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Subject Topic: No Breakdown Cover? WARNING!!!
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Personmarramc48
16/8/2016 at 6:23pm
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On Sunday 07/08/2016, a family from our village were returning from a weekend break in their caravan.Whilst crossing a bridge over a long stretch of open water they were caught by an extremely strong gust of wind. Their caravan and towing van were turned through 180 degrees and their caravan was left on its side. The police attended and called out a local recovery operator. They attended, recovered their caravan and took it to their storage facility, a return journey of no more than 8 miles. They then received an invoice from the recovery contractor for in excess of £700-00 plus an additional £20-00 per day for storage (many caravan sites charge less and provide facilities and EHU). They obviously questioned the charges but to no avail.

These charges are obscene and it is time that legislation prevented people being ripped off in these harrowing circumstances. A recovery operator they would have called had they had the opportunity would have attended and returned their caravan to their home address at a cost of not more than £350-00 and a total return trip of approximately 130 miles, but they were not given the opportunity to call them. They did have insurance cover for their caravan, but this did not cover breakdown and recovery.

The moral of this post is:- CAN ANYONE AFFORD TO TOW A CARAVAN ON THE PUBLIC HIGHWAY WITHOUT THE RELEVANT BREAKDOWN COVER?

-------------
mm48j


PersonRob and Tina
16/8/2016 at 7:21pm
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Luckily it sounds like nobody was injured in this accident.

Most breakdown policies only cover breakdowns not accidents but if the caravan was insured the cost of recovery would probably be covered as it was the result of an accident. Have they tried recovering the recovery costs as part of the accident claim?

Rob


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PersonLlaniDavis
16/8/2016 at 7:30pm
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If the caravan was insured then the charges would be covered by their insurance company, since this was NOT a breakdown, but an accident. I am guessing that the owner was not insured.

And as for the charges, £700 is not unusual and can easily be reached by time and distance charges, especially in the Highlands. The storage charge is very cheap! The are NOT obscene and the OP needs to get some balance in their posting.


PersonOctavia4x4
16/8/2016 at 7:39pm
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My caravan insurance provider covers accident recovery in the UK and EU, dedicated phone number given, may have to pay invoice but then it is claimed back from insurance.

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Skoda Octavia Estate 2.0TDi 4x4 (2012) towing a Compass Omega 482 (2014)


PersonGrampian91
16/8/2016 at 8:17pm
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Yeah the breakdown company would have said its an accident and to contact the insurance, or they can arrange recovery and then bill you to pass onto the insurance.

So in this instance its insurance they required and can either pay it themselves or make a claim.


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Persondiesel steve
16/8/2016 at 9:11pm
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having many years in the recovery industry would you want to wait in a traffic que waiting on a recovery truck traveling 65 miles to open a road due to an accident, as for the charges do you know what a decent recovery vehicle costs, plus operator training and him sitting in house on a sunday waiting on a call out.   


PersonTaylor56
16/8/2016 at 9:16pm
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High winds were forecast for Scotland last week,i would have thought it would have been better to stay put for a while.Our neighbours just about lost there tent on Mull and had to move in to a cottage.


Personmarramc48
16/8/2016 at 11:36pm
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Sorry LlaniDavis and diesel steve, but I still believe over £700-00 for an 8 miles round trip is way over the top whoever is paying the bill. Not many people earn that in a week.

-------------
mm48j


PersonGrampian91
17/8/2016 at 12:04am
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Its not £700 for an 8 mile tow though. Its £50 for the tow and £650 for having the labour and equipment to be able to do it.

Did you ask the driver how much he got paid to sit at home and leave the phone on?   Unlikely to be minimum wage.

It used to be good money, especially night shifts. At least it was mostly genuine breakdowns, not someone thats bought an unroadworthy vehicle and then joined the breakdown to get it home for them.


Personfleck2
17/8/2016 at 5:23am
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If the recovery driver is sat at home with nothing to do that's his problem, he shouldn't take it out on the next poor sod to breakdown. He should advertise or canvas or something.


