Insurance / recovery if unable to drive

Iandsm

Full Member

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I was just wondering, having read some threads in another place, what people do in case of illness or injury when travelling in the UK. I mean, as I am the only driver, if I broke my leg or was ill and couldn't drive while we are on a trip within the UK is there an insurer who would recover my camper to my home address. Nationwide Flex Plus did but since they now use the AA they don't any longer. Does anyone have any knowledge or recommendations please.
 
I was just wondering, having read some threads in another place, what people do in case of illness or injury when travelling in the UK. I mean, as I am the only driver, if I broke my leg or was ill and couldn't drive while we are on a trip within the UK is there an insurer who would recover my camper to my home address. Nationwide Flex Plus did but since they now use the AA they don't any longer. Does anyone have any knowledge or recommendations please.
I did think was a standard feature - didn't know that had gone with the switch to the AA?

Having a little trawl around (as I am also relying on the FlexAccount Breakdown feature) I found the following info:

From the P400 Nationwide PDF ....
Section G: National Recovery (Relay) Provided by Automobile Association Developments Limited (trading as AA Breakdown Services)
"The AA may be prepared to make National Recovery available if you are, or the driver of your vehicle is, unexpectedly taken ill during a journey and no other passenger can drive your vehicle to complete your intended journey. Any compassionate National Recovery assistance is given at the AA’s absolute discretion."
So it is possible and doable on the AAs discretion

From a Nationwide Press Release on the change to the AA ....
James Broome, Head of Current Account & Credit Cards at Nationwide Building Society, said: “We regularly review the additional benefits we offer our members to ensure they continue to offer good value and meet their changings needs. Our UK and European breakdown service already offers one of the highest levels of cover on the market. However, I am pleased that as part of our new partnership with the AA we will be able to expand this cover even further to offer our FlexPlus members additional support should they be involved in an accident.”
This would suggest that the change to the AA has enhanced the features and not taken anything away ("expand this cover even further ... additional support"), so if it was a previous standard feature, and their new providers (AA) is technically able to provide that service, they should take that on if needed?

The wording of the Nationwides document can be suspect sometimes. You may recall that they incorrectly stated lower weight and length limits for Motorhomes when they first gave the info about the impending change to the AA a few months ago and subsequently corrected that? maybe this is a similar situation and no one has noticed?
It could be worth a call or email to someone from Nationwide (maybe James Broome above?) to ask?
Given also that the FlexAccount benefits also include Travel Insurance, maybe this situation is also covered by that part of the benefits?
 
I did think was a standard feature - didn't know that had gone with the switch to the AA?

Having a little trawl around (as I am also relying on the FlexAccount Breakdown feature) I found the following info:

From the P400 Nationwide PDF ....
Section G: National Recovery (Relay) Provided by Automobile Association Developments Limited (trading as AA Breakdown Services)
"The AA may be prepared to make National Recovery available if you are, or the driver of your vehicle is, unexpectedly taken ill during a journey and no other passenger can drive your vehicle to complete your intended journey. Any compassionate National Recovery assistance is given at the AA’s absolute discretion."
So it is possible and doable on the AAs discretion

From a Nationwide Press Release on the change to the AA ....
James Broome, Head of Current Account & Credit Cards at Nationwide Building Society, said: “We regularly review the additional benefits we offer our members to ensure they continue to offer good value and meet their changings needs. Our UK and European breakdown service already offers one of the highest levels of cover on the market. However, I am pleased that as part of our new partnership with the AA we will be able to expand this cover even further to offer our FlexPlus members additional support should they be involved in an accident.”
This would suggest that the change to the AA has enhanced the features and not taken anything away ("expand this cover even further ... additional support"), so if it was a previous standard feature, and their new providers (AA) is technically able to provide that service, they should take that on if needed?

The wording of the Nationwides document can be suspect sometimes. You may recall that they incorrectly stated lower weight and length limits for Motorhomes when they first gave the info about the impending change to the AA a few months ago and subsequently corrected that? maybe this is a similar situation and no one has noticed?
It could be worth a call or email to someone from Nationwide (maybe James Broome above?) to ask?
Given also that the FlexAccount benefits also include Travel Insurance, maybe this situation is also covered by that part of the benefits?
Thanks for the reply, I don't like the sound of "
"The AA may be prepared to make National Recovery available if you are, or the driver of your vehicle is, unexpectedly taken ill during a journey and no other passenger can drive your vehicle to complete your intended journey. Any compassionate National Recovery assistance is given at the AA’s absolute discretion."
So it is possible and doable on the AAs discretion" I don't want to be at the mercy of some call handler should I find myself in that position and I think some clarification is needed. I will be making some enquiries to get a definitive answer and will report back.
 
I did think was a standard feature - didn't know that had gone with the switch to the AA?

Having a little trawl around (as I am also relying on the FlexAccount Breakdown feature) I found the following info:

From the P400 Nationwide PDF ....
Section G: National Recovery (Relay) Provided by Automobile Association Developments Limited (trading as AA Breakdown Services)
"The AA may be prepared to make National Recovery available if you are, or the driver of your vehicle is, unexpectedly taken ill during a journey and no other passenger can drive your vehicle to complete your intended journey. Any compassionate National Recovery assistance is given at the AA’s absolute discretion."
So it is possible and doable on the AAs discretion

From a Nationwide Press Release on the change to the AA ....
James Broome, Head of Current Account & Credit Cards at Nationwide Building Society, said: “We regularly review the additional benefits we offer our members to ensure they continue to offer good value and meet their changings needs. Our UK and European breakdown service already offers one of the highest levels of cover on the market. However, I am pleased that as part of our new partnership with the AA we will be able to expand this cover even further to offer our FlexPlus members additional support should they be involved in an accident.”
This would suggest that the change to the AA has enhanced the features and not taken anything away ("expand this cover even further ... additional support"), so if it was a previous standard feature, and their new providers (AA) is technically able to provide that service, they should take that on if needed?

