Frequently Asked Questions

We charge a fee for the work we do to set up and manage your breakdown cover.  You will always see this fee clearly in any quote we give you.  Previously this fee was still charged but was included as part of the overall price of our product.

You only pay this fee if you buy a Start Rescue policy and this fee covers the general operational overheads  which include the overall administration of your policy, as well as making sure we can help you any time you break down – 24 hours a day, all year round.

The amount of the fee will vary depending on what type of breakdown cover you choose.  Both your insurance premium and the fee are taken together in one payment.

If your vehicle breaks down in the UK, you can use our mobile app or call our 24 hour rescue number. Tell us where you are and give us a phone number so we can contact you.

We will try to fix your vehicle at the roadside first. If we can’t fix it there, we will take your vehicle to the nearest garage that can repair it.

If we still can’t fix your vehicle or there is no garage available to look at your vehicle, and you have bought our Two to Five Star cover, we will arrange transport to take you, your vehicle, and any passengers to your home or to the place you were originally travelling to(whichever is nearer).

If you have our One Star breakdown cover, we can take you to any place you choose within 10 miles of where you broke down. If you need to go further than 10 miles, we can give you a separate price to help with that. Please just ask.

As a renewing customer, you never pay more than the standard website retail prices for new customers for the same type of cover. 

Your renewal price might go up as and when your vehicle gets older or if you choose a different level of cover, but it will still be cheaper than the standard website retail price new customers pay for the same cover.

If you have any questions about your renewal price, please log in to the online Customer lounge and contact us from there.

We allow unlimited call-outs for each vehicle that is insured if you have vehicle cover, or for each insured person if you have Personal Cover.

If you have One Star breakdown cover and need to be recovered further than the 10 miles local recovery which is included, we can still take you to the place you choose but you will need to pay for the extra miles at the time we help you. You can pay over the phone with a credit or debit card.

If you think you might need recovery for more than 10 miles, you may want to choose a higher level of cover, like Two Star to Five Star, which might suit you better.

If you are an existing customer you can upgrade from One Star cover in the Customer Lounge.

Yes, we provide electric vehicle breakdown cover for  electric vehicles across the UK and Europe, using our vast network of well-trained, experienced recovery operatives. 

Your policy documents are available to view in the online Customer Lounge. If you want them to be sent to your email, choose your policy, and click the “Email Documents” button. We’ll then send them to the email address you have registered with us.

If you don’t have a policy with us and your vehicle has broken down, you can’t buy a policy to cover that problem. But we might still be able to help you. Call us on 01206 785999 or 0333 320 0975, or use our app and tell us what’s wrong. We’ll let you know what options we can offer.

You can reset your password by clicking the “Forgot Password” link on the Customer Lounge login page.  You’ll need to use the email address you used when you first set up your policy.  If you’ve changed your email or can’t remember which one you used, you’ll need to call our Customer Services Team.

Yes, if your vehicle is in an accident, we cover this as part of the breakdown policy and we will help you based on the level of breakdown cover you have.

We aim to have a Recovery Operator with you within 60 minutes. However, this may vary due to factors outside of our control, such as traffic from accidents, local events, or weather conditions. In mainland Europe, the time may also vary depending on your location. 

Start Rescue are unable to provide a refund of premium or remove a vehicle from cover mid-term during your policy, however the below FAQ’s may provide you with suitable alternative options:

Is there a cancellation charge if I cancel my policy?

If you cancel your annual policy within the 14 day cooling off period, there is no charge and you will receive a full refund, providing you have not made a claim.

If you cancel after the 14 day cooling off period, no refund of premium is payable.

No refund of premium is available for any policy with a policy period of less than one month.

What happens if I change my vehicle?

Unless Personal Cover has been purchased, our policy only covers the vehicle registered on our database. Therefore, any change must be notified immediately by either contacting our Customer Services Department or logging in online to our website’s Customer Lounge.

Please provide us with your policy number, the new registration, make and model of the vehicle and the date you wish us to make the change. If you do not notify us of the new vehicle details, we may not be able to supply you with a service.

