RAC No refund Rip off.

adie85

Thanks for the posts very enlightening. I am sorry I didn't get back over the weekend but as one poster put it, I was enjoying my busy life.

- I should have read the T and C's
Fair point, but I have been with them for 11 years and although they do send out the pack every year I haven't read them especially down to page 19, which is where it is.
How many people do actually read T and Cs? Probably not many because they (after 11 years) would expect a bit of loyalty back from the company in question.
Even if I had read the 19 + pages of T and Cs would I have even remembered that the cancellation period was only 14 days.
Probably not.

I think a major policy thing like this should be made clear each time you renew. I recently took out a mobile contract. They made the cancellation terms clear Verbally so I know where I stood.. I recently upgraded my broadband and again the operator made it abundantly clear what the tie in period was. Me happy, I know the boundaries.

Companies rely on the fact that people are too busy and have lives (despite poster speculation in my case LOL) to actually read the T and Cs of all the various contacts they sign in daily life.

OK I messed up and should have read the contract but shouldn't a bit of common sense prevail. I assume the cancellation policy is to stop people taking out membership to cover a holiday then cancelling, not someone that had been a loyal member for 11 years and called them out three times in that period.. Common sense good customer service. Whatever happened to the customer is always right.. Ho Ho..

I think the the law should be that any key policy issues should be highlighted in a one page summary of the T and Cs (Similar to the KFI for mortgages) and cancellation policy should be one of them..

Thanks for the posts

Yours 'too busy to read 19+ pages of cr4p' Adrian :rotfl:

Hintza

Nothing like starting on MSE with the longest rant I have ever seen...scary!

vikingaero

Hintza wrote: »

Nothing like starting on MSE with the longest rant I have ever seen...scary!

I can imagine Wolfmeister right now frothing at the mouth.

Takoda

The RAC are a bit devious in that they send your renewal letter a few weeks before renewa is due but they make it look like junk mail. It is folded into 3 and you have to actually open it to find the bit about renewal. I ignore a lot of junk mail but I'm wise to what the RAC do now so I check everything they send me 2 months before renewal date. Then I let it lapse and join again as a new customer with new customer discount. Result!

BargainGalore

Some companies not sure on RAC that when you join you automatically have renewal unless you notify them, I think insurance companies often do this, and I almost got caught with green flag and previously Britannia rescue

Incidentally I dont think Op got ripped off

BargainGalore

I never said they did if you read my post "Some companies not sure on RAC"

datostar

Inactive wrote: »

The same applies to other contracts, Broadband Suppliers, Telephone Suppliers, most " Brits " will happily sign up to long term contracts, and then whinge when the service is poor, but they agreed to the contract in the first place.

I would not dream of entering a long term contract for my phone or BB.

Interesting point made here. The trouble is that the suppliers you mention only deal in long-term contracts so if you don't sign up to it you simply don't get the service. I use Virgin Cable Broadband because on the whole it delivers the promised and contracted speed of 20MB. I used BT Broadband previously. What a horrendous experience. The so-called 8MB service never ever achieved better than 1/2 MB. Whenever I spoke to them I was told that 'my line' was the problem. This was infuriating. It's not 'my line'. It's THEIR badly maintained useless line for which I pay rent. Suppose I took them at their word, climbed up the distribution pole just down the road and repaired 'my line' or rerouted it. I'd be prosecuted for criminal damage. I asked why their broadband contracts didn't allow for a 7 day trial. Actually you don't even need 7 days to know what speed you'll get - 7 minutes would be enough. Oh, no - 12 month contract or nothing. Fortunately, where I live there is an alternative. Not everyone has such a choice and unless there's a local cable provider you're stuck with 'your' BT line whichever broadband provider you choose and NONE of them will allow a trial period. Every single one of them weasels out with the 'up to' whatever speed.

datostar

Premier wrote: »

The AA, just like the RAC, only offer to repair or rescue you (or recover you if you have that extra service) at their discretion - not both

As your wife broke down on the motorway, they probably realised there was little chance of repair roadside due to the dangers involved, so they just sent the recovery vehicle. The drivers of the recovery vehicles are not usually trained mechanics.

I'd consider myself lucky to be pulled off a motorway by the AA or its competitors. Police (very rarely around nowadays) or Highways Agency in their tarty conveyances allow about 20 minutes before calling in a towtruck at around £150 plus storage and whatever else they can screw you for.

datostar

Keith wrote: »

The rubber in the cap gets old and so the cap no longer seals, allowing water to leak from the expansion cap. How does a well maintained vehicle prevent something from aging?

Well maintained vehicles do not have worn out parts. Badly maintained vehicles do.

motorguy

wolfmeister wrote: »

I didnt bother thinking in advance about the up and coming renewal so now its the RAC's fault because they shouldnt renew peoples cover during August as they may be on holiday.

So when i did get round to noticing, they didnt believe that i hadnt owned a car for two years (that old chestnut :rolleyes:) and therefore rather than accept it was my fault i'm 'disgusted' and angry at them.

Everyone wants the lowest price and all the benefits of the economies of scale through automation, but that comes with caveats in the form of simple rules and instructions.

So dont blame them when you dont follow them.

People need to take ownership of their own mistakes.