Breakdown Recovery - Autoaid

[yokohama]

People often ask about breakdown services on here so I thought I'd post about my experience with Autoaid as I had to call on their services today.
The SV suffered an electrics failure today and died completely. I checked the obvious but couldn't do anything so called Autoaid at 11.45. Once I told them it was a bike, they arranged to send a specialised bike recovery person and said they'd be thyere about 1. The guy arrived at 1.10; can't complain as he'd come from Durham and I was in the middle of nowhere. He checked battery, fuses but said it could be one of many things and suggested going home. I was up for that so he took me, bike in the back of an adapted van and not weaving along behind in some rickety trailer.
Very happy overall and excellent service for £43 a year; home, roadside & recovery for me, the wife and any vehicle we are driving, car or bike.

[Bibio]

sounds good. my problem is that i go to the furthest north of Scotland (Durness) and i think a few of the cheaper recovery services dont go that far.

i recently signed up for two years with AA.

[BigFootIsBlurry]

I've used AA a number of times and they've always been great. Got a cheap (less than a tenner a year) policy on the car at the moment that covers everything but had a £25 excess each time. It's ok if you have a reliable car but would get expensive quickly if I still had some of my old motors. Rescuemycar.com is the name but the only time we've used them they send someone from a local firm.

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[Swin]

I get cover with Britannia as part of my wife's car policy. The last puncture I got I called through and the first thing they asked when they found out it was a bike was if I was safe and okay - they then arranged for a dedicated motorcycle recovery wagon to come out - Motorcycle SOS I think they were called. Originally I was told it was up to 2 hours for the van to get to me, he arrived inside an hour

Fantastic service all round, can't fault them

[Red ones]

As it happens my RAC renewal came on the post today so I've been hunting around.

Autoaid say that you have to pay the recovery cost then reclaim it. Could be expensive if you're in Durness.

[yokohama]

They've changed. Phone and check. I didn't have to pay anything. The guy on the phone said it was a trial and they've stopped it.

[tom_e]

I use autonational rescue had to call them out a month or 2 back and they had a specialist motorcycle recovery van out to me in around 90 minutes.

Much better than Greenflag who on one occasion in between Christmas and New year a couple of years back took 4 hours to send out a low lowder to recover me. Me and the bike were covered in ice by the time they arrived and on another occasion they sent one of their standard vans with no way of recovering a bike and no knowledge on bikes first because apparently that's policy before they could even begin to organise a low lowder to come and pick me up.

[bigup]

ive been with Autoaid for a few years, never used them though

i also thought it was call, pay and reclaim back

great thing about it covers your car, bike and spouse is covered too

[BoltonSte]

Autoaid have just changed providers/been bought out. I didn't see anything about changing from pay and claim back.


Yep, website confirms it's pay and claim back:
1. How does AutoAid Breakdown pay and claim scheme work?

We will arrange help at the scene of the breakdown and will arrange and reimburse any call-out fees and labour charges needed to start your car.

If you experience a breakdown, just call our AutoAid helpline and we will arrange for the emergency roadside assistance. You pay for costs and expenses yourself, safe in the knowledge we will reimburse** any amounts covered by this insurance in approximately 14 days.

To make a claim, you must send the original invoice(s) together with any receipts and a completed claim form (https://www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/documents/AutoAid-Claim-Form.pdf) to us. The address is:
AutoAid Rescue
Axis Court
North Station Road
Colchester
Essex
CO1 1UX
Telephone: 01277 720 700

If AutoAid’s pay and claim scheme is not for you, then we recommend you to visit our sister site Autonational Rescue for breakdown cover (http://www.autonational.co.uk/BreakdownCover.aspx).

[bigup]

thanks for checking, no problems, just keep the Credit Card handy when your out and about :)