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Written on: 20/04/2020 by peter.author (1 review written)
I have been a customer of First Call for many years now and have always found them helpful, providing assistance through local garages. In fact I haven't had to use them very much at all. But this time my car broke down in the local town centre and as we live in a village 11 miles away, help was going to be needed. When I phoned First Call they told me that, unless I had my car towed to a garage AND IT WAS REPAIRED (and they would require to see the invoice!), I would have to pay for the… Read Full Review
Written on: 24/02/2019 by 359Underwood (1 review written)
I was with firstcall many years and in the beginning was very happy with their service. But I have seen their service steadily decline to the point where on my last two call outs they did not even want to attend the call outs and suggested ways I could get my car going that did not involve them sending a recovery service. The last was some months ago when my brother contacted them regarding my car not starting at home. Despite my paying extra for homestart they would not send out a recovery… Read Full Review
Written on: 12/11/2018 by FirstCall3659 (1 review written)
After 3 years with this company I rang them for the first time today requesting roadside assistance as my Fiat Panda wouldn't start. They asked me questions about the fuel in my car which I answered as best I could as I am not mechanically minded. Initially, I couldn't see any movement on the fuel guage so I thought it was empty but when I turned the key again the arrow moved and I could see I had half a tank of fuel. They said that because initially I had said that there might not be… Read Full Review
Written on: 26/10/2018 by Jilliana191 (1 review written)
AVOID – AWFUL COMPANY !!! I had a legitimate breakdown call out with these guys. They came and fixed it, then later sent me a letter telling me I had to pay £125 for it. When I went to the Financial Ombudsman and they backed off. Also they refused to give me the contact name of their Managing Director… Read Full Review
Written on: 14/03/2018 by LiliannaCassidy (1 review written)
My car broke down coming off the M55 about 4weeks ago, initially the response was great, the breakdown truck was with me in about 30mins and recovered me home, all great so far, I had the car taken to a local garage where it was diagnosed as the cylinder head had failed and the cost of repair was more than the car was worth. A week letter I received a letter from First Call demanding a copy of the receipt from the garage for the repair, when I sent the letter back I was charged £164 pounds for… Read Full Review
Written on: 26/02/2018 by Happyperson3 (1 review written)
I waited for over 4 hours to be "recovered". By the time the recovery vehicle arrived, the repair garage was closed. To take me home just over 100 miles it would cost me an extra £483. I had to stay overnight after being taken to a huge industrial site to the repair garage. The garage was fine and they did fix the car first thing in the morning. Needless to say l have cancelled this policy. So always read the small print, better still don't use this company. A very stressful and unpleasant… Read Full Review
Written on: 24/11/2017 by Gareth-Hopkinson (1 review written)
Written on: 29/05/2017 by Johnathan227 (1 review written)
Quite simply the most appalling breakdown company I've every encountered. Without a doubt the worst service I've every received from any company that claims to provide a service to it's customers. DO NOT TAKE OUT a policy with first call. After 4 years of using this company without having to use them, on a recent journey, Bank holiday camping trip with the family I had no power steering or ABS. After endless phone calls over a 24hr period I was told that no assistance would be provided as the… Read Full Review
Written on: 29/04/2017 by Elfsinger (1 review written)
I've been with First Call for nearly 10 years and never had to use them until yesterday. They will take your money but they are not there when you need them. DO NOT USE! I was exchanging my car and had a part exchange agreement with the garage. I didn't drive my car for 2 weeks for fear of damaging it. It was left in perfect condition on the drive. Over 2 weeks the battery went dead. I rang First Call to jump start me and they said they would but only after £125 charge even though their… Read Full Review
Written on: 12/03/2017 by bionicwoman2017 (1 review written)
We were travelling to North Wales a journey of approx 4 hours. Our temp gauge warning light came on red, and despite stopping to cool engine, it kept coming on at quicker and quicker intervals. In the end we had to call out First Call GB Ltd. The person on the end of the phone was superb, and despite our location in the middle of nowhere, managed to get a recovery vehicle out to us within a hour and a half, which was amazing given our location. We were recovered to Garaj Arwyn's Garage just… Read Full Review
Written on: 28/02/2017 by 484Bain (1 review written)
Call them out they came told me they could not take my standard 4 door car the trailer unless I paid £225.00 to get another trailer to get me home Told them I could not pay now , so they then told me I had to pay another £94.00 for call out and unless I paid £320.00, and should stranded unless I paid £320.00 on spot. I paid £84.00 to a local garage who came and fixed car within 4 minutes. Avoid… Read Full Review
Written on: 03/01/2017 by Zippadeedoo (1 review written)
This seems a bargain breakdown cover but beware if you think you are covered for any breakdown. I have called them out many years ago and it was fine but yesterday, 2nd January 2017 I hit a pothole on the M6 at it broke a front wheel spring. Fortunately my wife and I were less than a mile from a service station and managed to get there with only a small amount of banging noises. On calling First Call and explaining the problem they declared that it was an accident and not a mechanical or… Read Full Review
Written on: 22/12/2016 by House202 (1 review written)
There are all sorts of exclusions which mean they can get out of helping you. They left me stranded at 11pm at night when my car broke down because the operator said it was due to poor repair earlier the same day, which it was not. Wanted to charge me three times the normal recovery charge to get me home. When I arranged it separately and asked for my money back they quoted all sorts of exclusions in the small print. Still trying to get my money back but beware… Read Full Review
Written on: 07/10/2016 by Desireev1954 (1 review written)
Recently my car wouldn't start so I called First call. Their mechanic coul dn't start the car and thought the engine had seized. Naturally we asked him to tow it to our local garage, where our car is regularly serviced and repaired. This part was fine, I later received a phone call from first call checking everything was OK. I thought that was nice. The caller then went on to say that their mechanic had reported that the engine had seized and we had told him if that was the case then we would… Read Full Review
Written on: 08/10/2016
very similar happened to me, i hate these guys!!