Where a change in vehicle results in your new vehicle being in a different age bracket than your existing one, you may be charged an additional premium, in no circumstance will a refund or credit be provided.

You will not be covered for the first 24 hours of updating your vehicle details with us.

To add someone to your Personal Policy, log in to your Customer Lounge and choose the policy you want to change.  Click on “Upgrade Personal Policy" to see the cover options and any extra costs. Pick the option that suits you and follow the online instructions to complete.

Yes, you can cancel your policy at any time.

If you cancel your policy within the 14 day cooling off period, you will get a full refund as long as you haven’t made a claim. If you cancel after 14 days, you won’t get any money back.

To upgrade your cover, log in to your online Customer Lounge and choose the policy you want to change.

• For vehicle-based policies, click on the “Upgrade Vehicle Cover” button
• For personal policies. Click on “Upgrade Personal Policy” button

You will then see the cover options you can choose and any extra cost. Pick the upgrade that works best for you and follow the instructions online to complete.

Depending on the problem you tell us about, we will first try and repair your vehicle at the roadside.  If we can’t, we will pay to take it to the nearest suitable garage for repairs. We may also offer other ways to help, following your breakdown.

If the vehicle cannot be fixed in a reasonable time (agreed with our Rescue Coordinator), we will take you, your vehicle and any passengers back to the UK.

No, any work carried out, other than roadside assistance, will be a separate contract between you and the repairing garage. You will need to pay for all parts fitted roadside or at the repairing garage. 

Depending on your circumstances we may decide to provide alternative accommodation. Within the UK, we will pay a maximum of £150.00 for a lone traveller or £75.00 per person towards the reasonable cost of overnight accommodation including breakfast for you and the passengers whilst the vehicle is being repaired. The maximum Emergency Overnight Accommodation payment per incident is £500.00.

For European policies where breakdowns occur abroad and the vehicle cannot be repaired on the same working day and which results in you not being able to stay at your pre-booked accommodation, the limit is increased to £150.00 per person for one night. The maximum Emergency Overnight Accommodation Abroad payment per incident is £1000.00.

This service is subject to the prior authorisation of our Rescue Co-ordinator and will be offered on a pay and claim basis.

If you purchased your policy directly using our online Quote and Buy tool at startrescue.co.uk, there is no excess to pay. 

If you originally purchased your policy through a Comparison Site and wanted to reduce the annual premium you would need to pay, you may have purchased a policy which requires you to pay an excess each time you breakdown.  Your policy schedule will detail if you chose to pay an excess.  You can upgrade your policy to remove the excess mid-term or at renewal via the online Customer Lounge.  The payable excess will still apply to any claims that occurred before you upgraded the policy or for any claim within 24hours of the time the upgrade was made.

You can re-set your password by clicking on the Forgot Password link on the Customer Lounge login page.
You will need the email address you originally used to set up the policy. If you have changed the email address or forgotten which one you used, then you will need to call the Customer Services Team

If our repairing Recovery Operator is unable to repair your vehicle within the same working day, or a period agreed between you and our Rescue Co-ordinator, we will pay up to £250.00 (maximum) within the UK or £500.00 (maximum) for claims in Europe, towards the reasonable cost of alternative travel or a hire vehicle up to 1600cc to allow you to complete your original journey.

We will also pay up to £150.00 within the UK, towards the reasonable cost of alternative travel for one person to return and collect the repaired vehicle. This limit is increased to £200.00 within Europe for our Four and Five Star levels of cover, for two people to return and collect the vehicle.

This service can only be used to complete a journey if your vehicle is being repaired a minimum of 20 miles from your home address.

This process is on a pay and claim basis and authorisation must be gained from our Rescue Coordinator.

Unless Personal Cover is purchased, our policy only covers the vehicle registered on our database. The registered vehicle is covered for any driver.

Let us know as soon as possible if you change your vehicle so we can update our database, you can do this via the Customer Lounge or contacting our Customer Service team over the phone.

