Red Pennant
We are taking our motorhome abroad for the first time this spring and have started looking at European breakdown cover. I have read a lot of good things about Red Pennant but they seem very expensive compared with some of the alternatives.
I've been looking at Allianz Assistance via
Euro Breakdown and they offer an identical level of cover for about half the price I have been quoted by Red Pennant. Given that Allianz, formerly Mondial Assistance, is the biggest recovery company in the world, I would be content to go with them with
that sort of saving.
Has anyone had any experience of using Allianz/Mondial in the past?
Comments
-
I used Mondial some years ago as an extension to my BMW warranty but didn't have to claim. It is always difficult to know how much cover to take out. We were successfully repatriated with our caravan using our Saga European cover and they covered all the
overnight expenses, taxis etc. although communications were not perfect and RP would probably have done better.You might find it useful to do a spreadsheet and tick each item. You may find that you do not want every option that RP offer.
Most insurers link up with AA, ADAC etc. so the initial support will be through the local breakdown company who should take you to the nearest dealer for your vehicle but I guess there is no guarantee of that. We were lucky to break down in Germany where
there is a BMW dealer on every street corner so to speak.0 -
Have you had a look at the German ADAC , they seem very good, when we broke down in Spain they had someone out in 30 min and fixed, €100 per annum
0 -
All of this is totally assumptions on my part which guides my choice...
There can only be a limited number of operators out there, each covering their own areas, from local garages to national organisations with their branded vehicles (like ADAC/AA) who will act as agents for the much fewer large organisations such as the ones mentioned (Allianz/Mondial). There may be more call centres which will tap into those large organisations (like RP, Brittania etc) who don't have any of their own recovery vehicles, especially far from UK.
The performance of personnel at the call centres may well differ but they all have an interest in giving good service to retain a reputation.
Price and performance are important to users but the ratio of claims to customers has to be relatively small and only those who have claimed will know what the performance was like and only for that specific incident as things can change.
Most incidents will hopefully be small (like change a wheel or give a jumpstart) so will be cheap. If taken to a garage, you still have to pay for parts and labour apart from small amounts included in the policy. The major incidents requiring repatriation are always a last resort. They will aim to limit their costs regardless of what you may like to happen - you can't demand a particular course of action. That's the insurance game - you hope you never need it but rely on them to look after you if you do!
Overall, I still think you need to look at the tiny print, ask specific questions covering your personal concerns and decide on a policy that appears to meet your needs and hope it all works when you call them out.
0 -
So far only breakdown assistance has been mentioned and I beleive ADAC provide first class service but there is limited medical emergency cover. The price of getting this type of cover (medical) for longer trips and the potential complications of dealing with two organisations keeps us with RP. Over the years even without accounting for inflation I have spent over £5k on RP and never claimed but I do know that many incidents could cost more and think as part of the overall cost of a trip its not too much to pay for peace of mind.
As an aside a friend nearing 80 yrs old was quoted an astronomical renewal of medical insurance and was considering "hanging up his boots" for continental trips, RP is going to cost him £350 (ish)
I accept everyone's circumstances are different, especially important in the travel insurance medical aspects. I still think it's best to shop around. The entry of all the medical screening information every time is a real pain but, this time I used moneysupermarket and quickly found lots of quotes for yearly travel insurance, £68 for a couple with few medical issues, 45 days, basic level (again, there also seem to be multiple companies using the same underwriters)
The big disadvantage for us of RP is that it only covers caravan holidays so if you are taking any other type of holiday as we choose to do, you need another travel insurance at extra cost. If RP covered any travel plans it would be much more sensible?
0 -
Caravanners always worry about breakdowns to that second vehicle, will it be towed in for repair, will its punctures get fixed, what will happen to it if the car breaks down, and so on. Red Pennant was designed to cover two vehicles with one policy and set those fears at rest.
But for motorhomes and solo cars the choice of breakdown service is so much simpler - there's just the one vehicle, so all sorts of good insurance companies will provide good breakdown cover.
But as David and Doug have just both said it's medical insurance which is the big decider and it depends on your age and medical record. Can you get that at a reasonable price or can't you?
0 -
David, you can get medical/travel cover way beyond 45 days - but it will be a Single Trip policy not an annual one.
Single Trip Medical/ Travel policies can be any length up to a full year and for any number of countries - all my backpacking children took them out. The price for them when they were young was far less than it would be for me now, but the policies do exist.
0 -
For over a decade we have taken out medical and vehicle breakdown coverage for European holidays through CCC. Each year it has been cheaper than Red Pennant for the same level of cover and has equally good reports and reputation.
