Help with RAC dispute?

Nickracerx

Apologies if I get anything wrong as I'm a complete newbie here.

I have tried a few things to get a dispute resolved with RAC but they are very poor at responding in any way.

I even had a Customer Complaints person saying I should write to her to complain about her handling of my complaint!:mad:

A brief out line of what happened to me. Myself and my family travelled from Reading to Lincoln (approx 180 miles) and had a few problems with my 4 yo Vauxhall Zafira including having to spend 1000 on a new clutch!

On the last day of the holiday the car broke down again and we called out the RAC and were told that no rapair was possible. Having an autistic son of 5 years who is notoriously inflexible we had little option but to accept the £600 tow back to Reading which we did.

Back at Reading when we called out another RAC man - he effected a tempoarary repair which he said we keep the car functioning. For those who understand cars he disconnected the EGR valve apparently. He recommended we go to a garage "sooner rather than later" but said the repair would have got us back to Reading..

I'm sure you can understand this made us a bit cross. We complained to the RAC who said (in the end!) their technical dept said that this repair would not have been done a it would have caused more damage to the car if we travelled that distance.

I surely could have hired a car or at least put my family on a train to save some of the £600 I complained but they didn't offer one penny back!
I have asked my local garageman who said the car would have made it back 180 miles - indeed we have travelled 100 miles in the car so far waiting for the thing to be repaired.
I feel that a family has been taken advanatage of - especially one with a disabled child which meant our options were cut.
I have complained via the credit card people and the Financial Ombudsman but I fear that both routes may be cut off to me as it is outside their scope.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Sorry this is so long.

Fed Up Nick

TonyMMM

I assume from your post that you didn't have RAC cover that would include transport on to your destination ?

In which case your only complaint is that the RAC man could have got you going at the roadside, but if their own technical people are saying it isn't something that should be done I don't see you have any complaint.

Nickracerx

TonyMMM wrote: »

I assume from your post that you didn't have RAC cover that would include transport on to your destination ?

In which case your only complaint is that the RAC man could have got you going at the roadside, but if their own technical people are saying it isn't something that should be done I don't see you have any complaint.

Lorks - tht's a bit depressing!

But their own guy who came to fix the car said he reckonned it would be good enough to get us home - do I not have any recourse from that?

You are quite right that I didn't have the cover that would have avoided me shelling out the £600 in the first place. But surely a temporary repair in Reading should have been a temporary repair in Linclon and even if I didn't drive back I would have had options open to me that should have been given?

vikingaero

Nick,

The RAC Policy is a breakdown insurance policy (RAC is owned by Aviva/Norwich Union). As such you could ultimately complain to the Financial Services Authority but you have to go through the RAC Complaints Procedure first:

We are committed to providing you with the highest standard of service and customer care. However,
should you have cause for complaint about any aspect of the services which we have provided to
you, please contact us at

Breakdown Customer Care, RAC Motoring Services, RAC House, PO Box 200, Walsall WS5 4QZ.

If you are dissatisfied with any other aspect of RAC’s services please contact us at
Membership Customer Care RAC Motoring Services, Great Park Road, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4ZZ.

If we cannot resolve your complaint you have the right to refer the matter to the Financial
Ombudsman. See page 27 of the Terms of Membership for details.

Please quote your membership number in any communication with RAC

As to whether you have a valid complaint I'm 50/50 on this. One persons viewpoint may not agree with anothers. What if the Lincoln RAC man said that you could drive home and further damage occurred to your car. I personally wouldn't want to drive a couple hundred of miles with the EGR disconnected because I keep my personal cars for quite a few years and want to keep them in tip-top condition rather than risk damaging other parts.

As you have an autistic son maybe you should upgrade your breakdown cover to include recovery and onward travel. There are ways to minimise the cost - RAC cover using Tesco Clubcard vouchers or https://www.autoaid.co.uk (about £40-50 for a policy) where you pay for your recovery upfront and reclaim the money back. Autoaid have had very positive reviews on MSE.

Nickracerx

Cheers for the comments and suggestions.

My major gripe was the fact that a temporary repair would have meant that I could put my family on a train and avoided which was a pretty difficult 4.5 hours for us.
Either that or I could have hired a car and taken us home via alternative transport.

