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.

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.

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. 

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 cannot cover:

• Vehicles weighing more than 3,500 kg (3.5 tonnes).
• Minibuses, campervans, limousines, motorhomes, or horseboxes.
• Vehicles used for racing, rallies, taxis, private hire, courier services, contests, or speed trials.
• Vehicles with trade plates, those just bought at auction, or being moved as part of a business.
• Vehicles with existing faults or that are already broken down.
• Vehicles that aren't kept in a safe condition or don’t have a valid MOT or Vehicle Tax.

Please check your policy wording for full terms and conditions.

Yes, we have a special team of EV recovery operators who are fully trained to handle high voltage battery systems and other parts of electric vehicles. These operators get ongoing training to make sure we can always help you safely and quickly.

If we can't fix your vehicle on the spot, we can help you find a suitable local garage.

If there is no garage available to look at your vehicle, and you have bought our Two through 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. 

Any work done except roadside help is a separate agreement between you and the garage. You will need to pay for all parts fitted at the roadside or at the garage.

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 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

Depending on your situation, we may provide alternative accommodation.

• In the UK: We will pay up to £150 for a lone traveller, or £75 per person for you and any passengers, towards the reasonable cost of overnight accommodation including breakfast while your vehicle is being repaired.  The most we will pay per incident is £500.
• In Europe: if your vehicle breaks down abroad and can’t be fixed the same day and you can’t stay at your pre-booked accommodation, we will pay up to £150 per person for one night. The maximum per incident is £1000.

Accommodation must be approved by our Rescue Co-ordinator in advance and will be paid on a pay and claim basis.

We've teamed up with Cornmarket Insurance Services Limited. If you're already a Start Rescue customer, you can find special deals just for you on our website or by logging into the Customer Lounge. 

If your car can’t be fixed on the same day, or a period agreed between you and our Rescue Coordinator and you're far from home (at least 20 miles away), we can help! We'll pay up to £250 in the UK or £500 in Europe for another way to travel or for renting a small car to help you finish your trip. If someone needs to go back and get your fixed car later, we’ll pay up to £150 in the UK or £200 in Europe for two people if you have our Four or Five Star European Cover.

The use of alternative travel will need to first be agreed with our Rescue Coordinator.

You will need to pay for the hire car or travel costs and keep the receipts to get the money back.

If you buy a new policy, you need to wait 24 hours before it starts, unless you've picked a start date that's more than 24 hours away. Then, it will start at the beginning of that day.

If you want to make changes to your policy, there’s also a 24-hour wait from when you request the change, unless you give more than 24 hours' notice.

For renewing policies that haven’t expired, your cover continues without any waiting period.

If you have Personal Cover, you are covered as a driver or passenger in any eligible vehicle.

If you have Vehicle Cover, our policy only covers the vehicle registered with us, but any driver of that vehicle is covered.

If you change your vehicle, let us know as soon as possible so we can update our records. You can do this through the Customer Lounge or by calling our Customer Service team.

Unless you have Personal Cover, your policy only covers the vehicle we have registered for you.

If you change your vehicle, tell us right away by contacting Customer Services or logging in to Customer Lounge. You won’t be covered for the new vehicle for the first 24 hours of updating your vehicle details with us.

If your new vehicle is in a different age group, you may have to pay extra, but you won’t get a refund or credit.

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.

We don't give refunds after the 14 day cooling-off period or if a claim has been made.  Instead, you can either change the vehicle on your policy to cover another vehicle at the same home address for the rest of the policy term or you can cancel the policy with no refund.

If you lose your keys, break them, or lock them inside your vehicle, we will come out to help you and can take your vehicle back to the recovery operator’s base or to your home if it’s closer.

But things like getting new keys made, programming them, or using special equipment to move your vehicle are not covered. You would have to pay for those extra services yourself.

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.

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.

If you accidentally put the wrong fuel in your vehicle, we will arrange and cover up to £250 (including VAT) for a recovery operator to perform a fuel drain and flush at the roadside or to take your vehicle and passengers to their base for this service. We will also include 10 litres of the correct fuel, as part of the overall £250 (inclusive of VAT) claim limit.

If you prefer to have the fuel drain and flush done by your own chosen repairer, we can arrange and pay for your vehicle to be taken to a repairer within 10 miles of the breakdown, or within 20 miles for Two, Three, Four, and Five Star policies.

