Which breakdown service gets to you fastest?

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Andi-anna@reddit

I've always used the RAC and have needed them on a few occasions. The majority of incidents have been motorway breakdowns and as a lone female (usually at night) I found their response time was really quick. The only time I had to wait a couple of hours was when I needed them to tow my car to a garage after someone had hit it while it was parked on the road outside my home (and not left any details). So that wasn't really an emergency but in proper emergencies I've always found them quick to respond tbh.

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jamawg@reddit (OP)

Thanks. A *cough* few decades ago, they didn't take hours. Today, their subcontractor showed up just a little more than 4.5 hours after I contacted them. Fun fact: first day on the new job

Even a few years ago, they were much quicker, and I could actually speak to a human when I called. Maybe they are still the best, but service has hone downhill acros the board.

Thanks for taking the time to reply

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Andi-anna@reddit

Ooh that's not a great first impression lol! Can see why you are looking elsewhere. Can I ask, was it a "proper" emergency as in you were broken down in the middle of nowhere or was it a home start or somewhere fairly safe?

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MrMalisz@reddit

I once called a recovery service (possibly AA) and they quoted me for an insane amount and told me to wait 4-5 hours. I declined, went on a facebook marketplace and found someone willing to do it for a fraction of the price.

Ofc it is going to be a different story if you are already paying for recovery.

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jamawg@reddit (OP)

That's the problem. I could find a local tow company and pay a few hundred, or wait 4.5 hours and get a tie, plus a lift or a hire car, even hotel if needed

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CautiousCapsLock@reddit

Are you looking for a breakdown and recovery service or roadside repair as well? Key difference, there are lots of company’s that offer recovery. Few will attempt a repair at the roadside.

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jamawg@reddit (OP)

Recovery is fine by me

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iGhost36@reddit

Been with RAC for years. Only ever had to call them out 2 times and both times came fairly quick (about an hour - hour and half at most. Fixed at road side both occasions.

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jamawg@reddit (OP)

Thanks, but I am hoping for quicker than an hour and a half. Today was 4.5 hours

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MrNippyNippy@reddit

If you’re in the the arse end of nowhere it’s likely to be a contractor anyway so it’s the same people no matter who.

Having recently had to deal with Landrover Recovery (aka the AA answering the phone as LR) I can say in my experience my decision not to use the AA for anything after they completely fucked me 10 years ago with “Skoda breakdown” was a good decision as they’re still as incompetent.

How you can lose a 2.5 ton, £50,000 Landrover defender I have no idea but they managed for 3 days!

(I broke down, they eventually sent a taxi and then a hire car for me to get home but they had no idea where the car was for days).

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Kat8844@reddit

Fellow (sort of) Land Rover owner for the last year, I’ve not had to use their breakdown or assistance service which I’m doubly thankful for as I’m constantly told by people it will break down and now doubly don’t want it to after reading your post!.

I’m anxious enough about the car not being where I left it when it is working properly, yet alone if it’s in someone else’s care!.

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MrNippyNippy@reddit

Well after sitting for 2 hours in the pissing rain pulled over in a lay-by and having to “manage” with almost no mobile signal they told me they were going to send a taxi and I quote

“Can you just leave the keys in the vehicle”

Ermmm. In a Landrover? Maybe not!

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coolpavillion@reddit

I had this happen with a car of mine. What I think happens is it just gets passed from unit to transporter and there is no way of contacting those guys. Just that there is a two piece operation of a pick up and drop off, but anything in between is left to the transporting company. Heard northing for 3 days then I had a phone call to say the car is in X location and will be on the way to your chosen garage in 30 mins.

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MrNippyNippy@reddit

In my case I broke down in the arse end of nowhere in the Scottish Highlands.

The AA had no idea where the car was until it turned up at the dealers (they thought it was going to Aberdeen as the “closest dealer” you’d have to drive past Inverness and I stay in Edinburgh).