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PersonOpensauce
17/8/2016 at 7:36am
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The cost is average for resolution of situation as described. The cost will be borne by the op's caravan insurer anyway so it is not a 'real' cost to an individual.

Any business requires a suitable return on their investment & vehicle recovery equipment needs to be purchased & has a limited life, 5-8yrs so that investment needs to be covered plus a reasonable profit over that period.

It's about perception. I don't think the layman understands the cost of vehicle recovery equipment & they tend to regard operatives working in the business as semiskilled manual workers who deserve only low pay. Hence the outrage at the perceived high cost of the operation when that cost is in fact reasonable.

Recovery services have only limited yard space & the purpose of high storage charges is to move things along quickly to prevent their yard becoming jammed with uncollected vehicles.

Post last edited on 17/08/2016 07:40:54


PersonST1100
17/8/2016 at 7:45am
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Quote: Originally posted by marramc48 on 16/8/2016
Sorry LlaniDavis and diesel steve, but I still believe over £700-00 for an 8 miles round trip is way over the top whoever is paying the bill. Not many people earn that in a week.


If it had simple been a recovery tow I would agree that it was over the top but the caravan was on its side so it was not a simple job. That is what caravan insurance is for.


Personjasie
17/8/2016 at 8:32am
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This is what insurance is for. And how long did it take to compekete the recovery?

I think i paid £600 for basic recovery after an accident 4 years ago that actally ended up writing off my caravan. It took an hour to load the van and secure it before he had even started the engine to get it home!
Seemed a lot at the time but it got us home and gave us chance to get proper assessment as to repair. Insurance paid this back to me at a later date.

Just another example of making sure you read the t&c's

I had a motorbike off some years ago and got the bike recovered to the agents local yard. My breakdown was actually good and paid for that bit, but the agent then charged £30 per day until it was colected by repairer. But insurance stumped up that bit. I suppose they want it off their land ASAP, so can charge what they want.


Persondiesel steve
17/8/2016 at 10:48am
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Quote: Originally posted by marramc48 on 16/8/2016
Sorry LlaniDavis and diesel steve, but I still believe over £700-00 for an 8 miles round trip is way over the top whoever is paying the bill. Not many people earn that in a week.


your lucky it was a caravan on its side,cost to recover a 44 tonner on its side nearer £10000.   when recovery firms go on police rota there equipment and operators meet to be upto a standard, the recovery industry is full of untrained operators with vehicles that are not fit to be on the road e.g. no mot is required.


PersonGrampian91
17/8/2016 at 2:40pm
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Quote: Originally posted by fleck2 on 17/8/2016
If the recovery driver is sat at home with nothing to do that's his problem, he shouldn't take it out on the next poor sod to breakdown. He should advertise or canvas or something.


Your missing the point, the recovery driver is getting paid to sit at home and be near the phone just in case a call comes in. It worked for me because i can sleep for a very short period and still do a long shift.

Vehicles and drivers cost money even when everythings parked up. So the prices have to reflect that.

You cannot spend £40k on a truck and pay a driver £30k to sit in the office all day waiting for a call without adding those costs when the calls do come in.

Ive towed people off the motorway and put down the vehicle was not there when i arrived. I got paid my normal rate, but lost my little bonus for that job.
Sometimes though you know they are genuine and just could not afford it.

Not the people that claim to have broken down at the services and claim not to have any money, but munching through a meal bought at the services.


PersonOpensauce
17/8/2016 at 3:32pm
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The thread started because the op got completely the wrong end of the stick. They stated their friend's caravan was insured so recovery costs after an accident are covered by insurance which can be reclaimed even if insured has to cover the costs themselves at the scene of the accident.

No indivdual was ripped off here, the 'warning' not needed & nor was the thread. However the op has learned that after a breakdown one calls their breakdown cover & after an accident one calls their insurer. It's the value of Ukcs...

However, it's often suggested that all costs associated with an accident that are covered by insurance are inflated because they are being covered by insurance & not an individual directly. Anything from car hire to claims for injury...



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