Breakdown cover

[ExplosiveVasectomy]

At the time of taking out my breakdown cover for the purposes of trackday recovery I was of the understanding that AA would recover from non-competitive motorsports events for road legal vehicles, however during renewal I checked this and was told it was not the case, only a breakdown during travel to/from would be covered and not a breakdown during the event.

I've checked the T&C's and this does appear to be the case:

"Participation in sporting events: we will not attend your Vehicle if it’s been involved in motor racing,
off-road driving, rallies, track days, duration or speed tests;"

With that in mind does anyone have any recommendations please?

Edit: to add to the above, I took out cover in May 22 and the T&C's provided do indeed include trackdays, and the above quoted exclusions are in a T&C's document dated September 22, so quite a recent change.

Edited by ExplosiveVasectomy on Monday 19th December 17:10

[CalisenQX]

In event of breakdown, ask the circuit to tow you off circuit and call recovery from there.

[Wh00sher]

I suspect the recovery companies are getting wise to the "I broke down just outside the circuit" calls and will probably add a minimum radius clause at some point.

[Krikkit]

Autoaid don't specifically exclude it in their T&C's, never tried to exploit it mind

[TrotCanterGallopCharge]

ExplosiveVasectomy said:

At the time of taking out my breakdown cover for the purposes of trackday recovery I was of the understanding that AA would recover from non-competitive motorsports events for road legal vehicles, however during renewal I checked this and was told it was not the case, only a breakdown during travel to/from would be covered and not a breakdown during the event.

I've checked the T&C's and this does appear to be the case:

"Participation in sporting events: we will not attend your Vehicle if it’s been involved in motor racing,
off-road driving, rallies, track days, duration or speed tests;" ---- Note this is Page 18, item 'n' of AA main T&Cs

With that in mind does anyone have any recommendations please?

Edit: to add to the above, I took out cover in May 22 and the T&C's provided do indeed include trackdays, and the above quoted exclusions are in a T&C's document dated September 22, so quite a recent change.

Edited by ExplosiveVasectomy on Monday 19th December 17:10

Good Spot - Changes also to Gold Membership European Breakdown Cover;- NOW Excluded = 'Rallying, off-road driving or motor sports'.

One issue with AA, is they send a load of paper documentation out with renewal offer letter, of which various exclusions are shown, BUT, these aren't the main Terms & Conditions - This is only available online. In the AA renewal letter booklets it mentions various main AA T&C Page 18 changes (which match the online copy), but DOESN'T MENTION ITEM 'n' - - even in a letter dated in October 22.

[TrotCanterGallopCharge]

ExplosiveVasectomy said:

At the time of taking out my breakdown cover for the purposes of trackday recovery I was of the understanding that AA would recover from non-competitive motorsports events for road legal vehicles, however during renewal I checked this and was told it was not the case, only a breakdown during travel to/from would be covered and not a breakdown during the event.

I've checked the T&C's and this does appear to be the case:

"Participation in sporting events: we will not attend your Vehicle if it’s been involved in motor racing,
off-road driving, rallies, track days, duration or speed tests;"

With that in mind does anyone have any recommendations please?

Edit: to add to the above, I took out cover in May 22 and the T&C's provided do indeed include trackdays, and the above quoted exclusions are in a T&C's document dated September 22, so quite a recent change.

Edited by ExplosiveVasectomy on Monday 19th December 17:10

Was the only change to the cover of Page 18, Item 'n', the new wording of 'trackdays' now included?
I don't have a paper, & when I phoned the AA, they couldn't find the old wording either, sorry.

[BackUpTerry]

TrotCanterGallopCharge said:

Was the only change to the cover of Page 18, Item 'n', the new wording of 'trackdays' now included?
I don't have a paper, & when I phoned the AA, they couldn't find the old wording either, sorry.

I'm not sure of anything else changing though it wouldn't surprise me. Full wording from my original T&C's (doc dated Nov 21):

Under general exclusions

"I. Participation in sporting events: that is assistance for vehicles broken down as a result of taking part in any “Motor Sport Event”, including but not limited to racing, rallying, trials or time-trials or auto test. However, for the avoidance of doubt, the AA does not consider “Concours d’elegance” events, track test days for road-legal vehicles or rallies held exclusively on open public highways where participants are required to comply with the normal rules of the road, to be Motor Sports Events;"

[TrotCanterGallopCharge]

BackUpTerry said:

TrotCanterGallopCharge said:

Was the only change to the cover of Page 18, Item 'n', the new wording of 'trackdays' now included?
I don't have a paper, & when I phoned the AA, they couldn't find the old wording either, sorry.

I'm not sure of anything else changing though it wouldn't surprise me. Full wording from my original T&C's (doc dated Nov 21):

Under general exclusions

"I. Participation in sporting events: that is assistance for vehicles broken down as a result of taking part in any “Motor Sport Event”, including but not limited to racing, rallying, trials or time-trials or auto test. However, for the avoidance of doubt, the AA does not consider “Concours d’elegance” events, track test days for road-legal vehicles or rallies held exclusively on open public highways where participants are required to comply with the normal rules of the road, to be Motor Sports Events;"

Thank you BackUpTerry.

The text you show seems to now be omitted in the new AA Sept 2022 conditions, BUT, the booklet of 15 Key T&C changes sent out to me with my renewal letter on 12th Oct '22, it makes no mention of how they've now changed to 'No participation in Sporting Events of any kind', although it does correctly show 4 other changes in the same section (No18). Genuine typo errors in this booklet, or AA trying to be sneaky, odd how it's worked in the AA's favour with reduced cover!

[nismo48]

Wh00sher said:

I suspect the recovery companies are getting wise to the "I broke down just outside the circuit" calls and will probably add a minimum radius clause at some point.

+1 True

[Steve H]

BackUpTerry said:

I'm not sure of anything else changing though it wouldn't surprise me. Full wording from my original T&C's (doc dated Nov 21):

Under general exclusions

"I. Participation in sporting events: that is assistance for vehicles broken down as a result of taking part in any “Motor Sport Event”, including but not limited to racing, rallying, trials or time-trials or auto test. However, for the avoidance of doubt, the AA does not consider “Concours d’elegance” events, track test days for road-legal vehicles or rallies held exclusively on open public highways where participants are required to comply with the normal rules of the road, to be Motor Sports Events;"

That’s how it always used to be right back to the 90s and I have been recovered by them back in the day.

I used to carry a copy of the regs in the car in case anyone needed persuasion.

[E-bmw]

TBH, I don't really see why they feel the need to have the exclusion.

OK, if it were an accident on track but a breakdown?

Yes, our cars suffer more W & T on track, but if it didn't break down on track today, it would likely have broken down next week on the morning commute.

[Paul_M3]

E-bmw said:

TBH, I don't really see why they feel the need to have the exclusion.

OK, if it were an accident on track but a breakdown?

Yes, our cars suffer more W & T on track, but if it didn't break down on track today, it would likely have broken down next week on the morning commute.

Yeah, and if you were an 'AA' employee, would you rather attend to a car broken down in a nice safe, flat, spacious paddock, or at the side of a Motorway?

I'm surprised that this is enough of an issue for them to change their terms if I'm honest. Most cars I see broken down on track days are ones which have been trailered there anyway. I can't recall ever seeing an 'AA' or 'RAC' van working on a normal road car at a track day, although it obviously must happen.

[TrotCanterGallopCharge]

Paul_M3 said:

E-bmw said:

TBH, I don't really see why they feel the need to have the exclusion.

OK, if it were an accident on track but a breakdown?

Yes, our cars suffer more W & T on track, but if it didn't break down on track today, it would likely have broken down next week on the morning commute.

Yeah, and if you were an 'AA' employee, would you rather attend to a car broken down in a nice safe, flat, spacious paddock, or at the side of a Motorway?

I'm surprised that this is enough of an issue for them to change their terms if I'm honest. Most cars I see broken down on track days are ones which have been trailered there anyway. I can't recall ever seeing an 'AA' or 'RAC' van working on a normal road car at a track day, although it obviously must happen.

I agree it seems odd, but perhaps there is a far higher chance of some component failures on Track, which just wouldn't happen on the road?

I did see an AA van on site at an airfield trackday earlier in the year (May?), attending to a road car that had been on track, which had a wheel/brake issue. They'd only done a few laps. When I went to Silverstone in Oct this year & had an issue just outside the circuit, the AA control center did ask if I'd been on track (I hadn't, I was watching an event, only now do I realise why they asked me).

Perhaps some AA statistician has noticed trackday cars maybe more likely to have heavier damage, so need larger lorries/courtesy cars/costs, compared to ones that just conk out roadside.

[TrotCanterGallopCharge]

RAC also don't attend cars on trackdays either.

