RAC robbing bastards

[Christine]

I've been in the RAC for probably 20 years , an auto renewal on my credit card , I couldn't say how much every year, I just see it this time of year on my statement.. 70 80 90 quid or so ?? I don't do figures ..Less than a ton though..

Last month , a chick rings me ...

 

" Is it Ok to renew this year ?We sent you a letter ,did you read it ? We'll take the money automatically again , it's 148 quid "

 

" Yeah, sure      ...yeah i got an RAC junk mail  i think, but i didn't open it "......

 

"Whoa !!! Hang on ! HOW MUCH ???     NO ..Its not ok , I'm not paying that much! 

 

"I thought you might say that.. do you want me to see if i can lower it a bit ?

 

I can do it for 79 quid.."

 

"Well why didn't you say that in the first place ? Ok , i'll have it for 79 quid"

 

"Oh its the computer...chucks up different prices "    

 

My credit card bill... £148.01..bastards !!

 

Phoned RAC , listened to shit music and special offers for 20 minutes ..

 

"Want my money back , I declined RAC for 148 , yet you took it anyway"

 

" Can't do that , you're over the 14 days cooling off period " 

 

 

Bit of ranting and swearing... I ask for his superior ..more music...comes back on yes we'll send you a cheque  , 15 working days...

Utter fucking bastards

So i've paid credit card , Rac has had 150 quid for a month , and i've got to wait 3 weeks for a refund

 

 

Tried to complain to the HSBC Card CO . but "Lines are extremely busy  you'll be waiting 25minutes "

[gordonbennet]

Its the new way, those who've never paid a penny in you give them all the good deals, those who've been loyal straight customers for donkeys years you take the piss out of, same at most companies and local/national institutions.

[HH-R]

The first thing I do when joining breakdown or buying insurance is email them and tell them that they do NOT have authorisation for a continuous payment authority on the card I've used*. I flippin hate them because it means you're at the mercy of their shite hawk systems/staff to get it right come renewal time, if they fluff it up/deny you've called/the letter gets lost in the post then they just have carte blanche to do what they like with.

 

*This won't work if paying monthly.

[xtriple]

I also state empathetically that they do NOT have permission to auto renew for everything. They still try though and say that you didn't say that at all!  I think this will be my last year with the AA as well. They have increased the price so much I am now paying about treble what I originally thought was too much!

[Supernaut]

Hmm.

 

My RAC membership just renewed and it's the same as I paid last year, and the year before, give or take £10 or so. I like the cover I get from them because it covers me as a driver or passenger in any vehicle. Never had to use it on my own cars, but my sister's car... that's another story.

[backache]

Not only all of the above, I find the service has been  appauling on the very few occasions ive had a breakdown over the last few years.

 

Example 1: Im based in the North East. Im in Westbury, Wilts (10pm) towing a bike trailer with two valuable bikes on, maybe 10 grands worth. Wheel bearing fails on trailer (badly). In the RAC at the time with back to home recovery so no worries then..... Ring RAC... "No problem , we can recover trailer to nearest garage for repair"... "But I cant leave trailer on some garage forecourt in the middle of nowhere with two easily stealable bikes on"... Nothing we can do , its in your terms and conditions." Ended up sleeping in the car till the next morning.

 

Example 2:  Borrowed a mates sprinter flatbed to pick up a dumper, fairly local, maybe 15 miles from home. Just pulling off motorway sliproad when the serpentine belt came off and tangled itself into the fan blades. Not a huge problem, Rang RAC, mentioning I had my 12yr old stepson in cab who has asthma and the temperature was droppin rapidly. "No problem sir, we'll have someone there within the hour". Great, quite pleased.

About 15 mins later phone rings "Sorry we cant attend as the vehicle is a XLWB".... "What!! The belt is right at the front, what on earth has the wheelbase got to do with it"... Its in the contract, We will not attend  XLWB vehicles." ... "So you are just going to leave us on the side of the road on a winters night, surely someone could attend and just hacksaw the belt from in between the blades( i had no gear with me, borrowed vehicle) so I could limp it to a safe place."... "No we cant attend, XLWB etc blah blah"

Had to walk about a mile to the nearest street where I managed to borrow a hacksaw from the nearest house that looked like it might have a 'handy' type of bloke living there, cut the belt off and managed to get it to the house where I borrowed the hacksaw from, Thankfully I could leave it there, phone my wife to pick us up,(snowing by this time) and go back the next day with a new belt. Not at all pleased, rang to complain, they were not interested in the slightest. Cancelled membership.

Im not really too bothered about being in a recovery club, but as I work away, Its mainly for peace of mind for my wife if anything happens and Im not around, so I joined the AA, explaining past problems, clarifying what they will attend and what they wont etc.

 

Example 3: Recently bought a Xantia in Manchester, asked my daughters lad if he would come with me to drive my Volvo back. I probably asked a bit much as He had been out all night on his gritter route. Cut a long story short as he was knackered he put petrol in the Volvo which was diesel!! . Just got back on the motorway before it conked !! Then he realised what he had done!

Told him to jump in the Xantia and go home and not to worry, I'll wait for the AA.

