RAC failure to attend my breakdown

powerful_Rogue

I'm more surprised you pay £264 a year for breakdown cover! Why people stick to the AA/RAC with these prices is beyond me.

I've got a 15 year old motor, just ran a quote including home start, travel to onward destination - £20 a year.

Bazinga_k

powerful_Rogue said:

I'm more surprised you pay £264 a year for breakdown cover! Why people stick to the AA/RAC with these prices is beyond me.

I've got a 15 year old motor, just ran a quote including home start, travel to onward destination - £20 a year.

With who?
Mine worked out cheaper than the mrs getting separate deal herself or through her insurance. More fool me with going to a 'trusted' service provider.
But got a quote from green flag who do have better t&cs that cover waiit times etc for 14 a month.

Bazinga_k

sheramber said:

Maybe the person who told you nothing had been done was the one giving you the wrong information.

As I understand calls are dealt with on a priority basis not first come basis. Maybe there were calls came in with a higher priority than yours. 

A young mum with a baby stranded in an isolated place , or a single female.

Someone stranded on a dangerous road.

Turns out the guy who said nothing had been done was correct, as he said a vehicle would be with me in 2 hours and in 90 minutes i got a call.
I agree and accept that I would rather an at risk person got seen to first, than myself. However there comes to a point where i cant just be shoved to the back of the line all night. After standing in the freezing cold for 6 hours, i came at risk myself there fore I had to take the matter in my own hands and get a friend to drive out and tow me.

Bazinga_k

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Fair enough, but being objective: What made it more than an inconvenience?  Did you suffer any other consequences or costs?  That's how a goodwill payment can be judged as reasonable or not.  Your initial ask of a premium refund and conpensation is frankly ridiculous, unless you can show you incurred costs of that order as a result of their failure to meet the terms of the contract.   I'm not convinced they breached the contract in any case.

Taking the situation completely and putting it in a similar position.

Thats like going to a big chain restaurant, paying for a meal and waiting for several hours for said meal, it not turning up and you walk out. Would you expect a full refund with no questions? Would you expect a bit on the side for the waiting staff lying to you fobbing you off and being sat the 30% of the day? Or would you accept a goodwill gesture thats just above what you paid for the meal?

Now, in my eyes the money you pay for the service should be refunded in full without question and then look at the goodwill gesture for the other circumstances.

But by the looks of it the complaints team are only allowed to issue £30 goodwill gesture so I am wasting my time.
 

Aylesbury_Duck

Bazinga_k said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Fair enough, but being objective: What made it more than an inconvenience?  Did you suffer any other consequences or costs?  That's how a goodwill payment can be judged as reasonable or not.  Your initial ask of a premium refund and conpensation is frankly ridiculous, unless you can show you incurred costs of that order as a result of their failure to meet the terms of the contract.   I'm not convinced they breached the contract in any case.

Taking the situation completely and putting it in a similar position.

Thats like going to a big chain restaurant, paying for a meal and waiting for several hours for said meal, it not turning up and you walk out. Would you expect a full refund with no questions? Would you expect a bit on the side for the waiting staff lying to you fobbing you off and being sat the 30% of the day? Or would you accept a goodwill gesture thats just above what you paid for the meal?

Now, in my eyes the money you pay for the service should be refunded in full without question and then look at the goodwill gesture for the other circumstances.

But by the looks of it the complaints team are only allowed to issue £30 goodwill gesture so I am wasting my time.
 

It's not like that.  You bought an insurance product which both parties hoped you would not have to use, the terms of which probably cover a delay like the one you experienced.  Not good service, worthy of a goodwill gesture but probably not a breach of contract.  You've had the benefit of insurance cover from the start of the policy and until the policy anniversary - you didn't buy a policy for this particular breakdown - and will be able to call on the policy again until it lapses.  That's why a full refund isn't realistic - you are still receiving the service you paid for.

That's not the same as ordering a specific meal you're definitely going to consume and which if they didn't provide, would be a breach of contract.  And anyway, if you paid for the meal in advance, then walked out, no you wouldn't get a refund!