This service requires prior authorisation from our Rescue Coordinator and is offered on a pay-and-claim basis.

You can update your card details 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 one.

If your policy has Automatic Renewal Protection enabled, make sure to set the new card for the renewal.

Yes, someone else can pay for your policy. Make sure the cardholder is present and gives permission for the payment.

If your policy is set to automatically renew, the payment will be taken from this card next year. Ensure you have the cardholder's permission to use their card at renewal. If you do not wish to use this card for renewal, you will need to delete it from the ‘Saved Cards’ area in the Customer Lounge.

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 you are covered if your vehicle runs out of fuel or charge. We will recover you, the vehicle and any passengers to the nearest fuel station or charging point.

If your vehicle's fault isn’t covered, our Rescue Coordinator can give you a quote for assistance on a pay-on-use basis.

If you decide to go ahead with the assistance, you’ll need to pay for it with a credit or debit card at the time.

No, you are only entitled to one call-out per fault and one vehicle recovery to a chosen destination under the initial call-out. If you have broken down at home and the garages are closed, and you have Three or Five Star Cover which include Home Assist, we may advise you to wait until garages are open again and then call for assistance the following day. If we can't fix the issue, we'll then recover your vehicle to a garage for repairs.

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.

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.

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.

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.

If your vehicle is stolen or vandalised, you should contact your insurance company. If you have Five Star cover, we can provide some help in the event of theft or vandalism. Please check your policy wording for full details.

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.

If you have One Star breakdown cover, you can be recovered within 10 miles of where you break down.

If you have Two, Three, Four, or Five Star cover, there's no limit to the distance you can be recovered within the UK. If your vehicle can't be repaired at the roadside within 60 minutes, and a local garage can't help in a reasonable time, we'll take you, your vehicle, and the passengers either to your home or to your preferred destination anywhere in the UK, whichever is closer.

If your car or motorcycle is 10 years old or younger, you can upgrade your yearly policy to either:

• 4 Star Cover: This includes roadside assistance, recovery anywhere in the UK and recovery in Europe.
• 5 Star Cover: This includes roadside assistance, recovery anywhere in the UK, help at home, and recovery in Europe.

You can make these changes in the online Customer Lounge or by contacting our Customer Services Team. Unfortunately, we don’t offer European Cover for vans or personal cover or for vehicles older than 10 years.

You can buy a multi-car policy by adding all the vehicles you want to cover during the quote process. Each additional vehicle gets a 10% discount automatically.

You can also add more vehicles to an existing policy, as long as all vehicles are registered to the same address. To do this, log in to the Customer Lounge online. You won’t be covered for any additional vehicles for the first 24 hours of updating your vehicle details with us.

Your policy only covers the registered vehicle if it breaks down. If your vehicle breaks down while towing a caravan or trailer, and it has a standard 50mm tow ball hitch and is no longer than 7 meters/23 feet (not including the A-frame and hitch), the caravan or trailer will be recovered with the vehicle.

However, if the problem is with the caravan or trailer itself and not the vehicle, the policy doesn't cover it. Our Rescue Coordinator can provide a quote for assistance, but you'll need to pay for the recovery service immediately using a credit or debit card.

Recovering a trailer with livestock inside isn't covered under the policy and depends on the decision of the Recovery Operator at the scene.

If the trailer can't be recovered with the animals inside and you don't know anyone nearby who can help, we'll try to find a local company to help move the animals separately. You'll need to pay for this extra service right away using a credit or debit card.

We will ask if there's a specific garage you want your vehicle to go to, and you'll need to arrange the booking and any repairs. If you need help finding a garage, we can help find one and give you the details so you can book your vehicle in.

We suggest waiting for help to make sure your vehicle is fixed properly. If you cancel and your vehicle breaks down again with the same problem, you will be charged for the second and any later callouts.

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.

Any work beyond roadside assistance is a separate agreement between you and the garage that does the repairs. You will need to pay for all parts fitted roadside or at the repairing garage.

We will cover the cost of ferry and toll fees only within the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.

If your car breaks down in another country and you have our Four or Five Star Cover, call us right away so we can send help.

If you're on a special toll road or private road in Europe, first use the phones on the road to get help from the local authorities, who will move your car. After they move your car, you can call us using the numbers in your policy, and we'll help you from there!

