Is the RAC taking advantage of the consumer and the present weather conditions?

teresaevans_2

The battery on my car is old so when it went flat yesterday I decided to purchase a new one. Being a member of RAC I looked on its website. The cost for A BOSCH battery, the one that I needed, and the only brand it retails, was £91.99. I managed to buy the same battery locally today for £69.90 with intention of fitting it myself. I couldn’t get the housing nut off so I called the RAC. Guess what…RAC will not fit it!
RAC claims to only fit batteries that IT purchases through a reputable dealer. I did purchase my battery from a reputable source…Euro Parts Ltd, and the same one it would have sold me.
Now the RAC is prepared to send out an engineer to jump start my car, but will not fit the battery. I will be forced to drive my car to a garage (if one is still open by the time an engineer arrives) to have a mechanic fit it. I will also have to pay for this service. This is ludicrous!
I will be taking this matter up with Trading Standards and the National Press if it expresses an interest. I could understand it if I had bought a battery produced by a different manufacturer!
RAC’s Terms and Conditions and “General Exclusions”, page 14 states:
“For battery related faults your Membership entitlements are as follows:
Our initial attendance for a battery related fault is included in your Membership entitlement. There is no charge for that attendance.
The fitting of any parts or batteries purchased by you prior to our attendance is not covered. This is to ensure that parts are fitted from reputable sources in order to avoid secondary callouts.
Our Patrol will test your battery at that initial Breakdown attendance. If the battery is no longer serviceable and so fails the test you will be advised to replace it.
If a condemned (non serviceable) battery is not replaced, we may provide further assistance to a battery related fault but in this case a separate charge will apply. The charge will be payable by credit or debit card before assistance can be arranged”.
As far as I am concerned, the RAC is taking advantage of the many members who very likely at this time of year simply breakdown because of battery problems. I wonder if the RAC encourages its engineers to inform customers that their batteries are non-serviceable, simply so that they purchase a new one through RAC. I query why it does not offer members a reasonable discount on the BOSCH batteries which members can buy so much cheaper elsewhere, especially when, if like me, they are not stuck out on the road somewhere. I will be asking RAC these questions.
Thoughts from forum members welcome!

pendulum

Why should they come and fit something you've bought?
It's like buying a clutch kit and expecting them to come and fit it.
Either learn how to undo a nut or pay a mechanic like everyone else!

Strider590

Well...... Ummmmm, it was taking the p!ss to phone the RAC to fit a new battery for you. They're a breakdown service, not a personal free mechanic.

It's like calling your electricity provider and asking them to come setup your new flat screen TV for you.

pinkteapot

teresaevans wrote: »

RAC’s Terms and Conditions and “General Exclusions”, page 14 states:
“For battery related faults your Membership entitlements are as follows:
Our initial attendance for a battery related fault is included in your Membership entitlement. There is no charge for that attendance.
The fitting of any parts or batteries purchased by you prior to our attendance is not covered. This is to ensure that parts are fitted from reputable sources in order to avoid secondary callouts.
Our Patrol will test your battery at that initial Breakdown attendance. If the battery is no longer serviceable and so fails the test you will be advised to replace it."

Erm, it's pretty clear from the T&C that you signed up to.

I thought RAC were a breakdown service! I would never have imagined that they'd fit parts for me.

I'm a Green Flag member with Homestart cover and so when my car battery died, they very helpfully came and jump-started the car so I could drive it to a garage to get the battery replaced. If I hadn't been a member, I would have had to pay the garage to come and tow the car, which I'm sure would have cost more than my annual Green Flag premium. I told the Green Flag guy that I was paranoid about stalling the car on the way to the garage, and he even offered to follow me there in case I did.

Next time my brake pads need replacing I might buy some on eBay then ask Green Flag to come and fit them for me...

MX5huggy

Just jump start your car from the new battery and drive somewhere who can sort it for you.

By the way you are not a "member" you are a customer to be fleaced at all times.

Unless you are in http://www.royalautomobileclub.co.uk/

But then if you are a member there you won't be worrying about a battery that's a bit pricy.

boyse7en

I bought a chicken from Tesco yesterday, and despite being a member of their Breakdown Service, when I called them they refused to drive to my house and turn it into a Roast Dinner for me and the missus.

The £30 difference between RAC battery price and local motor factor price is a) because at the side of the road you are unable to shop around so much and b) to cover the fitting costs.
Try calling up the shop you did buy the battery from and asking how much they charge to fit it for you.

Strider590

boyse7en wrote: »

Try calling up the shop you did buy the battery from and asking how much they charge to fit it for you.

Or wander on down to your local Aldi/Lidl and buy up the cheap sets of tools (spanners, socket sets, etc) for about the same price as paying someone to do it for you.... That way you've invested in the future ability to save money by fixing stuff yourself

Notmyrealname

teresaevans wrote: »

Now the RAC is prepared to send out an engineer to jump start my car, but will not fit the battery. I will be forced to drive my car to a garage (if one is still open by the time an engineer arrives) to have a mechanic fit it. I will also have to pay for this service. This is ludicrous!

I fail to see where the problem is. If you wanted a battery fitting you should have bought it from somewhere that fitted them. As you didn't you're going to have to do it yourself or pay someone. As you are obviously not able to do it yourself that means taking it to a garage and paying someone.

I can't see on what grounds you think you have a complaint you can take to trading standards. You even said their own terms say "The fitting of any parts or batteries purchased by you prior to our attendance is not covered." Go to the press and they're likely to run a "why women shouldn't own a car" story ridiculing you.

You've cut off your nose to spite your face and now its going to cost you. Think of it as a lesson learned.

Sgt_Pepper_2

What have the current weather conditions got to do with it, do they fit them in the summer?

No.

scotsbob

Soak the nut overnight in something like WD40. Use an extension bar on the socket to get more leverage. Tap the bar with a hammer if badly stuck. If still no luck get a nut splitter, split nut and fit a new one.

TrickyWicky

RAC = private company. Private company = for profit.

No matter how friendly they make themselves out to be in their advertising etc, they exist to make a profit and thats it.

That said, best blag you could of pulled is to have called them out saying you've broken down. Get them out, let them diagnose a duff battery and then say "Oh, my partner left theirs in the boot from their car would that work?" - Any decent roadside assistance bloke will fit it for you unofficially. Don't bother trying it now though they'll be expecting it.

The lesson? - Use your brain! Think first, act later.