Saga Free Breakdown Cover

[trufflehunt]

For the last 8 or 9 years, I've changed insurer almost every year to obtain the best price.

Except for the last 2.
Year 1. Saga came up with the cheapest Fully Comp for me.
Year2. Much to my surprise, they again came up with the best.

That was 2 months ago.

A couple of weeks back, they sent me an offer for Free Breakdown Cover.
This would be for Roadside Assistance and/or retrieval to a garage.

Just wondered if anyone else has had/signed up for free or cheap breakdown cover, or thoughts on it ?

Last time I broke down was 3 years ago. 3 weeks after I bought the 406, the fuel pump
failed. The local garage charged £60 for the 6 mile retrieve.

[benczuk]

I maintain an AA policy which I take out new every year, as the renewal price is always higher than new. It's nice to have the peace of mind with an older car which I use for family holidays towing the caravan.

I have it purely for the "tow me to where I want to go" Relay cover to get the car home (or to my parents) when it fails.

I choose AA because I know they will tow you without quibble, and not just insist on taking it to the nearest garage, and the national (self operated) network makes long tows possible.

When my cam belt snapped they towed me (albeit in relay stages taking a total of 12 hours, that was a long day!) 360 miles from Cornwall to my parents where we could fix it.

If its free take it! it can't hurt! (unless it is one of those free for 3 months then they charge when you forget to jump through the hoops to cancel it)

[highlander]

When my clutch died this year, I was just pulling into a hotel in Glasgow, just by the airport. Suddenly couldn't put the car into any gear.

145 miles from home.

Poor Coupe had to ride home on the back of an AA low-loader. I was glad I didn't have to pay for a recovery truck, going all that way.

[trufflehunt]

Thanks for replies, guys.

This morning, I took up the freebie offer. It's for a year of roadside assist, or recover to nearest
garage within 10 miles. Apparently, the vast majority of breakdowns are sortable at the roadside,
so I felt I couldn't lose.

[PeterN]

I have been with the AA since 1958 and get all sorts of freebies now but I would probably save if I didn't let them renew it every, but I keep forgetting when its due. I must admit that they give very good service, I had occasion to use them a couple of weeks ago when we visited some friends in Cornwall when I left my lights on and flattened the battery, I was parked at the bottom of a a steep downward slope so no chance of pushing it.

The sent a garage out within the hour who jump started it and tried to sell me a new battery, unsuccessfully. He put his meter across it and it only read 13.8 volts so I thought the alternator was playing up but I tested it when I got home and it read 14.4!!
Special meter for hoodwinking the public?

Peter