I one the other hand knew where it was 100% of the time - I just phoned the local recovery company who had it and were sending it to Edinburgh.

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Zestyclose_Key_6964@reddit

Man, that’s heavy

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MrNippyNippy@reddit

Yeah I didn’t elaborate on the 10 years ago thing but tldr The AA damaged all 4 wheels on a Skoda Octavia vRS and after months of fighting them eventually agreed to replace all 4.

Generally they do the right thing - EVENTUALLY in my experience - but only once you’ve caused a stick.

God knows what it’d be like if you were “just a customer” rather than having the leverage of making a nuisance of yourself by bothering the manufacturer as well as the AA.

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JGlover92@reddit

I get my car through a work lease scheme, we're a huge company so we have a mega plush deal with them and a side effect of that is we get platinum level membership with roadside assurance. First time I called I went through the AA direct number. They told me it was a 2 hour wait if I was lucky. I went back through the lease company and they had someone with me in 15 minutes.

Really put into perspective for me that they just follow the money and you're bottom of the totem pole unless you're paying for more.

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biking_barista@reddit

I’m with RAC as it’s through my insurance. I’ve needed them on 3 occasions in the last 12 months (90’s Land Rover so breaks down for fun). First time I was waiting for 6 hours for an agent of them to arrive (in a pokey town in the SW), second time was 30 minutes (near Cardiff), third time was 7 hours for an agent to recover (pokey village this time).

If you live in or very near a decent sized city I’d imagine you’d have better success than I do.

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OnmipotentPlatypus@reddit

Off topic, but living on the canals I one had a problem with a lock. Reported it to the CRT (Canal & River Trust), they had engineers on site within 45mins.

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WestTangelo3432@reddit

Not RAC, they took 19 hours to recover my vehicle recently. The AA took about an hour and a half to get to my partner last weekend, both breakdowns in roughly the same area.

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Conscious-Donut-679@reddit

Been with greenflag for 30 plus years, 3 Cars in family, 3 drivers, also in times past motorcycles. Never had a problem and excellent service when required, also best price. But be aware they will check the vehicle mot status etc and will decline to attend if all is not current.

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geeered@reddit

The normal way the RAC and AA work is to get someone to you within an hour... that can't actually help you, but ticks off the 'responded in an hour'.

Greenflag in my experience are less likely to fix you by the road side, but more likely to send a flatbed that will actually take you home.

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AxisOfAverage@reddit

I've been using AutoAid for years. One of the cheaper ones and always (I think) use contractors, and on the couple of occasions I've needed them they have been there pretty quickly.

Definitely recommend.

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basdid@reddit

Start Rescue. Outstanding

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.startrescue.co.uk

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clanshephard@reddit

I would also recomend Start Rescue. They are very open that they use local teams to recover/fix the problem. I've called them out a couple of times, communication has been great and they did what needed to be done. They were also out within an hour and a half each time.

I cancelled my AA membership after 25 years when they left me and my under 10 year old kids by the side of the motorway for 4 hours.

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FatBloke4@reddit

I've been using Start Rescue for some years. They just call a local independent breakdown guy (I guess they have some kind of list and agreement) and this has been very successful for me. They are also quite cheap.

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Safe-Art5762@reddit

I once had to wait 5 hours for the RAC in January on the side of the M5. They almost called an ambulance when they picked me up because I was so cold. Vowed never to use them again.

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MrPogoUK@reddit

I was going to recommend RAC as they’ve always been quick on the rare occasions I’ve needed them, although I remember the guy who came out last time mentioned I got lucky because he was the only guy in the county that night and my job came in two minutes before another which would have seen him driving to somewhere an hour away.

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tmstms@reddit

Well....in the old days, it was said RAC would be slower than AA because fewer vans.

As an average, you might argue a service that just contracts local operators rather than having a dedicated fleet e.g. Green Flag, might be quicker.

But I think it is almost always going to be the luck of the draw.

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