The wording of the Nationwides document can be suspect sometimes. You may recall that they incorrectly stated lower weight and length limits for Motorhomes when they first gave the info about the impending change to the AA a few months ago and subsequently corrected that? maybe this is a similar situation and no one has noticed?
It could be worth a call or email to someone from Nationwide (maybe James Broome above?) to ask?
Given also that the FlexAccount benefits also include Travel Insurance, maybe this situation is also covered by that part of the benefits?
If a financial institution offers an 'enhancement' it invariably means that it will cost more than the previous version, and/or the restrictions on claims/cover/benefits will be much tighter.

The institutions call it marketing, those of us who inhabit the real world call it lying. Part of the Banking CPD activity is an annual refresher on 'ethics' which most employees think is where Southend Pier is situate. The annual refresher training in ethics when I looked some 5 years ago was a couple of hours per annum ...

Steve
 
I have written written to Nationwide as below and will report back on what reply I receive.

Dear Mt Broome,

I have had the Nationwide Flex Plus bank account for some years now having decided it was the account for me because of the travel and breakdown insurance benefits. These were particularly attractive to me as I travel in my motorhome with my wife, who does not drive, throughout the UK and Europe and as I am the only driver I was comforted to know that should I be incapacitated through illness or injury my motorhome could be returned to my home address through the Nationwide policies.

Since the AA has become the provider of these services the provision for recovery of the vehicle in those circumstances have been removed from the Nationwide document and replaced by rather different wording, as below, which appears to state that should an unfortunate illness or injury occur which means I cannot drive I would be at the mercy of a call handler who may or may not decide to arrange assistance with recovery off my motorhome at their absolute discretion.

This is very important provision for myself and my fellow motorhomers and I would ask that you make clear exactly what assistance as regards recovery in the above circumstances is offered. Naturally I and those I have discussed this with would prefer to keep our Nationwide Flex Plus accounts open, however we may have to review this depending on you reply.

I thank you in anticipation and will pass on you reply to those concerned.

Yours Sincerely,

Ian Johnson

'From the P400 Nationwide PDF ....
Section G: National Recovery (Relay) Provided by Automobile Association Developments Limited (trading as AA Breakdown Services)
"The AA may be prepared to make National Recovery available if you are, or the driver of your vehicle is, unexpectedly taken ill during a journey and no other passenger can drive your vehicle to complete your intended journey. Any compassionate National Recovery assistance is given at the AA’s absolute discretion."
So it is possible and doable on the AAs discretion.
 
The wording is not as confidence-installing as it should be, especially as at the time you may need that help, your thought-processes and mindset might be distracted when it comes to getting someone 'on-side' :(

Steve, I recall going to the "ethics" sessions when I did work for Exxon as a supplier. Most of the discussions seemed to be about making sure any restaurants chosen for business lunches were not overly expensive so the meal could be appropriately reciprocated on expenses :)
 
Here is the reply from Nationwide. I suggest members print it out and keep it wot their policy booklet

"
Thank you for reaching out to me and for being a long-standing FlexPlus member.

I have double checked this point with the AA this morning and can reassure you that you are still covered for the scenario you describe. Here is what they’ve told me:


In regards to Mr Johnson’s question, the cover we provide is as Mr Johnson has identified. Where there is no issue with the vehicle (motorhome or not) but the customer is genuinely taken ill and can no longer drive (and there is no other driver), then we will treat it as if the vehicle had broken down and recover the vehicle and occupants as per National Recovery. Our call handlers are very experienced and it is not an uncommon scenario for them to deal with. The reason we add ‘at our discretion’ is to provide leeway for instances where the inability to drive is perhaps down to ‘driver error’, for example the sole driver may have been drinking prior to driving and be over the limit.

I hope that helps alleviate any concerns you have.

Kind regards,

James Broome | Head of Current Account & Credit Card
Banking & Savings
Propositions & Engagement
 
Thanks for the update. very useful and the reason for the AAs 'discretion' seems perfectly reasonable as well.
 
TBH I cannot see why NW Breakdown would supply cover when you haven't broken down (I AM a FlexPlus user and I highly recommended it in the past, especially when they gave us £100 ;) ).

Not being able to drive is covered by my motorhome insurance
✔ Emergency ‘any driver’ cover – if a medical emergency interrupts your journey, any driver can take over the driving or take your vehicle back home
Obviously it is then up to me to provide the driver.

HOWEVER, I can understand a claim being lodged with NW via their Medical Cover although that keeps referring to you (plus some info on personal belongings, which clearly excludes vehicles). It does say that someone from your home area can get up to £2500 to come to your aid, so perhaps that additional driver can be paid for in that manner. I assume that paying a driver must be cheaper than paying for a low loader!

Gordon
 
Here is the reply from Nationwide. I suggest members print it out and keep it wot their policy booklet ........
I noticed this evening you provided this info to the "house of fun" forum in a reply. I don't know about you, but the type of replies you got would make me think twice about bothering :confused: - and reminds me why I didn't renew my subscription last month.

good on you anyway (y)
 
I noticed this evening you provided this info to the "house of fun" forum in a reply. I don't know about you, but the type of replies you got would make me think twice about bothering :confused: - and reminds me why I didn't renew my subscription last month.

good on you anyway (y)
Well Roger, I work on the assumption there will always be those who are dissatisfied or think they know better or have superior knowledge. You know, the kind of people who, if you say you had a holiday on Tenerife they would say they had one on Elevenerife and I am often proved correct. However, that does not stop me passing on something I think would be useful to those who may appreciate it for what it is.
 

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