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Topic: ADAC downgraded our policy

Pinkpigeon

07/7/2017 at 6:44pm
Location: None Entered
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So we've been with ADAC for about 5 years now and last year we needed to use them on our way back from our holiday in France. They had to bring us and our vehicle and the caravan back home (we broke down about 100 miles from home in the UK) and deposited us home in the middle of the night. We then got them a few days later to take the broken down vehicle to the garage. The garage decided they couldn't do the necessary repairs so once again we phoned and got them to bring the vehicle back.
Clearly that wasn't a wise decision because now they've downgraded us to their standard policy which is only applicable in Germany - and of no use to us . So here be are, back to square one, going away in a couple of weeks and wondering what to do. Having had a quick look through some older threads I'm coming to the conclusion that Red Pennant is the only way to go - but it's so expensive. Is there anything else that comes close?
Do I need to be a member of CAMC to get a Red Pennant Policy?
I could really do without paying £253.50 for a single trip policy!

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Val A

08/7/2017 at 8:01am
Location: West - North Yorkshire
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You can get cheaper insurance, but basically you get what you pay for. Red Pennant is literally just cover for the period of your hoiday - from home, back to home again and it is expensive. I don't think that even it would cover you for extra call outs once you're back home and the vehicle at the garage. I may be wrong though and if so then I'm sure someone will correct me.

We have ADAC cover for breakdowns in Europe, but then we store our caravan there. We also have cover for at home, with our Ford service package. I know others rely on their ADAC cover - and we have used ours in Britain when I was a passenger with my son - but we stick to our Ford cover if we have problems at home. We haven't been downgraded, though, because we've used it in Britain.

oxter

08/7/2017 at 7:31pm
Location: NE Scotland
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Green flag should cover you, but won't be as cheap as ADAC

-------------
playing at tinkies

Opensauce

08/7/2017 at 7:32pm
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Green Flag or Saga will recover car caravan together in Europe. Cost around £120 pa. Saga have no trip time limit.

Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!

Berriow

09/7/2017 at 8:32am
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Gradually the drawbacks of ADAC are coming out.

So does it mean that three niggling breakdowns in France, which a garage fails to solve, would also mean being downgraded to having insurance cover for Germany only ? Not good if you want to get back to UK, and not good if you live in France.

jim oldham

09/7/2017 at 9:07am
Location: Wigan
Outfit: VWSharan. Sport 442.

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Another perspective.

ADAC recovered the broken down vehicle, and the caravan, to the customers' home. The fact it was the middle of the night is irrelevant. Should ADAC have hung around till morning ?

I would think that they had fulfilled their part of the agreement. They are a break down service: not a delivery service.Why could the garage not have brought the vehicle from the house to the garage and returned it.

lidds0

09/7/2017 at 10:46am
Location: Yorkshire
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Quote: Originally posted by Pinkpigeon on 07/7/2017
So we've been with ADAC for about 5 years now and last year we needed to use them on our way back from our holiday in France. They had to bring us and our vehicle and the caravan back home (we broke down about 100 miles from home in the UK) and deposited us home in the middle of the night. We then got them a few days later to take the broken down vehicle to the garage. The garage decided they couldn't do the necessary repairs so once again we phoned and got them to bring the vehicle back.
Clearly that wasn't a wise decision because now they've downgraded us to their standard policy which is only applicable in Germany - and of no use to us . So here be are, back to square one, going away in a couple of weeks and wondering what to do. Having had a quick look through some older threads I'm coming to the conclusion that Red Pennant is the only way to go - but it's so expensive. Is there anything else that comes close?
Do I need to be a member of CAMC to get a Red Pennant Policy?
I could really do without paying £253.50 for a single trip policy!

I think every breakdown policy states the maximum number of claims which can be made during the membership year. I actually thought with ADAC it was x 2, so since you've made x 3 maybe you've got an extra one?

I think, in your position, I'd have got the local garage to collect the car from home. That way, you could have limited your European cover to a single claim and so kept it current and at the required level, with renewal next year as usual.

I know the ADAC bumph doesn't make for particularly clear or easy reading and there's a lot to wade through but, this thread just shows it pays to be aware of T&Ts.

I hope you get an alternative policy sorted out in time for your next trip.

Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!

lidds0

09/7/2017 at 10:48am
Location: Yorkshire
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Quote: Originally posted by Berriow on 09/7/2017
Gradually the drawbacks of ADAC are coming out.

So does it mean that three niggling breakdowns in France, which a garage fails to solve, would also mean being downgraded to having insurance cover for Germany only ? Not good if you want to get back to UK, and not good if you live in France.

I think every breakdown policy limits the number of claims you can make in one year, Berriow, so ADAC aren't alone on that. If you do have 3 x breakdowns in France, you'd surely be thankful that ADAC were there to sort them out, and all for such a low premium?

Ronni54

09/7/2017 at 6:08pm
Location: Shropshire
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Quote: Originally posted by Berriow on 09/7/2017
Gradually the drawbacks of ADAC are coming out.

So does it mean that three niggling breakdowns in France, which a garage fails to solve, would also mean being downgraded to having insurance cover for Germany only ? Not good if you want to get back to UK, and not good if you live in France.

I read it that the breakdown was in the UK, on the way back from France, and ADAC arranged recovery as per their responsibility. They were then called out a second time to take the car to a garage and a third time to collect it when it couldn't be repaired.

I had a similar problem with the AA who recovered my car and caravan and deposited it on a campsite very late at night. The difference being that they flatly refused to then collect the car and take it to a garage the next day so full marks to ADAC for seeing that that was a reasonable thing to do. They did eventually take it to a garage after I had made a fuss and spoke to a Manager. The AA then cancelled my cover because I had had two call outs so not as generous as ADAC who allowed three call outs.

I have called out ADAC, although only in the UK, twice in one year and once in another and had no trouble renewing this year so assume the three call outs need to be in one year as the OP has had?

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Ronni

old chap

10/7/2017 at 4:10am
Location: Sitingbourne
Outfit: baily champaign

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Hi I did not think that red pennant in our experiance were too expensive for a single trip recovery only & in our case saved us several thousand pounds when we had to use them to bring home the car & caravan

BUT I emphasise that we took breakdown cover only as we had travel insurance via our bank

DiPhil

10/7/2017 at 7:20pm
Location: Suffolk
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All breakdown organisation have same rule down grade if you use them three times in a year not just ADAC. Red Pennant is very expensive for Breakdown only you have to pay more than ADAC which actually covers more than RP .

Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!

LlaniDavis

10/7/2017 at 10:30pm
Location: Llanidloes Powys
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Quote: Originally posted by DiPhil on 10/7/2017
All breakdown organisation have same rule down grade if you use them three times in a year not just ADAC. Red Pennant is very expensive for Breakdown only you have to pay more than ADAC which actually covers more than RP .

Not true! I'm with Britannia Rescue and there is nothing in their T & C's stating this.

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