Unless Personal Cover has been purchased, our policy only covers the vehicle registered on our database. Therefore, any change must be notified immediately by either contacting our Customer Services Department or logging in online to our website’s Customer Lounge. Please provide us with your policy number, the new registration, make and model of the vehicle and the date you wish us to make the change. If you do not notify us of the new vehicle details, we may not be able to supply you with a service.

Where a change in vehicle results in your new vehicle being in a different age bracket than your existing one, you may be charged an additional premium, in no circumstance will a refund or credit be provided.

You will not be covered for the first 24 hours of updating your vehicle details with us.

Yes. If you lose, break, or lock your keys in the vehicle, you’ll be covered for the call out and recovery back to the operators base or your home address if closer. 

Additional services such as cutting/programming new keys, or specialist equipment used to move your vehicle is not covered by the policy, you will need to pay for these services.

We will arrange and pay up to £250 (inclusive of VAT) for a recovery operator to either conduct the fuel drain and flush at the roadside or, to recover your vehicle and the passengers to the recovery operator’s base where a drain and flush to your vehicle’s fuel tank can be conducted.

In addition to the fuel drain and flush, we will also include 10 litres of correct fuel, subject to the overall £250 (inclusive of VAT) claim limit.

If you would prefer for the fuel drain and flush to be conducted by your preferred repairer, we will arrange and pay for a recovery operator to recover your vehicle and the passengers to a repairer of your choice within 10 miles of the scene of the breakdown. (or 20 miles for our 2, 3, 4 and 5 Star policies).

This service is subject to the prior authorisation of our rescue co-ordinator and will be offered on a pay and claim basis.

Yes. You can do this online by logging into the Customer Lounge and selecting Manage Automatic Renewal Settings & Saved Cards’ .  You can delete an existing card and add a new card.
If you need to update your card details as your policy has the Automatic Renewal Protection setting enabled, please remember to set the card to the renewal.

Yes.  You need to make sure that the registered card holder is present and can provide permission for any payments. If you have the Automatic Renewal Setting enabled, we will take the renewal payment from this card next year  Please ensure you have the card holders permission to use the card again at renewal. If you do not want to renew using the card you will need to delete the card from the ‘saved Cards’ area of the Customer Lounge.

Yes you are entitled to assistance for lack of fuel or running out of charge. We will recover you, the vehicle and the passengers to the nearest fuelling facility or charging point.

Our Rescue Co-ordinator will offer you a quotation to assist on a pay on use basis.  If you proceed with the quotation you will need to pay for the assistance at the time by credit or debit card.

In the event that your vehicle is stolen or vandalised, you should contact your insurance company. 5 star policy holders have the benefit of the Theft/Break in Benefit when on a trip in Europe and should call our 24-hour rescue line if they intend to use it.

Within the territorial limits UK provided you have purchased Two, Three, Four or Five Star cover, there is no limit.
If your vehicle cannot be repaired at the roadside within 60 minutes and a  local garage would be unable to assist within a reasonable amount of time, we will take you, your vehicle, and the passengers home or to your destination anywhere in the UK.
If you have purchased our One Star breakdown cover, you are entitled to a recovery within 10 miles of the scene of your breakdown.

Within the territorial limits Europe, provided you have purchased Four or Five star cover, there is no limit.
If your vehicle cannot be repaired at the roadside within 60 minutes and a local garage would be unable to assist and the vehicle is unable to be repaired within 48 hours or by your intended return whichever is due to occur last, we will take you, your vehicle, and the passengers home or if you would prefer and it is closer, your original destination within the territorial limits Europe.

You can purchase a multi-car policy by adding all the vehicles you wish to cover during the quote process. All additional vehicles qualify for a 10% discount which is added automatically. 
You can also add additional vehicles to an existing policy, providing all vehicles on the policy are registered to the same address. You can add additional vehicles online by logging into the Customer Lounge. 
There is a 24 hour inception period when adding an additional vehicle.

