Who can I escalate my RAC complaint to?

Money_maker

How fortunate you broke down on a kerb in a large city. There's much worse places you can break down, particularly in the dark.


Did you tell them you moved your vehicle? How do you know they didn't attend if you weren't with it. How do you expect them to look at your vehicle if it is unattended? Questions they might ask.

georgie_p

Money_maker wrote: »

How fortunate you broke down on a kerb in a large city. There's much worse places you can break down, particularly in the dark.


Did you tell them you moved your vehicle? How do you know they didn't attend if you weren't with it. How do you expect them to look at your vehicle if it is unattended? Questions they might ask.

Firstly, I didn't say it was large. Secondly, the place where I broke down is opposite a park where people have been raped and murdered. Third, it's really regardless of the fact - at midnight, pregnant, and by myself, I don't expect to be paying £14 per month for a service that can reach me in 6 hours.

They did not attend the vehicle - they confirmed that they cancelled the job that I originally requested. The second time they told me to go home and they would call me when they were on their way - they didn't call because they never came out or even attempted to. Again, I have this confirmed on a recorded telephone call.

foxtrotoscar_2

georgie_p wrote: »

What's LBA please?

https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=opera&hs=OmI&ei=4TCiW9m8MJrmgAbPlKjYDA&q=LBA+then+small+claims+process.&oq=LBA+then+small+claims+process.&gs_l=psy-ab.12...0.0.0.155784.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1..64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.IJv82TTcLrs

Gavin83

Did they give any explanation as to why they didn't come out? Do they offer any sort of guarantee as to how quickly they'll attend?

How much have you asked for, in particular for the stress element?

k3lvc

georgie_p wrote: »

Firstly, I didn't say it was large. Secondly, the place where I broke down is opposite a park where people have been raped and murdered. Third, it's really regardless of the fact - at midnight, pregnant, and by myself, I don't expect to be paying £14 per month for a service that can reach me in 6 hours.

Lose the emotion out of this or you'll get nowhere - breakdowns happen on roads where people are killed on a daily basis so your rape/murder/pregnant ranting is irrelevant

Ask them clearly for what you want and make it reasonable (i.e. not £500 for hurt feelings) and then come back and ask for advice once they've responded.

DoaM

Basis of claim:

1. Reimburse the taxi cost.
2. 11 months RAC coverage at £14 per month = £154, on the basis that they've not been able to provide a service when required so you can only assume they've never been able to provide a service.

Beyond that you're into a "grey" territory regarding inconvenience, stress etc.

Edit: You may also be able to add:

3. Loss of value of the vehicle due to contributory negligence in failing to attend the vehicle at any time. (It would be normal for a lay-person to try to start the car again after it has been sitting for a period, in order to try and move it).

How much you'd get for this (or even if it is feasible) I've no idea.

agrinnall

If you intend to play the pregnant card then you need to do so in a public way, so I would suggest that you contact them on Twitter or Facebook which might get a better response.

CardinalWolsey

Firstly, you have received appalling service from the RAC. That is clear. However...

1. I don't think you will receive both taxi fare and historic membership fees back as a matter of course. The taxi fare is being refunded as a result of being a member, so they are providing an indirect service there. Check your T&C's as to whether you're able to cancel membership with immediate effect.

2. The "pregnant, at risk" claim is a complete misnomer. "Compensation" is for putting you back in to the same financial position as if an incident hadn't happened. The RAC are doing that by agreeing to refund your taxi. If you really felt threatened, or had medical issues at the time, then there is an actual emergency service that you can call.

So take the taxi refund, cancel your membership but push for some sort of refund there, but don't stress yourself further by trying to sue for emotional distress. Mind you, it's a nice media headline story, so you could ask Anna.

KittenChops

CardinalWolsey wrote: »

Firstly, you have received appalling service from the RAC. That is clear. However...

1. I don't think you will receive both taxi fare and historic membership fees back as a matter of course. The taxi fare is being refunded as a result of being a member, so they are providing an indirect service there. Check your T&C's as to whether you're able to cancel membership with immediate effect.

