Royal Sun Alliance - Claims, No Help at Night!!!

Pixelpopper

ROYAL SUN ALLIANCE (RSA)
After a recent prang, I needed to speak to someone, as you would, to establish what to do. Also, as we suffered minor injuries it was even more important that some basic guidance was available. I decided to give RSA claim line a call at around 7:30 p.m. and guess what.........a recorded announcement on the telephone line advising that the claims department was only open from 9-5!!! (If your vehicle requires recovery select option X...). My vehicle didn't require immediate recovery so that was it!
Well, RSA appear to think that we only need accident assistance during office hours! As they are, supposed to be, a “premier league” insurer in terms of pricing, they need to review their attitude to the need of their customers. Be warned if you have an accident between 5p.m. and 9 a.m. and you are an RSA customer, you’re on your own.
Incidentally, AVIVA, the third party insurer contacted me at 8.00 a.m. the following day and accepted liability & offered to deal with the claim in it’s entirety. A lesson here for RSA (who hadn't arrived at the office at this stage).
AT MY NEXT RENEWAL, RSA, IT’S GOODBYE FROM ME.
Hopefully this will ring a few alarm bells at RSA with a view to offering a whole service. We already pay high premiums why the lack of service when we need it most?

Pixel

Quentin

If you are injured in a crash you ought to speak to a doctor. Phone 999 for ambulance.

(Your insurer is not there to assist you if injured! )

forgotmyname

Is this any different from any other insurer?

So AVIVA open 1 hour earlier? If its their clients fault then i guess it pays them to do this to get their offer in 1st.

You didnt need recovery or other immediate assistance, What else would need urgent attention?

kingstreet

Undoubtedly a manned after-hours claimline would mean even higher premiums. Questionable whether the prospective policyholder would pay for such a facility, if given the choice.

The comparison-site culture has put-paid to such "frivolity" on the whole.

Dangermac

Pixelpopper wrote: »

ROYAL SUN ALLIANCE (RSA)
After a recent prang, I needed to speak to someone, as you would, to establish what to do. Also, as we suffered minor injuries it was even more important that some basic guidance was available. I decided to give RSA claim line a call at around 7:30 p.m. and guess what.........a recorded announcement on the telephone line advising that the claims department was only open from 9-5!!! (If your vehicle requires recovery select option X...). My vehicle didn't require immediate recovery so that was it!
Well, RSA appear to think that we only need accident assistance during office hours! As they are, supposed to be, a “premier league” insurer in terms of pricing, they need to review their attitude to the need of their customers. Be warned if you have an accident between 5p.m. and 9 a.m. and you are an RSA customer, you’re on your own.
Incidentally, AVIVA, the third party insurer contacted me at 8.00 a.m. the following day and accepted liability & offered to deal with the claim in it’s entirety. A lesson here for RSA (who hadn't arrived at the office at this stage).
AT MY NEXT RENEWAL, RSA, IT’S GOODBYE FROM ME.
Hopefully this will ring a few alarm bells at RSA with a view to offering a whole service. We already pay high premiums why the lack of service when we need it most?

Pixel

:mad:

This has got to be a troll, or possibly someone completely out of touch with reality.

Many insurers provide a 24 hr helpline, but normally for emergencies (i.e if car needed to be towed off of a motorway).

At the end of the day there are three issues that may need immediate attention:

- Car needing towed away from scene of accident. Solution: call emergency helpline, and the insurer will organise vehicle being towed.

- Someone injured. Solution: Call ambulance (999 - I didnt want to take for granted that you knew the number)

- Other party becoming aggressive or something 'dodgy' happening. Solution: Call police (999)

Then call the insurer's 'proper' helpline the next working day. I say 'proper' because quite often these out-of-hours helplines are only there to deal with true urgent situations.

I suggest that you closly compare insurers, because I would say that RSA are one of the best insurers on the market, and their service is pretty decent. Their helpline arrangements are not dissimilar to other insurers.

You seem to be getting your knickers in a twist over something trivial.

DM

chanz4

Think the op wanted a wipcash claim really

meer53

Wow ! Capitals, bold text, coloured text, angry smilie, over reaction or what ?

No one was injured, car didn't need to be recovered, exactly what was so urgent ?

Good luck with your next insurer, i think you'll find they operate the same system regarding "emergencies"

Pixelpopper

forgotmyname wrote: »

Is this any different from any other insurer?

So AVIVA open 1 hour earlier? If its their clients fault then i guess it pays them to do this to get their offer in 1st.

You didnt need recovery or other immediate assistance, What else would need urgent attention?

As I don't make a habit of being "crashed into" my familiarity with motor policy claims borders non-existent, so a quick chat with a human would be very helpful, thankfully AVIVA were on the ball, comparatively speaking (they phone me dead on 8:00 a.m. So must have been open for business a while before that as the third party had reported the incident first).

Pixelpopper

meer53 wrote: »

Wow ! Capitals, bold text, coloured text, angry smilie, over reaction or what ?

No one was injured, car didn't need to be recovered, exactly what was so urgent ?

Good luck with your next insurer, i think you'll find they operate the same system regarding "emergencies"

That'll teach me to save as text when offline editing

Pixelpopper

Dangermac wrote: »

This has got to be a troll, or possibly someone completely out of touch with reality.

Many insurers provide a 24 hr helpline, but normally for emergencies (i.e if car needed to be towed off of a motorway).

At the end of the day there are three issues that may need immediate attention:

- Car needing towed away from scene of accident. Solution: call emergency helpline, and the insurer will organise vehicle being towed.

- Someone injured. Solution: Call ambulance (999 - I didnt want to take for granted that you knew the number)

- Other party becoming aggressive or something 'dodgy' happening. Solution: Call police (999)

Then call the insurer's 'proper' helpline the next working day. I say 'proper' because quite often these out-of-hours helplines are only there to deal with true urgent situations.

I suggest that you closly compare insurers, because I would say that RSA are one of the best insurers on the market, and their service is pretty decent. Their helpline arrangements are not dissimilar to other insurers.

You seem to be getting your knickers in a twist over something trivial.

DM

As you rightly observe insurance companies do offer an "out of hours service" and they, quite reasonably, give customers the opportunity to discuss the matter then base their next course of action on the previous dialogue. My point was (is) that RSA don't but the premiums suggest they should!

sarahg1969

Pixelpopper wrote: »

As you rightly observe insurance companies do offer an "out of hours service" and they, quite reasonably, give customers the opportunity to discuss the matter then base their next course of action on the previous dialogue. My point was (is) that RSA don't but the premiums suggest they should!

They do. You said there was an option to contact them if your vehicle required recovery. It didn't, so you didn't need to choose it.

If there had been serious injuries, the emergency services would have attended.

However, in the event, you did not require either of these services, and there was nothing that couldn't wait until the morning.

I don't see what the problem is.