://www.autonational.co.uk http://www.rac.co.uk/breakdowncover/ and http://www.theaa.com
I’m terrible with cars. There I’ve said it but I am. Every imaginable breakdown that can occur has occurred with me. I’ve had flat tyres, flat batteries, clutches going on me, you name it, I’ve suffered. It doesn’t help that I feel so venerable. I suppose there’s an assumption that just because you are a fella then your natural home is feet dangling out from the underbelly of your latest auto conquest. Well, in my case that definitely ain’t so! I’m something of a pleading maiden at the top of a tall tower looking down on a million spare parts like in that latest, rather clever, Honda ad. (You know, that one where the car's in pieces where the ball's rolling along the ground and it ends up as a complete motor blah, blah, blah...no? Oh well....)
So, of all the insurance going, car breakdown cover would seem essential. As ever in today’s cut-throat culture, this is a competitive market. The biggest names include AA and RAC who advertise extensively on TV but a lesser name worth considering is Autonational Rescue.
***Who are They?*** Autonational Rescue has been around since 1993 and is backed by equity Red Star Policies at Lloyds. You can find the company at http://www.autonational.co.uk/. The website will tell you that the company above has been providing insurance since 1908 and now has over 600,000 clients.
***What’s the website like?*** I’ve been with ARN for a few years now and can point to a rather nifty website. The corporate livery is red and white with the company name in a box format with the motto "The breakdown service with the no-claims bonus".
On site, you’ll find background about the company in the guise of "about us" with more detail about services available via the next button down.
Other features on the website include:
Fleet rates for operators of UK fleets
Nearly new cars is aimed at those who have bought their cars that come with "temporary membership" of a UK breakdown service. A special discount is available to these drivers of cars that are 1 – 2 years old falling into this category with Total SuperService (see below) available for just £38 – bargain!
You can request brochures via an online form
There is the obligatory Q & A section
There is even a driving tips page aimed at prevention rather than cure e.g. checking tyre pressures before driving hundreds of miles on motorways and so on.
There are handy hints to help beat the crooks that might want to steal your prized possession.
Finally, there is a Euro Rescue section. I extended my cover to include the European cover when we went to France last year. Thankfully, we didn’t need to claim and I seem to remember it was only about an extra *£28 or so to provide cover whilst abroad.
***Services Available*** There are different levels of cover along with certain add-ons that you might want to tailor according to need.
Roadside SuperService (must be taken) from £28.50 This basically covers the cost of repairing your vehicle at the roadside and/or a tow to the nearest garage. Any subsequent repairs are not covered.
Recovery SuperService from £23 this allows for your vehicle to be recovered to any destination within mainland UK for the driver and up to 5 passengers assuming it can’t be fixed at the roadside
Home SuperService from £14 this extends the breakdown service to within 1 mile of your home address
Emergency Travel/Accommodation from £7.50 Where a breakdown occurs more than 25 miles from your home address and the vehicle cannot be repaired either at the roadside or at a subsequent garage within 24 hours then up to £100 of costs can be claimed in terms of travel/accommodation costs etc
Caravan/Trailer SuperService from £6 this will extend cover to include caravans and small trailers
Total SuperService from £57 this is all inclusive cover
***Comparable Costs*** Venturing onto the AA website, I can see that basic cover starts from £40. However, to get the same cover that I have now for just one car would cost from £141 for the AA option 400. Bear in mind that this is for just one car too!
RAC offers a headline deal from £34. However, the RAC standard cover (comparable to Total Superservice) was £113, again for just one car whilst the family version of this cover was from £136.
***My experience*** Like I said earlier, I’ve been with the organisation for a few years now and been pretty happy. I’ve got the Total Superservice as I have to cover 2 cars. I’ve claimed for non-starts in the morning, breakdowns on the road and each occasion has proved easy enough to resolve. You simply call the telephone number, which is stored on my mobile phone and the operator takes the details. Within the hour, somebody will be attending with the majority of incidents dealt with, there and then. As part of the welcome pack, you do get other items with the telephone number on e.g. credit card sized cardboard cut outs, a circular tax disc type holder etc.
I’ve never had a problem with getting through and the operators have always been calm and efficient. The people that have been out to fix my various motors have generally known what they’ve been doing with the exception of one time when the chappie did get my motor going again but then suggested I drive it to my garage to get the problem sorted on a more permanent basis. I broke down again, on the way, and had to call them out to tow me. Sadly, I never drove that particular car again as it went up to the great scrapyard in the sky but at least they did come out and I did get sorted even if it took a couple of goes.
***Advantages of ANR*** Primarily, the organisation is cheaper than other breakdown companies. I’ve been quoted some high figures to insure 2 cars but their renewal, this year, was only £95 all together for both and that was after a couple of claims.
Service is good and I’ve yet to have a problem in the last 3 years. The breakdown attendees are from local depots and whilst they don't have corporate gear on and all that, they are mechanics that know what they are doing.
There is a 25% no claims discount, which can bring the premium down even more. Needless to say, you need to be claim free during the year – a feat which I’ve yet to manage!
If you change address or vehicle during the period of cover, you can notify the company via an online form. Alternatively, you can ring through the details.
There doesn’t appear to be a limit on the number of claims that can be made. I know the AA have become infamous in the past for imposing a three claims and you’re out policy but there is no indication that this is the case with ANR.
It is possible to include a 2nd car (not always the case with some breakdown companies) at a reasonable cost. They took on my 2nd car for just £38 when I originally amended the cover a few years ago.
***Disadvantages of ANR*** Well, the company is overshadowed by its illustrious competitors so it’s not as well known.
There are no frills, in essence, the protection is more a less as stated. Some folks like the odd gimmick thrown in but you won’t get that with ANR.
