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Hi

I have an additions account with Barclays of which I pay £12.50 a month it gives things like interest free  overdraft to £200 and RAC homestart etc. Anyhow I phoned them yesterday and then they started giving me the speel like they do, which I usually ignore and say no thanks but yesterday it turns out for an extra £1,50 a month we get full comprehensive RAC breakdown cover which turns out extends to France in a car up to 11 year old and full travel insurance for the whole family. This is going to save us some money as we had priced the European breakdown cover for our trip to France and it was looking fairly expensive plus we have not yet purchased our travel insurance. Does anybody else travel using this insurance and do you know if it covers our needs.

Tilly22

Depends what sort of outfit you have. If it includes a caravan or motorhome you just need to check that the length of the van is included in the recovery option.

David

Quote: Originally posted by jeepster on 04/5/2009

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If they are giving it away, is is really worth having?

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Quote: Originally posted by Ina on 04/5/2009

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Quote: Originally posted by jeepster on 04/5/2009

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If they are giving it away, is is really worth having?

That is my gut reaction too, that's why I mentioned the travel insurance earlier. The problem is that you don't know whether it is any good until you have to make a claim, but it's a b****y hard way of finding out, like your brother had to.

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Hi

Thanks for your advice, I have asked for a copy of the policy documents and will read them carefully, I will contact the RAC as well as thats who the cover is supposed to be to check things out but I will be carefull as we would hate to travel without full insurance.

Tilly 22

I read an article about this just the other day -The Mail on Saturday I think - in which they said the RAC cover did not include the cost of the recovery.  Do check the small print carefully.

We have a similar thing with the Nat West, we have used it for a few years now, the foriegn breakdown is covered by Green Flag and the RAC in the UK. it is full re-patriation and foreign medical insurance.

We have checked this out as much as we can and can find nothing wrong with it. I have to disclose certain medical things but that was all.

It has saved us a fair bit over the past few years, try talking directly to the bank they will explain it bettter.

I must admit I always think there is a catch when the banks charge you to have an account and then include other things with it. They are big business which make £ms of profit (or did until the Govt helped them out) and therefore they certainly do not offer something for nothing - just look at the cost of their loans at the moment when base rates are so low!

Our annual medical ins is £35.00 for 4 of us, the european breakdown cover is about £60 per annum. Then we just pay UK breakdown. So a little more than the £180 it would cost me to have the Barclays additions but at least I am in control and if we decide not to go abroad one year I will see some savings rather than continue to pay their £15.00 month. but each to their own I just don't like banks!

Tilly22 - have you spoken to your bank - I am with Barclays and get £900 overdraft - they just charge me interest which really isn't much each month and I don't pay for the account. Our AA membership is £139 (but you can get cheaper) which is less than than the annual charge for their additions account. I use to have the additions account and decided I would rather have the £12 a month:-)

Hi

Thinking now I may cancel my additions altogether and just buy my own insurance and breakdown cover, to be honest i have been paying the £12.50 for years and never used any of the things it offered for the money . Thanks for the advice.

Tilly22