£30 may not be the 'right' amount, but in my eyes it's of the right order.  You seem to be chasing something an order of magnitude higher, which seems unrealistic.  They may cave in and pay you to go away, then you can buy elsewhere.

TELLIT01

Bazinga_k said:

Taking the situation completely and putting it in a similar position.

Thats like going to a big chain restaurant, paying for a meal and waiting for several hours for said meal, it not turning up and you walk out. Would you expect a full refund with no questions? Would you expect a bit on the side for the waiting staff lying to you fobbing you off and being sat the 30% of the day? Or would you accept a goodwill gesture thats just above what you paid for the meal?

Now, in my eyes the money you pay for the service should be refunded in full without question and then look at the goodwill gesture for the other circumstances.

But by the looks of it the complaints team are only allowed to issue £30 goodwill gesture so I am wasting my time.
 

That is a ridiculous comparison.  Fairer would be comparing it to going to A&E with a deep cut which, although requiring stitches, is not life threatening.  Would you still expect to be seen before somebody coming in later with a heart attack or similar?

Bazinga_k

Thanks both for putting it in a different perspective. It is easy to get blinkered when annoyed.
Yes, its an cover policy that I had no hoped to use - however you expect the policy to be fulfilled if called upon. I was not asking for a full refund - more like what i paid for this month as i pay for the policy monthly and didn't meet a pay worthy standard (in my eyes) plus goodwill. But I have vested interest obviously and £30 seemed a low ball offer - but thats just me.

I think i am more riled up from the poor customer service and the way i have been treated than not actually being rescued. I had excuse bingo with them yesterday. Brexit come up which is laughable as an excuse, high winds come up, contractors refusing work, Sunday and then the expected covid card was pulled.

Out of interest I looked at the t&c of RAC and there is not one mention of any time frame or there responsibility. So basically they can do this repeatedly and technically not breach the contract. 

DB1904

Bazinga_k said:

Thanks both for putting it in a different perspective. It is easy to get blinkered when annoyed.
Yes, its an cover policy that I had no hoped to use - however you expect the policy to be fulfilled if called upon. I was not asking for a full refund - more like what i paid for this month as i pay for the policy monthly and didn't meet a pay worthy standard (in my eyes) plus goodwill. But I have vested interest obviously and £30 seemed a low ball offer - but thats just me.

I think i am more riled up from the poor customer service and the way i have been treated than not actually being rescued. I had excuse bingo with them yesterday. Brexit come up which is laughable as an excuse, high winds come up, contractors refusing work, Sunday and then the expected covid card was pulled.

Out of interest I looked at the t&c of RAC and there is not one mention of any time frame or there responsibility. So basically they can do this repeatedly and technically not breach the contract. 

I thought you paid £22 per month and they've offered £30.

Bazinga_k

DB1904 said:

I thought you paid £22 per month and they've offered £30.

Please finish the sentence. Then read the following sentence to put it in context.

I was not asking for a full refund - more like what i paid for this month as i pay for the policy monthly and didn't meet a pay worthy standard (in my eyes) plus goodwill. But I have vested interest obviously and £30 seemed a low ball offer - but thats just me.

My original post was to air my grievance and try and get feedback on what I can expect / and what is reasonable for the situation. As previously said - I thought £30 was not exactly proportionate and other posters have explained it in a different perspective.

powerful_Rogue

Bazinga_k said:

powerful_Rogue said:

I'm more surprised you pay £264 a year for breakdown cover! Why people stick to the AA/RAC with these prices is beyond me.

I've got a 15 year old motor, just ran a quote including home start, travel to onward destination - £20 a year.

With who?
Mine worked out cheaper than the mrs getting separate deal herself or through her insurance. More fool me with going to a 'trusted' service provider.
But got a quote from green flag who do have better t&cs that cover waiit times etc for 14 a month.

Do a comparison quote for breakdown cover on a site such as Money Supermarket.