Renewal options are quite limited with a paper based renewal invitation sent yearly and payment options including cheque and credit card only.
***Conclusion*** ANR only saved my bacon as recently as yesterday. One minute I’m sitting in the usual stationary bank holiday traffic, the next there’s steam coming out from under the bonnet and my temperature gauge is on maximum! Another phone call to the good people at ANR and the problem was solved around 45 minutes later. Well, OK, I had to sit tight with my vehicle whilst hundreds of cars filed past me merrily rubbernecking away and offering lame advice but I did get out of that one eeeeeeventually.
Unfortunately, I can’t get the part needed to completely rectify the problem until Friday, hence me writing this opinion when I should be charging around Northampton in my trusty Rover. Oh well, maybe this opinion is making some sort of contribution?
I’d strongly recommend AutoNational Rescue ~ they are a damned fine outfit and so much cheaper than the alternatives!
Thanks for the read
More info at: http://www.autonational.co.uk http://www.rac.co.uk/breakdowncover/ and http://www.theaa.com
Advantages: less than half the price of the RAC, customer service is good Disadvantages: will they live up to their claims
For years and years I have been with the RAC for my car breakdown cover. We were paying £65+ each year just to cover us for breaking down away from home. All this cover entitled us to was for somebody to come out and attempt to fix our car by the side of the roadside. If they failed to do this, the car would be towed off to the nearest garage. There was no provision for us getting to our destination or back home again from the breakdown scene.
In ... ...included, I do not have any complaints against the RAC. On the few occasions I have needed to call them out, they have arrived promptly and completed their job professionally. It was because of their track record that my husband has always been reluctant to change breakdown organisations. His motto in life generally is 'you pay for what you get'. I do agree with him to a certain extent, but I also believe that some companies create such a monopoly ...
jpass 16.10.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Autonational Rescue
Advantages: Cheaper, Subcontracts work so often quicker Disadvantages: None
...only one opinion written about Autonational Rescue.......but I can't understand why! This vehicle recovery organisation certainly knocks spots off both the AA and RAC!
I have been with A.R. for 2 years and have no complaints in the time that I have been with them...in fact nothing but praise! I was a member of the AA for about 4 years previous, I paid £122 for the top service they offered (which I needed as I was travelling around the country quite ... ...next recovery breakdown cover give Autonational Rescue a thought! (I am honestly not plugging for recommendation purposes, as a complete whinger I do not give repeat business to a company I am not happy with....I have been with A.R. 2 years & unless something goes wrong or some 'supa doopa' new organisation comes along with a fantastic offer I will stay with A.R.!). Enough said!
p.s. I have removed my AUT number for legal reasons!!!....I will ask ...
moose 22.01.2001 (23.01.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Autonational Rescue
Advantages: A lot cheaper than competitors, helpful. Disadvantages: Long waiting times and need to know your exact location.
Autonational are a lot cheaper than the RAC or AA. The comprehensive package with Autonational costs just over £50 whilst the same package with the RAC costs £115. That is a big differnce and a big incentive to go to Autonational. The RAC try to persuade buyers that they are alot better as the mechanics work for them directly unlike in Autonational where they are a broker and therefore contract out to local garages. However, if your car has broken ... ...do the job. Autonational contracts to garages nationwide so there is never any trouble getting a mechanic to you. The only difficlulty motorists might have is that the phone operators like your exact location down to the road number. When I have had to phone them out this has proved annoying as the majority of the time road numbers are not marked. Normally though once the information you have managed to give the operator gets to the local garage ...
herdsman 15.08.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Autonational Rescue
...have been a member of Autonational Breakdown for several years and find them excellent value for money. If you have not called them out during the past 12 months, then you get a 'no claims' discount, which in effect means you pay only £54. For this you get road side assisstance, recovery to either a garage or your home/destination. You also get assistance at home (the same as AA's home start). If you break down and they fail to reach you within a ... ...for the following year. If you have a second vehicle, then you are charged only half price for this, which is £27. So you can get two vehicles covered for only £81, which I think is excellent value. The service covers the vehicle and not the person, unlike the AA, which means that if you are travelling in someone elses vehicle then you cannot call them out. Overall an excellent package at an extremely attractive price. ...
BJR 23.10.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Autonational Rescue
...flyer in the post from Autonational Rescue offering 15 months cover for the price of 12, with the same cover I had with the AA but at a cheaper price I decided to give it a go (even though I had never heard of them before. I have not looked back.
I first called them out in the middle of London at night when my car keys wouldn't turn in the ignition to start the car. They arrived within half an hour and managed to temporarily sort the problem, but ... ...to get the problem sorted. (I ended up having to have a new ignition lock).
The second time I called them out, when my car gave up the ghost half way up a steep hill (acting as if it had run out of petrol but I knew it couldn't have!). Again they arrived within half an hour and diagnosed the problem as a blocked fuel line, which they sorted out for me and told me what to do if it happened again.
The speed of response impressed me as a lone female. ...
Arabs 23.01.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Autonational Rescue
Speed Of Response
Cost
Level Of Cover
Customer Service
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Tel: 08459 100 345; Website: http://www.autonational.co.uk/; Details: We have a complete range of car breakdown services and breakdown recovery services covering the UK and Europe, including car rescue, roadside assistance, breakdown cover, breakdown recovery, nationwide recovery services and European breakdown services. It's really not surprising that Autonational Rescue is growing so fast. Autonational Rescue is the UK car breakdown service with the No Claims Bonus and offers discount breakdown cover. To find out more, join the nation's best value car breakdown service or to send for a brochure on all of our breakdown and recovery services, simply explore the links. Our emergency breakdown cover starts at just £30.00 per year.