Your policy only covers the registered vehicle in the event of a breakdown. If your vehicle breaks down and your caravan or trailer is attached, providing it is fitted with a standard 50mm tow ball coupling hitch and does not exceed 7 meters/23 feet in length (not including the length of the A -frame and hitch), it will be recovered with the vehicle.
The policy will not cover you if there is a problem with your caravan or trailer and not the vehicle. However, our Rescue Co-Ordinator will offer you a quotation to assist, but you will need to pay for the vehicle recovery service immediately on a pay on use basis by credit or debit card.

Recovery of a trailer containing livestock is not covered as part of the policy and will be totally at the discretion of the Recovery Operator which attends the scene. If the trailer cannot be recovered with the livestock inside, providing you do not know anyone locally who can help you, we will try to contact a local company which can provide assistance in transporting the livestock separately. You will need to pay for the additional service immediately on a pay on use basis by credit or debit card.

We have a dedicated EV network of fully trained EV recovery operators who are competent in dealing with high voltage battery systems, and the many other parts of a modern electric car that can go wrong.

Our EV Recovery Operators, who receive ongoing training to ensure we maintain high standards in EV recovery, will aim to get you back on the road safely and quickly.

If we’re unable to fix your vehicle, our team of experts will find the most suitable local garage to repair your vehicle and if a local repair is not possible, we will be able to recover you inline with your policy’s recovery limits.

We will ask you, to find out if there is a particular garage you wish to be recovered to and ask you to book it in. We can also source a garage for you if necessary and pass you the details so that you can book in your vehicle.

We recommend you to wait for assistance to ensure the vehicle is functioning correctly. If you do not wait for assistance and the vehicle breaks down again with the same fault, you will be charged for the second and any subsequent call outs.

Any work carried out, other than roadside assistance, will be a separate contract between you and the repairing garage. You will need to pay for all parts fitted roadside or at the repairing garage. 

If you have purchased the appropriate cover, the following countries are covered under the European extension:  Andorra, Austria, Balearics, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Isles, Corsica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guernsey, Hungary, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, San Marino, Sardinia, Serbia, Sicily, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Vatican City.

If you have our Four or Five Star level of cover and have broken down please contact our Control Room asap so assistance can be arranged.
If you have broken down on a toll or private road in Europe, you must first obtain assistance from the local authorities by using the phones situated along the route. Once you have been recovered off the toll road, you can then contact us as normal for assistance using the numbers printed in the policy wording.

We repair 84% of vehicles roadside, this figure is subject to change.

We cannot cover vehicles in excess of 3,500 kg (3.5 tonnes), minibuses, limousines, motorhomes or horseboxes, any request for service if the vehicle is being used for motor racing, rallies, public hire, private hire, courier services or any contest or speed trial or practice for any of these activities. Please refer to your policy wording for full terms and conditions.

If you have opted for Automatic Renewal Protection to be enabled you will not have to do anything providing the card you have assigned to your policy will still be in force at the time of the renewal. We inform you of the upcoming renewal about 30 days prior to the renewal date, and if there are any issues such as there not being enough funds in your account we notify you asap to inform you that the policy has not renewed.
If you have not enabled Automatic Renewal Protection you will need to Log in to your online Customer Lounge and choose the policy you would like to renew.
Click on ‘View Your Current Renewal’, and review your renewal, you can amend your renewal quote by clicking on ‘AMEND QUOTE’. Once you are happy with your renewal quote please click ‘RENEW NOW’ and following the online instructions.

We email all renewal communication to your registered email address, 30 days prior to your policy expiry date.
Your renewal quote may have been caught in spam/junk, so check there.
If you’ve changed your email address you will need to update this in the Customer Lounge or by contacting our customer services team.
Maybe you have entered the email address incorrectly when you arranged the cover with us? If you think this has happened you will need to contact our customer service team so they can put it right.

If your vehicle breaks down due to a flat or burst tyre, we will gladly assist you, although you must have a legal and serviceable spare wheel which can be fitted. You must also have all keys for any locking wheel nuts with you and the correct wheel studs for the spare wheel if it is a different size to the standard wheels.

If you do not have the necessary parts to enable us to change the wheel, we will recover your vehicle up to 10 miles to effect a repair. If you need to be recovered further than 10 miles, you will need to pay for the additional mileage immediately on a pay on use basis by providing debit or credit card details.

Start Rescue provides a Mobile App for breakdown recovery assistance which is free of charge to all Start Rescue customers in addition to their breakdown cover. Registration takes no time at all and it's quick and easy to report a breakdown via the app which will save you on call costs and mobile phone battery life. We will know who you are and where you are as well as your policy number. We will call you to confirm the final details, saving you further costs.

If you have not enabled Automatic Renewal Protection you do not need to take any action. Your policy will eventually expire on the date detailed in our renewal reminders to you.
If you have enabled Automatic Renewal Protection, you will need to Log in to your online Customer Lounge and choose the policy you don’t want to renew.
Click on ‘Manage Automatic Renewal Settings & Saved Cards’ and click on  ‘OPT-OUT OF RENEWAL PROTECTION’

You can switch your Automatic Renewal Protection on or off at any time by changing your settings online within the Customer Lounge or by calling our Customer Services Department.
Your Automatic Renewal Protection setting will show as either Enabled or Disabled.

If you have taken out a new policy, you will have to wait 24 hours from the time the policy is purchased for the cover to start if you want it to start as soon as possible, alternatively you can select a date more than 24 hours in the future and the policy will start at the beginning of that day.
Unless you provide more than 24 hours’ notice, any amendment to your policy will contain a 24-hour inception period from the time you request the change.
For all renewing policies that have not lapsed, you have continuation of cover and there is no 24 hour inception period.

Providing your vehicle is 10 years old or under and is a car or motorcycle you can upgrade your annual policy to either our 4 Star Cover (Roadside, Nationwide Recovery and European Recovery) or our 5 Star Cover (Roadside, Nationwide Recovery, Home Assist and European Recovery). 
You can do this in the online Customer Lounge or contact our Customer Services Team.
We do not offer European Cover for Vans, or our annual Personal Cover Policies. However, if you have an eligible vehicle which is less than 10 years old, we do offer Short Term European Cover up to 31 days.

If you have received an email advising we can no longer provide breakdown assistance for your vehicle, unfortunately, this is due to the age of the vehicle that you require cover for.

We can currently only provide European breakdown cover for eligible vehicles 10 years and under.

Vehicle Cover – Provides cover for your vehicle, regardless of who is driving.

Personal Cover - Covers you when you are a driver or passenger in any eligible vehicle.

During recovery, pets may have to stay within your vehicle to keep both them and everyone else safe. For larger animals such as those within a livestock trailer or horsebox, we will endeavour to help arrange alternative transport. The cost for this would not be covered by your breakdown policy.

Initially upon leaving the EU, it was announced that UK drivers would require Green Card insurance to drive in the EU after Brexit.

However, the European Commission took the step to scrap the Green Card requirement in the summer.

As of 2^nd August 2021, there has been no requirement for UK drivers to get Green Card insurance to drive in the EU, EEA, Switzerland, Serbia or Andorra,

Imported vehicles can only be eligible for cover if: 

• HMRC have been notified and any applicable VAT is paid
• vehicle has gained approval (if required),
• vehicle is registered and taxed with the DVLA,
• vehicle has a valid MOT certificate;
• vehicle is insured.

We’ve teamed up with Cornmarket Insurance Services Limited. Existing members have access via the Exclusive Deals section of our website or via the online Customer Lounge. Login to unlock special discount rates! If your insurance is not yet due for renewal, don’t worry, register your details and someone will call you back closer to the time.

We aim to provide a high standard of service at all times. Please telephone us if you feel we have not achieved this and we will do our best to rectify the problem immediately or email us at Customerservices@startrescue.co.uk, providing your name, policy number and details of your complaint.  
If you would prefer, you can write to us : Customer Services, Call Assist Limited, Axis Court, North Station Road, Colchester, Essex CO1 1UX