Came close to losing a luton

[twosmoke300]

I used them once when I had a fuel blockage in my sierra diesel . the subbys 7.5 tonner didn't even have an airline. Its got airbrakes ffs. Back to the Aa I went

[FredTransit]

AA, yep, pretty much what I am thinking

[FredTransit]

Mrs broken down on the A14 near Bury St Edmunds, RAC contacted at just after 1900, said recovery would be an hour to 90 mins, still nothing, she's getting scared now, and she's run out of credit on her mobile. Breakdown cover is via our insurers, deffo going to fire off one hell of a snotty email in the morning to them, and the CEO of the RAC for leaving someone in an iff situation for so long. Yet again its a 3rd party contractor that has been given the job. I suspect the RAC only use utter cretins

 

 

just so you know, you can dial 999 without credit, you don't even need a SIM card or normal network......

Hope she gets home OK, and they don't send C&S to her.

[Felly Magic]

Recovery firm turned up about 10 mins ago, its a local firm I know well (thankfully), and its a spec lift job. Back box had snapped and was dragging on the floor. She kept starting the car up to keep warm, and keep the battery charged, sensible lass. And yes, we are going to rejoin the AA, never, ever been left stranded that long with them, in the past it was within the hour, and a record 5 mins when the Uno timing gear shat its self.

[fordperv]

talking of no signal on a phone etc a good while ago the clutch cable went on mrs fp on a dark country lane with no phone signal and she rang the police on her phone who asked if she wanted recovery, she said no i could get there quicker and staffs police got straight on the phone to me and told me exactly where she was and left me with an office number if i wanted more directions when i was close, i got there in 10 mins and recovered the car, i rang the number when i got home just to thank the person she seemed shocked at the call of thanks 

[Richard]

I was thinking of changing to the RAC when our AA membership expires in December, just because the price keeps going up. Would that be a massive mistake and am I likely to blag a discount from the AA if I threaten to leave?

 

Edit- just looked at RAC and they are even more expensive so I'll stick to what I know.

[FredTransit]

Richard can you re join the AA on an offer, at a different address?

[r.welfare]

Every year I get a renewal quote from the AA of double what I'm paying; I go on the website and pick the same cover with the introductory discount, then ring them and ask them to match it. They always do.

[Richard]

I just had a look at the website and the new member price is much the same as what we paid last year. I'll check again when the renewal comes in and get on the phone.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

I've heard good reports from people signing up to ADAC - they are German but take on UK customers (not online though)

 

They seem miles cheaper than AA/RAC although I think AA cover most of their UK work?

[FredTransit]

Have emailed the CEO. It was long but l didnt swear!

[dollywobbler]

I've also heard good things about ADAC. I've got cover via my insurance - AA were sent last time. I don't use it very often though (he said, bravely).

[Partridge]

just so you know, you can dial 999 without credit, you don't even need a SIM card or normal network......

Hope she gets home OK, and they don't send C&S to her.

How the hell can you make a 999 call with no SIM card? Learn something new everyday!

[wuvvum]

I joined the RAC one year when I used up all my "lives" with the AA.  I broke down once during my 12-month membership - snapped propshaft on a 635 CSI.  I was on the Norwich ring road, and they took three and a half hours to get to me. 

 

Went back to the AA ASAP, and been with them ever since.

[wuvvum]

How the hell can you make a 999 call with no SIM card? Learn something new everyday!

It's a feature that's built into every mobile, and has been for quite a while.  All service providers make their networks available to anyone for emergency calls, so as long as at least one network has a signal where you are, you can dial 999 (or 112 from a mobile).

[sheffcortinacentre]

mechanical failure aside, their driver seems very unprofessional in his response being more concerned about his truck/lively hood (understandable) than the public safety & customers property.

 

I can't see the transit being the cause of the failure as it was unladen it should've been within limit & points towards a lack of maintenance/check schedule being adhered to.

 

again think if this had happened on the hard shoulder of a motorway! or traverseing a roundabout or junction!

i'm surprised plod allowed it to continue due to the extra stress on the remaining mounting points of the bed.

 

both john & phil who I know (work for a large local co contracted to both green flag & s yorks police) both say that they'd be expecting their employer would be getting a visit from plod & vosa asap if a similar thing occurred with the fleet being inspected by a fine tooth comb.

with someone in the office with their trousers neatly folded over their left arm.

[FredTransit]

The truck that twisted went off empty. The one that eventually recovered the van was a 12 tonner. Very valid point about this happening on the hard shoulder, even worse as you say on a roundabout. Loving the image of the boss in the office LOL!

