multi vehicle insurance with 'free' breakdown cover

Have 6 wheels insurance with Carole Nash which includes full 'free' breakdown cover.
When the battery on car failed for first time in 150k miles i called CN breakdown. There appeared to be a transfer to another number ie different breakdown company. Anyway garage tow truck arrived and jump started the car ~ very polite etc but no interest in state of battery, alternator or paperwork. Car ran fine for 2 days then died again. Called AA this time who turned up and with no prompting checked state of battery, alternator etc and did paperwork. AA declared battery fecked and as it was the original jap one (10 yrs old) that was why no label on the battery. AA offered to sell me new battery but it sounded £££ so i said no. Mr AA then looked up the jap number on the duff battery and told me what the specification was (volts, CCA, Ah etc) so i could buy right one from a 3rd party. I think there is a moral here somewhere.

daytripper! said:

Have 6 wheels insurance with Carole Nash which includes full 'free' breakdown cover.
When the battery on car failed for first time in 150k miles i called CN breakdown. There appeared to be a transfer to another number ie different breakdown company. Anyway garage tow truck arrived and jump started the car ~ very polite etc but no interest in state of battery, alternator or paperwork. Car ran fine for 2 days then died again. Called AA this time who turned up and with no prompting checked state of battery, alternator etc and did paperwork. AA declared battery fecked and as it was the original jap one (10 yrs old) that was why no label on the battery. AA offered to sell me new battery but it sounded £££ so i said no. Mr AA then looked up the jap number on the duff battery and told me what the specification was (volts, CCA, Ah etc) so i could buy right one from a 3rd party. I think there is a moral here somewhere.

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Yup, the moral is ..... you get what you pay for, or indeed in this case you get a lot more than nothing!

Isn't the moral don't be a tight wad, treat you car to a new battery more often and maybe it'll start when you need it to

daytripper! said:

Have 6 wheels insurance with Carole Nash which includes full 'free' breakdown cover.
. I think there is a moral here somewhere.

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Yes, you had breakdown cover (which they fullfilled), not fix and repair.

Tunneruk said:

Yup, the moral is ..... you get what you pay for, or indeed in this case you get a lot more than nothing!

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When i used carol nash breakdown cover back in the summer an AA van turned up.

It depends on the area you are in with breakdown cover if it is the aa,rac,greenflag or an independant turns up and it depends what level of cover you get.
Good few years ago I got a call at work from my wife about her Scirocco having broken down about 5 miles from home with a flat battery.
We had full breakdown cover with the insurer with the aa, so she called them out.
I popped down in the job van and got there at the same time as a local independant agent working for the aa, not realising it was my wifes car he thought I was just back marking the scene.
Battery was totally flat and when he pops the bonnet it is quite clear that one of the spade connectors on the alternator has rotted off the wire.
Muppet starts on about ah yes the alternator is broken, we will have to recover the car to our local depot but we can fit and supply a new alternator tomorrow for £200.
At which stage I reach in strip off a bit of wire and wrap it around the spade connector and tell him to jump start the car and I will follow it home.
He takes me to one side and says that I am robbing them of a nice little earner, so I tell him that it is my wifes car and that if he doesn't jump start it and then f#ck off he will be risking my greatest displeasure.
Report them the next day to the AA to who they are subcontracting

Fraud is another persons crime isn't it, and when the numpty realises he is putting everyone's premiums up he will get it, but as he probably doesn't have breakdown cover as he's a clever spanner type (and a twat) he never will.

Would be interesting if the ’4th emergency service' actually did anything or just outfit down to 'slippage'.

Years ago I broke down in Doncaster AA man came, said it cannot be diagnosed here and needs recovery to a local garage. Local garage also supplied the hire car. I went to my job and called back later to find out progress. They told me it had a faulty item (cannot recall) it was £1200, but the fault was intermittent so the brakes were fully functioning. I said I will risk it and drove home to Wiltshire.

My local garage charged me £30, all of which was the time taken to identify the corroded connection, the repair was nothing.

I don't blame the AA man, just his choice of garage that I was rescued to.