Yes, you need to follow the laws of the countries you visit. At a minimum, you should take your:

• driving licence (and any extra documents you might need with it)
• V5C vehicle registration document
• International driving permit (if required in the country you are visiting)
• Proof of travel dates
• Travel itinerary
• Vehicle insurance certificate and documents
• Breakdown Cover policy

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.

If your vehicle breaks down on the motorway in the UK and you can't use your mobile phone, use the emergency telephones located every mile. The police will take your details and contact us to arrange for your vehicle to be recovered.

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.

We send all renewal details to the email address you gave us, within 30 days of your policy renewal date. If you haven’t seen it, check your spam or junk folder.

If you changed your email address, make sure to update it in the Customer Lounge or contact our customer services team. If you think you entered your email address wrong when you signed up, please contact our customer services team so they can fix it. If you still can’t find your renewal email, contact our customer services team for assistance.

We email all renewal communication to your registered email address within 30 days of your policy renewal date. If you haven't received it, check your spam or junk folder.

If you’ve changed your email address, please update this in the Customer Lounge (you will need to log in using the email address you used on joining us). You can also contact our Customer Services Team to update your email address. If you think you may have entered your email incorrectly when you joined us, don't worry— contact us and we'll help you correct it.

We will pay for recovery to the nearest suitable garage within 10 miles of the breakdown.

If you have a serviceable spare wheel, locking wheel nuts and the right wheel studs, we will attempt to complete the wheel change at the roadside.

If your vehicle is not or aerosol repair kit we will recovery you in line with the recovery limit of the policy you have chosen

We can help by sending up to 2 messages to your friends, family, or co-workers to let them know what's going on.

Yes, Start Rescue has a free Mobile App for all customers to help with vehicle breakdowns. It's quick and easy to set up and lets you report a breakdown easily. This can help save on call costs and your phone's battery life. Once you complete the information on the app we will know who you are, where you are, and your policy number. We'll call you to confirm the details, so you save even more costs.

You can download the Start Rescue app from your device's app store.

If Automatic Renewal Protection is not turned on, you don't need to do anything. Your policy will end on the date we shown in the renewal reminders.

If Automatic Renewal Protection is turned on, log in to your online Customer Lounge and select the policy you don't want to renew. Click on ‘Manage Automatic Renewal Settings & Saved Cards,’ then choose ‘OPT-OUT OF RENEWAL PROTECTION.’

You can turn Automatic Renewal Protection on or off anytime by updating your settings online in the Customer Lounge or by calling our Customer Services Department. Your setting will either show as Enabled (on) or Disabled (off).

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. 

If you have received an email advising we can no longer provide European breakdown assistance for your vehicle from renewal, it's likely because your vehicle is now too old.

We can only provide European cover if your vehicle is 10 years old or younger.

When we help with your vehicle, pets might need to stay inside to keep everyone safe. If you have big animals such as those in a trailer or horsebox, we'll try to help find a way to move them. But, you'll have to pay for this extra service, as it's not part of the breakdown policy.

If you're driving in the EU, EEA, Switzerland, Serbia, or Andorra, you don't need a special insurance paper called a "green card" anymore. This makes it easier to travel!

But remember:

• Make sure your car insurance lets you drive in these countries.
• Take your car's registration papers.
• Carry your driving licence.

Because rules can change, it's smart to check the latest info before going on your trip!

We always try our best to help, but if you’re unhappy, you can call us and we'll try to fix the problem right away. You can also email us at Customerservices@startrescue.co.uk — just remember to include your name, policy number, details of what's wrong and what you expect from us.

If you'd like, you can also write a letter to us at:

Customer Services, Call Assist Limited, Axis Court, North Station Road, Colchester, Essex CO1 1UX

If you bought your policy directly on startrescue.co.uk, you don’t have to pay an excess.

If you bought your policy through a Comparison Site such as Compare The Market or Moneysupermarket, you may have chosen a policy that requires an excess each time you make a claim, which made the policy cheaper. Your policy schedule will show if an excess applies.

You can upgrade your policy to remove the excess at any time, using the online Customer Lounge. The excess will still apply to any claims made before the upgrade, or within 24 hours of the upgrade.

If you have purchased Four or Five Star cover, there's no limit to how far you can be recovered within Europe.

If your vehicle can't be repaired at the roadside within 60 minutes, and a local garage can't help, and if it still can't be fixed within 48 hours or by your planned return time (whichever is later), we'll take you, your vehicle, and passengers either back home or if you would prefer and it is closer, your original destination within Europe.