Nationwide quite happy to leave you stranded

Feltwell

Feltwell

Joined
Aug 27, 2014
Posts
1,923
Likes collected
5,309
Location
Shropshire
Funster No
33,077
MH
McLouis Tandy 640+
Exp
Since 2014
Not had a great experience with Nationwide's recovery service this week....

Like many others on here, we have this as it covers the van, which at 4t is too heavy for many policies. We also rely on it for all the other vehicles in the house.

Mrs F skidded on some ice in her car yesterday on a country road, ended up with the car straddling a kerb, beached on it - one front wheel hanging down into a ditch. She was OK, which is of course the main thing, but she needed a tow out and Nationwide were not interested - they cover mechanical breakdowns only - quite content to leave a woman stuck on her own in the dark & freezing fog on a country road. Not exactly the best of days for her, especially as she was returning from arranging her mother's funeral, and the eventual recovery took 3.5 hours to arrive.

Now of course it will be in the T's & C's that Nationwide only cover mechanical issues, but fact is if you're stuck you need help - and as far as I am aware the AA / RAC etc will tow you out if you're stuck.

RAC through one of the clubs was very expensive indeed, and ADAC have stopped offering to the UK I'm told. Who do other folks with MH over 3.5t use? Needs to include European cover, but as I'm still a "wage slave" it doesn't need to cover long periods, more's the pity! Also preferably needs to be a "personal" policy, so covers me & Mrs F no matter what vehicle we are in, as per Nationwide.
 
Sorry to hear about this but a friend was refused recovery after an accident by the AA a few years ago, I went out for him.
Yes ADAC have stopped taking on new uk members, luckily we joined three years and we got a renewal.
 
Cant comment ref Nationwide as never had to use it luckily,,

However, was there not an advert on TV last year for a breakdown company and they were listing things that the likes of RAC and AA did not cover. One of them was car stuck and needing a tow out.. Could be a hidden clause in a few breakdown policies. :(

Just done a quick search and found a few comments ref RAC and not towing cars when stuck off road / not mechanically broken down..
 
Our daughter went down a large hole in her VW Passat on a road in the middle of nowhere and bashed the sump and oil was leaking, the RAC would not come out to her, she called a friend in Newmarket to recover her and repair at his garage, as he loaded the car on, another did exactly the same. :eek:
Needless to say she is no longer with the RAC but it's looking like they are all the same. :eek: Bob.
 
Feltwell said:
Not had a great experience with Nationwide's recovery service this week....

Like many others on here, we have this as it covers the van, which at 4t is too heavy for many policies. We also rely on it for all the other vehicles in the house.

Mrs F skidded on some ice in her car yesterday on a country road, ended up with the car straddling a kerb, beached on it - one front wheel hanging down into a ditch. She was OK, which is of course the main thing, but she needed a tow out and Nationwide were not interested - they cover mechanical breakdowns only - quite content to leave a woman stuck on her own in the dark & freezing fog on a country road. Not exactly the best of days for her, especially as she was returning from arranging her mother's funeral, and the eventual recovery took 3.5 hours to arrive.

Now of course it will be in the T's & C's that Nationwide only cover mechanical issues, but fact is if you're stuck you need help - and as far as I am aware the AA / RAC etc will tow you out if you're stuck.

RAC through one of the clubs was very expensive indeed, and ADAC have stopped offering to the UK I'm told. Who do other folks with MH over 3.5t use? Needs to include European cover, but as I'm still a "wage slave" it doesn't need to cover long periods, more's the pity! Also preferably needs to be a "personal" policy, so covers me & Mrs F no matter what vehicle we are in, as per Nationwide.
Click to expand...

Several years ago my wife had a similar experience when she as you put it "beached" her car. We were with AA at the time so I rang them and explained what had happened. AA "Was another vehicle involved?". No. AA "We still won't attend as it was an RTA (Road Traffic Accident)". Me "But there wasn't an accident and my wife is stuck alone on an unlit road" AA "It was an RTA as far as we are concerned -you need to call your insurance" . I had to call insurance who sent recovery to lift it a few hours later.

Needless to say I left AA at the next renewal and told them why in no uncertain terms. When stopped by AA canvassers I also tell them why I wouldn't join them.
 
