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RAC automatic Renewal RipOff

mickyduck55
mickyduck55 Posts: 703 Forumite
Sixth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper
edited 29 January at 12:39PM in Motoring

I’m usually good at this but inadvertantly allowed my RAC membership to"auto renew", I do not recall an email and there is nothing in my inbox.

Shockingly my auto renewal was £220.98,checking online a new member can get the same cover for £70 with an advertised saving of £40, so the full price is in total £130.

A call and some discussion later I have been refunded £150.98, absolutely disgraceful that my reward as a loyal member means they will charge me 3 times as much.

I know I should go elsewhere but they provide "personal" cover which Ilike as I have bikes, a car and a campervan.

3.995kWP SSW facing. Commissioned 7 July 2011. 24 degree pitch (£3.36 /W).
17 Yingli 235 panels
Sunnyboy 4000TL inverter
Sunny Webox
Solar Immersion installed May 2013, after two Solar Immersion lasting just over the guarantee period replaced with Solic 200... no problems since.

13 Feb 2020 LUX AC 3600 and 3 X Pylon Tech 3.5 kW batteries added...

May 2021 2x LG AC units installed

20 January 2024 Daikin ASHP installed
«13

Comments

  • born_again
    born_again Posts: 25,137 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Seventh Anniversary Name Dropper

    No such thing as loyalty..

    Just new member discounts…

    Life in the slow lane
  • mickyduck55
    mickyduck55 Posts: 703 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper

    I understand but to charge me almost double to what they describe as full price is a disgrace

    3.995kWP SSW facing. Commissioned 7 July 2011. 24 degree pitch (£3.36 /W).
    17 Yingli 235 panels
    Sunnyboy 4000TL inverter
    Sunny Webox
    Solar Immersion installed May 2013, after two Solar Immersion lasting just over the guarantee period replaced with Solic 200... no problems since.

    13 Feb 2020 LUX AC 3600 and 3 X Pylon Tech 3.5 kW batteries added...

    May 2021 2x LG AC units installed

    20 January 2024 Daikin ASHP installed
  • flaneurs_lobster
    flaneurs_lobster Posts: 12,487 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Seventh Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper

    As soon as you have online access to your account for pretty much any new annual product -

    Check that they have billed the correct amount

    Turn off auto-renew.

  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 24,910 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fifth Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper

    I had the same.

    Last year: around £100.

    This year: £270.

    Fortunately I phoned up before it automatically renewed and they price matched the AA who were offering equivalent cover for £80.

    But they're all at it.

    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec / Fuse gas / Vodafone BB / iD mobile. Kirk Hill Co-op member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 37 MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Ofgem cap table, Ofgem cap explainer. Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs, Best kettle!
  • vacheron
    vacheron Posts: 2,810 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 29 January at 1:14PM

    I use my Revolut account to generate a "single use only" disposable credit card for all trials, and then smile a year or so later when if fails when they try to take the overpriced renewal payment after giving the minimum, most descrete notice permitted by law and start sending me (far more prominent) e-mails telling me that there seems to be a problem with my payment! 😁

    • The rich buy assets.
    • The poor only have expenses.
    • The middle class buy liabilities they think are assets.
  • flaneurs_lobster
    flaneurs_lobster Posts: 12,487 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Seventh Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper

    I'm finding that my disposable Revolut "card" is being accepted far less frequently for these type of payments - seems there is a mechanism whereby the payment requester can "see" that the card is a 1-off and decline it.

  • Brie
    Brie Posts: 17,814 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper

    RAC auto renewed ours even though I had told them in advance that they shouldn't do so. Apparently phoning and telling them didn't count. Took 6 months to get it sorted.

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  • vacheron
    vacheron Posts: 2,810 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic

    Yes, I've found that once so far. The others haven't caught on though… yet!

    • The rich buy assets.
    • The poor only have expenses.
    • The middle class buy liabilities they think are assets.
  • mickyduck55
    mickyduck55 Posts: 703 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper

    I can still cancel within 14 days if you know of a viable alternative with personal cover?

    3.995kWP SSW facing. Commissioned 7 July 2011. 24 degree pitch (£3.36 /W).
    17 Yingli 235 panels
    Sunnyboy 4000TL inverter
    Sunny Webox
    Solar Immersion installed May 2013, after two Solar Immersion lasting just over the guarantee period replaced with Solic 200... no problems since.

    13 Feb 2020 LUX AC 3600 and 3 X Pylon Tech 3.5 kW batteries added...

    May 2021 2x LG AC units installed

    20 January 2024 Daikin ASHP installed
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