Emergency Assist Ltd - www.motorbreakdownrecovery.com

I took out my policy on 10th October and thankfully having it in place, I had to call for assistance concerning a flat battery, on 29th October.

One of their nominated vehicle technicians attended and helped me to get the car started via a jump-start.

When I drove off and in the direction of the garage where I have my vehicle serviced/repaired (4 miles away), I was no more than 1.5 miles into my journey and had to stop in a line of traffic that just reached back to the exiting lane of a large roundabout.

As soon as I came to a stop, my car immediately shut down and I was once more unable to start it. I was not informed before starting my journey, that I should have isolated ALL engine management systems, including the start/stop system.

Being stranded in a very dangerous position that was now impeding oncoming traffic, I called Emergency Assist once again to explain my car had broken down and still unable to use my car.

I was then told that as I had used the service that day, I COULD NOT request a further call-out concerning the same fault and would have to pay £192.50 for an additional attendance.

With little choice at my disposal and their adamant unsympathetic nature to my dilemma, I chose to pay the cost to be rescued. It took the same service technician 30 seconds to assist me when he arrived some 45 minutes later.

Since the incident, I have written to Emergency Assist to request their help in assisting with a refund for the additional charge. They have flatly denied my claim, with a ‘full and final email’ simply placing the blame upon myself and, copying and pasting terms from their Membership Policy, telling me they are not responsible for the same fault on the same day.

Having spent most of my life working in the service sector and recognising a fault that cannot be blamed on the customer, I have discovered that this Company are sadly one of those who sell their service cheaply to attract new business but, have no care or concern for their members once they are locked into a policy.

I warn all drivers who are considering using Emergency Assist. Pay a little more with a reputable company. You will not be sorry when you need ‘emergency assistance’.

PLEASE , PLEASE, DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!. They will not provide the service you pay for. On my first ever calll to them for a flat battery , i was interrogated by the call handler as to the reason the car battery was flat. He was persistent in wanting to know why the battery was fIat, as I didnt know, i stated it MAY have been an interior light left or not, as I could never check that. He then advised that they would only provide ' paid assistance' as i had left a light on . In other words they contact a garage who charge me ( !!!???) i argued back that I never said that the light was the reason just that it may have been . It 'may' have been another fault . They clearly used any reason to avoid providing the cover i had paid for , which was their highest cover level, Platinum. AVOID AVOID AVOID !!!

Date of experience: 06 November 2024

NEVER USE @Emergency Assist Ltd Motor Breakdown

I put the wrong fuel in my car on Thursday at 6pm. I pulled onto the busy roundabout at High Wycombe above the M40 in the rush hour and came to a kangaroo halt. I was in the middle of the roundabout with cars hurtling up behind me for over an hour. I had my 86 year old mother with me who had just had a full knee replacement who I was bringing back from the hospital. I called emergency Assist and said I had a Premium contract and wanted to be towed home. I was told that they would only tow me 24 miles and my house was 27 miles away. I asked what alternative there was and they said I needed to give them a more local address. I asked them to recommend a local garage if there would be one open but they were not able to help me locate one - they told me to use yell.com ... from a packed roundabout above the M40 in the rush hour with my 86 year old mother.

They said the alternative was that they could tow me home for a cash contract to be paid then and there - for over £440. I said that was no solution and they needed to come up with a solution. The guy on the phone said he couldnt help and that only a supervisor could and there wouldnt be one available until the next morning. They left us totally stranded. The police had to tow us off the roundabout and then the @Fuel Doctor team stepped in - and were amazing.

Please, if you have your breakdown cover with Emergency Assist Ltd, change it - they will not rescue you. I didnt take out the policy for our cars. I didnt therefore check the reviews - which are all DISGUSTING! 

I have had long running issues with this company, they are APPALLING. They have lied on a number of occasions to cover their back, most recently they LIED IN A SUBJECT ACCESS REQUEST RESPONSE and have failed to respond to requests as to why they lied.

I had Premium cover (still have as they have failed to cancel my policy following my request to in February) - they refused to send assistance when I got a puncture unless I paid a minimum of £125 (I declined to), even though their literature states that flat tyres and punctures are covered under all levels of cover and I met all the terms - they failed to respond to a postal complaint that they received, and signed for, in February. They only responded when I filed a second complaint via Resolver and didn’t refer to some issues that were raised in the postal complaint.

On receiving professional advice, I made a Subject Access Request, questioning when they received my postal complaint and responded to it, along with the current status of my policy. He responded to the SAR stating that they received my postal complaint on 16 April, after I made my further complaint via Resolver. I have signed evidence they received my letter on 26 February, and they were sent a copy of that on 16 April but still chose to LIE. I have questioned why they have lied - NO RESPONSE.

