Battery Warranty

Car_54

LeeCB said:

Hi thanks for everyone’s advice. No, the engineer definitely made no mention of term and conditions, simply said (more or less verbatim) “you’re in luck, you have a single cell fault, I can give you a new battery under warranty”
In fact he even mentioned I had only done  bit over 1000 miles on the new battery. 

Agree it is the RAC’s error and although their reminders are getting more and more curt, on principle I don’t feel I should pay. 

As a final compromise  I will propose I source a new battery elsewhere and return their one 

That's not a compromise, it's a surrender!

oldagetraveller1

"saying the warranty was void as the car had not covered sufficient mileage."

How do they know? I'm with the RAC and have never been asked to provide a vehicles current mileage when renewing.

Or was the mileage recorded when the original new battery was fitted?

Grumpy_chap

I had a battery renewed by RAC and they did record the mileage at the time.
Except, my car has no mileage display, so he simply asked what the mileage was last time I knew the mileage, so I gave the last fill.
The mileage display is still non-functional, so there would be no way at all of anyone knowing how many miles have been covered since the battery was renewed in February.

LeeCB

The RAC must have recorded my mileage when they fitted the battery 2 years ago (and again when they replaced it last month) as the engineer commented I had only done over 1,000 miles on the old battery.  

[Deleted User]

LeeCB said:

Hi thanks for everyone’s advice. No, the engineer definitely made no mention of term and conditions, simply said (more or less verbatim) “you’re in luck, you have a single cell fault, I can give you a new battery under warranty”
In fact he even mentioned I had only done  bit over 1000 miles on the new battery. 

Agree it is the RAC’s error and although their reminders are getting more and more curt, on principle I don’t feel I should pay. 

As a final compromise  I will propose I source a new battery elsewhere and return their one 

You might be able to do even better than that. You could offer to buy the battery for what it would cost you to buy a replacement, say £40. Otherwise they can take their now used battery back, collecting it at their own expense.

Grey_Critic

Over the years I have replaced several batteries - when I have bought them nobody has asked me for the mileage.

LeeCB

Hi
After RAC threatened to “take further action” I Took professional advice. They said I am bound by the old battery Ts and Cs and the warranty is void
so apparently I am compelled to pay over the odds for a new battery and whatever RAC say verbally or in writing is irrelevant 

So paid it under duress and
1) will never buy a battery from the RAC again
2) will never use RAC for breakdown cover again 
Thats after being an RAC Member for 11 years but you learn from your mistakes 

Alanp

Well done RAC if a bit of common sense was used then the RAC would have admitted it was a mistake and given you it foc, now however, not only have they lost a loyal customer, the op will probably never recommend them to anyone else for what, the cost of a battery!!

sevenhills

Alanp said:

Well done RAC if a bit of common sense was used then the RAC would have admitted it was a mistake and given you it foc, now however, not only have they lost a loyal customer, the op will probably never recommend them to anyone else for what, the cost of a battery!!

This problem was caused by the OP not reading the terms of the guarantee.
What's written in the original written contract is binding.

Ibrahim5

The problem was caused by the RAC employee not knowing the terms of the warranty. Would have been interesting to take it to the small claims court. You can't supply something on the basis that it is free and then change it to an extortionate amount. I would have given them the opportunity to come and pick it up and return the old one.