Greetings Deseven:
I have located the various options and what membership in AA offers:
AA Automobile Club
Main page: http://www.theaa.com/index.html:
AA Breakdown Cover
http://www.theaa.co.uk/breakdowncover/join/jd_power.asp
AA "Help Me Decide" Coverage Questionaire
https://www.aamembership.co.uk/breakdowncover/join/decide.asp I
performed the questionaire choosing "Yes" to the first two questions,
then I reviewed the membership options for Single, Joint and Family:
Option 100 – Roadside From £40
Roadside cover means assistance a quarter of a mile or more from your
home. If the problem is not immediately repairable, you and your
vehicle will be taken home or to the nearest garage, whichever is
closer.
FREE upgrade to Joint Cover* with this option when you join today.
Continuous payment One-off payment
Single cover £ 40 £ 45
Joint cover £ 40 £ 63
Family cover £ 78 £ 101
Option 200 – Roadside + Relay From £79
As well as Roadside cover, you get Relay, which means we will
transport you, your car and up to seven passengers to your home or any
other single UK mainland destination, if we can't arrange a prompt
local repair.
FREE upgrade to Joint Cover* with this option when you join today.
Continuous payment One-off payment
Single cover £ 79 £ 89
Joint cover £ 79 £ 109
Family cover £ 119 £ 149
Option 300 – Roadside + Home Start + Relay From £112
As well as Roadside and Relay, you get Home Start*, which means we
will provide assistance at or within a quarter of a mile of your home
address.
FREE upgrade to Joint Cover* with this option when you join today.
Continuous payment One-off payment
Single cover £ 112 £ 127
Joint cover £ 112 £ 149
Family cover £ 154 £ 191
Option 400 – Roadside + Home Start + Relay Plus From £141
As well as Roadside, Relay and Home Start*, you get Relay Plus, which
extends Relay to provide either a replacement car (up to 48 hours), or
overnight accommodation or onward travel arrangements if a local
repair is not possible.
FREE upgrade to Joint Cover* with this option when you join today.
Continuous payment One-off payment
Single cover £ 141 £ 166
Joint cover £ 141 £ 190
Family cover £ 185 £ 234
[AA Definitions of terms above:]
Single = cover for you as the driver or passenger in any vehicle
(within specified limits).
Joint = cover for you and another person, living at the same address.
Family = cover for two adults and two children under 21 who all live
at the same address.
Continuous payment = an agreement to have your bank account or credit
card debited once a year around the anniversary of your joining date.
One-off payment = an agreement for one sole payment. Your account or
credit card will not automatically be debited when cover comes round
for renewal.
Monthly payment = an agreement to have your payment made by direct
debit every month. This is not available for all Options, but will be
shown (where available) at the next stage of purchase.
For more details please read our Terms & Conditions
* Relay and Relay Plus benefits are not provided in a Home Start
situation
"If you don't see what you want, please call us on 0800 085 2721."
[The above Options, prices and information are viewable at
https://www.aamembership.co.uk/breakdowncover/join/index.asp]
******************
In addition, AA members may purchase Parts and Labour coverage:
What is Parts and Labour Cover?
It is extra reassurance for our AA members. It means you can help
cover yourself against the sudden cost of car repairs that can arise
when you break down. Not only can we rescue and repair you, we can
help pay the bill too.
What benefits do you get?
Up to £500 including VAT per paid claim towards the cost of parts and
labour
Up to three claims per year
Your repairs are carried out by AA patrol or an approved garage agent
What conditions are there?
Your car must be less than 10 years old and under 100,000 miles
No initial vehicle inspection is required
You must be an AA member
Your car must be serviced by a VAT-registered repairer
For further details please read our Terms and Conditions
Existing members
You don't have to wait for your current membership year to end before
buying Parts and Labour Cover. We can calculate the cost of cover pro
rata - depending on how much of your current membership year still
remains.
Not an AA member?
You can arrange to get Parts and Labour Cover at the same time as
purchasing your AA Breakdown Cover. Join AA Breakdown
[There is a box on the page to calculate an existing member's cost for
the Parts and labour services, plus the info above, at
http://www.aamembership.co.uk/breakdowncover/join/parts_labour.asp]
****************
Also, AA offers Five Star Europe at
http://www.theaa.co.uk/motoringandtravel/5star/index.asp:
AA Five Star Europe
Peace of mind when driving on the Continent
If your car breaks down while you're driving in Europe, would you know
how to say 'Please fix it' in another language?
AA Five Star Europe offers you 24-hour English-speaking telephone
assistance, a personal travel insurance option, plus a whole lot more.
Make the most of these benefits when you
buy Five Star Europe:
AA members save 10%* on European Breakdown Assistance – both Five Star
and Saver Option
Save 10% on Personal Travel Insurance when you buy breakdown
assistance
Half-price personal travel insurance for children aged 4–17 when all
adults buy cover. Children 0–3 go free
Medical cover is included for cats and dogs travelling with your party
under the Pets Travel Scheme
[There is a table of the options on that page comparing the Five Star
to the Saver option but it would not successfully reproduce with
clarity here.]
