As the recession reaches its lowest point many people are looking at how to keep their outgoings in order. Sadly some have decided to ditch their motor breakdown cover but as Rescue My Car’s Managing Director Neil Richards-Smith explains, that could be one of the biggest mistakes you can make...
We asked our customers for their questions in a bid to shed some light on this area of your expenditure and to explain why insurance like this is even more important in times of uncertainty...
Q: What are the three most important things to ask about when arranging motor breakdown insurance cover?
Neil Richards-Smith: ‘There are several questions that you should ask when organising your breakdown cover and one of the most important is ‘Where will my car be recovered to?’ Often you will find that it may only be taken to the nearest garage and you may want cover that includes home recovery. Check the mileage allowance too as some breakdown insurers will put a limit on how far they can be taken before charges take affect.’
‘Find out also how long their average call out time is too. They should be able to tell you down to the minute and anything between 40 minutes and an hour is acceptable. Rescue My Car’s current average is 36 minutes, and we are very proud of this.’
‘One final tip is to ask about repairing at the roadside. A good breakdown insurance response team will manage 65-75%. In some instances, however, it is much more about safety and for lone females, families with children and breakdowns in dangerous places our main priority is to remove them from the breakdown spot as quickly as possible.
Q: How much should I be looking to spend on my breakdown cover?
NRS: This is a difficult question to answer as breakdown insurance cover should be all about covering your specific needs. Some people, for instance, want everything. European cover, provision of courtesy cars; the lot, while others simply want the peace of mind of knowing they have someone to call if they do break down on a motorway.
‘The best advice is to write down all the things you want cover for and then get a quote. You can do this easily on the Rescue My Car website. Then, if you feel the policy is too expensive take away your least important element and try again. Keep going until you can match your budget.’
Q: What pitfalls should I look out for when buying car breakdown insurance cover?
NRS: ‘The worst is going for the cheapest cover without reading the Ts & Cs. So many people do it and then find that their breakdown cover does not cover them.’
Q: How can I save money on my breakdown insurance?
NRS: ‘Do not shop for the best known branded breakdown cover as you often pay for just the name. All good breakdown insurers are regulated by the FSA and that means we all have to abide by the same standards. Pay for the level of cover NOT the name.’
Q: But with the economic climate being as it is should I not just cancel my breakdown insurance to save money?
NRS: ‘We are all feeling the strain on our finances now and understand that people may want to reduce their outgoings but I can honestly say that breakdown cover cancellation is not the best way of doing it. Typically our cover costs around £40 a year and yet if you break down without it you could be looking at a towing bill of £300 or more. Is it worth the risk? So many people book cover up with us straight after forking out in this way as they see the benefit.’
Q: So why Rescue My Car and not the cheapest option we can find?
NRS: 'I would actually say we are one of the cheapest around anyway, while also managing to provide some of the best breakdown insurance around. We do it thanks to the relationships we have built up with the breakdown repair companies. With us you are paying for the cover and the service. Not some brand name that helps pay for a huge amount of overheads.
‘We also add in lots of money saving extras, such as money off wine, 50% off your next MOT and 10% off car parts bought from our partners. Take advantage of these and your cover may end up costing you next to nothing anyway!’
