The Lemon Fool

We have been happy customers (on the whole!) of GEM breakdown cover for what must be over a decade now, and have their family policy - this covers four people from the same family all living at the same address (we still have two 20+ year olds living at home, usual story of not enough earnings to afford live anywhere else, but thats a digression ...). This has been using the pay and claim cover.

GEM have changed over the years however, and Im less enamoured by the service now, so Im looking at possible alternatives (and MUST AVOIDS!) come next renewal, which is still several months away.

Any suggestions? A family/multiple person policy would still be great, but not cemented ofi the premiumsare reasonbhle enough.

FTR, a GEM 4 person/family renewal today would cost £143.15.

I've never heard of GEM breakdown cover.

My first port of call for this sort of thing is usually MSE

We get ours with our car insurance (LV) - not sure if that makes it cheaper - reminder to self to check.

I'm always a bit wary of this sort of stuff in terms of going cheaper but getting rubbish service.

didds wrote:We have been happy customers (on the whole!) of GEM breakdown cover for what must be over a decade now....
Any suggestions?

For all three of our cars, we buy breakdown cover with the car insurance.
John Lewis, Hagerty and Adrian Flux.

V8

usual recommendations are never to include with car insurance as never cheaper and usually less cover options..as basic

most recs suggest AUTOAID...its about £60 but as i recall will only be couples so might need extra for sons

otherwise Tesco vouchers with RAC,,,but Tesco have recently ruined that buy reducing their deal

whatever you do...ring up and haggle

mutantpoodle wrote:usual recommendations are never to include with car insurance as never cheaper and usually less cover options..as basic

most recs suggest AUTOAID...its about £60 but as i recall will only be couples so might need extra for sons

otherwise Tesco vouchers with RAC,,,but Tesco have recently ruined that buy reducing their deal

whatever you do...ring up and haggle

I got fed up with my AA standalone basic roadside recovery quote going up every year so this year I've included it in my Aviva car insurance and having added home start and onward travel at £80 it's £40 cheaper, provided by RAC. If I'd added the extras to my AA quote it would have been north of £200

mutantpoodle wrote:usual recommendations are never to include with car insurance as never cheaper and usually less cover options..as basic

most recs suggest AUTOAID...its about £60 but as i recall will only be couples so might need extra for sons

otherwise Tesco vouchers with RAC,,,but Tesco have recently ruined that buy reducing their deal

whatever you do...ring up and haggle

Other options are to use the comparison websites - or Quidco.com - who offer over £100 cashback on some of RAC's breakdown cover deals for example.

If anyone who's not already subscribed would like a referral link for Quidco and a £5 bonus on cashback, PM me for the link.

Watis

Y'see I USED to do quidco over a decade ago ... but it became such a bl00dy faff to actually jump through all the hoops in the correct order, wearing the right socks while muttering the precise incantation for that moon alignment and bus timetable combination, in order to wait weeks for any payout and then chase when i never arrived anyway, I just gave up.

Is it any better these days?

didds wrote:Y'see I USED to do quidco over a decade ago ... but it became such a bl00dy faff to actually jump through all the hoops in the correct order, wearing the right socks while muttering the precise incantation for that moon alignment and bus timetable combination, in order to wait weeks for any payout and then chase when i never arrived anyway, I just gave up.

Is it any better these days?

Never had a problem myself. I usually find what I want, get out, go click through to the website through quidco and buy what I'd previously researched. Most stuff on quidco is big corporates so I don't use it loads. I wouldn't even bother for small purchases.

didds wrote:Y'see I USED to do quidco over a decade ago ... but it became such a bl00dy faff to actually jump through all the hoops in the correct order, wearing the right socks while muttering the precise incantation for that moon alignment and bus timetable combination, in order to wait weeks for any payout and then chase when i never arrived anyway, I just gave up.

Is it any better these days?

There is always the risk that a purchase won't track, so, if you can get a similar discount immediately, take that option.

Don't know if it's still the case, but the suggestion always used to be to clear cookies before using Quidco. I use a different browser for Quidco than the one I use to research that retailer, achieving the same result a different way.

Watis

didds wrote:Y'see I USED to do quidco over a decade ago ... but it became such a bl00dy faff to actually jump through all the hoops in the correct order, wearing the right socks while muttering the precise incantation for that moon alignment and bus timetable combination, in order to wait weeks for any payout and then chase when i never arrived anyway, I just gave up.

Is it any better these days?

The Lidl app is a waste o time now as well. All these offers are just tiresome.

Hi,
Mrs B and I have used Autoaid for years. No problem when clutch went on our drive. That cover is for one person plus spouse regardless of the car you are legitemately driving at the time. This covers for everthing, on your drive, overnight stay etc.
You don't say how many cars you have but on the Autoaid site is a link for car cover regardless of who is legitemately driving. This cove has levels from basic roadside repairs to the full monty.
Ray.

raybarrow wrote:Hi,

You don't say how many cars you have
Ray.

the number of cars is irrlevamt. its the number of drivers we have that is the point - 4. as it is that is 4 cars also, bhut our son also shaees our campervan with me (dad) and my wife/his mum. So if the policy was a per vehicle one it woold have to be > 2 drivers etc. Similarly we both (me and wife) use his car at times etc