Green Flagging Slightly (Green Flag)

Member Name: Biffa

Product:	Green Flag
Date:	20/05/01 (235 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Rapid Response Garantee, Polite staff

Disadvantages: Had to wait ages

Ok, I'll admit that up until about a week ago I always thought having breakdown cover was the equivalent of spending £90 odd a year for someone to come out and change a tyre for you, or bring you some petrol. A waste of money in other words.

However, a week ago we were going to go to Southampton for the weekend to visit the in-laws. As we had bought a new car and not really given it a good blast down the motorway, we joined Green Flag through Churchill Insurance. Thank god we did!

The oil pump went on our car, and as we were nearly there we carried on going, oblivious to the trouble and damage we were causing. To be honest, we thought we were out of water or oil or something else and that was why it was overheating. Anyway, we were wrong.

As it happens, we got to the in-laws just as the engine started to make horrible loud noises, and knew we had no hope of getting 150 miles back up the motorway home.

On the return journey, we managed to get 4 miles up the road when the poor car protested about being driven and packed up on the M27. I rang Green Flag and was told there would be someone with us in 20 mintues as we were on the motorway and had two small children with us. They actually arrived after 3/4 of an hour. After determing that poor car would not drive another inch, the chap then decided to call another vehicle out to tow us off the motorway. Thsi took another half hour to arrive, by which point both babies were awake and none too amused.

After being towed off the motorway and back to base, the car was then loaded onto the back of a vehicle carrier after another half hour wait, and then we were on our way home.

Despite the length of time we had to wait, all of the chaps who came out to us (3 in total) were very polite and willing to do anything to help with the kids and changing car seats about etc etc.

Four days later, I received a questionaire from Green Flag, asking if everything
had been ok with the service. At the bottom, it asked me how long the operator had told me I would have to wait, and how long it actually took them to arrive. If there was a difference, did I want to claim under their Rapid Response Guarantee?? Having no idea what that was, I mentioned it to someone at work who said "Yes! You DO want to claim - they'll give your a tenner for being late!"

I've only just sent the questionaire off, so whether or not I'll get my tenner I don't know.

I'm afraid I can't give you a definite price as I'm paying for it over the remaining term of my car insurance which runs out in January, but it's cost me around £66 for the highest level of cover until then. Bargain - when you consider that without it it would have cost us around £650 to get the car towed home!

Summary: