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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

RAC- Over 6 hours wait and still they can't come!

23 replies

PoisonousSmurf · 24/05/2018 22:29

My husband broke down on the way home at 4pm. He was leaving early so that we could go out for my birthday meal.
As he is a lone male, he is way down on the list of priorities, but he can't leave the car as it's in a dangerous place and has to stay nearby waiting for them.
He is still over 25 miles away from home. Is this a ridiculous time to be waiting? Sad

OP posts:
Homemenu1 · 24/05/2018 22:34

Yes, the rac aren’t great tbh I went back to the AA after my last call out.
There aren’t enough patrol cars, and if he needs a truck which can take his car it willl be even longer

Autocorrectible · 24/05/2018 22:36

Oh yes. The RAC. I remember breaking down at 9pm on the hard shoulder of a busy motorway. I was a lone female, at night, so a priority (alledgedly). RAC turned up at 2.30am...

BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 24/05/2018 22:37

If it's any consolation the AA are just as bad. I broke down as a lone female on the side of a dual carriageway, they never got to me and I had to be rescued by the police and taken to a safer place to wait for a recovery vehicle.

Imstickingwiththisone · 24/05/2018 22:39

I've recently been thinking I need to get some breakdown cover too Shock I can't believe how poor that is!

Original poster
PoisonousSmurf · 24/05/2018 22:40

I'm just so worried! Wish he'd just dump that crappy car and let me come and rescue him.

OP posts:
listsandbudgets · 24/05/2018 22:41

Dp waited 45 hours once!! Fortuately the car was simply refusing to move from driveway so more annoying than disasterous but even so.....

Witchend · 24/05/2018 22:46

Green flag were great when I broke down. To be fair I was a single lady with a toddler.
They sent a text within 2 minutes of me getting off the phone to say they'd be there within 20 minutes and were there in less than 15.

Ds was delighted. What is better than a breakdown truck to a 2yo boy?

Getting a ride in said truck after watching it load rather sad suspension broken car.

He cried when I said we would get our car back not the truck. Grin

TheIsland · 24/05/2018 22:47

A lot of it depends where you are in the country. When I lived in Birmingham it was usually within 90mins but when I was in Devon it could be 3-4hours.

BackforGood · 24/05/2018 22:51

Wow, that's shocking. Shock
It's not even like it is a busy time / day / weather for them - like snow storm or Bank Holiday or anything.

I'm with autoaid. Have never waited longer than 50 minutes, ever. Quickest was 7 mins.
I'd be wanting my subscription back from the RAC.
Autoaid is also massively cheaper.
(Don't work for them nor hold any shares, honest Grin)

Original poster
PoisonousSmurf · 24/05/2018 22:51

This is central Bristol.

OP posts:
Knitjob · 24/05/2018 23:00

If it's in a dangerous place would the police move it somewhere and then at least dh could go home? They towed mine into a layby once when someone crashed into me and my car was on a corner making it tricky for oncoming cars to see it. Then I got to go home. I can't think what I did about the car keys though, if I left them with the car, which was obviously not stealable at that point or the breakdown people didn't need them?

DoneAdulting · 24/05/2018 23:15

Our car wouldn't move when we got back from holiday at Heathrow airport (after a 12 hour flight too!). Two of us with 5 year old in a car park middle of nowhere and they couldn't get someone to us that DAY, we had to get an Uber to the nearest Travelodge and stay the night and an Uber back to the car in the morning, then another 3 hour wait! It was torturous.

user1471468296 · 25/05/2018 07:40

Agree with a pp that Autoaid are brilliant if you're looking to switch after this (and no I don't work for them either!). About £40 a year for you and your spouse for any vehicle you happen to be driving at the time. They use local recovery companies so I don't think you get the big delays AA and RAC have on busy nights. Often recovery is within half an hour and we must have used them at least a dozen times (need to get better cars!). Always really surprised they aren't more popular.

Chickencellar · 25/05/2018 07:52

We use autoaid as well , used them a few times no issues. Longest I have waited was 45mins.

Chopchopbusybusy · 25/05/2018 08:07

RAC are shit. I waited hours for them to come out. Fortunately the car was on my driveway so at least I wasn’t on the side of the road somewhere. When he did eventually arrive the bloke was really unhelpful. I’d never use them again.

Sirzy · 25/05/2018 08:10

In the defence of the rac the twice I have needed them they have been great.

Hope he got sorted!

bluerunningshoes · 25/05/2018 08:11

I hope he's home now.
I agree if he's in a dangerous position you should call police (non emergency no) if roadside assistance takes longer than half an hour.

Turnitupdrhill · 25/05/2018 08:18

My DH recently waited 5 hours to get RAC rescue. It comes as part of his lease car package and he was told the contract is 'very valuable' to the RAC so he would be treated as a priority. I wonder how long non priority breakdowns have to wait.

Mmmmdanone · 25/05/2018 08:20

Oh no-i was about to renew with AA or rac as had 6 hour wait for my current rescue service (LV). I might try autoaid.

Lallypopstick · 25/05/2018 08:21

If the police move it there is a charge as they'll take it to an impound.

EnglishRose13 · 25/05/2018 08:40

When we had really bad snow, my dad broke down. He's a delivery driver, and couldn't leave his van.

Took over five hours for someone to rescue him.

It also took two people to get stuck before his company called all the drivers back to the depot.

Original poster
PoisonousSmurf · 25/05/2018 15:59

He finally got home at 1am. And then went straight to bed as he has to get up at 6am to go to work.
His car was taken to a garage by the RAC and they dropped him home.
We are waiting to see if the car can be repaired.
It's a heap of French junk in my eyes!

OP posts:
londonrach · 25/05/2018 16:06

They not as bad as aa believe me as didnt come till next day and i was lone female in the dark. Green flag comes within an hour. Been with green flag since

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