Posts tagged breakdown cover

My car broke down 200 miles from home in Beds. on Sunday afternoon. I called my boyfriend who i’d just left who came down to help me and then we called Direct Line breakdown cover who sent a vehicle out within an hour, the guy looked at my car and diagnosed that I have a ruined head gaskett. He said that obviously there were no garages open in the area and it would cost near to £400 to tow me home but they could take it back to their depot which is a ‘police maintained safe storage facility’ and then said for me to ring up first thing Monday and they would give me numbers for local garages.

Sure enough they took the car away and I spent £52 to get the train home. Then I called up yesterday morning and they gave me the numbers for 2 local garages who I called amongst some others that I found online. I recieved quotes from £350 to £1200 ‘plus diagnostics’. My cousin who is a trained mechanic then got in touch and said he could fix it for £150 if I can get it home so I contacted some vehicle transport companies and was quoted £150 at the cheapest which was a pretty good improvement!

I spoke to the breakdown company again earlier and told them I have decided to get the car brought home and then fixed here (half of my belongings are still in the car and I want it home asap). the company said oh we can do that and quoted me £380 plus VAT so I told him that ive had quotes for £150 and all of a sudden he declares that i will have to pay a £92 storage charge (£80 + VAT!)

At NO POINT on Sunday or when ive spoken to them on the phone was a storage charge ever mentioned!! If it had have been then id have just arranged for it to be towed to my boyfriends (which wouldnt have been ideal as its an Army base therefore it would be tricky getting people on and off base but still preferable to paying that!)

I was absolutely fuming and called Direct Line straight away and explained this whole situation, and said that it is their job to pick my car up and take it to a garage where it can be fixed but it is not my fault that there were no garages open on the sunday. Also the fact that i am up north doesnt help as i could do is ring around garages on the monday to get quotes, and most of them took all day to get back to me. I couldnt just go and collect the car myself.

So then I was on hold for ages whilst the claims people contacted the recovery company who told direct line that id not contacted them at all (not true), they also told them that their charges were £20 a day plus VAT and that they would not release my car until it was paid.

Direct Line then pretty much washed their hands of me leaving me to deal with the recovery company (who was commissioned out by them). Also I cannpot understand how they can justify charging me £80 plus VAT if it is £20 plus VAT a day… the car hasnt even been there for 48 hours yet.

It seems like my only option is to pay this charge and get the car collected and out of there ASAP and then complain again to Direct Line. Ive been their customer for 9 years, car insurance and breakdown cover. I like how they are keen to take your money off you but im not quite sure what exactly ive paid for here apart from to be completely ripped off.

Has anyone ever had any dealings with this type of scenario before? Or does anyone know where I stand if I want to complain because I really cannot stand being ripped off like this. Is it legal for a company to charge you and keep hold of your property without telling you beforehand they are going to charge you for it, and how much they are going to charge you? I have a little slip they asked me to sign reporting the collection but absolutely nothing mentioned anywhere verbal or written about ‘storage charges’. The said charges were only brought up about an hour ago when I said i wanted to use another company to transport my car home!! Bit fishy…

And surely it is direct lines responsibilty as they are the ones I pay for my breakdown cover? I’ve spent the last 2 days at work not DOING any work cos im trying to get this sorted out ASAP. It drives me mad how so many people in this country are out to rip people off, its already happened to me once being ripped off by a car garage when it went in for its annual service, they carried out a load of work after they caused damage to my car and refused to give me even a rough idea how much it would cost until they had finished 9 days later and slapped me with a bill of nearly £900. then refused to even budge in dropping the price. im not prepared to get ripped off again!!!! My cars only worth £1000 at MOST.

Thanks in advance for any answers, sorry its long!
Thanks, good advice, its crap cos if theyd have told me about the charge then id have certainly sent it back to my boyfriends.. and they knew we had that option too but we just said it would be quite awkward. He could see me umming and ahhing to make a decision as i wasnt sure but not once said we can take it but we’ll charge. As for charging me for 4 days when its been 2… just stupid
Yep I think thats whats happened… if id have asked them to ship my car theyd have probably waived it.

its so unfair not to mention it though. Im currently waiting for a guy to get back to me who may be able to collect it ASAP… got my fingers crossed..!!
I DO have breakdown cover however its done absolutely NOTHING for me.

I do not have an attitude problem I just appreciate honesty.. not being ripped off with 4 days worth of charges when my cars been in 2 days, and charges that i was never told about.

Unfortunately times are hard for all of us but we dont all go around deceiving people who pay for a service they dont recieve.
Charges paid (funnily they have been reduced to what they should have been now…)

And i’ve found someone to collect AND deliver my car today for £145. Excellent
Black Panther – I think it is you that has the attitude problem. Or maybe ive just hiot s sore spot somehow. Im not blaming anyone NOR am i saying that the car breaking down is not my fault NOR am i saying that i shouldnt have to pay ANYTHING, i am saying that if i had been properly informed beforehand then i would have made totally different decisions as to what happened to my car and that i appreciate upfront honesty and fair service. not being ripped off.

they know they were trying it on as the charge has been reduced to the CORRECT daily amount after direct line spoke to them and ive found someone to bring the car home for £145 which just goes to show that £450 is a rip off.

thank you.

ive spoken to many people also in the same industry who have also agreed with me.