To think it's not worth me being an RAC member

[StrandedonM6]

I've name changed for this to avoid links to my previous posts.

I'm an RAC member and have been for about 20 years. On Friday night I had car troubles on the M6 and pulled into the services. I stopped next to a car that was being tended to by the AA and was chatting to the couple while trying to work out what was wrong with the car. The AA guy said it was probably dangerous to drive and on learning I was an RAC member said to call them.

I called them at 9.30pm and told them I was a lone adult female with two children in the car - one of them a baby under 4 months old. They said I would be flagged as the highest priority in the area and someone would be with me in under two hours but I would receive a text update within 15 minutes.

I received no text update so at 10.30pm I called back and was told no marker had been put on the job to say I was high priority and they would do that now and phone me back immediately with a response time.

At 11pm having still not received a call back I rang them back to be told "you're not the only priority you know" and that the response time would be 4 hours (so 3am). I told them my phone battery was low and I was worried staying at the services until 3am with a small baby (who i was running out of bothles for) and another child. They said they would put me on hold and see what they could sort. When she put me on hold she cut me off.

I rang back and spoke to someone different who said they were going to get a private contractor to come out to me and would call me back in 15 minutes with an arrival time.

Just before midnight I rang back as hadn't heard anything. Was told they had been unable to identify a private contractor and at present they had no idea what the arrival time would be but 3am looked unlikely and it would more likely be the next morning. They offered to book me a taxi home which I accepted. They rang back 5 minutes later saying the taxi was on its way and would be with me in 10 minutes. I also got a notification text with the taxi details.

At 12.30ish I rang the taxi that hadn't arrived and he was at the services but southbound instead of northbound. I rang back RAC who confirmed I had told them northbound and cancelled that taxi saying they had booked another one and it would be with me in another 10 minutes. Again I got a confirmation text.

Just before 1am I rang RAC back as the second taxi hadn't arrived. Got told that taxi had cancelled the job immediately but RAC hadn't thought yo either book another one or contact me. They said they were struggling to book another one but would ring me back in 5 minutes.

In the meantime the original taxi (the one originally on the wrongside of the M6) arrived. The taxi driver said RAC had cancelled the job but after having spoken to me he was concerned I was stranded and as he had to pass the northbound services anyway he thought he'd check so he took us home. I rang and notified the RAC who said they would pay the driver.

At 5am (yes 5am) the RAC phoned to say there would be a delay getting someone to us. I told him we had got a taxi home and were not with the vehicle. He said oh good as it would be about 7am before anyone would be there.

At 10am a private contractor phoned to say he was on his way. He had been told by the RAC I had been with my vehicle all night and was expecting to pick up us and the car. I explain to get the keys and asked if he thought he could fix it. He said he wasn't there to fix it (though thought it was a simple enough job) but was there to put it on a low-loader and take it to a garage where I could then sort out repairs with the garage.

There really is no point to my RAC membership is there?

Another vote for Britannia. They use local firms. A recovery truck met us at a service station on the M4 within 45 minutes of calling on a Saturday morning when our engine light came on. Fix wasn't possible there and we were on the truck and away half an hour after he got there.

The bloke who picked us up had a lot to say about working with RAC and AA. None of it was good.

That's terrible.

I paid £39pa for basic AA cover (no home cover etc) and they also send me a £20 gift voucher so it basically costs me £20 each year.

For that they have always come out within an hour for me. I'm in a build up area though.

I was with the RaC for years and on the few occasions I had to use them I didn't have a problem . I got my renewal and it has gone up loads so I rang to see if they could do me a deal. Almost the first queafion I was asked was whether I use my car for business. I do have business included on my insurance as very occasionally I have to go to a different workplace, same company but a different site so I was told in no uncertain terms that unless I paid even more for the renewal I'd risk being refused service when they checked whether I had business insurance

I questioned this strongly and he double checked and apparently that is now their policy so a public service warning to check this out if you're in a similar position

I'm now with the AA for cheaper price and better cover, I know it's a special offer and will be more next year but I can always shop around

RAC service is atrocious ime. My dm died this year and trying to get a refund from them took four months. They confirmed the amount but the promised cheques never arrived. I asked them to transfer directly to my bank account, they agreed and then never happened. Eventually got a cheque nearly four months after she died, no apology, no acknowledgement of their poor service, no apology for repeatedly addressing me by my mother’s name…
The service I received was frustrating, but there really is no excuse for the appalling service you received. What a dreadful experience.

RAC are atrocious. We are AA members, but after a Chelsea tractor totalled my car driving into it whilst I was parked,I called my insurance who used RAC. Waited 7 hours from 4pm to 11pm as a lone female in a built up but not very safe area.

I have called AA 3 times, and everytime they have been with us in around 30-40mins, even in rural areas.

I was stuck in a carpark watching a fascinating parade of drug deals one night for what RAC initially estimated 45mins and turned into 5 hours.

I decamped to the nearby 24hr McDonald's for a bit but it was equally terrifying with more risk of actually being assaulted for "looking at me like that".

Silver lining, the guy got it going again in 5mins when he finally arrived.

