4 min read
As we continue our guide that delves into the fascinating world of breakdown cover, we arrive at one of the more obscure policy benefits that very often never gets mentioned, simply because it’s so rarely used; I’m talking of course about repatriation.
Now, I have to be honest, it does sound like one of the scarier policy benefits of breakdown cover, but in truth, it’s usually the last roll of the dice in terms of finding a solution to a breakdown problem. So with that out of the way, let’s get to it.
When it comes to breakdown cover, repatriation is simply the act of transporting either you, and your passengers or you, your passengers and your car back to the UK when the repairs to your car simply won’t be completed within a certain time frame or before your journey back to UK.
It’s often the very last option offered during a claim that has left you stranded away from home with no vehicle able to get you back to the UK, needless to say, it’s not often that customers would have to make use of this policy benefit.
In a word, no.
Whilst you’ll only ever see repatriation available on European Breakdown cover, it won’t necessarily be there on every policy, so make sure you check thoroughly before you purchase so you know what to expect should you require it.
It is available on UK policies but technically falls under the guise of national recovery (as you may be recovered to your home.)
For more info, head to our national recovery page.
So, in those rare occasions when your car has broken down, been recovered to a local garage and the garage has confirmed the repairs to your car will not be completed by the time of your return date to the UK, your vehicle will remain at the garage to be repaired and your policy will cover the cost of you and your passengers being repatriated back to your home in the UK.
However, if your vehicles repairs cannot be fully completed within a specific period, (usually within 14 days of your return date to the UK but please check your policy wording), then your policy may also cover the cost of your vehicle being repatriated to your home in the UK, it depends on many factors, so please do read the policy wording for more details.
In some cases, your policy may cover the cost for you to travel back to your vehicle abroad after you’ve returned home. It can be difficult to predict what happens at this point, but suffice it to say, repatriation is very rare in breakdown cover, you’ll have to be extremely unlucky for repatriation to be your only option at this point.
Your assistance provider will always try and suggest the best course of action to take in circumstances like this, so always give them a call in the first instance and keep them up to date with everything that’s happening with your vehicle.
Often your breakdown provider will set a limit to how much you’ll be reimbursed for repatriation, so before you book yourself first class airline tickets check your policy wording! You’ll only ever be reimbursed the maximum amount stated in your policy wording.
This is often done through a reimbursement scheme where you, the policyholder, would pay for the cost of getting yourself home, and then claim the amount back from your assistance provider once the claim is sorted.
Want to learn more about breakdown cover and the different types of policy benefits you could be entitled to? We’ve put together a load of pages to help educate our customers and people looking for great breakdown cover, but who may not understand the ins and outs of insurance, take a look at some of our other “Breakdown Cover Explained” pages:
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Still not satisfied? Head to our contact us page, type in your query and our customer service team will be in touch.
