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Sorting out the breakdown insurance for a trip to France at the end of the week, and having had a good google, Breakdown Direct seem a good option - despite having RAC cover for the UK, the RAC are almost twice the price, and I dont see much in it...

So, does anyone have any experience of Breakdown Direct? I know they are underwritten by Axa,but any real life experience would be good to know.

Cheers

Johnny

Just back from France and was insured under Breakdown direct. They initially appeared very helpful but I came stuck on two issues, the policy did not cover me for the trailer that I had insured as it was not taken with the car when it was recovered to the nearest Mazda dealer 70 miles away by the manufacturer warranty. I was left on a site that was fully booked which I had to leave the following day with a hired car that could not tow it. In addition the repairs required turned out not to be covered under warranty and as it was a leased car it should have been then recovered to the UK. The policy states that the insurer will decide the best recovery and as the car was at a dealership and could be repaired then they were not required to do anything.

To summarise Breakdown direct maintained interest in the breakdown until the repair was completed but in the end the manufacturer warranty provided a hired car and the recovery service. I received no assistance with the trailer which had to be left in a car park with part of our equipment for half our holiday.

I am lead to believe that this would have been covered by a 5 star policy with the AA/RAC ouch!

I would pay the extra and hope this avoides someone else falling into the same trap

.

 I am taking out the policy this evening.

I hope I dont have to call, but I went through the RAC T&C's last night, and since they cant guarentee a hire car and certainly wont source one with a tow bar, I can't see any reason to go with them.

Breakdown Direct are AXA, and to be honest it would probably be the same truck that came to either a RAC call or a Breakdown Direct call, or a green flag call too.

The benefits are pretty much similar, but then I guess AXA are a large enough underwriter to provide competitive cover.

So if the worst comes to the worst, I simply wont have £95 of the garage labour bill paid, but up to that point, for roadside repair and such, I am just as well off.

Hope this helps.

sorry, posted at the same time cassied.

I am reading through the Breakdown Direct policy, and providing you pay the trailer supplement (and it is within size guidelines), they state they will rescue both the car and the truck. Is this not the case?

The RAC certainly dont guarentee a hire car in their terms, and actually state "We cannot arrange the hire of vehicles with a tow bar, roof rack or automatic gearbox" (should you need an auto)

The problem with the trailler is common on all policies that it seems impossible to hire a car in France with a towbar certainly in high season. If you have a breakdown and waiting on repairs and in my case this ended up 10 days all in covering 2 public holidays you are left stuck where you land.

Another issue to be aware of the hire car I was initially offered was a Polo for 2 adults and 3 children with some debate this was upgraded to a focus and by luck Avis upgraded on collection to a Passat which in the end was a result. What dissapointed me was that as the trailler was not attached to the vehicle when recovered Breakdown direct was pleased to point out to me in the middle of my strife that the trailler was not their problem despite being included in my premium.

I assume I am not the only one to come to grief while trailler/caravan was on site and would be interested in how others faired.

good info this, thanks.

so it may not be specific to Breakdown Direct, but rather to all policies you think?

might be good to keep the trailer attached too by the sound of it.

Yes, my lesson was to leave non essentials in the trailer and send it with the car if you can. Things would then be a little less complex as the mess we ended in.

I have no real complaint with Breakdown Direct really, just very disapointed, on return I was advised that 5 star equivalent insurance would have met our needs. The truth is out there and would be interested if anyone has had a better breakdown experience.

thanks for the input cassied, I was saying last night that if the worst happened it would be a case of putting the tent, sleeping bags and clothes into the "hire car", and making do/getting on with it as best we could. Leaving the fridge etc to take its chance.

though I would be interested to hear the experiences of AA/RAC breakdownies :)