RAC 11 hours wait for recovery - is it a record?

[Charlieiscool]

We had to wait 11 hours for the RAC to come to us at Stansted even though I had an 80 year old with me. They told me if we had to be towed they’d take the car and we’d have to find our way home with trains. We are rejoining the other breakdown service now. Has anyone else had such a long wait when there are no adverse weather conditions?

No adverse weather? It’s stiflingly hot!

You were at Stansted - do you mean the airport? If so you had access to toilets, food and drink, plus the car was parked safely. So yes it's frustrating but it's not like you were sat on the grass on the side of the motorway in the stifling heat - I expect there were a lot of cars overheating this week

Yes, RAC took over 16 hours when I needed them maybe eighteen months ago. I’d been sitting in my car for a good few hours getting texts every half an hour saying they were busy and would let me know when they had a van on the way. Eventually I got a phone call advising me that if the car was in a safe place, I’d be best off leaving it and going home if possible as they’d struggle to get a van to me that night!!

Luckily I was safely parked on a residential street so my husband collected me and brought me home. They got someone out to my car the next morning. I’d never join RAC again.

Yeah 3 days in November since I could get myself home

they then claimed I’d cancelled the request then claimed my car was in an inaccessible street

neither was true

The RAC is now owned by two foreign (Singapore and Luxembourg) private equity companies.

They rely on people sticking with them even though they are defunding the business at a horrendous rate. Their service is worse and worse.

Ditch them.

We had a horrendous time with The AA so I wouldnt swap to them!

Green flag is owned by direct line

LV Britannia is owned by Liverpool Victoria

Both insurance companies, both more reliable than either the big two.

The AA is also owned by two private equity firms.

Drat. I've just renewed with the RAC! Not had to call them out, so didn't know .

Need to sort out breakdown so following.

AA 12 hours with a child. TBF they took us off the motorway to the very near services in an hour then the wait start.

There was a couple who had already been waiting several hours and we got dealt with an hour before them. We all did overnight in the services and got 0 sleep.

My 75 year old mum has been a member for years. Was in a crash, called them, they couldn't find her record so made her pay £400 to rejoin, it then took her 2 phone calls later on to get that refunded. Oh and it took them 6 hours to come out. Never never never giving them a penny again.

If you did it online less than 14 days ago, you may be able to change your mind

Friends DD called in at 3.30pm from a car park in an unfamiliar city (just for background, couldn't wait in a house, just sat in the coffee shop near the car park).

tow truck arrived at 2am, but dropped her and pregnant female passenger at services at 3.10am to await next recovery vehicle as it was across different counties! Driver said he would have done the whole journey, but RAC wouldn't pay out of county charge.

Next vehicle arrived at 4.10am, driver was shocked and said he'd only been called at 3.20.

They arrived home at 5.50am next day. The DD paid a lot for a very comprehensive level of cover for peace of mind.

no apology from RAC and very disinterested.

I ad a very long wait once - overnight! On a busy roundabout too with lorries thundering past. They kept telling me they were an hour away, etc, but obviously weren't. It was about 10 hours. I'll never use them again.

My windscreen wipers stopped working in torrential rain on a busy A road. I had 3 kids including a baby in the car. Initially the call handler from AA couldn't understand why I couldn't drive home as "its just the windscreen wipers not the engine" then she suggested we just wait until it stopped raining. Luckily a policecar came across us while I was still on the phone to them and the lovely policeman sorted it all out. We have been with Green Flag since and they have been fairly good.

My car wouldn't start on my drive way. I rang at 6am. Luckily could work from home and a friend kindly picked up my daughter and dropped her at school.
lots of promises of shortly to be with me, but didn't arrive until 4pm that afternoon.
I know o was at home and safe, but I deliberately picked home start and onward travel because I'm a single parent with one car in the household.

they did write to me unprompted and gave me a month free. But when my renewal came I rang and cancelled. They asked why, as I'd been with them over 20 years.
they put it through formally and I did get a letter and a cheque for £25 about 4 months later.
With the AA for now.

*The RAC is now owned by two foreign (Singapore and Luxembourg) private equity companies.

They rely on people sticking with them even though they are defunding the business at a horrendous rate. Their service is worse and worse.

Ditch them.*

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccccccckkkkkkkkkkk
I signed with them on 27th August.
Can I CANCEL them today (just within 14 days?)

Cancellations
There is a 14-day cooling off period from your cover payment date, where you can cancel or amend the policy (excluding a vehicle change) upon your request. This type of request must be sent to Vehicle Benefits in writing to [email protected]

Does in writing include via email?

I broke down recently in a company vehicle that came with a commercial breakdown package. The breakdown person who rescued me came within the hour. When I said I was impressed at the swift service, he told me that the major breakdown services are subcontracting to local garages, because they cannot recruit enough staff of their own. He also said that because the AA and RAC have negotiated terms with garages that are not very financially favorable, helping AA and RAC clients is low priority for them.

I used to be with RAC - when I needed them as a lone female (which it said on their website they prioritised) they couldn't even give me a time! I was in our only car so DH couldn't help.

Some lovely cyclists, who had passed me on their way out, saw me still there on their way back and stopped and fixed my car!
I drove home and cancelled the call out and RAC membership asap.

I don't see why not.

I've got friends who drive Motability vehicles which gives the RAC cover who have been left waiting hours at the roadside with the disabled person in the car.
I'd never pay for their services. We've had Green Flag cover for years now. Thankfully not needed to use it but a neighbour used GF a few months ago and they came out within an hour.

Green Flag are great. They've come out to me twice and they use a network of local mechanics. One of them was able to fit a new part to my vehicle.

I was with the RAC for years but they left me broken down on the right lane of a roundabout at rush hour as a single woman with a disabled child and a dog in the car.

They said they couldn't come out for at least five hours. Thankfully someone came and pushed me to a safe location.

Autoaid is good, cover nationwide but call the local recovery people who are quick as they live nearby.