Considering RAC? DON'T DO IT! Appalling, hostile customer service...

Matt_T

Just a warning to anyone considering taking breakdown cover with RAC. DON'T!

Just had to call their (ill-named) Customer Care Centre after they renewed my membership without any advance warning (this is required by law for Direct Debits) then wrote to tell me about it a couple of weeks after my cooling period had expired.

Was met by hostile, unhelpful attitude from the beginning eventually ending with the woman slamming the phone down (NB I did not and never do shout or swear at people in call centres).

Called back and received the same kind of treatment: endless repeating that if they send letters to me it doesn't matter if they don't arrive and I can't do anything about it. No apology for the woman who hung up on me either.

I'm off to a company who actually cares about customers and wants to give good service, maybe AutoAid?

Meantime I highly recommend that people avoid RAC and their awful attitude.

Notmyrealname

Never had a problem with RAC for the time I've been with them. Maybe its the difference in attitude when I speak to them.....

YorkshireBoy

Matt_T wrote: »

...they renewed my membership without any advance warning

Not even in your T&Cs?

Or in last years renewal pack?

Or in the documents sent when you took it out/renewed last year?

Maybe you've misplaced them/didn't read them?

(this is required by law for Direct Debits)

Are you sure it's a direct debit and not a CPA on your debit/credit card?

Either way, I'd be interested to know which "Law" (of the land) you think they've broken? Or maybe you're referring to the direct debit guarantee, as opposed to a "Law"?

That said, I seem to remember a letter is deemed to have been received x days after sending (where x = 2?).

gnus

Did you opt-out of auto renewal when you took out your policy?

Its getting to the stage nowadays that you must consider every company will auto renew, so as part of signing up to ANYTHING always refuse auto renewal.

worried_jim

I always get a letter a good five weeks before my auto renewal explaining how great they are and how they only need to put my price up by...

The letter always include my new membership card. At this point I just call them and say thanks but no thanks- it really is simple.

pinkteapot

I can recommend Green Flag OP - been with them for years and never had any administrative problems. Had several call-outs and all have been attended within an hour (usually less), except for one but we were in the Orkney Islands at the time.

RAC annoyed me recently. I'd taken out RAC breakdown cover for our second car, but we then sold the car so I didn't need the cover. I rang them to cancel. I knew I wouldn't get a refund or anything - that was fine. I just wanted to cancel it as it wasn't needed anymore and preferred to do that rather than let it run to renewal and then lapse, just in case it somehow auto-renewed.

I was on the phone to the customer services lady for 5-10 minutes, with her trying to convince me to keep the policy open. Maybe I'd want it if we bought a new car. Maybe I had friends or family it could be transferred to. No no no, I just wanted to shut the account down. And since then, I've had three separate calls asking why I cancelled and did I want to reconsider.

In contrast, cancelling the Admiral motor insurance took less than 2 minutes, including them calculating the amount I would get as a refund.

To gnus - when I took out our RAC cover, I couldn't find a way of opting out of auto-renew (normally I opt out).

gnus

Sometimes the only option is to email them and get it in writing that you have refused auto renewal.

Rolandtheroadie

Renewed recently with RAC. Called them out 3 times and have had no problems whatsoever.
I was aware it would autorenew when I took it out and was sent info giving me the renewal price in plenty of time.

patman99

Pinkteapot, why did you take-out a policy for each car?. I go for personal cover as, unlike 'car cover', it doesn't have an age limit on the vehicle and covers me for both my car and van as well as any vehicle I am traveling in.

forgotmyname

Ive not had my renewal through, Strange as its normally here by now.

I know it will auto renew in August though so wheres the problem?

gnus

forgotmyname wrote: »

I know it will auto renew in August though so wheres the problem?

Some people don't like companies doing this, some people are forgetful and don't check that the premiums increased substantially etc etc etc

It is ALWAYS worth shopping around for insurance every year.