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RAC European cover repatriation does not cover ferry

Hi

I'm in France and my car has broken down. RAC are repatriation me and the family (the car separately) but have advised me that they will not pay for the ferry crossing or Eurotunnel to the UK.

I cannot believe a European insurance policy can get away with not covering the crossing of water to what is an island, from Europe. I was not advise of this small clause and logically assumed that as Britain is a big an island, ferry or Eurotunnel would be covered from mainland Europe.:mad:

This clause surely cannot be legally acceptable, can it? :eek:

Anyone else had experience of this?
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Comments

  • Aylesbury_Duck
    Aylesbury_Duck Posts: 15,552 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    It can be legally acceptable if it’s in the terms and conditions you agreed to when you took out the policy.

    What does your paperwork say?
  • a.turner
    a.turner Posts: 655 Forumite
    500 Posts
    What level of cover do you have?
  • DUTR
    DUTR Posts: 12,958 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    fkeates wrote: »
    Hi

    I'm in France and my car has broken down. RAC are repatriation me and the family (the car separately) but have advised me that they will not pay for the ferry crossing or Eurotunnel to the UK.

    I cannot believe a European insurance policy can get away with not covering the crossing of water to what is an island, from Europe. I was not advise of this small clause and logically assumed that as Britain is a big an island, ferry or Eurotunnel would be covered from mainland Europe.:mad:

    This clause surely cannot be legally acceptable, can it? :eek:

    Anyone else had experience of this?

    You have already paid for the return journey anyways, so reschedule the return trip using your existing ticket.
  • Car_54
    Car_54 Posts: 8,785 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Q. How would you have got back if you hadn't broken down?


    A. Paid for a ferry or tunnel crossing.


    Nothing has changed, except probably the time of the crossing.
  • Scrapit
    Scrapit Posts: 2,304 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    How do they repatriate you then?
  • Car_54
    Car_54 Posts: 8,785 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Scrapit wrote: »
    How do they repatriate you then?
    They will transport the OP to the ferry port in France, and from the UK port to home. The only issue is that they will not pay for the ferry, on the entirely reasonable basis that the OP would have had to pay for it had he not broken down.


    This has been the RAC policy for at least 45 years to my personal knowledge, and AFAIK its competitors are no different.
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    DUTR wrote: »
    You have already paid for the return journey anyways, so reschedule the return trip using your existing ticket.
    ...and, if you haven't yet, then you'd have needed to anyway at some point...

    I really don't see the problem here.

    If you booked a cheap ticket that isn't amendable, then that's the gamble you take when you do so - you might need to cross at a different time, for a wide variety of reasons.
  • jk0
    jk0 Posts: 3,479 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Park your car at Calais until the the crossing you booked originally? :)
  • Gloomendoom
    Gloomendoom Posts: 16,551 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Will the OP have to pay the fare for their car or for a car transporter with their car on it?

    I broke down abroad a couple of years ago. My travel insurance picked up the tab for the things the RAC wouldn't. Including the cost of the tunnel ticket
  • photome
    photome Posts: 16,636 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Bake Off Boss!
    you could come back in the car you are buying in France, or didnt you get that far
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