RAC Car Breakdown Discussion

MSE_Tony

Hi,

This is a feedback thread on car breakdown provider:

RAC

Please share your experience with other MoneySavers. Click reply to take part:

• Have you experienced problems?
• Did you haggle and succeed?

The feedback comes as part of the Cheap Breakdown Cover guide.

Thank you,

MSE Tony

forgotmyname

Only used them twice in the past 10 years or more.

One was a clutch cylinder failed the guy was brilliant too me to the local dealer to get a slave and he replaced the slave cylinder to get us going.
Spent several hours on the car.

Another call out was just a water hose down the back of the engine had popped off. He put it back and topped up with water and a reminder to add antifreeze.

As i have the top package and linked to the the Camping and Caravan Club its much dearer than the basic cover you can get elsewhere.

Each year i haggle approx £50 off the website price though.

Not called them out for a fair few years though so that does help when haggling.

drmw

Been a member for many many years, rarely used.

My wife called to say the car wouldn't unlock. I met with her with the spare key - turns out the battery is totally flat. Called the RAC, someone arrived, joined up the jump leads & it turns out there is a dead short in the cabin so the fan is running at lunatic speed even with key removed.

The "engineer" asked where the handbook was - as it's the size of a volume of Encyclopaedia Brittanica, it's at home. He started the car & put everything away again. I asked if he could remove the fuse, I got a patronising lecture on why I should always have the handbook with me but that was it, he wouldn't even try to locate the fuse & he left.

So my wife had to drive the car with an electrical dead short which would flatten the battery within an hour of switching off - that's if it didn't spontaneously combust before she got to her destination.

Complained to the RAC - they politely didn't want to know - they claim they performed to the contract. I pointed out that what little was done was not in any way a "repair" as cited in all their paperwork and T&Cs - a waste of my time.

To quote: "we do not offer a service whereby we would necessarily look to provide a permanent repair at the roadside". That's not what I had asked, rather take 5 minutes via their technology to find the location of the fuse.

That's the end of literally 30 years' of membership.

Disgusting - hope the AA et al are better

rbmurphy21

Please avoid RAC at all costs, they are dishonest and their level of service is appalling.

I have Garage Parts and Labour cover with them which is supposed to cover the cost of repairs at a garage when the vehicle is recovered. I recently had a breakdown and the car was recovered, during the initial call to the operator I was specifically asked where the vehicle should be taken so I inoccently suggested the local garage as that made the most sense. Unfortunately by doing so I had been tricked into inadvertently invalidating my policy as when I came to claim for the cost of repairs I was told that the claim was not covered as the work was not carried out at an RAC approved garage!

The whole process was deliberate and I dare say they use this tactic on all customers with the parts and labour product, had I been advised by the operator that the car needed to go to a specific garage I would happily have obliged as it made no difference to me.

As if this isn't bad enough it took them nearly 5 hours to get to me following the initial call! Following the breakdown the process of dealing with them regarding the policy and trying to resolve the dispute has been a nightmare, Ive never experienced such a poor level of customer service and total disregard for the customer!!

They really are a sham organisation and I would never think about using them again. If you really feel you must use them be prepared for a terrible experience and most importantly beware of their underhand tactics and be carefull how you answer their questions on the phone!!!!!

EdwardB

I was an RAC member for years with no claims, the one time I needed them (on way to airport for a flight) they were 2 hours late despite me explaining it was urgent as I had a plane to catch.

As a result I missed flight and whole holiday ruined.

I did not renew and now that they only cover cars under 10 years old I will never deal with them.

I think all insurance should be blanket for all as it keeps costs down, we are seeing so many exclusions that all insurance is a con.

Shirine

I received a renewal quote of £174.05 plus £2.25 credit card fee for my RAC breakdown cover - roadside, recovery, at home rescue and onward travel for myself and my husband.

After reading about others peoples' success at haggling I decided to give it a whirl.

I called and spoke to a lovely chap in the renewals team. I was upfront and honest and told him I was calling to cancel the renewal as I was no longer working and therefore had less need for the cover as no longer commuting to work and also it was too expensive to consider keeping. I explained how I'd shopped around and found an alternative which would suit our needs better now and came in at approx £72 before 10% cashback.

He admitted he'd not be able to get the price that low but he would try and get it as close as possible for me. After a minute he came back with a suggestion.....switch to covering our two cars (instead of myself and my husband in any car) and if I thought I was unlikely to need the onward travel (I agreed) he could offer cover at £89.

49% discount :-)

forgotmyname

But if you breakdown away from home is the only option to be taken to the nearest garage?

That is one thing i would not have removed from the cover.

My renewal is cheaper than yours and it covers my caravan also which yours wont, but its still £40 more than i paid last year.

Need to get on the phone to them again and haggle the price down. Are there any companies that give you the best price and not try overcharge you hoping that you just pay it?

Imagine a supermarket with no prices on the shelves and you had to haggle on the price of the shopping at the till.

bouncydog1

Well they were brilliant when called out when my DD's car broke down en route to the ferry home. Came out very quickly when we explained and fixed car. Mechanic then insisted on following her for 20 miles in case it stopped again.

When renewal came through we rang and asked if there was anything they could do about the increase, as she was a student and they immediately reduced it back to the same rate as the previous year including student and new joiner discount.

Now cancelled as included within car insurance - and before anyone says anything about paying for the add in, there is no separate premium for the breakdown and the quote is cheaper for the package than anywhere else!

forgotmyname

Beware the free insurance offered maybe less cover than she had before, it maybe taken to the nearest garage or a short distance if it cannot be repaired and not taken home or to your destination.

BrianJ_2

when I went to renew automatically my premium went up by 30%, I contacted them saying i had been a member for 5 years and asked them about the price hike, they said they look at each customer individually, i asked what they meant, they replied it depends on length of membership, how you pay, number of callouts and change of cover, I said that I pay by D/D have made no call outs in three years & made no change in cover, they then said it was because of fuel cost increases and inflation, I pointed out fuel costs had fallen considerably and inflation was less than 1%, they offered me a 5% reduction in my renewal, I declined their offer.

forgotmyname

I got 25% off mine. They came back with 20%, I said i can still get the same cover for slightly less. They knocked another 5% off.

I have been a member for quite a few years also.

I am getting fed up of having to do it every year though, but i know every
other company will be the same.