RAC

[drew]

What a ridiculous thing to say.

It's not a ridiculous thing to say because most people would change the tyre themselves.

 

[Northstandfan]

No jack, tyre is ok but one of them skinny temporary ones. Finally got in 15 mins ago. Oh and I pay premium for the RAC and this was my first ever call out. Five cars hit the same pothole at around the same time. All had their roadside assistance and were gone within the hour, I was waiting 2 hours 55 mins. Absolute shower. I'm going AA (not the alcohol one although I may need it when I'm done getting through my Guinness this evening). They could have got me a breakdown truck from Birmingham in the time I waited!

I get my breakdown cover through insurance choice who use green flag in the UK and similar in Europe, Ive only called them out out once in 5 years due to a blow out on the motorway in Newcastle. Really quick and no issues but I did have the whole family with me.

Their top cover, Gold is £65 a year including European cover if the car is under 7 years old and £70 if 7-10 years.

Google insurance choice and all the prices and details are there. Hopefully it might save you a few quid as well as getting a better service.

 

[Rowdey]

Why should he? he paid for a service. I would be straight on the phone to cancel. Not good enough. There again i've always been with the AA. You are covered and not the car which is what i like.

That's not the answer to my question. The answer was he didnt have a Jack, which i guess he'll go out and buy this weekend so this wont happen again (nearly 3 hours is tortuous, and has my sympathies.)

I asked the question, as it does seem more prevalent that drivers, in general are unwilling or unable to change wheels themselves, which was one of the small but important life skills passed down to new drivers, usually from parents or mates.

And don't even get me started on drivers whose car breaks down in the middle of the road/traffic lights/Streatham High Street, and just sit in it, awaiting help, without pushing it to the side of the road.. (Or is the to answer to that 'Why Should they ?)

 

[wellquickwoody]

It's not a ridiculous thing to say because most people would change the tyre themselves.

Not any more they wouldn't. I had a puncture on M23 recently, rear offside, 5am, pitch dark, lashing down with rain. I had not changed a wheel on my current car, in fact I had not even seen the spare wheel under the floor of the boot filled with luggage. Now shall I do that myself, or call upon the service that I have been paying for years without claiming even once? Hmmmmm.....

 

[wellquickwoody]

And don't even get me started on drivers whose car breaks down in the middle of the road/traffic lights/Streatham High Street, and just sit in it, awaiting help, without pushing it to the side of the road.

Agreed

 

[Garage_Doors]

What a ridiculous thing to say.

Is it?
Would you call them out because your washer bottle is is empty? how far do you go?
A Breakdown is a physical breakdown that stops the vehicle from running.
Not loss of air from a tyre.
I am actually surprised they attended, i guess he will be charged for a call out.

 

[studio150]

Not any more they wouldn't. I had a puncture on M23 recently, rear offside, 5am, pitch dark, lashing down with rain. I had not changed a wheel on my current car, in fact I had not even seen the spare wheel under the floor of the boot filled with luggage. Now shall I do that myself, or call upon the service that I have been paying for years without claiming even once? Hmmmmm.....

I think the current advice for motorways is dont change the tyre yourself for safety reasons particulary if its an offside tyre.

 

[drew]

Not any more they wouldn't. I had a puncture on M23 recently, rear offside, 5am, pitch dark, lashing down with rain. I had not changed a wheel on my current car, in fact I had not even seen the spare wheel under the floor of the boot filled with luggage. Now shall I do that myself, or call upon the service that I have been paying for years without claiming even once? Hmmmmm.....

I didn't say everyone, I said most. In the circumstances you describe that's fair enough.

 

[maltaseagull]

The spares flat

Hope he got rescued soon after.

Lesson to be learned there though.

 

[Notters]

Not any more they wouldn't. I had a puncture on M23 recently, rear offside, 5am, pitch dark, lashing down with rain. I had not changed a wheel on my current car, in fact I had not even seen the spare wheel under the floor of the boot filled with luggage. Now shall I do that myself, or call upon the service that I have been paying for years without claiming even once? Hmmmmm.....

Completely different on a motorway.

 

[maltaseagull]

That's not the answer to my question. The answer was he didnt have a Jack, which i guess he'll go out and buy this weekend so this wont happen again (nearly 3 hours is tortuous, and has my sympathies.)

I asked the question, as it does seem more prevalent that drivers, in general are unwilling or unable to change wheels themselves, which was one of the small but important life skills passed down to new drivers, usually from parents or mates.

And don't even get me started on drivers whose car breaks down in the middle of the road/traffic lights/Streatham High Street, and just sit in it, awaiting help, without pushing it to the side of the road.. (Or is the to answer to that 'Why Should they ?)

I have to admit to calling a breakdown service for a flat tyre once when I just could not undo the wheel nuts which had been done with a mechanical tool. (Whatever they're called) But usually change it myself.

 

[Bodian]

On many cars now (such as the Fiesta, the best selling car) they come with neither a spare wheel, nor a jack. You get some liquid stuff which you pump straight into the tyre with a compressor - and this makes it solid - and is designed to get you to the next garage (is this tyreweld?).

The OP says that his walls were ripped out going down a pothole. So, what the car manufacturers give us would not work - because there would be nothing to contain the stuff.

I have always changed the wheels before - but would call out the AA now if it was such a drastic puncture.

