Surprise invoice.

[Peanutte]

On Sunday afternoon, a friend rang me (panicking) to say her car had broken down on the motorway. My daughter and I drove up to find her and I rang my breakdown service (Britannia Rescue) to see if they could help,

The man who answered the phone said he could not help under my policy (for which I pay some £160 pa) but as she was on the motorway, they could arrange for her car to be moved to a place of safety. He started to say that the recovery company may be prepared to take the car home - but that we would have to speak to them about it.

There was no mention of a charge to Britanna Rescue.

The breakdown man came within about 20 minutes and said he could take the car to her street for £40. I paid him in cash and he duly loaded up the car and off they went. His company have since emailed me a receipt for this.

I have just received an invoice from Britannia Rescue to say that since I did not have the necessary level of cover, they are charging me £90 for the
service. Can they do that? Just decide to charge me? I didn't ask them to move the car - that was offered. I said "so you can't help me?" and he said they would move the car to a place of safety. If he had said no, I would have contaced the recovery firm direct - they are a well known local company.

I am stunned. £90 on top of my £160 annual subscription. Not that it's relevant, but I have been a member since 1986, and I call on their services rarely. Some years I have not called at all.

Can anyone advise please?

Thanks,

Pea.

[UncleIan]

I am stunned. £90 on top of my £160 annual subscription. Not that it's relevant, but I have been a member since 1986, and I call on their services rarely. Some years I have not called at all.

£90 for them to ring up a recovery company for you? Have I got that right?

Ring up customer services. Explain no fee was agreed. Ask for the invoice to be cancelled. If they refuse, ask to cancel your membership. You almost certainly will be able to get equivalent cover cheaper than £160. In fact, Britannia appear to the same as LV, and their website doesn't have an option as expensive as £160, the most is £142 which includes European cover and vehicle repatriation. Yes, they may be new customer offers, but it sounds like you're being punished for loyalty.

[johnhemming]

Reading this, however, you were asking for breakdown support for a car which was not yours and that you were not driving. I don't know if any of the breakdown services allow this.

[Dod101]

Maybe Britannia does not know that you have already paid the breakdown service who turned up. £90 does not sound too much for removal from a motorway and delivery home, and surely £40 is very reasonable for that. I would tell the guy from Britannia that you have paid the fee direct so you are not paying him as well.

Dod

[Peanutte]

Thank you for your comments:-

My breakdown costs are:
Personal (comprehensive) cover for myself and my partner - we are covered for any vehicle.
Comprehensive cover for two cars which I own - they are driven by my daughters.
Our cover includes home start and motorway. I do not have hotel accommodation or European.
I also have to pay £26pa membership of 'Boundless' which used to be called the Civil Service Motoring Association. Britannia Rescue was once part of the old CSMA but it is now run by LV.

While we were waiting, we were approached by an AA partolman who asked if we were ok.

I assume that the offer of being taken to a safe place was a general thing for rescue companies - you can just imagine the headlines "Refused Help by the Breakdown Company and the Stranded Lone Female's Car is Hit by a 70mph Lorry".

When the call centre man said I wasn't covered, I said "So you can't help me then?" and he said they would get the car taken to a safe place because she was on the motorway hard shoulder - absolutely no mention of any charge.

When the breakdown man said they could take the car to my friend's home, he spoke to his office and clearly stated his price (based on mileage).
If Britannia had told me they were going to charge £90 (or anything) I would have said "no thanks", and phoned the recovery company direct. They are a local, well known, reputable company.

Can I be charged when I have not agreed to it, not even told about it?

And needless to say, I will be looking at other companies - my cover runs out at the end of this month.

Pea.

[dionaeamuscipula]

Reading this, however, you were asking for breakdown support for a car which was not yours and that you were not driving. I don't know if any of the breakdown services allow this.

AutoAid recovered my colleague's car in which I was a passenger. IIRC they never asked me if I was the driver, the fact that I was covered was sufficient.

150 mile carry using three different trucks.

DM

[richfool]

Could it be that the breakdown company has billed you for arranging the rescue company to come out and tow the car to the home, and that their charge includes the charges of the rescue company, whom they delegated to do the job, and thus they aren't aware that you paid any costs direct to the rescue company?

