How To Choose Breakdown Cover That Is Right For You

Introduction

There are so many options for breakdown cover that it can be quite difficult knowing exactly what you should buy to meet your needs. A quick internet search will for ‘uk breakdown cover’ will return around 40 million results! Not exactly useful when it comes to narrowing down product and service offerings I’m sure you will agree.

Levels of breakdown cover

All breakdown cover providers will provide a number of levels of cover, at increasingly costly premiums. However, what the levels of cover consist of will vary from company to company, as will the actual cost of each. Unfortunately, for this reason, it isn’t simple to make a direct comparative between all of the breakdown products on the market. In order to help you come to the right decision on which cover you actually need at the right price, we’ve provided a list of the most common terms and what they actually mean.

Common breakdown cover terms

• Roadside assistance – the basic level of breakdown cover.  This indicates that, should your car break down, you can make a phone call to the company and they will despatch an operator to come and help.  Normally, the car will have to be 1 mile or more from your home address in order to qualify.  ‘At home’ assistance frequently costs more and is an added service.  Roadside assistance cover means the company will attempt to repair your vehicle at the roadside if they can, or alternatively provide assistance as required if your car cannot be fixed.
• Recovery – again this service should be part of a standard level of cover.  This service means that your vehicle will be recovered and taken to a garage or another location – normally within a certain distance of where you have broken down.
• Home start/assistance – this is a service that you’ll normally pay a little extra for.  If your car fails to start on the drive in the morning, this service means you can call your breakdown company for assistance.  Without it, they won’t come out to see you if you’re at home (or very close to home).  Well worth considering.
• Accident recovery – again this is another important service.  Should you be involved in an accident, you’ll probably not want to have to suffer the further bills and worry of being faced with recovery that costs the Earth.  If it is part of your policy, you’ll be recovered if your car is illegal or unable to drive.
• Overnight accommodation and onward travel – these two added services tend to go hand in hand and tend to come at an added premium.  The latter means transport will be arranged to take you (and probably a number of passengers) to an onward destination.  This is very useful if you’re going to a holiday destination or have an important date you must arrive in time for.  The former means any required overnight stay will be covered (this will be up to a certain price and will be likely paid for after the event).
• European cover – does what it says on the tin.  This will cost more but if you do travel to the continent it would be well worth considering.
• Key assistance – should you lose or damage your keys, this added cover will help.  You will be recovered to home or somewhere able to assist.
• Criminal and illness cover – if you suffer an act of vandalism that renders your car unusable (think stolen and burned out or wheel theft etc) this is the cover that will help you.  Alternatively, cover for illness means that should you be unable to drive to your destination, the breakdown company will supply a driver to ensure you and your passengers get to where you need to go.

Some hints and tips for breakdown cover

The above list is not exhaustive and you might find that different providers use varying terms for the same thing.  However, there are some general tips that are worth considering when buying cover:

• Don’t buy multiple cover.  You may already have breakdown cover through your bank account or insurance, so check before you buy.
• Don’t buy more cover than you need.  A very old banger with a poor service record will likely need a more comprehensive level of breakdown cover than a new car fresh off the forecourt.  Consider this when making a choice.
• Do shop around.  This is a reasonably large and well serviced market, so don’t just buy the first product you come across.  There are bargains to be had.
• Do remember to update your details.  If you change your car, give the service provider a call.  Ensure too that your payments are up to date.  A new card might see your policy cancelled due to an unprocessed payment!
• Do not attempt to buy cover whilst broken down at the road side.  It is already too late and the cover will likely not come into force for 24 hours, meaning you’ll be hit with the one-off call out charge.
• If you don’t have cover but need recovery or assistance, call your local garage in the first instance provided you’ve had good service in the past.  You might just find, assuming that you are still relatively local, that their costs are a good deal lower than many breakdown cover providers for a one off call.
• Some breakdown cover will look after you even if you’re a passenger and not the driver (or it isn’t even your car).  If you aren’t sure what your policy covers and you’re in a breakdown situation, give your provider a call.  You might be pleasantly surprised.  Alternatively, planning beforehand to always have at least one driver in the car that is covered will pay dividends in what can be a stressful situation.
• You may only have a number of call outs per year depending on the policy you purchase.  Take the condition of your car into consideration when making a decision on this crucial area.
• Breakdown cover can also be purchased for vans, motorcycles and other vehicles.  Alternatively, a personal policy may mean assistance will come to you whatever you are driving or riding.  Read the small print to ensure the cover suits you best.

Hopefully, this guide has provided you with enough information to make an educated decision on the type of breakdown cover to suit your needs as well as where you can go to arrange some cover.  As a final tip, keep your policy booklet and emergency numbers in your car and phone book – you never know when you might need it.