Conference terri::cars_uk

I'd be interested to know what you'd do if it wasn't a lease car
and it broke down "outside normal hours". Whenever my lease
car has gone "legs up" outside normal hours, I get it recovered 
by National Breakdown to wherever I'm going, and wait for "normal 
hours" to arrive. I reckon that's pretty much what I'd have to
do with my own car, except I'd land up paying for the relief
vehicle out of my own pocket. 

How would you like the system to work ?

Phil.

    I'm an RAC Reflex member.
    
    I've never used the service myself, but the idea is that if I break
    down and it can't be fixed at the road side I get 
    
    1) the car is relayed anywhere in the country...(directly) OR to a
    local garage (you can travel with the car)
    
    2) I can get a hire car for 3 days OR train tickets for upto (i think)
    4 people OR overnight accom (perhaps for 2 nights again for something
    like 4 people)
    
    The AA have somethinlike this in the Relay Plus scheme...
    
    So the answer is.... the company fleet is covered by one of these
    schemes....most repairs are completed within 3 days so most hire car
    charges will be removed.  The problem is this scheme doesn't cover
    accident damage, I think....
    
    Dave D.

    I've just booked a relief from Hertz and took the opportunity to ask
    about this. I was told....
    
    If your car breaks down we should contact National Breakdown. They will
    arrange a hire car for you out of hours. Obviously they can only source 
    hire cars from places that are open. I think airports are the only
    places that are open 24 hours so they may have to get the cars from
    there.
    
    Royston

re.3:

I got the impression from reading my Hertz Driver's Handbook yesterday that
you call the AA out of hours, and they contact the appropriate� recovery
service.

I find this is all very confusing because my Vauxhall has one year RAC cover
with the car (and I'm an RAC member), so why call National Breakdown?

Dave.

    I'm under the impression (perhaps a mistake by me) that the AA/RAC and
    National have agreements with various Hire car places and can get
    people out/release cars all over the country out of hours (not
    necessarily 24 hours for all of them).
    
    ie.  The local Avis/Hertz offices etc will have a duty manager who will
    come out when called and give you a car.
           
    If you look in the Yellow pages, alot of the hire car places are now on
    mobile phones and I've phoned round for cars late on Sunday nights and
    got some answers/prices etc for car pick ups on Sunday nights.
                                                       
    Dave D.                                                       

    I have recently had the "opportunity" to test this all out.
    
    Car fails early morning and I look in my Hertz handbook.  Phone AA it
    says.  Out they come, get be started and off to the garage I go.  Car
    is fixed (not!).
    
    Next morning - Car fails early morning and I look in my Hertz handbook. 
    Phone AA it says.  I phone and they say, "No you have to phone National
    Breakdown".  What, says I, you came out yesterday.  "Oh OK", they say
    and come out and tow the car to the garage AND organise me a hire car. 
    Car is fixed (not!).
    
    Couple of days later - Car fails early morning and I look in my Hertz
    handbook.  Phone AA it says. I phone and they say, "No you have to
    phone National Breakdown".  What, says I, you came out a couple of days
    ago.  "Oh OK", they say and send out TWO people (one van and one car). 
    They fail to get me started and then tell be that all they are
    authorised to do is road-side repair and advise me to contact Fleet.  I
    contact Fleet who say call National Breakdown and call Hertz for a
    replacement car!
    I call National Breakdown who come out and get me started.  I drive to
    the garage where a car is waiting for me.  Car is fixed (figures
    crossed!!)
    
    So, what I have learnt is that the Hertz handbook tells porkies and
    that the procedure is call National Breakdown who will attend (and
    arrange a car if out of hours) and that Hertz will organise a car
    during normal hours.  took a little while to learn this letter but I
    never said I was bright!!
    
    Regards,
    
    Mike B.
    

    You all have to remember that the Hetrz handbook is photocopied nad is
    approximately 7 years out of date.
    
    I had the same Hanbook given to me this year as in 1987.
    
    So, for the most up to-date information look on VTX in the CarFleet
    section (NOT)!!
    
    
    Andy ;-)
    
    

    
    On the back of my card (Hertz prime) it has a 24 hour breakdown
     freephone number - 0800 919191 - what is this for then ??
    
    (Yea I know - if you breakdown !!) 
    
    Anybody used it ??

RE: .6

Mike, do you mind telling me what car you've got? I'd like to add it to my list
of cars NOT to buy - it can join the undistinguished ranks of Lada, Skoda etc.

Cheers

-Steve

    re: .9
    
    It's a Bitsofsushi Spice Wogan.
    
    Actually it's particularly reliable (!).  First time it had let me down
    in 48k miles.  Funny, it had just had a service, not that I'm
    suggesting anything in that....
    
    For the technically interested, the fuel injection system was
    overfueling on cold start (as it should for a couple of seconds) but
    continuing to do so and therefore flooding the engine.  Once the car
    did start, you could duplicate the circumstances, hence the problem was
    hard to spot.
    
    Mike B.
    

    re .10
    
    Actually I meant you COULDN'T duplicate the circumstances.

I once had the same problem with an Orion 1.6i. It also had been in for a 
service, it was my own car and it tokk a month to fix it - including 3 (free)
hire cars (which included a 1.3 yes 1.3 litre Sierra). I had a "discussion"
with the services manager at the garage, and eventually they ran a check on the
fuel injection system and plugged the wite back in which controlled the
enrichment circuit. It then worked. I asked the AA legal people whether I could
get charged for this, since it had worked fine before the service, and not after
(immediately I might add). 

They said that it would be impossible to prove that they were at fault. In the
end they did not charge me as a "goodwill" gesture. After the hassles and the 
arguements I did not use the garage again (Ford Dealer in Winchester)

A tale of woe indeed!