RAC questionable service

peterl60

I am sure I am not the first to rant at the rip off by breakdown companies.
However I wanted to share my experience so that others can be aware of the questionable services offered under breakdown cover, especially those offered by the RAC.

Question. Would you expect that specialist equipment would be required to move a vehicle in an open location onto a pick up truck. I must mention that the vehicle was locked and handbrake on.
Answer - Yes if you are the RAC and its sub contractor - to the tune of £211 to put some "slippery jims" (plastic wedges) under the rear wheels and pull the vehicle on the the truck.

Held to ransom by the contractor that if we didn't pay over the phone before they arrived and assess the situation they would not turn up.
We would have been left effectively stranded by the RAC

Summary - there is very little value in having RAC breakdown cover - especially once they defer you to one of the cowboy subcontractors who try and then negotiate rather than a refund for non use of specialist equipment. BEWARE

Car_54

peterl60 wrote: »

I am sure I am not the first to rant at the rip off by breakdown companies.
However I wanted to share my experience so that others can be aware of the questionable services offered under breakdown cover, especially those offered by the RAC.

Question. Would you expect that specialist equipment would be required to move a vehicle in an open location onto a pick up truck. I must mention that the vehicle was locked and handbrake on.

So it wasn't broken down ...

Jackmydad

I'm sure my breakdown cover (not RAC) says something about the policy holder having to be present, and them not recovering locked or abandoned vehicles.
Better to pay for the proper kit than to have them drag the car about and damage something that way?

markudman

I think you need to talk to the RAC, the things they used are called skates, and they use them to move damaged cars that cannot steer etc,
but the question is, why where you not with the car?
why was the car locked?
they do change extra for using them, but i am sure that is between the contractor and the RAC.

Not sure the cost should be passed on to you, but that is something you should talk to the RAC about.

lofielectronic

As above. Without knowing the full story...

caprikid1

You abandoned your vehicle without keys so they had no option. This made the recovery far more difficult and expensive, why should everyone else pay because you could not spare the time to wait around for your vehicle to be recovered.


I often wonder when I hear about bad service, more often than not it's bad customers.