That seems to be quite difficult to establish as the C&CC don't seem to publish their rates unless I can't find them, anyone have a link without going through the quote system?
David
0 -
David,
I haven't done a price comparison yet for this year but CCC rates and details are given on pages 135 - 139 of their "European Camping Holidays" brochure which I obtained free of charge from CCC.
Members can e-mail a request for a copy.
(We prefer to have printed copies to peruse.)
0 -
The RAC are actually offering free membership for one year of the C&cc if you take out their breakdown cover
http://www.rac.co.uk/breakdown-cover/bundle1
0 -
Caravanners always worry about breakdowns to that second vehicle, will it be towed in for repair, will its punctures get fixed, what will happen to it if the car breaks down, and so on. Red Pennant was designed to cover two vehicles with one policy and set those fears at rest.
But for motorhomes and solo cars the choice of breakdown service is so much simpler - there's just the one vehicle, so all sorts of good insurance companies will provide good breakdown cover.
But as David and Doug have just both said it's medical insurance which is the big decider and it depends on your age and medical record. Can you get that at a reasonable price or can't you?
I think this hits the nail on the head. It is always going to be more expensive to recover a car and caravan and if Red Pennant is geared to caravans perhaps that explains the huge price differenial.
The figure I have been quoted for Red Pennant is £120 for a two week trip to France. Allianz Assistance offer the identical cover for £68 based purely on a motorhome. Neither of these prices includes travel insurance for me or my wife, we both have that already, Perhaps Red Pennant needs to consider a bespoke quote for motorhomes as they are way out of line with the market at the moment
0 -
Dunhelm
Do you save more than the membership fee i.e would it be worth joining for this alone?
Write your comments here...I'm not sure about that but I've also found that, for our requirements, over the last 14 years CCC insurance has been the most competetive for our campervan insurance so I think I've saved more each year with these sevices than
the cost of membership.Also we've had the enjoyment of staying at many CCC sites, including Keswick by the lake, Barnard Castle (for less than CC site), one on the shores of The Moray Firth and Temporary Holiday Sites including one with showers and toilets in a lovely Yorkshire
seaside town at the height of summer for only £11.50 a night (last year's price).Also last year due to a change in requirements we needed a new insurance company for house and buidings content and through CCC took out a policy with a very reputable and well known company which was almost half the price we had been paying.
So, like many other folks, we find there is great value in being members of both clubs.
0 -
Dianne, I regularly hear your enthusiasm for ADAC, and I accept its efficiency for car breakdowns.
But can you please clarify how ADAC deals with a problem out on the road where the car is in good order but the only problem is with the caravan itself - the caravan brakes are binding, the hitch has locked on, a wheel hub is dangerously hot, the caravan
running lights have failed, a caravan wheel has punctured and needs changing, or even a caravan wheel has come adrift.Some insurance companies shrug and say but we only do roadside repairs for the car not the caravan. The RAC once said that to me here in the UK. How does ADAC handle roadside repairs for a caravan?
Thank you.
0 -
Be aware that some breakdown insurances only cover caravans up to 7 meters. AA was one that had this restriction (may have changed of course). My Saga insurance used AA who in turn used ADAC for breakdown and another Company for repatriation. So, the number
I was given was actually AA European centre and initially they told me that my van wasn't covered due to the length. Fortunately I had researched this and told them that my Saga policy had no restriction. They had to go and check the small print. All this
whilst I sat in the car in the middle of the German countryside with my mobile running out of credit!0 -
Hi everyone,
Thank you for contributing to this discussion. Please see below for further information on Red Pennant from Bill Smith, Manager of the Emergency Services team:
Red Pennant is a belt and braces cover and that is reflected in its cost. It is run by The Club and we have huge experience at assisting our members through the many problems experienced. Red Pennant is not just breakdown insurance, it is holiday protection
insurance and The Caravan Club is here to help you make the best use of the extensive cover it offers. From my experience and knowledge there is no other cover to touch it.It is very important to look beyond the list of cover offered to find the true extent of the cover and much of this is in the interpretation. The Club works with the member to find solutions to suit individual needs, dependent upon services being available.
When members find themselves in need of using Red Pennant, we put service first then cost.For much of the cover that Red Pennant offers, the cover is ‘total cost’. Most members will travel to or through France as part of a Continental holiday. A breakdown on a French motorway can easily exceed the limits of cover offered by many of our competitors.