They manipulate their Trustpilot score by getting people to review them before using their service. THERE ARE VAST AMOUNTS OF NEGATIVE REVIEWS ON THE INTERNET FROM PEOPLE THEY LEFT STRANDED, THEY LITERALLY MAKE UP THE TERMS AS THEY GO ALONG.

*** If you do decide to take cover, use a cashback site, eg Topcashback or the like, you will get 55% of your premium back. Hit them where it hurts, they only want your money for nothing, a really nasty company.

Twice now, they've refused to recover my car. If you want a service where a company looks for reasons not to collect you, join emergency assist! Awful awful company, the staff you call are terrible. I'd broken down with a clutch problem previously, months later my engine went linked to the cooling system. I got told on the phone that a manager has deemed the cooling system problem as the same issue with the clutch, therefore you cannot be connected. Everything I protested he replied the same mantra, it has been deemed...wow I jumped through several hoops to eventually get help, I had to get the garage that repaired my clutch to send an email to state the clutch had been repaired. I eventually got home over 4 hours later

I've been with emergency assist for years and I've been having a few issues with my car during the last year which has led me to call them twice. The first time I called I had no issue and got my car towed no questions asked to a garage of my choice. Yesterday I broke down on the side of a busy road - the first time I rung they told me I don't have an active policy, I then rung back with the policy number and was asked what was wrong with the car, I explained a warning light had come on and the car wouldn't drive. I happened to break down 10/15 minutes walk from a garage, so I had got out the car and walked on foot to ask the garage if they could give me some advice on what was wrong. I explained this on the phone and was repeatedly told as I was already at a place of repair they would not help me. It did not matter how many times I told them I was outside a garage, on foot, my car was broken down on the side of the road, they would not budge. This left me - a female stuck on the side of the road all night having to arrange and pay for a private tow home. 12 hours later I finally got a call back from the manager who was as unhelpful as the call handler and just repeatedly told me I was already at a place of repair. No basic communication skills, no level of understanding, no ability to be at all flexible or helpful given the cirumstances, no apology, in fact the manager hung up on me! I will NEVER use this company again and would not recommend anyone else to because when you need them, the simply may not help. It seems luck of the draw who picks up the phone to you and what mood their in that day! AVOID AVOID AVOID

I had someone rescue me, godmanchester first class service , very quick would 100% recommend

Called as my car would not start

As I had called them out 4months ago for the same thing

They asked for proof I had changed the battery

Emailed them a screenshot of my receipt

Not good enough as I had the battery changed and fitted at Halfords they had no details the car the battery was fitted to was mine .

The woman on the phone was very curt and cruel even as I explained I had a broken ankle and had to go to hospital she said sorry there’s nothing we can do .

Disgustingly bad company . Had to ask a neighbour for a lift .

Romaine Syme

If I could give less than1*I certainly would. I had spent the day at a retreat centre, that was obscured from the road. I had a flat battery, and was in a major city, so assumed that this would be dealt with quickly and efficiently. The wait time to speak with an agent was ridiculous, and a recorded message asked that, when prompted, I give my location with relevant landmarks. I was parked outside a huge car showroom and mot centre, that had properties on both sides of the road. I could park there because it was a Sunday and they were closed. So, I gave these properties as a landmark. I was put on hold, and then informed that they would not attend, as the policy excluded assistance when in a car is in a repair centre. I was parked outside a closed repair centre, on a Sunday night in the rain, 50 minutes away from home. I could not reason with the agent, it was like speaking with a robot. He offered me assistance outside of my policy, starting at £120. So, as a disabled 65 year old woman, I had to sleep in the car until morning, when the offending repair centre opened and assisted me. Totally disgusting company with no assistance in an emergency.

Just to advise that this company (Emergency Assist Ltd) is clearly a call centre sham operator in the Emergency Breakdown sector.

I have been researching them since they left me stranded in the New Forest with a simple flat battery - this on their Premium Breakdown policy! I spoke to 4 operators and supervisors who all refused to send help, claiming 'human error'. This despite their listing stating '...our Premium with excess breakdown cover is specifically designed for the average motorist who wishes to be covered in every eventuality.’ Clearly not! They won;t even come out for a simple jump start or refuel.

Mine is far from the worst review I have since read about them. They are clearly just a call centre sham with no intention of sending help. Read their 1-star reviews on TrustPilot (not the fake 5-star ones they pay for) or visit their, seemingly unmoderated, Facebook page where it is clear that countless, vulnerable customers have been left in danger at the roadside.

I am alerting Trading Standards, the Finacial Ombudsman, BBC Watchdog and anyone who might be interested. I suggest you all do the same. Drive safe!