Roadside Recovery: AutoAid Feedback

A question about : Roadside Recovery: AutoAid Feedback

This thread is specifically to discuss feedback on AutoAid in the Roadside Recovery article. Previously there has been lots of good feedback in the general discussions.

Please report feedback on AutoAid

Or read Breakdown Cover: Get the cheapest roadside recovery policies

Best answers:

• We have used AutoAid for years, and they've been fine on the couple of occasions we've had to call them out.
  But, and this is a big but, I would caution anyone against using a "pay and claim" type recovery operator unless they can guarantee always having a credit card on them with sufficient credit available to pay a bill of a few hundred pounds.
  Bear in mind that, if you have a major vehicle problem miles from home, the costs of recovering your vehicle hundreds of miles could easily be a few hundred pounds or more.
  With AutoAid, you will have to settle this on the spot and then claim it back.
  I have no quibble at all with their service, and they pay up within a week, but you do need to have the credit available to avoid getting stranded.
  So, if you feel you will always have a few hundred pounds credit available in an emergency, choose AutoAid. If you are worried that your breakdown may happen when you are all spent up, go with a non "pay and claim" operator.
  Hope that helps.
• Damn thought I'd got a good deal on joint policy with Tesco. Just bought it
  Good job they have a 14 day money back guarantee, I'm going to cancel tonight.
• Although just 4 years old my wifes car has twice broken down in nearby shopping centre. The service received from Auto Aid was excellent and reimbursement very prompt.
  Sailorjohn
• Interesting point, Alan. I thought that paying at the time was compulsory but, to be honest, it didn't bother me much either way.
• My Mrs has used Autoaid twice in the last two years, once for an electrical problem and once for a broken clutch cable that involved recovery. The service on both occasions was within 40 minutes and excellent. On both occasions we paid by credit card and after claiming had the Autoaid cheque within 7 days.
  Autoaid are highly recommended
  Al
• I've been with the AA since I started driving up until last year when through this site, I discovered Autoaid.
  In my time with the AA, I called them out a handful of times; the last being last year when they left me standed for 4 hours! Service up until then had been a mixture of good, ok and bad.
  The last one was too much and thought nothing to lose by switching to autoaid.
  During the last 12 months, I've used them 3 times! First, my immobiliser packed up, and they sent someone within the hour who managed to get me going again.
  Second, on holiday in a different family car, the diesel pump packed up.
  Couldn't fix it so towed us back to our holiday accommodation where we were due to leave the next day. They then came back the following day (different firm) to recover us 110 miles home! Both covered under the policy.
  Finally, last Friday in yet another car (replacement for the one with the dodgy immobilser!), the under engine cover fell down (after garage work on my LPG system) on the Dartford bridge. Limped to the tolls and called them out as I didn't have the tools to remove the cover myself (and not dressed for crawling under the car in a suit!). 25 minutes later, a truck turns up, removes the cover and I'm on my way again.
  All occasions have been paid up quickly and in full. Must be in excess of £500 over the year and they even invited me back for renewal
  I posted my last claim last saturday for fridays breakdown and the cheque arrived on Wednesday.
  It covers your spouse too.
  I would recommend them to everyone without hesitation. No long waits, generous cover (two stage recovery) and very prompt payment. All for £32!
  If you are thinking about joining, do it now; before I bankrupt them
• We joined Autoaid after taking Martin's advice a long time ago. I've used it once, last year. Excellent!! We found when in the AA when we broke they passed the problem on to a local garage anyway, and so there was no difference - except much much cheaper and unlike the AA I didnt have to wait 3 hours to be dealt with. The money paid out was refunded by return. Definite winner all round. Go on take the plunge and change - you wont regret it.
• I took out AutoAid last year after years of being with one of the rival companies and never having to call them out. Lucky I did join. I had a small engine fire and was stranded 50 miles from home. One quick call to the call centre and a recovery vehicle was on its way. I paid up when I got home and sent off the receipt for reimbursement the next day. I had the fulll amount refunded by return of post. You can't get much better than that!
• We've been using ETA for a few years (rarely calling on them for help), specifically because they don't belong to the "road lobby" (putting the environment at further risk), nor do they have shareholders' profits to be protected at the expense of their customers' interests..
  I can't find Boncaster Insurance Co's website let alone their policy and ethics statement...but I would guess that as an insurance company they will have few green or ethical credentials.If anyone can inform me to the contrary, I'd be very pleased.
  Quote:
• Been with AutoAid for 3 years but never had cause to claim.
  But, their service includes Caravans!!!
• We've been with Autoaid for 5 years now.
  We've used their services twice for breakdowns and have had our claims paid very promptly.
  Can't recommend them highly enough!!!!
• It's interesting. From this thread (and the other one on the subject of breakdown services) everyone who's ever used AutoAid seems to rate them favourably. But there's also a big backlash against them, from people who want to justify paying more for the "big name" rescue services. Without an exception, none of the detractors have ever used AutoAid.
  Go figure!
• No, it's not a bogus point.
  Whilst I absolutely agree that for anyone who doesn't want (or can't afford) to pay and claim, AutoAid is inappropriate (and that's pretty obvious from Martin's original article), for people who haven't used AutoAid to claim spuriously that they get better service from the big name recovery operators is bogus. They simply don't know the truth of the matter.
  The only people who can meaningfully comment on AutoAid's quality of service are those who have used it. And they are universally in support.
• I agree that there should be freedom of choice.
  The whole point of this site is moneysaving and for most people it's worth saving (sometimes quite a bit) of money for the "inconvenience of paying", making a claim and getting a prompt payment.
  However if others want the privilege of not paying and claiming then of course they are free to do so.
  Not everyone has credit cards or credit limits available.
• I have used auto aid for the last 4 years after paying far too much for far too long for poor service with the aa, and I must say that auto aid have been great, we used them once last year after breaking down not far from our house, I had my young children in the car and the operator I spoke to assured me that he would get someone to me within the half hour, which he did. The guy that came to us towed the car to a garage that we use and then took us home and didnt even charge us. Top class service and they really are worth Ј32 a year, considering we used to pay well over Ј100 with the aa and we certainly never got service like that with them!
• Auto Aid sounds worth a try, but I have to ask "Is it available in Scotland(Edinburgh area)?"
  I ask because sometimes these money-savers only operate in (say) the London area.
• They provide their service nationwide.