New blow for the portfolio of motorists. The rates for repairs and towing on motorways and expressways will cost more this summer. A decree published last week in the Official Journal and implemented last Wednesday sets the new prices in force, ie 144.52 euros for the basic package and 178.70 euros for the increased package. Against respectively 138.01 and 170.65 euros so far, which corresponds to an increase of 4.72%.
More specifically, it will cost you 144.52 euros in the event of on-site repair – a package that includes a return trip by the professional and a repair lasting a maximum of 30 minutes. In the case of repairs requiring towing – to a rest or service area, to the repairman’s workshop or to a location chosen by the motorist – the rate depends on the weight of the vehicle: 144.52 euros for cars weighing less than or equal to 1.8 tonnes; 178.70 euros for those whose weight is between 1.8 tonnes and 3.5 tonnes.
These rates are also only valid if the call to the emergency terminal is made between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Monday to Friday, except on public holidays. If it is between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. Monday to Friday, or on a Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday, all prices are increased by 50%. This brings the two packages to 216.78 and 268.05 euros respectively.
There may still be additional charges. As UFC-Que Choisir points out, “the supply of spare parts and the labor time beyond the 30 minutes included in the service will be invoiced in addition”. In the event of towing, the vehicle can be left in the repairer’s garage without any distance limitation. But if you choose to be towed to a location of your choice, it must be within 5 km of the highway or expressway exit. “Beyond that, (the convenience store) can charge you for the additional kilometers traveled to drop off the car,” warns the consumer association. For all these non-package services, the rates are free. The Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) advises you to “find out about the prices charged”.
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The rates for repairs and towing are not fixed on a wet finger. A decree of 1989 specifies that, “each year, the minister in charge of the economy fixes, by decree, the fixed price of the repair according to the evolution of the cost of fuels, labor, insurance and cars”. Every year, professionals in the sector therefore sit down to negotiate with the DGCCRF – attached to Bercy and to which the ministry delegates this task – to set the new prices.
This year, the National Automobile Federation (FNA) demanded a revaluation of 5.27%, on the basis of a study based on a standard operating account, showing rising fixed costs. “We suffered from the rise in fuel prices, insurance, real estate, the cost of purchasing trucks…”, lists Philippe Gimenez, president of the breakdown service branch of the FNA, who also underlines the “recruitment tensions “. To retain employees, “certain bonuses have increased”, for example those for night or weekend work, ultimately increasing the payroll of companies. The professional organization says it is still “satisfied with the increase retained” this year.
The 2023 increase is just the latest in a long line. Breakdown prices have been steadily rising since the early 2000s. In the space of twenty years, they have doubled: in 2003, fixed prices were displayed respectively at 71.72 euros and 89.25 euros. “The situation at the time or ten years ago was not at all the same, defends Philippe Gimenez. The payroll was lower, the cost of fuel too. The cost of trucks has increased by 30% over ten years. We are not rebuilding margins.”
Despite everything, the impact of this new price increase on consumers should be put into perspective. In the vast majority of cases, the cost of roadside assistance is covered by car insurance. “Around 90 to 95% of motorway exits are taken care of by assistance, except in the event of a complicated exit, for example after an accident”, reports Philippe Gimenez. To be reimbursed, simply provide your insurer with a copy of your invoice. “On the other hand, in the event of towing and intervention in a garage for more than a day, full support is not always the rule”, notes the comparator Assurland.com. In addition, some assistance contracts require, in order to obtain reimbursement for the towing, that the incident took place at a certain distance from the home. Before contacting its assistance, it is therefore advisable to check the type of contract you have signed and the guarantees taken out.