"Sorry, as its your own fault we can only tow you off the motorway to a safe place, but we can arrange for the petrol to be drained and refilled with clean diesel."

I was only about twenty miles from home, and unbeleivably the bloke that came out to tow me away (straight bar job) towed me about ten miles up the motorway to turn round and tow me ten miles or so back to the garage where it had been wrongly filled.  

Now, this is probably the reason why they wouldnt take me home. "I'll just arrange for someone to come and get you sorted, it'll be £280 plus VAT."

Sod that. Just leave me here i'll have to sort it myself. (which i did, but loads of aggro)

 

Anyway, as you can probably gather, i dont trust these people in the slightest. Its just the worry of having my wife break down when Im away that makes me stay with them.(Im still in the AA)

 

 

 

[New POD]

Start off by never failing to open any post. and always swapping every year. Go via a cashback website like quidco, and just go with whoever offers the best deal this year.

Have No loyalty.

[New POD]

Hmm.

 

My RAC membership just renewed and it's the same as I paid last year, and the year before, give or take £10 or so. I like the cover I get from them because it covers me as a driver or passenger in any vehicle. Never had to use it on my own cars, but my sister's car... that's another story.

 

You are obviously paying at the MUG me OFF rate.

[Craig the Princess]

First call were very good, cover vans and trailers over 10 feet. Very good if you have over two drivers in the house, otherwise a little expensive (but not RAC levels).

 

Autoaid have been very cheap but by some black magic I haven't called them in the two years I've been with them. Very unusual to get thought a year without a breakdown do I recommend their luck.

[colino]

Autoaid acted exceptionally last year when they did, at no cost to us, a tricky recovery from a Scottish Island.  Fingers crossed their recent sale wont affect the service.  The big boys are just small cogs in huge corporations who operate on the, "how much will they really tolerate" pricing model.

[Joey spud]

I don't know enough to comment about renewal costs or over charging but there are frequent rant threads on here about AA/RAC renewal price hikes and car insurance renewal bum rape its what big companies do to remain big.

You have to be proactive contact these companies and challenge their charges (before the policy auto renews) and if they won't play ball drop them and go elsewhere.

 

As for complaining RAC wouldn't recover my broken trailer or my mates over length Truck and the AA wouldn't recover me after i missfueled my car,thats because its writen in their T+ C's as valid exclusions.i think we are all guilty of not reading the small print.

 

Here's another one if you don't carry a useable spare (if the car is suposed to carry one that is) and you get a puncture if it can't be fixed at the roadside with the plug kit we carry then you will not get recovered home miles away free of charge either.

 

No tax or MOT and you have killed your engine?,sorry you won't get a free recovery,you will be given a recovery quote instead.

 

Lock your keys in your car or run out of fuel and i believe the AA are startiing to charge for these owner induced breakdowns.

[maxpower]

I left the rac years ago when they wanted £128 for a car battery that would only cost £42 delivered from a company online

[fairkens]

I left the rac years ago when they wanted £128 for a car battery that would only cost £42 delivered from a company online

Company in 'wants to make a profit' shocka

[Craig the Princess]

Company in 'wants to make a profit' shocka

Customer leaves company that overcharges shock.

[Joey spud]

I left the rac years ago when they wanted £128 for a car battery that would only cost £42 delivered from a company online

 

I hope you didn't join the Yellow mob,their batteries cost even more than ours and are a lower spec,obviously autoshite people get their batteries from trade outlets or scrappies.

 

Yes battery prices are very high but they are high spec 5yr warranty Varta jobbies (not a lot of comfort i agree if it its needed for a scabby 15 yr old Vectra though) and they are price matched more or less to what Halfords charge for their 5yr warranty Bosch items.

And the warranty is 24 hours a day 365 days a year if it fails we attend and replace it there and then you wont get that with an online part.

 

Another thing to consider is a lot of vehicles now need the battery coding to the car to ensure they function correctly.

 

Still pricey though....

[Jim Bell]

I left the rac years ago when they wanted £128 for a car battery that would only cost £42 delivered from a company online

If the online company could have delivered it within an hour, to absolutely wherever you happened to be at that time, that would be a right bargain price.

 

Pub tried to charge me £4 for a pint on a night out.

It turned out much cheaper to buy beer in bulk from a cash and carry miles away on a different day.

 

Do they take us for mugs or what?

[Pillock]

True, but three times the price is a little hard to swallow. Feels like there's an element of having you over a barrel.

[HH-R]

Another thing to consider is a lot of vehicles now need the battery coding to the car to ensure they function correctly.

Oh, dear God... really?!

[Jim Bell]

True, but three times the price is a little hard to swallow. Feels like there's an element of having you over a barrel.

Not really. You can get recovered and buy your own. If you want a decent quality battery with a solid gold warranty, fitted on the spot, they'll sell you one. The call centre, van, Driver/mechanic, infrastructure all need to be paid for. They have to make money somewhere.

 

Devils advocate.

[Craig the Princess]

True, but the £120+ fee goes on those overheads.

 

But I don't like the RAC after they left my Dad stranded for 6 hours so may* be biased.

[Jim Bell]

True. There's also no excuse for auto renewing at higher rates.

 

Devils advocate-advocate.