[Craig the Princess]

Good point about Vosa, I would try and get them involved too.

[Craig the Princess]

I have used Gem for the past few years and they have always been spot on (even though they use contractors). The only time they have taken an hour was when we broke down on the weekend of the wireless festival and they were swamped. Even then good communication and the loan of a 7 year old Focus estate fixed it.

[rml2345]

Regardless of whether the recovery vehicle failure was bad luck, incompetence, poor maintenance or some combination of them all, the RAC should be doing a damn site more to sort it out for you than they are doing. Unfortunately Mr. Shitpeas is right about the call centre only being able to offer empathy and a token gesture. Anything else winds up being passed up the chain so it's barely worth the effort. Hope you get somewhere with the CEO email and a follow up with the local paper who did the report might be worth considering as leverage.

FATHA_RML used to use the RAC years ago and they were piss poor then. Broke down in Armadale main street (ignition problem on a MK2 Carlton eventually traced to a knackered coil) so they sent a van to Armadale street, Glasgow.

Waste of two hours.

They had already wasted four hours when it went on a busy roundabout a few days beforehand. To their credit the third time it went they did manage to diagnose the issue for us but the endless wait for assistance was an utter ballache.

Got Green Flag cover with the bank currently and they use a local contractor who is pretty decent and a system that can actually find people.

[Cavcraft]

Good point about Vosa, I would try and get them involved too.

 

 

I'd be amazed if they weren't already.

[Richard]

The wagon should have been able to take at least 50% more than its capacity without breaking and the Luton won't weigh much more than a modern family car, so there was definitely something wrong with it.

[FredTransit]

The problem with many smaller rec firms is they wont take even light commercials. Others have an age limit

[Partridge]

Is the age limit to avoid dealing with pikeys? Most storage places seem to have an age limit on stuff to avoid pikies 'storing' stuff there. My Dad had a nighmare trying to find somewhere which would store his caravan which was 20 years old.

[twosmoke300]

Most pikeys have newer vans than I could dream of. something to do with not paying your way I suppose

[Angrydicky]

The RAC are fairly crap, had mixed responses from them. Generally, if you call them out on a Sunday, expect to wait several hours for recovery and to be on hold for a long, long time waiting to speak to someone.

 

When the bottom ball joint fell apart on my A55 Cambridge two miles from home, it took SIX hours for their agent to get to me. The car was blocking one lane of a roundabout and I had to get my dad to come out in the Maestro and sit behind me with the hazards going, in the pouring rain. Dreadful.

On the same car, I broke down on the A47 near Peterborough after the BL day with no spark. Sat by the side of the very busy road in poor weather, on a bridge for two hours after calling them, before a police car stopped and asked if I was ok, had I got recovery arranged etc. They then sat behind me for a while with the lights going as again I had no hazard lights. Copper rang the RAC and chased them up, it appeared they were trying to get one of their patrols out to me but were too busy, and didn't want to send a contractor as it would cost them too much money. In the end the copper told them to send Parker Fry, which they did - they were there within the hour.

My two most recent breakdowns have both been with the Somerset. The first one was when the starter solenoid jammed on a friend's driveway and due to the amount of crap in the fuel it didn't even want to go with bypassing the solenoid with jump leads. The patrol came out fairly quickly then, no complaints that time. Got me going and escorted me home after it cut out again at a junction and I had no way of starting it again (no starting handle came with the car).

The last time was when the Somerset expired at J10 of the M20 on a Sunday about 4pm. Phoned the RAC, was on hold for 20 minutes before I got through to someone. Described the problem and she said "I'll just put you on hold while I look at the map and try and work out where you are", and I got cut off! Tried again, on hold for another 15 minutes before I remembered I had breakdown cover with my insurance. Phoned the normal landline number (not 0800 shock!), got through to a lovely lady straight away who sent out a local contractor (Ashford Recovery) who were there within the hour. Bloke couldn't get me going again, but he towed me around to Tesco where half an hour later a truck arrived to get me back. So I certainly have no complaints about the RH Insurance breakdown service, but the RAC does generally leave a lot to be desired. I think the problem is they are spreading themselves too thin, with too many breakdowns and not enough patrols in most areas to attend them all. I might be wrong of course.

[FredTransit]

FFS! Getting worried now. Looks like I am very much not alone with this.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I've got nowt but praise for the RAC from my dealings with 'em

[FredTransit]

I am happy for you really I am. That may change for you

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Admittedly I have never given em anything more taxing to do than shift an Astra-sized car more than about 40 miles.