I have an additions account with Barclays of which I pay £12.50 a month it gives things like interest free overdraft to £200 and RAC homestart etc. Anyhow I phoned them yesterday and then they started giving me the speel like they do, which I usually ignore and say no thanks but yesterday it turns out for an extra £1,50 a month we get full comprehensive RAC breakdown cover which turns out extends to France in a car up to 11 year old and full travel insurance for the whole family. This is going to save us some money as we had priced the European breakdown cover for our trip to France and it was looking fairly expensive plus we have not yet purchased our travel insurance. Does anybody else travel using this insurance and do you know if it covers our needs.
Tilly22
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Depends what sort of outfit you have. If it includes a caravan or motorhome you just need to check that the length of the van is included in the recovery option.
As for the travel insurance, make sure it covers you for any medical conditions you, or the rest of the family, may have. You also need to declare whether you, or the rest of the family, have seen, or are waiting to see, a specialist for any investigations.
Also, make sure that they will repatriate you back to the UK if necessary, I have heard somewhere that that was an "optional extra" with some companies (can't remember where now).
Perhaps none of the above apply to you, but insurance is a minefield, so I thought I'd mention it to be on the safe side. Forewarned is fore-armed as they say
My brother had this breakdown cover. Is was good until he broke down!
Then the number he phoned told him they no longer dealt with this company and gave him another number to phone, who in turn said the same thing! He ended up calling out a local garage and footing the bill!
I'm not saying yours is exactly the same, but this was only a few weeks ago.
If they are giving it away, is is really worth having?
Post last edited on 04/05/2009 10:09:00
-------------
"If I let go of what I am, I can become what I might be".
Quote: Originally posted by jeepster on 04/5/2009
If they are giving it away, is is really worth having?
That is my gut reaction too, that's why I mentioned the travel insurance earlier. The problem is that you don't know whether it is any good until you have to make a claim, but it's a b****y hard way of finding out, like your brother had to.
Quote: Originally posted by jeepster on 04/5/2009
If they are giving it away, is is really worth having?
That is my gut reaction too, that's why I mentioned the travel insurance earlier. The problem is that you don't know whether it is any good until you have to make a claim, but it's a b****y hard way of finding out, like your brother had to.
Exactly!
I was with him when it happened. Luckily he was only a couple of miles from home. Very frustrating, and the impression I got was that no company was interested as it was a giveaway.
If you are going to tow a caravan on the continent you need proper breakdown and personal insurance such as Red Pennant, and they don't give that away!
-------------
"If I let go of what I am, I can become what I might be".
Thanks for your advice, I have asked for a copy of the policy documents and will read them carefully, I will contact the RAC as well as thats who the cover is supposed to be to check things out but I will be carefull as we would hate to travel without full insurance.
I read an article about this just the other day -The Mail on Saturday I think - in which they said the RAC cover did not include the cost of the recovery. Do check the small print carefully.
As a Barclays customer I have been bombarded with literature about the Additions account and without wishing to sound holier than thou, I handle my money affairs correctly and have no need of an overdraft. I purchase my breakdown insurance from the Caravan Club and all the other bits and pieces on offer I purchase on an ad hoc basis.
My travel and breakdown insurance for France is costing £85.00 for the top level through Select Sites, for two of us for 18 days. Set this against the £150.00 that an Additions account costs you over 12 months and the fact that I have no use for the other bits and pieces, I think buying ad hoc comes out rather well.
But that's what suits me - everyone's needs are different.
Vic
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
We have a similar thing with the Nat West, we have used it for a few years now, the foriegn breakdown is covered by Green Flag and the RAC in the UK. it is full re-patriation and foreign medical insurance.
We have checked this out as much as we can and can find nothing wrong with it. I have to disclose certain medical things but that was all.
It has saved us a fair bit over the past few years, try talking directly to the bank they will explain it bettter.
Last year we came across an unfortunate lady who had to call on Barclays in an emergency - the short versin is her OH collapsed and died - Barclays questioned even the need to fly the body back and her need to be home ASAP - upshot was a call to CC (she was a member) and they sorted everything on just the promise of full payment on return. I assume sh emade a suitable claim against Barclays but that wa sthe last thing on her mind. CHeap insurance is only cheap if you don't have to use it.
I must admit I always think there is a catch when the banks charge you to have an account and then include other things with it. They are big business which make £ms of profit (or did until the Govt helped them out) and therefore they certainly do not offer something for nothing - just look at the cost of their loans at the moment when base rates are so low!
Our annual medical ins is £35.00 for 4 of us, the european breakdown cover is about £60 per annum. Then we just pay UK breakdown. So a little more than the £180 it would cost me to have the Barclays additions but at least I am in control and if we decide not to go abroad one year I will see some savings rather than continue to pay their £15.00 month. but each to their own I just don't like banks!
Tilly22 - have you spoken to your bank - I am with Barclays and get £900 overdraft - they just charge me interest which really isn't much each month and I don't pay for the account. Our AA membership is £139 (but you can get cheaper) which is less than than the annual charge for their additions account. I use to have the additions account and decided I would rather have the £12 a month:-)
Thinking now I may cancel my additions altogether and just buy my own insurance and breakdown cover, to be honest i have been paying the £12.50 for years and never used any of the things it offered for the money . Thanks for the advice.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Anybody bank with Barclays
