In November, I paid an annual premium of £42 to First Call GB for car breakdown cover. In March I was unable to start my automatic-transmission Renault, so I called First Call GB. Their contractor's mechanic was also unable to start it.
After a series of tests, he announced that the car required a new starter-motor and suggested that I have one installed by my local garage. I contacted the garage and its mechanic came out. After toggling the automatic gear stick he started the car. He said the reason why neither I, nor First Call's mechanic, could start it, was because the gear stick was slightly out of the "park" setting, even though the gear indicator panel showed it was parked. Automatic cars will not operate if the gear is not fully in the "park" setting, I now know.
The local garage mechanic said no further repairs were required and there was no charge. A few days later I received a letter from First Call asking for proof that I had taken the car to a garage following the callout. I emailed a copy of the document supplied by the garage showing it had attended the car, tested it and managed to start it. Some days later I received another letter from First Call. It is insisting that I am liable to pay its charge of £73 as there was "no mechanical failure". DK, Hampton, Middlesex
This is not the first time First Call GB has appeared on these pages. Last year we reported how it refused to send a mechanic to a female customer unless she paid £100 upfront. It had tried to claim that she had been knowingly driving a defective car because she had booked the car to have a gearbox leak looked at – something that didn't affect the car's operation and was unrelated to the problem. At the time we reported how this firm appeared to have rather a lot of unhappy customers posting on the internet, and we have had a few other letters since.
In its terms and conditions, First Call states that it will not cover any claim where "no remedial action has been taken to correct the fault since we last attended your vehicle. Garage attention must always be sought after experiencing a breakdown and proof of repair obtained".
Perhaps you should have paid the garage £1 for repairing the problem to avoid this nonsense. We contacted First Call and it said that it had already agreed to waive the £73 request, despite finding against you, as a gesture of goodwill. It says it has an obligation to "protect its members' interests by keeping its breakdown premiums as low as possible". This, it says, is why it needs to ensure that all breakdowns are covered under the terms of the policy.
If you are thinking of paying First Call for its cover, you would do well to read its T&Cs very carefully before you hand over your premium.
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