Written on: 17/02/2016
My car would not start at home so I called First Call. Initially they were very helpful and said they would send a vehicle out to me. This was just before 4pm and their call out time was 45 minutes. I said my garage would be shut and if I neeed to be recovered there, I would prefer the call to be defered to the following morning. The lady I spoke to said a vehicle would definitely be there at 4:30pm, so there would be time to get it to the garage. The vehicle turned up at 4:50 (having been told… Read Full Review
Written on: 10/11/2015 by 422Hanley (1 review written)
This so callled breakdown {first call} is a trick do not join close them. They take their time comming out to you they dont repair your vehicle and they dont take your car back to your address so many up front cost please please stay away they are bad and a joke oh yes they dont take you home either lol had a terrible experince with them get dom!!!! And also staff are not helpful and cant do simple maths brokedown in manchester wanted to come home to blackburn another charge of £150 i asked… Read Full Review
Written on: 02/11/2015 by ynMedina462 (1 review written)
When we did actually break down and need to be recovered, they managed to make multiple excuses not to come and get us. You get what you pay for I guess. I would not recommend this company to anyone. Avoid!… Read Full Review
Written on: 30/09/2015 by patgc (2 reviews written)
At home this morning and car would not start. Would not turn over but everything was clicking and hazzard lights going etc. Phoned First Call at 10.20 to ask for assistance. She went through various questions and said yes all fine, asked my my local garage if I need to be recovered. Said assistance would be with me within the hour. 10 minutes later she rang again to say that the ETA for assistance was too long so she had contacted my local garage and arranged for them to come out, try and help… Read Full Review
Written on: 12/09/2015 by Jerry131 (1 review written)
I have been with this company for a few years and have got my car and my 19 years old car covered as well. My daughter broke down on the M42 and it took over 4 hours for them to rescue her. They told her on the phone that if she was low on fuel then they would not help. When they finally arrived after leaving her for the 4 hours on the hard shoulder it turns out that the cam belt had broken and she would need to be towed. They asked which garage in Birmingham she wanted to be towed to and as we… Read Full Review
Written on: 06/12/2017
Similar to my experience. Demanded card details before they would recover me and my 8 year old daughter from side of A1 in Newcastle at 930 in morning. Then lied, misquoted small print and charged my card. Absolute robbers.
Written on: 10/08/2015
In February I called this company at 10:50 am as I could not gain entry to my vehicle and I was stranded outside of the car with all my personal belongings inside the car, including my bag, phone, house keys and medication. I used my local doctor’s surgery to make the phone call. I waited 2 hours and 15 minutes in the freezing cold waiting for their mechanic to turn up. I was very distressed and anxious by this point. The mechanic stated that he had only received the call at 12.33 pm. The… Read Full Review
As rated by our community of reviewers
" Over 5 hours wait NOT GOOD ENOUGH " Read More
Written by SILVERSURFERKENT
" You tried the rest now try the best " Read More
" Night in shining armour! " Read More
Written by HAPPYreviews52
" Complete lack of interest " Read More
" Terrible breakdown company " Read More
Rescuedbyus900's Comment
Written on: 02/06/2017
have to agree with you, we were a recovery agent for them, we recently did a job for them where the owner had to pay them £200.00 pound for a recovery they would only pay us £52.00 out of that, we took the job on because they were stuck and could get no other agent to attend the job, No wonder thats it now she has been told not to call us again.