Save Your Money Go Elsewhere

I purchased Autoprotect's product 'Mechanical Breakdown Insurance'

Their sales people are good at taking your money and inform you that you can take your car almost anywhere for repairs. e.g. you can use the car manufacturers service centre, a third party repairer such as Halfords/Kwik Fit or even your local small garage repairer.

When you attempt to make a claim you discover that many repairers won't go through Autoprotect's claims processes. Why should they? They are running their business and don't have to jump through hoops for Autoprotect's benefit.

Autoprotect do not provide a list of garages that they have approved and are willing to work with Autoprotect's processes.

When you try to make a claim you have to be prepared to stay on the phone forever. When you finally get through you are informed that no work must be done on your car until it is approved. So you want your car repaired by your chosen dealer? Probably not possible because they don't want to deal with Autoprotect. Autoprotect then inform you that if you use your preferred dealer to get the repair done ASAP your claim will be void.

So if you adhere to their claim processes they don't want you to get your car back on the road ASAP. Instead their focus is to get the repair done as cheaply as possible and if that means you have to wait days (or even weeks) then so be it.

When I started the claims process for my car I used a national car service centre, they completed the first diagnostic and recommended that a specialist diagnostic centre should be used. This company was not the car manufacturer, but their service rates are far lower. By using both companies I could have the car back on the road within a week. Happiness?

No. Autoprotect stated 'cease all work until the claim is approved. If you carry on your claim will be declined.' Autoprotect did not take into consideration what needed to be done to get the repairs completed ASAP. The companies I had chosen were the most cost effective, but both will not work with Autoprotect due to the problems they had experienced in the past.

So Autoprotect sell you a repair product and regardless of who you want to use, to get the repair done quickly and at a cost much lower then the manufacturer, you discover that to make a claim will take much longer, telephone communication with Autoprotect takes hours and hours and if you don't adhere to Autoprotect's processes (to the letter) your claim will be void.

Now, when the Autoprotect's sales person sold you their repair product did he/she give you all of this information? No

When you read the small print in the product they sold you did they tell you that the main focus is to reduce the claim as much as possible? No

When you read the small print in the product they sold you, did they tell you that you have to be prepared to wait for days (or even weeks) to get the repair done? No

So, to conclude Autoprotect has a business model that brings in a relatively large amount cash quickly and everything appears to be acceptable to you and if you need to make a claim there shouldn't be a problem. Then one unfortunate day your car breaks down, you need a repair ASAP, and then and only then, you discover you have wasted your money

Never, ever use Autoprotect. If you want a roadside recovery service use a national company such as the AA or RAC

Don't waste your money on a mechanical/electrical repair needed by using Autoprotect - You will wait for ever. And they will find any reason not to support your claim.