Breakdown cover explained
Breaking down is stressful and inconvenient, but breakdown cover can provide valuable peace of
mind - ensuring you receive assistance at the roadside at any time of the day or night. To help
you decide what type of breakdown cover is right for you, we've compiled a short guide that
explains what it is, how it works and how you can save money but still find the policy
that's right for you.
What is breakdown cover?
Breakdown cover is known by a variety of names, most commonly roadside recovery and roadside
rescue. It provides assistance to motorists who have broken down and are unable to continue
their journey.
Who is breakdown cover suitable for?
Breakdown cover is a sound investment for anyone who regularly travels by car. It is particularly
suitable for people who own older vehicles, for those who regularly drive at night or in remote
areas, families and business travellers or commuters.
How does breakdown cover work?
There are two types of breakdown cover available:
Standard breakdown cover is offered by the majority of breakdown companies
and is the most convenient option for most customers. You choose the level
of cover that best suits your needs and pay an annual fee upfront. Any call
outs you make during the period of cover are then free of charge.
You'll have the choice between personal breakdown cover or vehicle based
cover. The former covers you, as the passenger, in any car you are travelling
in providing it falls within the breakdown company's conditions. The
latter covers the nominated vehicle only.
Some breakdown companies, such as the AA and RAC for example, have their own
patrols while others, such as Green Flag, will contract out to local recovery
services.
Pay and claim cover is usually the cheapest type of breakdown cover. As with
standard breakdown cover, you pay an annual fee upfront but the cover you
receive will differ from standard breakdown cover in two respects.
Firstly, the breakdown company will not operate its own patrols; instead it
will contract out to local recovery services.
Secondly, you will be required to pay the local service when you call them out
and then reclaim the money by sending your receipts to the breakdown company.
When it comes to choosing between the two, your main considerations will be price and
convenience. This is because both options will provide the same level of cover and average
call out times (around 40 minutes). If convenience is important to you, then with standard
cover you can avoid the hassle of paying for the call out upfront and then having to
reclaim the money back.
What about breakdown cover levels?
Breakdown companies often have their own definitions for the different cover levels
and services they provide, however the four main options that they all offer are:
All breakdown policies include roadside assistance. If you breakdown away from
home (providing you are over a quarter of a mile away) then your breakdown company
will send somebody to fix the problem at the roadside; if your vehicle can't be
fixed it will be towed (or recovered) to the nearest garage or your home, normally
whichever is closer. Policies typically include up to 60 minutes of free labour,
however the cost of replacement parts is not included.
This provides cover in the event of your vehicle breaking down at your home address
or within a set distance of it – normally within a quarter of a mile.
If the vehicle can't be repaired at the roadside it will be recovered, along with
any passengers, to any mainland destination.
Onward travel cover can vary drastically between different breakdown companies. Depending
on the policy, it may include car hire or alternative transportation to your chosen
destination or home address or accommodation while your vehicle is repaired.
Most breakdown companies also offer European cover, either as a stand-alone policy or as
an add-on to a standard policy. If you plan on taking your car to the continent – perhaps
on a booze cruise to France, for example – then European breakdown cover is a sound
investment. Breaking down abroad is not only costly but can be complicated too – with
European breakdown cover you'll deal with English-speaking representatives and the
recovery process will be quicker and less stressful, too.
The level of breakdown cover that's right for you will of course depend on your circumstances,
including the age of your vehicle and your annual mileage. How you use the vehicle will
have a bearing on the level of cover you need too, for example the requirements of a driver
who does high mileage and relies on their vehicle for commuting or business use will be
different than those of a driver who only uses their car now and again for short trips
in the locality of where they live.
How can I save money on breakdown cover?
Understanding how breakdown companies price their products can help you to keep the cost
of your policy down. Some companies offer fixed price premiums while others calculate
premiums based on a range of criteria, such as your vehicle’s age and your annual
mileage etc. What this generally means is that if your policy is classed as ‘high risk’
you will pay more for cover, and if you are classed as ‘low risk’ you will pay less.
If you suspect that you are classed as a high risk then you should shop around for a
fixed-price policy instead, it'll probably be cheaper.
Similarly, multi-car policies can often prove cheaper for families than family membership
policies that cover individual family members.
For more savings, pay and claim cover is usually considerably cheaper than standard cover,
so if you don't mind paying for the call out and then claiming the money back, you
could save pounds on your premium.
It's always worth checking for discounts and special offers too. Above all, the key
to saving money is to shop around and compare breakdown cover policies online.
Gocompare.com and breakdown cover
With Gocompare.com you can compare quotes for breakdown cover for cars, motorbikes and
vans; all policies include roadside assistance and local recovery as standard.
Simply tell us how old your vehicle is and what additional levels of cover you require
and we’ll bring you quotes from up to 15 breakdown companies. You can then filter
your results to compare up to four policies side-by-side; by comparing policies on
features as well as price you can find the one that best suits your needs.
Remember that the cheapest policy isn't necessarily the best policy for you, and by
spending a little more you may actually get better value for money.
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