How to complain about the RAC?

maxlan

Hi,
I have an RAC policy, about a year ago, they wasted a day or 2 of my time with telling me to go to a garage, that they shouldn't have told me to use, didn't know who else to send me to, spent literally hours on the phone to different departments, sent a recovery truck that wasn't needed to me and generally messed up because their call centre had no idea about their product.
So I complained and they said "we uphold your complaint, this is our final judgement". No compensation, just "upheld". I assumed that meant they would train their customer advisors in the product.

A few weeks ago, I had cause to use the service again, not having had a breakdown for some time. And they haven't been able to answer my question within their "5 business days" response. In fact it's more like 10 now.
After 7 days I looked at their "how to complain" site and it says contact the financial ombudsman. Which I did and they haven't been back in touch.

So now I'm being ignored by the RAC and the financial ombudsman.

Who else can I call??

Will the financial ombudsman be interested in breakdown cover? Does it count as insurance?

I'm slightly annoyed that you only have 6 months to challenge their final decision. When this is a service that you may only need once every few years. They basically seem to have written themselves a loophole that they can always ignore customer complaints, because we'll rarely need the same service within 6 months....

Max

Quentin

You need to allow them 8 weeks to answer a complaint before you can escalate to the FOS.

forgotmyname

What has the service period and how often you call them out got to do with the complaint needing to be within 6 months of their decision?

You can call them out on the last day of your cover and make a complaint. Even if you do not renew your rights to complain doesnt go away.

They sent you to a garage, not broken down?

societys_child

They sent a recovery truck that you didn't need, had you not broken down?

motorguy

Whats your basis for compensation?

rs65

maxlan wrote: »

I'm slightly annoyed that you only have 6 months to challenge their final decision. When this is a service that you may only need once every few years.

Their final decision is about the thing you complained about. What may or may not happen in the future isn't relevant,

Ectophile

maxlan wrote: »

I'm slightly annoyed that you only have 6 months to challenge their final decision. When this is a service that you may only need once every few years. They basically seem to have written themselves a loophole that they can always ignore customer complaints, because we'll rarely need the same service within 6 months....

Max

I don't see any connection between how long you have to complain and how often you use their service. If you simply forgot about your last complaint, and didn't pursue it, then don't expect to pick it up again ages later just because you've had to use their service again.

If you want to complain about the service you're getting now, then you can do so - it's a new complaint. Make sure you follow the correct procedure, and don't expect the FSO to take any interest if you haven't given the RAC a proper chance to sort the problem. Again, follow the procedure.

arcon5

What have they actually done wrong

maxlan

So, my complaint was that their call centre staff knew nothing about the "tyre rescue package".

I called up and said "I've got a flat, how do I get it fixed"
"Don't know never heard of it, try this other number"
Other number had no idea, sent me back to the first, who still had no idea, but I went through a couple of advisors, till I found someone who thought they had an idea.
They said "go to garage" (a specific garage, they gave me the name and address)
I went to garage. Garage said "Never heard of that mate"
Went home, called back. They said "call this other number" Called it, went through all the different options on the automated system. None worked for tyre rescue. Some went back to the original number, and got referred back to where I'd just come from, that sort of thing. NOBODY knew what I was talking about.

Eventually called back again and said "this is sill, just want my tyre fixed"
They said "OK, we'll send a repair truck"
"for a puncture?"
"Yes"
Wait hours for repair truck. Repair bloke says "Never heard of that mate".
"Really??"
Bloke looks at paperwork. "Oh yes, we have got one tyre repair truck, but that isn't me and it serves the whole of south wales, we can fit you in about a month away. Or, I can try calling this other secret, employee only number"
Back on phone and they say "Oh, just take it to Halfords Autocentre"

Easy, literally 5 words they could have told me about 3 days (elapsed time) ago.

So, I complained that I'd wasted a day of phoning different people and been given lots of bad advice. Their customer service knew nothing about the product.

They "upheld the complaint".

I have no call to use the customer service to know if they have sorted their lives out. How can I know if I need to follow up their final judgement without calling customer service to see if they have actually been trained? I have to take them at their word or make up an excuse to call them up and see if they actually know about tyre rescue.


So, a week or so ago, I had a puncture, sent them an email saying "Is it still Halfords??" and have not had a response within the 5 business days they said it would take to reply. Sent a further follow up complaint 6 days later "You haven't replied within 5 days. Do you know or has my query been lost?"
So clearly they still have no idea how to deal with Tyre Rescue questions. Or they just don't care.

maxlan

I complained, they upheld my complaint, did naff all about it and am complaining about the same thing over 6 months later. Do I need to complain every time I use the service.

motorguy

maxlan wrote: »

So, a week or so ago, I had a puncture, sent them an email saying "Is it still Halfords??" and have not had a response within the 5 business days they said it would take to reply. Sent a further follow up complaint 6 days later "You haven't replied within 5 days. Do you know or has my query been lost?"

So you've a puncture and you emailed them?

Why didnt you ring the call centre?