Anyhoo, don't stay with the same company for more than a year - they absolutely fleece you for your loyalty.

I switch between AA and RAC annually but might try Green Flag this year. Use a cashback site and you'll generally get a chunk back depending on the policy level.

I can't recommend autoaid enough. I've been with them 15+ years. Used them 5 times throughout day and night, and they've been outstanding every time.

They're an insurance policy, so they contact a 24hr breakdown service close to you. They come quickly, as they appreciate the business. You pay the mechanic. Autoaid reimburse you in full within 7 days of your claim. £60ish per year gets you the same level of cover as AA/RAC 's highest cover.

It's a no brainer to me.

https://www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/

I agree with all those who are telling you to follow the RAC complaints policy and go to the ombudsman if it gets that far.

If anyone receives a letter saying your RAC membership is continuing for free, beware. For the past two years I received letters saying my membership would continue for free. I was impressed, thinking it was to encourage customer loyalty. That was until I had an issue with my car window.
When I called them to fix my window which wouldn't close at 5pm on a Friday, they told me that "membership only" meant that I wasn't covered for breakdown and said I would have to pay £89 for them to come out to fix my car. What is the point of being a member of a breakdown company if it doesn't give you breakdown cover? I told them that the letter didn't state that I didn't have breakdown cover. All it says is "Membership only". It should say, "This does not include breakdown cover".
I was in a supermarket car park at the time and feeling unwell, so I told them that because my car was driveable, if they would compromise and just let me go home, I would pay the £89. The advisor refused to compromise and said I would have to pay even more if I went home, despite knowing that I was unwell. I felt like I was being held to ransom.
I was treated so badly by the RAC that I contacted the AA and paid for them to come to my house. Although I still had to pay the AA an emergency breakdown fee, they were courteous and arrived at my house within 20 minutes.
I won't be buying breakdown cover with the RAC again.

AA are just as bad after waiting 12 hours for them at a service station we switched to green flag, we have only had to call to home( we have home start) they have always been here in about an hour. Much cheaper as well.

My experience wasn't as bad, but I'm cancelling my membership after last year's debacle.

Short version: drove from Fife, heading for Ballater. Got an overheating signal as I approached Glenshee Skiing Centre. This was about noon.

Pulled over. Phoned. Told the chap I just needed to someone to top up coolant, I thought, to get me to Ballater. (I realised that the van had passed its MOT, but the coolant hadn't been checked. No sign of a cracked radiator.)

Firstly, he couldn't find Glenshee on his map. Then he told me that all they could do was to take the van to a garage at my destination and that I wouldn't be entitled to forward travel or anything else.

The garage he wanted to have me towed to doesn't do repairs - filling station only. I had to give him the name of another garage.

I was told that I'd get priority, being a lone (senior) female. Their partner vehicle would be there in 8 hrs...

I pointed out that the garage would be shut by then. No alternative was suggested.

I told him to cancel the call - I'd chance trickling into Ballater. Made it in and the garage topped up my coolant.

RAC have been excellent every time I've needed them..I get coverage through my bank .

Last year we got a warning light come up on the dashboard. We pulled into the services and phoned the RAC. They said we were ok to drive for about 50 miles. I explained we were 150 miles from home and 200 miles from our destination. Their solution was for us to drive to the nearest town and look for a garage. Not sure why we're paying a fortune every month to be told that! As it happens, a very nice AA man pulled up beside us and offered to have a quick look. He had It sorted and we were on our way within 15 minutes.
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FAMILY STRANDED FOR HOURS BY DISGRACEFUL RAC

When my family returned to my vehicle in the Legoland car park around 4pm the vehicle would not start. They rang the RAC and reported the breakdown; the app informed them that service would arrive between 11pm and 1am! They immediately rang and explained that they had two children with them aged 6 and 8. The park would obviously be closing and there would then be no facilities. The agent said she would record that and that they would try to get someone there by 9. The timings on the app failed to update to reflect this. They rang again a little later and asked for confirmation that the recovery would be earlier. None was given so they asked to speak toa manager and was told that they would call back. No call back was received. They rang again a little later and spoke to someone who said he had a vehicle half an hour away and would manually direct it. The RAC vehicle arrived at 9.20 pm, 5HOURS after the first call. My family were then told that if he couldn't start the vehicle they would have to wait until the FOLLOWING MORNING for recovery as his van could not tow my vehicle. He did try very hard and finally got the vehicle going, my family arriving back in Bristol at 1am. When I tried to raise a complaint I was told that I couldn't speak to anybody as that wasn't the procedure. I would have to email my complaint and then, up to TWO WEEKS after, when they had "CONSIDERED THE COMPLAINT" I might be able to speak to someone. When I told the agent to cancel my membership immediately and send a refund for the rest of the year, I was told that there would be no refund as I had "USED THE SERVICE"
If the RAC have the temerity to call their expensive provisions a SERVICE, then they clearly have their own dictionary with their own personal definitions of words that the rest of us understand differently. RAC you are a DISGRACE. You have deliberately designed your complaints policy to make it difficult for customers to make a complaint, so I am forced to resort instead to a public review.
Paul McMillan