Nationwide bank seem to be using last years AA conditions, so you may be covered (unless small print says whatever the latest AA conditions are apply).

[Indecision]

Krikkit said:

Autoaid don't specifically exclude it in their T&C's, never tried to exploit it mind

I was recovered from the Bedford paddock by AutoAid 8 years ago with no issues. Great breakdown company, have used them for about 20 years I think.

Edited by Indecision on Thursday 5th January 08:10

[mmm-five]

Green Flag (aka UK Insurance) will also try to get out of recovering a vehicle if it's been on track, and will try to obtain photos of it on track to justify their decision...even if you're a few miles away (or on your way back to the local hotel in my case).

Although my case was at the Nurburgring...which every breakdown company (other than Bongard/Lenz) hates

I was back in the UK (with the car at a compound near Adenau) when I got the call from Green Flag (aka UK Insurance) to say they wouldn't be proceeding with my recovery and that I should make my own plans. They provided photos of me on the Nurburgring in the preceding days and claimed I'd been involved in an excluded activity, namely 'racing' and this was excluded by their clause that says "If the car's involved in motor racing, off-road driving, rallies, track days, duration or speed tests."...therefore the claim was invalid.

Got a private recovery to do the job at a cost of £1600 and got the financial ombudsman to support my claim for a refund from them with a very detailed analysis of why I was not 'racing' during any point on my trip, and why a TF day is not a 'race' anyway. They claimed they'd got confused due to a race that was being held on the GP-strecke on the same weekend as TF days on the Nordschleife...despite me pointing this out to GF in my initial response to their refusal.

Edited by mmm-five on Thursday 5th January 12:36

[TrotCanterGallopCharge]

Indecision said:

Krikkit said:

Autoaid don't specifically exclude it in their T&C's, never tried to exploit it mind

I was recovered from the Bedford paddock by AutoAid 8 years ago with no issues. Great breakdown company, have used them for about 20 years I think.

Edited by Indecision on Thursday 5th January 08:10

Autoaid seem to have 2 Policies (summarised below), with general exclusions as below

Breakdown Cover
Any request for service if the vehicle has been used (from the time you bought it) for private hire, public hire, racing, rally, pacemaking or in any contest or speed trial or any rigorous reliability testing.

- - - No specific mention of Trackdays here.

Breakdown Insurance Policy (Policy beginning with letters RC);-
- for public or private hire or reward,
- on any racetrack, race circuit or toll road without a speed limit (such as Nürburgring Nordschleife)
- for racing, rally, pace making or in any contest or speed trial, or practising for any such event, or is involved in any rigorous reliability testing.

- - - Racetracks or circuits are not covered (BUT, would this include airfields with coned layout, as no racing involved?)

[motorhole]

Thread bump - any updates or news for means of ensuring recovery in the event of a trackday breakdown?

I too got AA cover in Sept. prior to the changes to T&C and now looking for an alternative. My previous track day car was insured with Ries who also offered breakdown cover that included track days, which I had. But they won't insure my current car and can only get the breakdown cover with their insurance - so looking for a solution.

In the unlikely event of needing recovery, how easy is it to get arranged sharpish, same day? Has anyone here actually ridden that particular pain train?

Edited by motorhole on Sunday 12th February 20:07

[Indecision]

motorhole said:

In the unlikely event of needing recovery, how easy is it to get arranged sharpish, same day? Has anyone here actually ridden that particular pain train?

My Autoaid recovery from the paddock at Bedford (in 2015) was within 90 mins from memory, loaded onto the truck and recovered back home - no problems at all.

[motorhole]

Indecision said:

My Autoaid recovery from the paddock at Bedford (in 2015) was within 90 mins from memory, loaded onto the truck and recovered back home - no problems at all.

Autoaid (and partner company, Gem) both now state the following exclusion in T&C's:

[Will not provide] Any cover if the vehicle has been used:

• for public or private hire or reward, including but not limited to, taxis and couriers unless
the appropriate cover is shown on the schedule on page 4;

• on any racetrack, race circuit or toll road without a speed limit (such as Nürburgring
Nordschleife); or

• for racing, rally, pace making or in any contest or speed trial, or practising for any such
event, or is involved in any rigorous reliability testing.

I suppose it's likely these have changed since 2015. I used to be with Autonational Rescue back then and they never excluded it but they do now under very similar wording iirc.

Edited by motorhole on Sunday 12th February 21:53