Explanation of Benefits
European Breakdown Assistance – Saver Option
24-hour English-speaking telephone emergency helpline
Roadside assistance and emergency repairs up to £300, includes £100
towards cost of garage labour
Saver Option has an overall claim limit of £300 per party per trip
Five Star European Breakdown Assistance only
Includes the above benefits, plus:
Cost of location and dispatch of spare parts to complete repairs
overseas (cost of parts not covered)
Emergency car hire and alternative travel costs up to £1,200 (car hire
maximum £120 per day) to allow you to continue your journey
Emergency accommodation up to £500 (£40 per person, per night)
Vehicle recovery back to the UK. We'll either:
bring your vehicle back to the UK if it can't be repaired overseas (up
to the vehicle's current market value), or
provide reasonable travel and accommodation costs for one person to
collect your vehicle once it has been repaired overseas, or
to provide a replacement driver if your only driver is medically unfit
to drive
Legal protection up to £75,000. We'll appoint a defence solicitor to
provide you with advice and representation on vehicle accident claims
(excludes fines)
Five Star Breakdown Assistance has an overall claim limit of £2,000
per party, per trip, excluding unaccompanied vehicle recovery and
legal protection benefits
Cover is subject to full terms and conditions which are included in
your Five Star Europe pack issued on acceptance of your premium and
are also available on request.
Five Star Breakdown Assistance and European Breakdown Assistance –
Saver Option are provided by Automobile Association Developments
Limited and underwritten by Automobile Association Underwriting
Services Limited.
****************
Because the lowest cost membership states "you and your vehicle will
be taken home or to the nearest garage, whichever is closer," this
would insure a lady would not be left alone on the road by an AA
service representative. As afr as the time to arrive at a breakdown,
the AA
In addition to all the above, the AA offers:
AA Fleet Options
http://www.theaa.co.uk/breakdowncover/fleet/index.asp
AA Personal Travel Insurance
http://www.theaa.co.uk/motoringandtravel/5star/mot5st004.asp
***************
The Royal Automobile Club
Main page: http://www.rac.co.uk/
Breakdown Cover main page
http://www.rac.co.uk/breakdowncover/ where you will find links to all
the options below [Savings are compared to the normal selling price
and are included in the price shown.]
PLAN SINGLE JOINT FAMILY
Roadside £34 saving £5 £34 saving £27 £57 saving
£27
Roadside/Recovery £73 saving £5 £73 saving £27 £96 saving
£27
Roadside/At Home £74 saving £5 £74 saving £27 £97 saving
£27
Standard Cover £113 saving £5 £113 saving £27 £136 saving
£27
PLAN DESCRIPTIONS:
ROADSIDE - Covers you anywhere in the UK, 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year. Roadside assistance, or if we can't fix your car there, a tow to
a nearby garage [within 10-mile radius].
ROADSIDE AND RECOVERY - Covers you anywhere in the UK, 24 hours a day,
365 days a year. Roadside assistance, or if we can't fix your car
there, a tow to a nearby garage. If a breakdown can't be fixed locally
within a reasonable time, we'll take you, your car and up to seven
passengers to any mainland UK destination in one continuous journey.
ROADSIDE AND AT HOME - Covers you anywhere in the UK, 24 hours a day,
365 days a year. Roadside assistance, or if we can't fix your car
there, a tow to a nearby garage. Breakdown assistance outside your own
home.
STANDARD - Covers you anywhere in the UK, 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year. Roadside assistance, or if we can't fix your car there, a tow to
a nearby garage. If a breakdown can't be fixed locally within a
reasonable time, we'll take you, your car and up to seven passengers
to any mainland UK destination in one continuous journey. Breakdown
assistance outside your own home. £25 no call-out discount every year
that you don't use this service.
RAC also offers:
ONWARD TRAVEL
Provides a Personal Incident Manager who, if we can't repair your car
within a reasonable time, will arrange for: a replacement car for up
to three days while yours is being repaired; or overnight
accommodation; or onward travel by taxi or plane (up to a maximum
value of £150 per head or £500 for a group). In addition, messages can
be passed on, informing anyone who needs to know that you've broken
down.
Onward Travel will also cover medical assistance (including an
ambulance) if required. If the driver of your vehicle (not necessarily
you) is certified ill and no one else is able to drive it, we'll take
you to any mainland destination.
The Onward Travel option can be added later to RAC membership. (Onward
Travel is only available with Recovery). Onward Travel is available
24 hours after joining.
EUROPEAN COVER - For peace of mind across mainland Europe
If your vehicle can't be repaired at the roadside within a reasonable
time in the event of a breakdown, accident or any other motoring
incident, we'll arrange onward travel, additional accommodation or
make other arrangements to return you home.