Having said that, we had a 2 hour wait on the M6 a few months ago - so I'm not sure they're hugely better than the RAC.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Actually I do have a jack, felt a bit silly with all the car mechanic types on here to say so. But that wasn't the point to me. I pay for their premium service. The country lane was dark with no lighting so I couldn't see a thing to my sides. I had to try and tuck my car as close into the side as possible as it was a narrow, but relatively busy road. I also have no idea where the jack point is, not helped in the dark, and knowing my skills I'd have jacked it through the floor pan. It's a Mercedes CLS and too expensive for a novice to piss about with. If the RAC screw up I'm insured against such accidents by them. But all that aside why should I not call out roadside assistance? The other four cars in the same predicament did exactly that and were gone in the hour. And whoever said 'do you call out for an empty windscreen bottle', bit ridiculous? Does that immobilise your car? No. They state in the contract what I can call out for and that includes a blow out. I shall be cancelling them this morning and going to the AA. I have been paying for this service for two years and this was my first request. Once bitten, twice shy, won't be doing it again.

And now the fun starts, getting Highways to pay for the damage caused.

 

[Soulman]

On many cars now (such as the Fiesta, the best selling car) they come with neither a spare wheel, nor a jack. You get some liquid stuff which you pump straight into the tyre with a compressor - and this makes it solid - and is designed to get you to the next garage (is this tyreweld?).

The OP says that his walls were ripped out going down a pothole. So, what the car manufacturers give us would not work - because there would be nothing to contain the stuff.

I have always changed the wheels before - but would call out the AA now if it was such a drastic puncture.

Having said that, we had a 2 hour wait on the M6 a few months ago - so I'm not sure they're hugely better than the RAC.

By the way, i have no spare tyre but have the pump and liquid. I had to use the liquid on a puncture and to replace it cost about £40, even though i shopped around. The tyre garage told me not to bother with the liquid but get the tyre weld stuff from somewhere like tesco, costs about a fiver.

 

[MF'84]

The trouble with some of the tyre fillers/ sealers is that it can make a 'repairable' tyre un-repairable as you can't get all the gunk out of the tyre so an approximate £10 plug fix turns into the cost of a new tyre.

 

[Mr Putdown]

I am actually surprised they attended, i guess he will be charged for a call out.

Of course he won't be.

 

[drew]

Actually I do have a jack, felt a bit silly with all the car mechanic types on here to say so. But that wasn't the point to me. I pay for their premium service. The country lane was dark with no lighting so I couldn't see a thing to my sides. I had to try and tuck my car as close into the side as possible as it was a narrow, but relatively busy road. I also have no idea where the jack point is, not helped in the dark, and knowing my skills I'd have jacked it through the floor pan. It's a Mercedes CLS and too expensive for a novice to piss about with. If the RAC screw up I'm insured against such accidents by them. But all that aside why should I not call out roadside assistance? The other four cars in the same predicament did exactly that and were gone in the hour. And whoever said 'do you call out for an empty windscreen bottle', bit ridiculous? Does that immobilise your car? No. They state in the contract what I can call out for and that includes a blow out. I shall be cancelling them this morning and going to the AA. I have been paying for this service for two years and this was my first request. Once bitten, twice shy, won't be doing it again.

And now the fun starts, getting Highways to pay for the damage caused.

Wouldn't it be better to try and find out why they took so long and then seek compensation, possibly for a reduced premium at renewal. You might move to the AA and when you call them the same thing may happen. Might have been a freak delay on their part as I'm sure their normal SLAs don't suggest a three hour wait!

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Wouldn't it be better to try and find out why they took so long and then seek compensation, possibly for a reduced premium at renewal. You might move to the AA and when you call them the same thing may happen. Might have been a freak delay on their part as I'm sure their normal SLAs don't suggest a three hour wait!

What really irks me is they said they had nothing available first for 90 minutes and then for 150 minutes and then it still turned up 25 minutes late, but in three hours they could have got one from Birmingham!

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Off to photograph the pothole now for my claim to Highways. Time specific to be home for Radio Sussex at 3pm

PS: [MENTION=5208]drew[/MENTION], I have cancelled and gone AA. The RAC people prefer not to work weekends for cases such as mine.

 

[Garage_Doors]

Actually I do have a jack, felt a bit silly with all the car mechanic types on here to say so. But that wasn't the point to me. I pay for their premium service. The country lane was dark with no lighting so I couldn't see a thing to my sides. I had to try and tuck my car as close into the side as possible as it was a narrow, but relatively busy road. I also have no idea where the jack point is, not helped in the dark, and knowing my skills I'd have jacked it through the floor pan. It's a Mercedes CLS and too expensive for a novice to piss about with. If the RAC screw up I'm insured against such accidents by them. But all that aside why should I not call out roadside assistance? The other four cars in the same predicament did exactly that and were gone in the hour. And whoever said 'do you call out for an empty windscreen bottle', bit ridiculous? Does that immobilise your car? No. They state in the contract what I can call out for and that includes a blow out. I shall be cancelling them this morning and going to the AA. I have been paying for this service for two years and this was my first request. Once bitten, twice shy, won't be doing it again.

And now the fun starts, getting Highways to pay for the damage caused.

Of the other 4 cars that got home before you, were any of them with the RAC? there can't be 5 different breakdown services are there?