Just had a look at Comfort & RAC, looks like comfort will only cover mechanical breakdown where as the RAC with recover after an accident. Most of us rely on Fiat camper assist for the first 2 years I think that only cover breakdowns.
 
the positive as you say is no one hurt.

I am with ADAC and they send out the AA in the UK so I would guess it is likely to have the same outcome.....
 
i would think its up to your actual car insurance to come out to you.
 
I agree with all above, the likes of RAC etc are breakdown services not accident services. Skidding on a road is an accident even if no other vehicle involved. Insurance should be first port of call.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
ADAC include off road recovery but also refer to breakdown and accident assistance.

We have been members for nearly 10 years and have used the breakdown service several times but not needed the off road recovery (yet ;))!

Edit - spelling!
 
Last edited:
Must agree with DG58, breakdown services are for breakdowns, not accidents, however caused, that's what car insurance is for. Have used Nationwide's service a few times in a couple of years and each time, recovery and/or assistance, no problems at all. Should AA/RAC et al attend every accident?
JK
 
Green Flag would have towed her out. BUT not what you want because tiz only the UK.

I have all the bells and whistles for £134 a year, and this for a 1992 VW T4 base, and never had a problem with them.

Mate had AA, broke down, the first thing the patrolman did was get out a tape measure, he was refused a recovery under his Policy, which was for a 6 metre vehicle, he had a towbar, he was 200mm over.
 
After an accident, I would expect to call the insurance company. But if you're stuck with no vehicle damage - which could just be in your motorhome on soft grass - I'd expect to call breakdown cover. I appreciate the off-road clause, to stop them being called out to 5 miles down a dirt track, what I'd seen before was the recovery truck has to be able to get close enough to winch a vehicle out without leaving hardstanding itself.

There have been a few programmes on TV following the RAC and others, and they regularly show them helping motorists when they are simply stuck, including one I saw where a pickup had skidded on ice and left the road.

Mrs F did end up going to our insurance company. I was away with work and couldn't be contacted. Despite the insurance company checking her phone number with her twice, they then gave my phone number to the recovery agent - who then of course couldn't get hold of me - so she ended up waiting 3.5 hours for the recovery, by the time she'd waited and waited and then chased them the insurers up again.

However, in fairness to the insurance company, when she rang them today to settle the cost of the recovery she complained - very politely - about this, as a result they agreed to waive the £108 recovery fee, which was good of them.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
rangitira said:
Mate had AA, broke down, the first thing the patrolman did was get out a tape measure, he was refused a recovery under his Policy, which was for a 6 metre vehicle, he had a towbar, he was 200mm over.
Click to expand...

That stinks! The only possible justification I can think of is anything over 6m overhangs the recovery vehicle too much to be legal - but I suspect that was just a Jobsworth.
 
Lenny HB said:
Just had a look at Comfort & RAC, looks like comfort will only cover mechanical breakdown where as the RAC with recover after an accident. Most of us rely on Fiat camper assist for the first 2 years I think that only cover breakdowns.
Click to expand...

sorry but have to disagree Lenny . I had all singing all dancing RAC last year . But when avoiding a pile up ,l got a puncture and had a slight get together with the central crash barrier
Called the RAC to be told not covered in the event of needing recovery.
They would attend to change the wheel but nothing else.

We manage to get to the hard shoulder ,and change the wheel ourselves.
The patrol when he arrived also thought we were covered .

After sending them a recording of the call when I joined and the call from the roadside I eventually received a full refund

Broken Link Removed
 
Last edited:
When working for Wilts Constabulary it was very common to hear that accident recovery was not covered by insurance and if the person wanted recovery they had to pay the recovery company themselves.(y)(y)
 
How times change.
20 years ago I worked for an agent to the major clubs. RAC, GREENFLAG , MONDIAL, EQUITY REDSTAR ETC.
AA never contract out.

We would be called out to anything.... Mechanical breakdown mostly but also cars in ditch, car in River (more than once), car on fire after accident (with fire service), car on roof (once, single car RTA), Cars in fields, in private gardens.... Everything.
Even got called to a 40 ton artic truck stuck on a grass verge one night, but god knows why they picked on us, we had nothing to get him free.