[sg31]

I wonder if this is 2 seperate rescues. One off the motorway to a safe place which Britannia organised and then the fee you agreed with the breakdown company to take you to the drivers home.

Just a thought.

[johnhemming]

Looking at the website:

https://autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/

With AutoAid Breakdown, you’ll be covered in any eligible vehicle you’re driving at the time of the breakdown.

[PinkDalek]

Looking at the website:

https://autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/

With AutoAid Breakdown, you’ll be covered in any eligible vehicle you’re driving at the time of the breakdown.

The OP wasn’t driving at the time of the breakdown.

[mutantpoodle]

the OP wasnt with Autoaid anyway!

in my experience limited to RAC and now Nationwide flex plus bank acct
you are covered in any car that you are in...driving or not

iro the RAC that might have been because we had family cover for all of us...

[Arborbridge]

I wonder if this is 2 seperate rescues. One off the motorway to a safe place which Britannia organised and then the fee you agreed with the breakdown company to take you to the drivers home.

Just a thought.

That's how I read it too. In the OP it's clear that Britannia would get the car off the motorway, but the guy doing this might be pursuaded to go the whole distance home for an extra sum.

This seems to have gone wrong during the initial conversation: if someone offers to do a job for me, I would ask "how much" especially in this case when it wasn't my car and I wasn't driving. At the very least in such a circumstance, wouldn't it be natural to ask "am I covered for this?".

I think there's a case for pleading a misunderstanding, but I doubt Britannia actually did anything wrong - although one would have to read the policy before knowing that.

Arb.

[didds]

the OP wasnt with Autoaid anyway!

in my experience limited to RAC and now Nationwide flex plus bank acct
you are covered in any car that you are in...driving or not

ditto GEM - these are individual not per car policies

didds

[dealtn]

the OP wasnt with Autoaid anyway!

in my experience limited to RAC and now Nationwide flex plus bank acct
you are covered in any car that you are in...driving or not

ditto GEM - these are individual not per car policies

didds

What if you are not "in" the car when it breaks down, but are phoned by a friend, go to "assist", and then phone your breakdown provider, as appears to be the case here. (Not that I think is what is behind the invoicing here, although I might be wrong, but as a genuine separate question as that would appear to be a rather large loophole if that were the case).

[Arborbridge]

the OP wasnt with Autoaid anyway!

in my experience limited to RAC and now Nationwide flex plus bank acct
you are covered in any car that you are in...driving or not

ditto GEM - these are individual not per car policies

didds

What if you are not "in" the car when it breaks down, but are phoned by a friend, go to "assist", and then phone your breakdown provider, as appears to be the case here. (Not that I think is what is behind the invoicing here, although I might be wrong, but as a genuine separate question as that would appear to be a rather large loophole if that were the case).

I'd say it's not a loophole but it would be fraud, in that case.


Arb.

[didds]

I'd say it's not a loophole but it would be fraud, in that case.
Arb.

yes, Id agree.

Though TBH one that would have 0% of being "caught" I'd imagine. It must happen all the time.

didds

[Arborbridge]

I'd say it's not a loophole but it would be fraud, in that case.
Arb.

yes, Id agree.

Though TBH one that would have 0% of being "caught" I'd imagine. It must happen all the time.

didds

I have an Alice in Wonderland scenario in which only one person has a policy, and everyone else just pretends to be in the car as necessary! One person, and a very busy phoneline.

[newlyretired]

I have an Alice in Wonderland scenario in which only one person has a policy, and everyone else just pretends to be in the car as necessary! One person, and a very busy phoneline.

I think it would be the one person pretending to be in lots of cars!

newlyretired

[chas49]

I have an Alice in Wonderland scenario in which only one person has a policy, and everyone else just pretends to be in the car as necessary! One person, and a very busy phoneline.

I think it would be the one person pretending to be in lots of cars!

newlyretired

I'd say it's not a loophole but it would be fraud, in that case.
Arb.

yes, Id agree.

Though TBH one that would have 0% of being "caught" I'd imagine. It must happen all the time.

didds

I have an Alice in Wonderland scenario in which only one person has a policy, and everyone else just pretends to be in the car as necessary! One person, and a very busy phoneline.

Moderator Message:
Either scenario is probably a bit off-topic for this board though. I would be grateful if this strand isn't continued... (chas49)