Breakdown Cover - FAQ's
Questions to ask your online breakdown cover provider

When considering buying car breakdown cover online, the following is a list of questions you should ask your provider:-

• WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE YOU?
• CAN I TRUST YOUR BREAKDOWN INSURANCE SERVICE?
• IF I BREAKDOWN HOW QUICKLY WILL YOU GET TO ME?
• WHY ARE YOUR PRICES FOR BREAKDOWN COVER SUCH GOOD VALUE?(if they are!)
• WHAT LEVELS OF BREAKDOWN COVER DO YOU OFFER?
• WHAT TYPE OF VEHICLES WILL YOU COVER?
• WHAT IF SOMEONE ELSE DRIVES MY VEHICLE?
• HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COMPLETE ALL THE DETAILS?
• HOW CAN I PAY FOR MY BREAKDOWN COVER?
• IS IT SAFE AND SECURE TO MAKE MY PAYMENT ONLINE?
• HOW DO I GET MY BREAKDOWN COVER DOCUMENTS?
• WHAT IF I CHANGE MY MIND?
• WHAT IF I HAVE A COMPLAINT?

For further details about breakdown cover options for the UK and Europe.

Cheap Car Breakdown Cover

Anyone looking for a cheap source of car breakdown cover should look beyond the big two, and even the five or six next biggest players - Green Flag, MoreTh>n, Britannia and Mondial - to the little-known breakdown cover providers to find the best deals

Starting at £29 soem smaller insurance companies will provide a comprehensive annual breakdown service, which includes support when your car is parked outside your home, roadside assistance anywhere in the country, and accommodation if the breakdown is serious. It also provides an onward transfer to your destination or home, whichever you prefer.

Ask the AA and RAC for the same level of cover and you will almost certainly be charged in excess of £100.

But there are some drawbacks to these cheaper forms of car breakdown cover. In some ways it is from a bygone age, untouched by the new century and modern ways of doing things.

Like many breakdown firms, these smaller insurance companies use a network of local garages. But its customers must pay the garage up front and claim the expenses back unlike the big players in the market such as the AA and RAC.

That means drivers must have a credit card at the ready and be prepared to carry a hefty chunk of debt on it for a few days. If it is nearing the end of your 54-day free period, the interest might hurt a little.

There are also quite severe limits on the amount that can be claimed back. For instance, a home start bill might not exceed £45.

However, none of this is hidden, at least no more than the product as a whole.

The AA and RAC also cover individuals, but are heavy spenders on advertising and marketing. All the other major players limit their cover to named vehicles and many of the prices they give in our table are, as Jeremy Paxman would say, a starter for 10.

If your car is old or you appear young and irresponsible, More Th>n will charge you more. Green Flag want to know your postcode before even starting to calculate a price. Unfortunately, as breakdown cover has become a commodity product, with firms using the same garage networks and the same call centre technology, new firms entering the market, like Tesco Personal Finance, Direct Line (which also owns Green Flag), and Churchill, tend to differentiate themselves through obscure pricing structures.