Never a problem and always paid.
 
jollyrodger said:
sorry but have to disagree Lenny . I had all singing all dancing RAC last year . But when avoiding a pile up ,l got a puncture and had a slight get together with the central crash barrier
Called the RAC to be told not covered in the event of needing recovery.
They would attend to change the wheel but nothing else.

We manage to get to the hard shoulder ,and change the wheel ourselves.
The patrol when he arrived also thought we were covered .

After sending them a recording of the call when I joined and the call from the roadside I eventually received a full refund

Broken Link Removed
Click to expand...
Only going by what is currently on the RAC website.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Green Flag covered me on 2 occasions when they had to break into the camper as the central locking had set by itself.
Does that count as breakdown ?
 
Yorick said:
Green Flag covered me on 2 occasions when they had to break into the camper as the central locking had set by itself.
Does that count as breakdown ?
Click to expand...
It's a mechanical problem thats not allowing the engine to start so I would have thought so
 
I have had one call out with the Nationwide breakdown cover after I had a broken suspension spring on my car which also managed to damage the tyre at the same time (run flat tyres and no spare). They had no problem with recovering the car 120 miles to my local garage and picked it up late Sunday afternoon dropping it off at 11:00 the next morning. No arguments or discussion about what caused the spring to break, which was undoubtedly hitting a pothole, and if it should be classed as a breakdown for which I was covered or an accident for which I wouldn’t be
 
rangitira said:
Green Flag would have towed her out. BUT not what you want because tiz only the UK.

I have all the bells and whistles for £134 a year, and this for a 1992 VW T4 base, and never had a problem with them.

Mate had AA, broke down, the first thing the patrolman did was get out a tape measure, he was refused a recovery under his Policy, which was for a 6 metre vehicle, he had a towbar, he was 200mm over.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, Green Flag don’t appear to offer EUROPEAN cover.

Unless you know different?

If so, they would be our first choice.
 
Bit of a clue with Nationwide,,its called Breakdown Insurance,,Bet if you had asked they would have given you the phone number for the nearest recovery co and you could have arranged it yourself..I have used them twice and they were excellent. BUSBY.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
@Feltwell -we are with Shield -insurance and breakdown combined including euro cover for I think 30 days. They have been fine.
 
We have breakdown cover with our insurance, caravan guard. They have needed to come out to us twice. Once when we’d gone into safe mode on the way to York. Managed to get to the site, they cane out and reset. Managed to get home and had to take van and have pdf( is that right) replaced. The next time, which was at Xmas, got out of storage, van went into safe mode within 0.5 miles, this time due to rodent nibbling. Came out within 30 mins. Was very impressed with call out company. Eu cover too, not needed as haven’t been in this van.
 
busby said:
Bit of a clue with Nationwide,,its called Breakdown Insurance
Click to expand...

If you're going to be sarcastic, at least be accurate and sarcastic - it's called "UK & European Breakdown and Recovery Assistance with FlexPlus". Recovery Assistance sums up what was needed quite well I think.

I've used them for a breakdown with my car recently, and they were good. Nothing in their T's&C's about not recovering vehicles that are stuck - though also of course nothing that says they do recover vehicles that are stuck.
 
pappajohn said:
How times change.
20 years ago I worked for an agent to the major clubs. RAC, GREENFLAG , MONDIAL, EQUITY REDSTAR ETC.
AA never contract out.

We would be called out to anything.... Mechanical breakdown mostly but also cars in ditch, car in River (more than once), car on fire after accident (with fire service), car on roof (once, single car RTA), Cars in fields, in private gardens.... Everything.
Even got called to a 40 ton artic truck stuck on a grass verge one night, but god knows why they picked on us, we had nothing to get him free.

Never a problem and always paid.
Click to expand...


AA do contract out, my brother was the director of the 4th biggest recovery company in the country until he retired. They subbed into the AA all the time he was there.
 
I use Green Flag for my MoHo, my car & my wifes car in the UK (they also cover me in any car) for mechanical breakdown or tow to Garage or home, called them out once and they were excellent!(y)

For abroad in the MoHo I use Red Pennant of the CMC - yet to try them out though and hope it stays that way!!;)

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top