European Breakdown insurance

[Velocita Rosso]

I recently wrote in the magazine about the ability to select the correct insurance company when requiring an add on, continental breakdown insurance cover.

The subject basically revolved around , either "Free breakdown cover included" or selecting a company that offers a good breakdown service....but with an additional premium.

Generally the Free breakdown cover revolves around an insurance provider who then uses a general recovery agent eg DAS on the continent and the AA/RAC. However an additional breakdown insurance coverage, premium will generally mean employing the services of a more reliable recovery service that looks after the car and its owners with a bit more sympathy .

However when selecting an insurance company with this service has to be ...again...a cautious act on the insured .

On the last 10CR one of our cars broke down on half way up a mountain top and had to be recovered. 

Making phone calls brought the speedy recovery truck right to the mountain top door, then a taxi arrived and a hotel sought and provided. The following day ,two bus rides,a train ride and then flights got the occupants back to Manchester.

The car was in an Italian breakdown service garage and every few days we were advised by email and text..." the car is in xxxx location and will be with you asap".....This was an excellent  service advising where the car actually was and we had no qualms on it being returned successfully. However the death of our beloved queen, new national holiday and local holidays got in the way of a more speedier return. 

On the return various attempts were made to try and establish the benefits due against travel expenses and accommodation, by ringing and emailing the car insurance covered  company ,who in turn advised us that we should be talking to the sub contracted company covering the repatriation of both car and occupants. This went on for ages going back and forth between both companies and ourselves .............basically for the fact...there was NO advice on the car insurance policy documents to say where and how you make your claims.. Nothing was stated in black and white to advise policy holders what to do in such an instance.

Eventually , as the Yorkshire  sleuths we are, we finally made contact with the correct area for submitting claims on expenses and subsistence during a repatriation.

The basic answer to all this was.........and in fact we did not read/check every word of the twenty page policy document before departing........READ ALL THE FACTS ON WHAT TO DO   after the event.

This was a personal problem, which I will endeavor to advise readers, by contacting a number of well known insurance companies and requesting their Ts and Cs for breakdown coverage to benefit the club members

I will then, request that the results be printed in the CT magazine for your perusal

PS For three people travelling back form Italy, in a remote area , the cost was around 750.00 euro`s........and the car came back free!             .