In addition, you'll be compensated for the loss of your motor
insurance no claims bonus and can be provided with legal expenses and
bail bond, if required in the event of a motor-related accident.
European Cover is available for £90, however supplements may be
applicable.
As our full Terms and Conditions explain, supplements are only
applicable when touring abroad in the following circumstances:
For vehicles 11+ years of age - £90 supplement
Where either a caravan or trailer is towed (which must be of a
proprietary make) - £57 supplement
For minibuses and motor-caravans under 11 years (those 11 years or
over cannot be covered) - £300 supplement
Where supplements are charged for caravans, trailers and certain
motor vehicles, they are to cover our increased risk and costs.
You must tell us and pay the appropriate supplement(s) before you
travel. However, supplements are payable only once each membership
year, regardless of how many times you travel abroad.
To pay your supplements before you travel, please call 08705 722 722
with your credit/debit card details, and information about your
vehicle(s).
[Special coverage for Orange and Blue badge holders is available at
http://www.rac.co.uk/breakdowncover/uk/blue_badge_holders]
******************
On their "Why Choose RAC?" page, they state:
Ask our competitors the following to help you compare breakdown
packages:
Do they offer their own patrol force?
RAC employs more than 1,300 patrols dedicated only to RAC Members, all
equipped with laptop technology.
What is their roadside fix rate?
Of all vehicles attended by RAC patrols, more than 82% are fixed at
the roadside - getting you back on your way more quickly.
Do they charge extra for labour if a roadside fix takes more than a
set amount of time?
RAC does not impose any charges for a roadside fix - no matter how
long it takes.
Are you covered in any vehicle whether as driver or passenger?
With RAC you are covered 365 days a year, 24 hours a day in any
vehicle.
Will they offer you a no call out discount if you don't use the
service?
RAC's most popular cover, Standard, offers £25 back for all members
who do not call us out during their membership year.
Will they offer to follow you once you are back on the road to make
sure you're safely on your way?
RAC patrols do.
Do they offer free online route planning, traffic news, motoring
advice and topical motoring stories?
The RAC website does - see www.rac.co.uk.
Do they have their own multilingual team on the ground in mainland
Europe to support members who are driving on the continent?
RAC has its own offices in Lyons for this purpose.
Do they offer valuable discounts on servicing, flights, car rental,
package holidays and family days out?
The RAC Rewards programme can easily save the cost of your membership
through the wide range of savings it offers.
Have they got more than 100 years of technical expertise in serving
the needs of the motorists of the United Kingdom and Ireland?
RAC was formed in 1897 with the sole purpose of looking after the
needs of the motorist.
RAC offers its Members all of this and much more - from just £34.
************
They also offer "Accident Solutions" which is explained at
http://www.rac.co.uk/breakdowncover/uk/accident_solutions/
Again, the basic RAC membership includes "if we can't fix your car
there, a tow to a nearby garage [within 10-mile radius]" and the next
plan up states "If a breakdown can't be fixed locally within a
reasonable time, we'll take you, your car and up to seven passengers
to any mainland UK destination in one continuous journey" so the
latter membership would take a lady anywhere on the mainland UK.
Also, I searched "rental car" on both sites and found:
AA - Hire of Replacement Vehicle
"Hire of replacement vehicle
You can claim up to £25 a day (plus VAT) for a maximum of 5 days
towards the cost of a replacement vehicle. You must have a valid claim
for repair under this policy and You should request prior
authorisation from the Claims Department to hire the replacement
vehicle. The following conditions also apply:
1. The hire vehicle must be rented from a bona fide rental operator.
2. Cover does not include the first 24 hours of car hire.
3. Fuel and insurance costs are Your responsibility.
4. You must send a receipted rental agreement to the Claims Department
to claim reimbursement.
5. The length of hire is limited to the time the Insured Vehicle is in
the workshop undergoing repairs and does not include time spent
waiting for repairs to start or for parts to become available.
NB If you are in any doubt whether the cost of hire car will be
covered by this insurance, please phone our claims helpline on 0870
242 2808."
From: Terms and Conditions for AA Personal Warranty at
http://www.theaa.com/allaboutcars/warranty_terms_and_conditions.html
[Rental was also mentioned above in the AA European Breakdown
Assistance information.]
*********
I could locate nothing about car rental from the RAC website.
The online contact form for AA is
https://www.theaa.com/common/contact_us_form.jsp and the contact page
for RAC is http://www.rac.co.uk/contactus/.
I hope my research has provided you with the information you are
seeking. I didn't locate response time for breakdown assistance at
either club and that may be because the time factor would depend on
location and how many other breakdown the AA or RAC might be assisting
when a lady phoned in for breakdown service. However, you may contact
the AA and RAC directly and they may be able to give you an estimate
for various UK and European areas.
SEARCH STRATEGY:
automobile association AA Britain
royal automobile club RAC |
