why get breakdown cover through an insurance co..? they just farm it out to the nearest looser with a transit van and a garage... i am with the aa... worth every penny

I'm with the AA, who farmed it out to a looser with flat bed truck, hope you don't need them.

That's been my experience too. The AA used to be about car rescue, but they went over to selling insurance and spamming adverts years ago. They laid off a lot of their patrols, and sub-contract what they used to do to the local guy with a flat-bed.

scorpakid wrote:why get breakdown cover through an insurance co..? they just farm it out to the nearest looser with a transit van and a garage... i am with the aa... worth every penny

The breakdown people who I got through Ebike were very good.They came in 50 minutes, strapped the scoot down well and took me straight home.
They had a surveillance system so I could see that the scoot was safe in the back. What more do you need?
How much do you pay for the AA? I can't see how it can be that much better.
Ebike insurance costs me £120 plus £49 for European breakdown.

I can get quotes from other ins companies a bit cheaper but adding breakdown cover means I'd pay more.

I used ebike breakdown twice recently and the service was good. Europassist did muck up and charge me and I had to get them and ebike to speak to each other.

Liam wrote:Been with Ebike 3 years,, not needed to claim but i have found the breakdown cover handy.
Easy to check/alter the cover online and i couldn't find anything much cheaper.
I don't think the price has risen much. No more than a few £.

Same here. Mines due next month and unless someone else is significantly cheaper I wont jump ship as its so convenient to manage it all online yourself.

Yellowmax, guys...I don't know if any of you have used the cashback sites to help reduce your insurance costs. But it can save an absolute fortune. I've used Froggybank many times to get my car and motorcycles/scooter insurance. Here's a link: http://www.froggybank.co.uk/cashbackkings.php You must register and go through their website to an insurer to qualify for the cashback.

For example, my car premium was £160 fully comp but done through Froggy to the insurer offering the cashback, I got £80 cash back so my premium for my nearly new Skoda Estate diesel was just £80 for the year. My motorcycles and scooter insurance has benefited in a similar way too. Although mostly you get somewhere in the region of £25 to £50 cash back depending what's on offer. Sometimes there isn't much on offer either. Depends who is offering what and when but well worth a check.

For breakdown cover I use Autoaid, here's a link: http://www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/autoa ... rvices.jsp. They are an insurance based breakdown cover charging just £38pa. This covers you for any vehicle you are in or riding, and covers your missus too. They are a number one company, and a 'Which' magazine best buy coming in with better service than the 'AA'. So don't go to Ebike just to get the breakdown cover as it is an expensive way to do it when combined with insurance. All my family and friends use Autoaid and when my bro in law suffered a rear wheel puncture on his XJR just a few weeks ago on the A12 near Copdock, he called the Autoaid helpline and 20mins, yes, 20mins later he was recovered by a smart looking outfit to the nearest bike workshop who fixed the tyre and had him on his way. I would add they were happy to take him all the way home if he wanted that after dropping the bike off. You have the choice to pay and reclaim the money (which takes about 4-5days to come back to you) or be invoiced for it and then sort it with Autoaid that way.

I've been with Ebike and they weren't too bad but their renewals seem pretty high and they are reluctant I found to bend a bit when your phone them up to a have a polite moan about the price. So, I went to Bennetts this time and got £40 cash back saving me around £80 on my scooter insurance this year. Good hunting everyone!

A quick edit: the AA charged me just £38 pounds for the bike the first year, the second year it rocketed to £162pa. I phoned them and they immediately reduced it to £80pa!!! I was furious...and went to autoaid. Incidentally, as some of you are saying, the AA farm out work to the local flatbed community often. In fact, over the years I have mostly been with the AA and have never yet had an AA 'genuine' guy attend one of my breakdowns, and I have had many (all new cars brokend down...Fords mostly!).

Whatsisname wrote:That's been my experience too. The AA used to be about car rescue, but they went over to selling insurance and spamming adverts years ago. They laid off a lot of their patrols, and sub-contract what they used to do to the local guy with a flat-bed.

Maybe its where you are - I've (almost) always had a proper AA man when I've called them out. Frankly, having a proper AA patrolmen is the only real reason to be an AA member in my view. If they start sending out idiots with trucks, then I'm finding someone cheaper.

I got no help from a lowloader AA agent, I had a puncture in Berwick on Tweed, we only called them out to see what they would fix it with, in the end we fixed it, thanks to Dave Milnes help.
So they are around your patch MrGrumpy, hopefully my feedback to HQ got rid of them for you.
I've been with Ebike for a few years, how do you use their Breakdown service, what information do I need to Carry. I assume it's a telephone no and policy ref?

Dave Weller wrote:I got no help from a lowloader AA agent, I had a puncture in Berwick on Tweed, we only called them out to see what they would fix it with, in the end we fixed it, thanks to Dave Milnes help.
So they are around your patch MrGrumpy, hopefully my feedback to HQ got rid of them for you.
I've been with Ebike for a few years, how do you use their Breakdown service, what information do I need to Carry. I assume it's a telephone no and policy ref?

I had to call for recovery last year when I had a problem with the fuel pump on the Tmax.
i just phoned, gave them my registration and my mobile number.
Then the breakdown people phoned me back within 15 mins to let me know how long they'd be.
They got to me about 40 minutes later.