I don't use my car too often so I'm not too experienced about car repairs.
But if one RAC man said that a drive home would have been possible and didn't even mention that the car could be damaged, I am confused.
Either running this with an EGR valve disconnected does cuase damage or doesn't...

I wish I knew more about cars.

I may not be practical for me to upgrade my insurance but thanks for the tip - ironically I try and avoid car transport whenever possible!
Long trips with my son are very very rare indeed.

Cheers

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

No you have no case

Both the local mechanic and RAC guy said it would be a bodge repair to get you home and could do more damage.

No doubt if the RAC had done this and your car blew up you would have moaned about that. I would imagine their liability and insurance situation means such a repair is strictly prohibied.

As for your argument re hire cars. dont get it. you could have turned down the tow if you so wished. One wonders why you didnt just get it repaired locally and hire a car to get you home.

Nickracerx

The local RAC man in Lincoln (or rather near Lincoln!) was the only person to say a temp repair was not possible. All the mechanics I have spoken to in Reading say it was possible, heck the RAC bloke in Reading not only said it was possible - he made that repair and it has travelled 100 miles with the repair still not mended!

Of course if the RAC had mended the car and said it would not be able to travel any distance and I travelled 180 miles and something went wrong, I would have clearly been in the wrong, but I never had the option. The fact the car has travelled 100 miles with this repair would seem to imply that I woul have been able to get home no?

I could not really have turned down the tow with my son being so difficult to cope with when he has to wait (for something like me to negotiate a local repair) - autistic children are very difficult to cope with and the stress it would cause my family would ave been unthinkable.

We were in a situation where I was told no repair (even a temp repair) was possible - I was on the last day of my holiday and with an autistic boy of 5 - if the guy says no repair is possible you can only believe him.

Obviousy a temp repair was possible and hs worked and I could have had more options - my son would have been far happier in a town situation that being left on a farmhouse drive (we were six miles from the nearest town)!

My holiday finished at 10.00 on Saturday and I faced having to book a whole week more if I wanted more time - I was really stuck and having been told no repair was possible what as i to do?

I consider I had been given wrong advice and was not really in a position to refuse the tow wth my family (and holiday situation)
Still, I guess that the RAC position is being repeated on this forum so I guess I am wasting my time

mc33033

Nickracerx wrote: »

Still, I guess that the RAC position is being repeated on this forum so I guess I am wasting my time

Nah, I'll give you my take on it - it depends on if its a diesel or not really. If it isn't then I think the original repairman may not have used reasonable care and skill and the RAC may be liable for the cost of the tow back - he could have just disconnected it and sent you on your way. However if it is a diesel then driving it with a faulty EGR is likely to cause further issues with the DPF and he did right by trying to avoid further damage/expense.

So is it a diesel or not?

Nickracerx

Fraid it is diesel!

But the point still remains that the six mile journey to Lincoln was not an option for me due to family circumstances.

Surely the temporary repair made in Reading should have been made at my holiday home and thus I would have been allowed options such as train / hire car / B&B rather than a £600 tow back?

The rapairman in Reading said I ought to get it to a grage sooner rather than later - so he didn't say that imminent damage would be likely if I continued to run.

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

Nickracerx wrote: »

Fraid it is diesel!

But the point still remains that the six mile journey to Lincoln was not an option for me due to family circumstances.

Surely the temporary repair made in Reading should have been made at my holiday home and thus I would have been allowed options such as train / hire car / B&B rather than a £600 tow back?

The rapairman in Reading said I ought to get it to a grage sooner rather than later - so he didn't say that imminent damage would be likely if I continued to run.

Again NO

It doesnt matter that you wouldnt have minded. RAC are a professional organisation who have a duty of care. They can not make bodge repairs to cars because the owner didnt mind - which no doubt would change when the car blew up or crashed. There insurers wouldnt approve, neither would their policies or the general public

The RAC man who did would most likely be discliplined if head office found out. The local garage is irrelevent because it wasnt his reputation or liability insuraance.

Accept your car broke down and move on. You cannot expect people to do bodge dangerous repairs on your breakdown cover.

Rusty!

For what it's worth, running with EGR disabled will not hurt your engine in any way, shape or form. It's relatively common to remove them completely as they often cause issue.