RAC Automatic Renewal

koengland

Hi,

Last year I paid for RAC breakdown cover on a vehicle I no longer own. I chose to go with them as I read on moneysavingexpert that I could get cashback when signing up (which, incidentally, I never received). I paid via a credit card account that I do not check often as I very rarely use it. I checked my account today to find that they had automatically renewed my cover with no warning, leaving me £50 out of pocket and with breakdown cover on a car I don't own.

After researching this I have found that many other people have had this problem, and have been told that, as they did not complain within 14 days, they could do nothing about it. It has been 20 days since they took the money, and thus I am in the same boat.

Has anyone else been in this situation and successfully reclaimed the money? If so, how did you go about it? Is this even legal to take money with no warning?

Thanks for any help.

Kate.

dunstonh

I checked my account today to find that they had automatically renewed my cover with no warning, leaving me £50 out of pocket and with breakdown cover on a car I don't own.

When did you notify them that you no longer owned the vehicle?

What did it say on the renewal letter sent to you (the section about what to do next)?

After researching this I have found that many other people have had this problem, and have been told that, as they did not complain within 14 days, they could do nothing about it. It has been 20 days since they took the money, and thus I am in the same boat.

Its nothing to do with complaining in 14 days as there is no such rule. 14 day cancellation rights is what you are referring to. Thats not complaining though.

Is this even legal to take money with no warning?

Perfectly legal. It is your error after all.

1 - you dont appear to have told them to cancel the policy
2 - you didnt tell them not to renew it.

Your best bet is to provide them evidence of when you sold the vehicle and ask them to refund. They probably will, albeit with a cancellation charge.

bobbidazzler

hi i had a similar problem with rac but with motor insurance i failed to cancel my insurance and just assumed my policy would end at the last day the 12month period of which i thought took it out .unfortunately i like you dont allways check my statements and rac took 3mths payments for a car i no longer owned they did not refund me as they said it was my fault for not cancelling the policy more of a rolling contract than a 12month one.A funny and unfair way i think probably earns them millions every year tho .My argument was why have a renewal date if they work in this way, but still no refund.good luck

koengland

dunstonh wrote: »

When did you notify them that you no longer owned the vehicle?

What did it say on the renewal letter sent to you (the section about what to do next)?

I didn't notify them that I no longer owned the vehicle as I only recently got rid of the car and assumed that the cover would end after a year - which I had already paid for - so what would be the point.

I did not receive a renewal letter, I thought this was made clear in my original post...

dunstonh wrote: »

Its nothing to do with complaining in 14 days as there is no such rule. 14 day cancellation rights is what you are referring to. Thats not complaining though.

This is a fairly pedantic and irrelevant point..by 'complaining' I meant ringing up to say they have taken money without notifying me.

dunstonh wrote: »

Perfectly legal. It is your error after all.

1 - you dont appear to have told them to cancel the policy
2 - you didnt tell them not to renew it.

Again, I assumed the cover was for one year, which is what I signed up to, and that it would end after a year...meaning I wouldn't need to notify them.

dunstonh wrote: »

Your best bet is to provide them evidence of when you sold the vehicle and ask them to refund. They probably will, albeit with a cancellation charge.

This part was actually useful, thank you for the advice.

Kate.

koengland

bobbidazzler wrote: »

hi i had a similar problem with rac but with motor insurance i failed to cancel my insurance and just assumed my policy would end at the last day the 12month period of which i thought took it out .unfortunately i like you dont allways check my statements and rac took 3mths payments for a car i no longer owned they did not refund me as they said it was my fault for not cancelling the policy more of a rolling contract than a 12month one.A funny and unfair way i think probably earns them millions every year tho .My argument was why have a renewal date if they work in this way, but still no refund.good luck

:-( I'm sad to hear that. It does seem that way, yes. They shouldn't be allowed to do it. Thanks for the luck!

lincroft1710

RAC always have sent me correspondence 3/4 weeks before membership renewal due and state that they will automatically renew membership unless they hear otherwise. It is most unusual that they didn't write to you before debiting your c/c.

On a completely different note is your username a prophesy about England's chances i.e. k(nocked) o(ut) of World Cup.

koengland

lincroft1710 wrote: »

On a completely different note is your username a prophesy about England's chances i.e. k(nocked) o(ut) of World Cup.

Haha, sadly no, It's my initials...and England is my surname.