RAC - completely useless

[Deleted User]

Away in caravan in Weston-Super-Mare. Car breaks down Saturday night.

RAC fella comes out to take a look. Cant do it cos its dark. OK come back in morning I tell him.

Turns up with the parts he reckons he needs (alternator belt) but reckons I gotta pay for the parts (fair enough) plus £25 service fee cos he reckons part place charged a call out fee.

So I phone RAC cos this is a new one on me. They cant tell me where in the t+cs it says I have to pay this fee but it says the cost of the parts. Nice one fellas.

So I go ahead anyway but not happy. Turns out alternator is siezed anyway so well done RAC, take the parts back fellas and no I aint paying for them.

So arrange for a tow home in the evening back to sunny wales. Truck turns up tell me I gotta pay £18 for truck on the Severn bridge toll!!!! Penny pinching RAC again.

Truck was a complete tip as well. Smelly, one of the seat belts didnt work, and to top if off driver was on his mobile for about 5 mins too.

Used to like RAC but they've !!!!ed me off lately. Gone downhill a lot. Might be time to try the AA.

Notmyrealname

Alternators don't seize instantly so you've had plenty of warnings of this or did you think a rattling, rumbling and screaehing noise was normal?

Perhaps if you'd maintained your vehicle this would never have needed to happen.

Indout96

I agree with the above, they are a get you going service, not a full service garage.
Would you not have had to pay the toll anyway, at least you saved on petrol.

DaveF327

Give the guy a break; not everyone is mechanically savvy or has perfect hearing. The point of the thread isn't about the cause of the breakdown, more the "drip pricing" and hidden costs that companies like Ryanair (and now RAC) are charging customers to offset their low fees to attract business. It's particularly unsavoury to charge customers fees that they seem to make up on the spot and are not included in (or considerably obfuscated by) the T & Cs.

It's only fair to warn consumers how particular large companies operate. That's what this site is all about - saving money and voting with your feet.

Obukit

Got to say I've never paid anything other than membership to the RAC, even when I stupidly locked my keys in and half expected to get charged. As others have said though, replacing an alternator isn't something I'd expect a breakdown service to do - apart from anything else, a lot of the time the bolt for the alternator goes through the front engine mount therefore the engine has to be jacked up.

Notmyrealname

DaveF327 wrote: »

Give the guy a break; not everyone is mechanically savvy or has perfect hearing.

You would have to be completely deaf not to hear an alternator bearing failing. Towards the end it would have been considerably louder than the engine.

Quentin

[quote=[Deleted User];discussion/3921717].... Truck turns up tell me I gotta pay £18 for truck on the Severn bridge toll!!!! Penny pinching RAC again....... Might be time to try the AA.[/QUOTE]

You missed this in their exclusions set out in the ts & cs you agreed!!

The cost of ferry crossings and/or toll fees for the Member’s Vehicle and the return ferry costs and/or toll fees of the accompanying recovery vehicle if required to enable a successful Recovery.

(The AA wouldn't have paid your toll charge either)