2. The "pregnant, at risk" claim is a complete misnomer. "Compensation" is for putting you back in to the same financial position as if an incident hadn't happened. The RAC are doing that by agreeing to refund your taxi. If you really felt threatened, or had medical issues at the time, then there is an actual emergency service that you can call.

So take the taxi refund, cancel your membership but push for some sort of refund there, but don't stress yourself further by trying to sue for emotional distress. Mind you, it's a nice media headline story, so you could ask Anna.

I'm not sure if asking Anna is a good idea, if the folks on here are correct about the Financial Ombudsman NOT covering breakdown services...


https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/sep/06/rac-breakdown-callout-delay-service


Quoted from the above article about poor levels of service from the RAC:

Your next step would be to take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman service, which covers breakdown insurance. You can do this after eight weeks since your original complaint, or after the company sends you a letter of deadlock.

powerful_Rogue

georgie_p wrote: »

Thanks everyone, as a very brief summary:

RAC Full UK Breakdown cover

1. Contacted RAC on Saturday 25th August at 11:50pm to alert them that my vehicle had broken down. They advised a waiting time of 6 hours before someone could attend my vehicle. I alerted them to the fact I am 7 months pregnant, pulled up on a kerb (not parked legally) and in the middle of a City at night.



One of the busiest weekends of the year with people traveling back home before schools start. If you want to play the pregnant card, why was you out so late?


2. Had to get the vehicle pushed to a parking location where there were no parking charges in force on the weekend. Got picked up by a family member and taken home (arrived home at around 2am).


Who pushed the vehicle? Did you contact the RAC and advise them of the new location? What did they say and how would they get into the vehicle?


3. Received no update from the RAC the following morning, waited until the Monday and still received no update.



Why didn't you chase them up the next morning?

4. Turned on the car's engine on Monday 27th August at around 8:30pm and heard a loud bang and smoke was pouring out of the bonnet. Contacted RAC again who said someone would be out within the hour (9:30pm). Waited until 9:50pm then contacted RAC for an update. The adviser said someone would arrive after 5 hours.


Why did you leave it until 8.30PM two days later to go back and sort this, and why so late? Why start the engine when you knew the vehicle was broken down? What was the original break down fault?


5. Explained to the RAC that I had been waiting almost 48 hours for someone to attend my vehicle with no updates. I was now stranded on the roadside, vulnerable, and my vehicle was still unusable (possibly made worse because no one had attended it). After an hour of complaining on the phone, RAC offered to get a taxi home for me - they confirmed my address incorrectly for the 5th time in 2 days (I had corrected my address with them every phone call I made). They said they would arrange a taxi to Swindon (I live in Gloucester). I said I would not take up their offer of a taxi service to the wrong town.


You went back to the vehicle at silly o'clock so placed yourself back into this position. So when you said the taxi needs to goto Gloucester and not Swindon, what did they say? Do they have your correct address on file? Have you moved since joining?


6. Arranged my own taxi home and obtained a receipt from the taxi company. 56 hours had passed and I still hadn't received an update or anyone from the RAC attend my vehicle. I pay £14 monthly for this service and haven't actually received a service.

7. Arranged for my vehicle to be towed/scrapped and obtained proof of this as it was now completely useless and still the RAC didn't come to help.

I have asked the RAC to reimburse my taxi fare (of which they have confirmed they will send a cheque to my home address, which is incorrect and they're incapable of correcting), reimburse my £14 per month that I've been paying since October 2017 as they weren't able to provide a service (technically still waiting for someone), and to compensate me for the stress and anxiety caused by the RAC when in a vulnerable position as a pregnant woman. They only addressed the taxi fare and completely ignored anything else.


So what did they say about the taxi fare? I'd stop playing the pregnant/vulnerable card, especially on the 2nd time it was of your own doing to go back late at night.

Questions/comments in red.