GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: mcmaddy on 14 November 2017, 11:02
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Just had the usual letter from VW saying my complimentary breakdown is due to run out and would I like to renew. Strangely they want to charge more for me paying it up front and instead will make it cheaper if I set up a direct debit, go figure. £155 for two years cover doesn't sound too bad to me but what do others think?
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rac costs me over £100 per year so the cost sounds good, but how good are they at getting to you when you need them?
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Seems a lot of other companies are cheaper but I've never heard of them. Only ever used the VW Breakdown once and it was prompt, saying that though it was a home visit job.
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Seems a lot of other companies are cheaper but I've never heard of them. Only ever used the VW Breakdown once and it was prompt, saying that though it was a home visit job.
this is why i'd rather pay for one of the other emergency 5s rac/aa/etc because if i break down at tescos etc they'll be there within the hour and mostly sooner (30mins) :)
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I used them for a puncture a few months back. Excellent service. Got to me in thirty minutes even tho in countryside . But my wife has Greenflag. They are good as well and cheaper .
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Greenflag all the way...
The AA/RAC aren't great responders because they use only their own people... and have about 3 per county it seems...
Never waited more than 30 mins for Greenflag.
If you have a current account plus from Nationwide its free too... multiple vehicles and named occupant cover as well (ie drive or be a passenger in any vehicle)
Even if you pay for it, Greenflag are much cheaper.
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VW Breakdown use the AA anyway - called them the other week for a puncture and the AA turned up within about 30-40 mins. I'm pretty sure all the literature states they use AA to provide the service.
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I get mine with RAC as an add-on to my car insurance; £46 per year for rescue, recovery, at home and onward travel cover.
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Slightly off topic. My best mate is an AA patrol for over 25 years. He says the company is a shadow of what it once was, and the things he's asked to do....well let's just keep that a secret then.
The old logo "we fix 8/10 cars by the roadside" he reckons is absolute bo**ocks, and as far as AA HQ are concerned, a "fix" is considered to be towing a broken down car to a garage without even lifting the bonnet. He says it's a real shame as when he joined all them years ago, he was very proud to wear the uniform and the customer was king. These days everything has a maximum time allocated to it, and they are asked to do as little as it takes to affect a "fix". He says down his way, typical response times are 2-3 hours due to the lack of patrols (obviously if you are a single women or have kids in the car - they will prioritise you, but even then, no guarantee of a quick turnaround).
He used to work for the RAC and still has some friends there and they tell him it's not much better there these days either. It's less about customer service and more about stats these days, as both the RAC and the AA are terrified of losing the big manufacturers accounts, and those companies e.g. VW, Aston Martin, Vauxhall etc. use the published stats as part of their decision making process. These large manufacturer accounts it seems are all they are worried about.
It comes to something when a 35 years technician (10 years with RAC and 25 years with the AA) can't wait for retirement and would gladly take VR next time round, and that's not just him, that's at least 10 patrols he knows round his area. He says morale is at an all time low for the time he has been there :cry:
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i did renew the roadside assistance for the two years as it seemed an okay deal at the time - not cheapest but not much in it. £145, back in dec '16. It is covered by the AA, but you don't seem to deal with the AA directly. i did call teh AA once and they didn't know my reference number etc - it must be some vw specific deal. i have never had to use it so can't tell if it is any good.
interestingly i part exchanged the old golf for the gti, and they refunded me the outstanding portion of the cover - cashback! :grin:
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The AA were demutualised in 1999, basically turned into for profit company have been sold since to a private equity firm. I know a AA patrol man and he says the same, they just like any other big company now, just looking after the bottom line and not the customers.
However, as a member, everytime I have used the AA in the last few years (not on my Golf) they have been awesome. They still have a lot of patrols, because they have more members than the competition, have a count when you next go out for a drive, you will see more AA vans than RAC and Greenflag.
Slightly off topic. My best mate is an AA patrol for over 25 years. He says the company is a shadow of what it once was, and the things he's asked to do....well let's just keep that a secret then.
The old logo "we fix 8/10 cars by the roadside" he reckons is absolute bo**ocks, and as far as AA HQ are concerned, a "fix" is considered to be towing a broken down car to a garage without even lifting the bonnet. He says it's a real shame as when he joined all them years ago, he was very proud to wear the uniform and the customer was king. These days everything has a maximum time allocated to it, and they are asked to do as little as it takes to affect a "fix". He says down his way, typical response times are 2-3 hours due to the lack of patrols (obviously if you are a single women or have kids in the car - they will prioritise you, but even then, no guarantee of a quick turnaround).
He used to work for the RAC and still has some friends there and they tell him it's not much better there these days either. It's less about customer service and more about stats these days, as both the RAC and the AA are terrified of losing the big manufacturers accounts, and those companies e.g. VW, Aston Martin, Vauxhall etc. use the published stats as part of their decision making process. These large manufacturer accounts it seems are all they are worried about.
It comes to something when a 35 years technician (10 years with RAC and 25 years with the AA) can't wait for retirement and would gladly take VR next time round, and that's not just him, that's at least 10 patrols he knows round his area. He says morale is at an all time low for the time he has been there :cry:
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You don't see GreenFlag because they don't use their own people, they use local breakdown/recovery services.
The beauty of that is that the guy coming out to you knows where Gloucester Lane is despite it being a single track road through a load of fields! He doesn't need a satnav!
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I refuse to pay any more than £56 for 12months UK, EU recovery and home start cover.
https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/breakdown/
Colour me tight. Papa John.
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£155 for 2 years cover seems pretty reasonable depending on the level of cover.
Skoda Finance (VWFS) provide me with 'free' breakdown cover on my lease car, and the one time I called them out it was an AA van that turned up within the hour. The service was decent, and being the AA I expect wherever you are they won't struggle to get to you.
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Sorry to resurrect an old thread but I've just had something yesterday from the AA for 65 quid for a year which looks exactly the same as the VW policy. Granted it's only 1 year but it still works out cheaper over two years.
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VW roadside assistance only covers that particular vehicle. RAC (and others I presume) cover you and not the car. RAC roadside/rescue and onward travel £45 with Tesco Clubcard vouchers.
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i did renew the roadside assistance for the two years as it seemed an okay deal at the time - not cheapest but not much in it. £145, back in dec '16. It is covered by the AA, but you don't seem to deal with the AA directly. i did call teh AA once and they didn't know my reference number etc - it must be some vw specific deal. i have never had to use it so can't tell if it is any good.
interestingly i part exchanged the old golf for the gti, and they refunded me the outstanding portion of the cover - cashback! :grin:
I chose to renew with VW Roadside Assistance (two year package not much dearer than others) because you stand a good chance of getting the actual VW Assist van with the VW trained tech & gear. If they are tied up normal AA breakdown service .
Good service in my experience