AXA Assistance Breakdown Cover

Broke down on a Sunday evening, and was waiting 3 hours to get picked up in a town, it started off bad but just got worse.

We realised we had to get towed back home to Bristol when the parts were not available to arranged the journey back through AXA, with the initial pickup being delayed past the estimate).

We were told that we would be relayed, due to the distance between London and Bristol so was dropped of at Cobham services, with the driver relaying how long we'd take to arrive back to control and we believed all of that would obviously be used to make a seamless transition... wrong.

Once we arrived at Cobham services, our driver left and told us it would be about 20 minutes most likely for the next truck to pick us up, as we were racing to get to Bristol garage the same day (what was organised with AXA).

We instead waited for 5 hours with a puppy in the car, with multiple calls to AXA and promises of phone backs which never happened. We set off at 12:00 and arrived home at 20:00 in the end, all throughout this a very clear picture of deception painted.

AXA sends texts to confirm when your next pickup is due, a so called estimate along with the provider who will be picking you up. We received multiple texts with estimates, so I decided to follow one up with a supplier directly, alas it was proven AXA had outright lied knowingly as the supplier laughed when I told them the estimate AXA had sent, and explicitly told me that AXA had accepted 6PM arrival over what AXA said was 15:30.

When our driver finally arrived, he openly told us that he had been free for hours and could have picked us up earlier, but AXA sat on it.

This is entirely rigged, don't trust anything you're told as its a process that has been designed to be full of handoffs and misinformation.

Initially the number on their card was wrong. Apparently it has been reported multiple times yo them but they have not amended it. Then they couldn't find my policy. They took my number in case we got cut off and said they would call me back. I started yo tell them the problem but we got cut off and they didn't call me back. I rang them back...again they couldn't find my policy. I gave them all the details, they took my personal and work mobile numbers in case we got cut off do they could call me back. We got cut off again and they did not call me back.

I couldn't face a 3rd attempt called my husband to assist. There is no postal address or email address to write a complaint to. I have tried to call to make a complaint, but they are only open 9 - 5, Mon to Fri which is difficult to access when I work 8-6 Mon yo Fri. I have made 3 attempts to call but gad yo give up after waiting in a queue for more than 30 mins.

Appalling service that left me unsafe. I have voted with my feet and cancelled my policy with them.

I got two puncture recently.I called AXA breakdown assistant number, they always answered my call. They got my details, waiting time for the trailer usually 90 minutes but they were always out much quicker. Both occasion I was 20 or 30 km away from my home. No tyre service was available, I don't have spare tyre, the only option is they tow my car to home or to a garage. Second time it's happened on the motorway the trailer was out in 20 minutes. The first time it was 50 minutes.I always feel supported and safe.

"Thank you for holding, your call will be dealt with as soon as possible."

Girlfriend is sat on the side of a road with a flat tyre.

She has called, I have called. No answer in countless calls.

These people are jokers and should not be in business as recovery for brekdowns.

THEY WILL NOT EVEN ANSWER YOUR CALL!

If you read all these reviews and still buy their worthless cover, serves you right.

Vile charlatans who should be exposed for what they are.

She's trying to sleep in the car next to a A road, alone in 4C.

Thanks AXA

On holiday with my sister we had to pull off the road due to an engine coolant leak. Breakdown cover is through Co-op but provided by Axa. My sister was able to clearly state the problem and that the car needed recovery. We clearly gave our location. The lady in the call centre seemed unable to grasp either and was unhelpful to the point of rudeness. She made clear to my sister, the car’s owner and driver, that she did not believe the coolant had a leak and told my sister it just needed refilling. Finally she said that someone would be sent out to us.

Approximately four hours later a breakdown recovery truck and driver arrived. He had to phone us to get our location as Axa had not given it to him. The driver, pleasant enough himself, had been sent to say there was no coolant leak. He showed us the engine by torch light then pointed to a stain on the road surface below it and tried to insist that we had wrongly assumed this older stain was the result of a leak. He continued the pretence until we offered to put more liquid in so he could watch it drain. The man then explained that he was not allowed to recover us. He kept saying he was “just worker” and “it’s not up to me”. Having failed to persuade us that we had imagined the leak he called his boss for permission to recover us. This was refused so he drove away leaving us in the layby with an undriveable car, many miles from our holiday home, hundreds of miles from home, knowing we had nowhere else to go for help.

My sister had to phone the call centre again. They said they would then arrange for a recovery driver who was allowed to do the recovery. They said it would be approximately another 90 minutes. Even if Axa were being truthful this time – truthful about the length of wait and intending to send help - it would have been after midnight by the time someone got to us. Given the unhelpfulness and lack of honesty to that point, being two women in an unknown area hundreds of miles from anyone we knew with nowhere else to go for help, we could not take the chance of waiting. We were very fortunate, given the late hour, to be able to find accommodation.

The following morning we called and explained it all again to someone who said they would arrange for a recovery truck and told us to be ready shortly. We hurried back to the layby then waited over four hours until the recovery driver phoned us, about to start his trip, because Axa had not given him our location. When the recovery truck finally arrived the driver was efficient, competent, pleasant and cheerful. Everything a stranded motorist could wish for. He checked the engine, loaded the car onto his truck and drove it to the arranged garage with no fuss.

From the first call to arriving at the garage took 21 hours, cost us £160, caused a great deal of stress and fear and placed us in danger. My sister made a complaint but neither Axa nor Co-op have bothered to respond.

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY – THEY WON’T LIFT A FINGER TO KEEP YOU SAFE

I tried to use this service offered by TD Bank credit card. It takes 60 to 75 minutes to get a tow on a Sunday evening.. No traffic, no excuses for such slow service. They left me waiting on the side of the road in a live lane. TD obviously contracts the absolute cheapest provider with no regard for the safety of the customer. This will make me reconsider my relationship with TD credit cards.there's no point giving clients something for free when it's useless. You're better off with CAA... Get what you paid for.

AXA are easy to contact and the staff on the phone are helpful . However, today I waited 2 hours and 50 minutes. When I called to register a complaint I was told there were people who had had to wait for 4 or more hours as if I should be grateful! They are cheap but I would not recommend them.

Do not buy cover from this company or you will regret it. The price looks great, but there is a reason. The service is appalling. They farm out the jobs to multiple rescue operators with little on no coordination. If you are any sort of distance from home, you can expect to be ferried between motorway services by multiple rescue trucks.

My wife broke down on the A1, was dumped at Ferrybridge after a couple of hours and had to wait there for another 6 hours before being brought back to Durham. 11 and a half hours. The driver had a 2nd vehicle on the truck and was meant to drop that off first, but fortunately refused his controller, or it would have been another 2 hours!

The customer service person from the contractor said that Axa do this all the time. They takes the jobs on, then call around, trying to farm them out.

We will be cancelling our cover and going somewhere reputable. This company is a disgrace.

I've had the home start assistance for the past year. Used it twice, once for a flat battery and second to change a flat tyre (both non-emergency, vehicle parked outside house). Both times they sent someone within 2 hours who was polite and helpful. Just renewed, a person picked up straight away and sorted it out within 5 minutes. Brilliant service for the price!

When I called them regarding a puncture and being unable to fit the spare wheel (I am 73 years old) the lady was extremely vague about my predicament. She just kept asking questions that did not really apply. My Wife was kept hanging on the phone while I did what I could myself. Eventually with a bit of help from others I managed to get back on my way again.

Technically, I am still waiting for roadside assistance 2 weeks later.

I will not give any stars at all in the optional categories for speed of response, customer service or value for money because there was none of any of that.