Break Down Cover, terrible service!! RANT

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RhiannonColeman

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on our way back from a showjumping comp yesterday, we broke down in our lorry on a busy main road.

As we have breakdown recovery for both horse and wagon, I did not worry, but called the (well known ) company, giving the full details road no, size of lorry, occupants, etc also explained that the horse on board was very difficult and would not travel by trailer. I was concened about the heat and the fact it would be unsafe to open ramp onto the main road.

This happened at 1.30, I was then called to say someone would be with me by 2.45.

At 2.45 a VAN turned up! no horsebox no recovery vehicle. The driver had been informed that we were a Transit and could be proberbly be fixed at the road side. He them informed me that they had no means of moving the horse and did I know anyone that could come and fetch the horse
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Then suggested my daughter hack the horse 3 miles along abusy main road to the next village, if I was worried about him becoming distressed on the box
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The horse is terrible in traffic.
Two further phone conversation ensued and I was informed by the main control that they could not get a horsbox to fetch the horse the only alternative would be to put the lorry with the horse on board onto a 65ft low loader ( would be another hour an half) great , however he cannot go off the main road wich meant my horse and daughter were dropped off 7 miles from our farm! having to hack back over a mountain. The lorry was then dropped off 2 miles from our local lorry garage who came and picked it up.

This started at 1.30, my daughter and I arrived home at 7.15. I am appalled that a company can take money from you to give you peice of mind and then fail in everyway to help us.

what if I had more than 1 horse onboard, as is normally the case? what if the horse could not be ridden or my husband not there to pick me up?

Sorry its so long, opinions please if you've got this far
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That's crap, please PM me the company (i've just taken out cover for my trailer with one so would be interested to know if it's them)
I broke down in the car once, rang the breakdown company and told them I had a disabled passenger and I didn't think the car could be fixed by the road. There was no rush to get to me at all so we were left by the side of the road with my passenger still in the car, for well over an hour. When the tow truck came there was no way my passenger could climb into it, so we were just left by the side of the road (him in a wheelchair on a steep hill) and I had to get my dad to drive over and pick us up.
 
that's terrible, hints please as to who it was!
i've had breakdown cover for years (wth SEIB) and had to use it for the first two times a few months ago, their service could not have been quicker or more professional, was really really impressed both times.
 
I would be making VERY loud complaining noises to companys boss!!
Disgusting.

Not even a hint as to who it is?

If you had had a really old/young/sick horse with you how would they have got back????????????
 
Could you PM me their name, or as somebody else said give a small hint to who it was.

Not being nosey just worried if it's the same one as me. Thanks
 
I've just come off the phone to the company ( a county down south ) and to be honest they are as disgusted a I am.

They subcontract the recovery work and everything should have been in place to fetch my horse home safely. They are opening an enquiry and paying for any costs, so I will keep you posted.

From their reaction I would say this is probably an isolated incident with one of their contractors. So wouldn't panick just yet if you are with them, I'll wait and see what they come up with, will take a couple of days.

Brambleyhegde, my thoughts exactly, I often have 2 or 3 youngsters aboard. would have been well and truly stuck!
 
That is an absolute disgrace and I am really glad the company are accepting they were at fault. I would be talking compensation with them! What a horrible experience - poor you!
 
I am sorry that you had a bad experience, I broke down the weekend before with my trailer, and couldn't fault the service I had with my cover at all. I am glad that it is being looked in to, just sorry that you had to go through what you did!
 
I Use SIEB. Last time we broke down they had someone with us within 5 mins!

Then when it was found the lorry could not be fixed at the side of the road they arranged for a horse lorry to come, i explained that there was no way on earth i could unload one of my boys on the side of a motorway as he is NOT good with heavy traffic and he would freak. He is also not a good loader when he is stressed.
They then arranged for a low loader to come, they put the lorry on a low loader, took us to the local bird sanctuary carpark, unloaded lorry from low loader so that i could get ponies off and transfer them to the waiting horse lorry. No one got stressed or hassled when my bad loader had to have a couple of looks at the lorry before he went on board. The low loader then took my lorry as close as they could to the garage, up some very narrow country lanes, they could not physicaly fit into the village so they unloaded it and drove it to the garage (all of about 600m). The horse lorry then took my lads home and they came off the other side very relaxed.
 
So so sorry to hear of your misfortune, I completely empathise. Breaking down is awful at the best of times, but when you've got a horse on board I think it is doubly distressing.

I broke down once after a very long day collecting a pony from Hereford (we are in East Sussex). We were in a two horse Renault horsebox. Rang the AA who said they could send out a roadside assistance van to see if it could be started on the roadside, but as we had broken down on a roundabout at the top of motorway slip road by Gatwick airport, it was considered too dangerous to send out their man afterall! The police kept turning up as we had come up on their security cameras and were seen as a possible threat to airport security, but they couldn't do anything to help us as technically the roundabout wasn't considered part of the motorway and therefore was out of the motorway police's jurisdiction. The AA wanted me to unload the pony on the roundabout, but I explained that I couldn't as we had coasted to a stop right next to the crash barrier and the side ramp couldn't come all the way down. So what to do? The police wouldn't close the road even if we were able to get the pony off and then onto another lorry, the AA wouldn't endanger their man. Eventually one policeman turned knight in shining armour, more to see us gone than anything else I suspect, and called up a local garage who came to try to fix it whilst the policeman sat in his car with lights flashing. It couldn't be fixed so then the police officer called one of contacts from clearing up big motorway smashes and he came with an enormous loader and winched us on top, then took us to his depot in Crawley where we sat for two hours waiting as believe it or not the driver's shift had finished and we had to wait for the next driver to come on shift.

Anyway, it was approx 18 hours since leaving by the time we got back (not to my yard as we don't have room to offload from such a big truck), cost us £500 approx, and it was the most dreadful, frustrating and upsetting experience as all I was worried about was the poor pony on the lorry who had finished his food, water and hay ages ago and who was with strangers in pitch darkness

The crowning glory of all this was that the next day I did some more ringing around and found the local Renault Truck man who told me that the AA should have referred us to him the minute they heard that we had AA cover on a Renault truck.

So please anyone out there, if you have a fantastic recovery service that you'd recommend, I'd love to have their details!
 
i use SEIB and they have been fab for the times ive had to call them. Only broken down once with the horse on board and wasnt on a main rd. I had just pulled off into the venue when the gear box went, Managed to coast it a little way and pull it off the driveway. One of the other members said they would take the horse home so ash didnt miss the rally and the lorry was taken to my mechanics. they have also come to the yard when it wouldnt start a couple of times.
 
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