Rates are fixed for car and caravan by the French Authorities, however for a vehicle over 3.5 tonnes, there is no set fee and the garage can charge what they like. This would therefore prove very expensive for many motorhomes. With Red Pennant there is no
concern about this, it will pay the total cost for roadside assistance and towing to a local garage and will cover for multiple incidents in the same trip.The cover offered by Red Pennant is as applicable to motorhomes as much as it is to the car and caravan, even though they may come with different priorities. Last year we added some additional cover for motorhomes, for when members are towing a ‘mini’ or
‘micro’ car behind their motorhome.With regard to caravans, we will cover any caravan that can legally be towed by a car.
0 -
Hi everyone,
Thank you for contributing to this discussion. Please see below for further information on Red Pennant from Bill Smith, Manager of the Emergency Services team:
Red Pennant is a belt and braces cover and that is reflected in its cost. It is run by The Club and we have huge experience at assisting our members through the many problems experienced. Red Pennant is not just breakdown insurance, it is holiday protection insurance and . ....
But has the CC ever considered providing just a European recovery service for those that don't want or feel they need an all sing, all dancing 'holiday protection ins'? For those of us that just want to cover a fortnight away in France, RP is very expensive.
0 -
Hi everyone,
Thank you for contributing to this discussion. Please see below for further information on Red Pennant from Bill Smith, Manager of the Emergency Services team:
Red Pennant is a belt and braces cover and that is reflected in its cost. It is run by The Club and we have huge experience at assisting our members through the many problems experienced. Red Pennant is not just breakdown insurance, it is holiday protection insurance and . ....
But has the CC ever considered providing just a European recovery service for tose that don't want or feel they need an all sing, all dancing 'holiday protection ins'? For those of us that just want to cover a fortnight away in France, RP is very expensive.
+1
I would much prefer to use the Club for the knowledge and quality it should be able to deliver. I totally agree that the all singing, dancing, bells and whistles (a lot of which we don't feel we need), the fact that it only covers caravan holidays and is so much more expensive that, personally I can't justify it so have to go elsewhere.
0 -
The one reason I take RP is because of its comprehensive nature. I sometimes only take the breakdown insurance because I already have annual medical insurance which is mainly used for other types of holidays. However, this only covers a limited period and
it is/was cheaper to take RP's offering for longer trips rather than extend the annual policy. I have only once not used RP and that was to go to Morocco. The C&CC provided better cover for that country but there were still risks involved. ADAC has lots of
limitations and will not suit everyone and neither will the C&CC’s insurance. Many other insurers also have their limitations especially on size of vehicle, countries being visited or how far they will tow a broken down vehicle etc. You have to read the policies
carefully and make up your own mind but in my experience you get what your pay for.However, Mollysmummy has a point, RP could perhaps offer more of its cover as options thereby giving members more choice of what to insure and perhaps obtain cheaper cover.
peedee
0 -
Why not have a European option on the CC Mayday offering?
After all, I believe you can add European cover to Green Flag, who operate the Mayday scheme.
It only covers cars KjellNN. You can do that with the C&CC Arrival scheme but I understand there are size limits. Their travel insurance will not cover my current motorhome at all, RP will, but off course at a price.
peedee
0 -
I seem to remember on here that the Club a couple of years ago were considering a RP Light which seems to have come to nothing as yet. One problem might be is that the current RP is so highly regarded that any lesser service might lead to general dissatifaction
if people try to compare the two?David
0 -
I seem to remember on here that the Club a couple of years ago were considering a RP Light which seems to have come to nothing as yet. One problem might be is that the current RP is so highly regarded that any lesser service might lead to general dissatifaction
if people try to compare the two?David
.I have lost count of the number of Club surveys I have completed asking for a menu system for breakdown cover including the options mentioned above. I can understand all of the points made but it should come down to what members want so that our Club gives
that service AND generates more income rather than letting it go to other suppliers. The other thought is that there is a captive market for RP AND Mayday (forces members who travel in UK and abroad to have both) which members will pay for regardless so we
don't need to do anything? As said, I would rather give my custom to our member club but it's out if touch with my needs at the moment so I go elsewhere.0 -
..... The other thought is that there is a captive market for RP AND Mayday (forces members who travel in UK and abroad to have both) which members will pay for regardless so we don't need to do anything? ....
That would be my thought too. IIRC 2 weeks RP came to around £250 the other year, it's only around £200 to cover me, SWMBO in what ever car we're in and my daughter in her car under MayDay for the whole year. I know the difference in cover, but I'm unlikely
to need to the medical bit of RP (I know ... never say never) I'll change my own wheels rather than wait for someone else & know my way around under a lot of car bonnets ..... price wise RP & MayDay are poles apart.0 -
we been going france for last 16yrs,always have rp fully comp.have had to use them twice brilliant srevice.rather pay more for peace of mind.
0
