Author Topic: Has anyone ever renewed the VW Breakdown?  (Read 4383 times)

Offline mcmaddy

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Has anyone ever renewed the VW Breakdown?
« on: 14 November 2017, 11:02 »
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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Offline maxie

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Re: Has anyone ever renewed the VW Breakdown?
« Reply #1 on: 14 November 2017, 11:08 »
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?

Offline mcmaddy

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Re: Has anyone ever renewed the VW Breakdown?
« Reply #2 on: 14 November 2017, 11:15 »
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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Offline maxie

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Re: Has anyone ever renewed the VW Breakdown?
« Reply #3 on: 14 November 2017, 11:32 »
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) :)

Offline robtt

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Re: Has anyone ever renewed the VW Breakdown?
« Reply #4 on: 14 November 2017, 11:39 »
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 .

Offline fredgroves

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Re: Has anyone ever renewed the VW Breakdown?
« Reply #5 on: 14 November 2017, 11:45 »
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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Offline WD-40

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Re: Has anyone ever renewed the VW Breakdown?
« Reply #6 on: 14 November 2017, 12:02 »
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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Offline SRGTD

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Re: Has anyone ever renewed the VW Breakdown?
« Reply #7 on: 14 November 2017, 12:10 »
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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Offline Sootchucker

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Re: Has anyone ever renewed the VW Breakdown?
« Reply #8 on: 14 November 2017, 13:17 »
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:
« Last Edit: 14 November 2017, 13:20 by Sootchucker »
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Offline richwade80

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Re: Has anyone ever renewed the VW Breakdown?
« Reply #9 on: 14 November 2017, 13:57 »
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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