On Friday I was travelling up the M1 planning to stay with my parents, as they live about 15mins away from Bill Gywnnes Rally School, when I hit traffic.

As the traffic picked up I went to change from third to fourth but the gearstick wouldn't budge, it was stuck in third. I pulled onto the hard shoulder and exited at junction 9 where I rang the RAC for recovery. The time was 15.30.

They eventually turned up ay 20.00 after many calls chasing them up. At 18.00 I was told I was next on the list as soon as a truck became available. The garage that picked me up let me see his call sheet. He received the call at 19.15, nice one Mr. RAC.

Everytime I rang to chase the RAC they assured me that I would be picked up within their 160min. response time. Until that was I rang on the 161st minute where they appologised and said that they were unusually busy this evening so I would just have to sit tight.

Scoobysport had obviously shut by this time so I had to get the car transported home and hopefully now they are on their way to come and take it to Scoobysport.

On Friday they offered me a hire car so I could complete my journey and as if 4.5hrs wasn't long enough to arrange it we ended up driving araound North London for an hour and a half locating a branch of National Car Rental that was open 24hrs! The RAC said the I would have to get a taxi to get to the rental gaf, could you imagine how much that would've cost driving around aimlessly. I refused to get a cab and insisted that the recovery driver take me to the hire car which he did (he was glad as he didn't have to go fixing cars out into the cold!)I ended up picking up a Focus at 22.30 from Finchley.

Well done you bunch of t0ssers!!

 

Mmmm. If they don't have anyone available, then they don't have anyone available. If they have too many people sat around doing nothing their costs go up and so does the membership fee.

Swings and roundabouts, if you ask me.

 

My crank position sensor cabling worked loose and as such my car died three times in a five day period. Each time I was on the way to southend or back so was on the side of the motorway.

I joined the AA for the first time this year and used this opporunity to claim on my membership. each time they towed my car without even sending a repair vehicle first. hey just took my word that they couldnt fix it (ironically later I found they probably could - loose wire was by ecu).

Each time they arrived within an hour and took me exactly wehere I wanted to go. They texted me regular updates on the location of the recovery vehicle and when they would arrive.

Could be more impressed. One of the best uses for £80 I can think of.

 

4.5 hour wait, not good .... I've always been lucky with recoveries, but that amount of waiting would certainly put a crimp in your weekend.

 

So Devils,

you'd be happy waiting for nearly five hours then being driven around North London for an hour and a half looking for a hire car that they've known about for the last six or seven hours?

Friday afternoon I was meant to be on the p1ss. Obviously this never happened.....gutted.

 

Mo,
You never know, the 4 and a half hours that you were waiting could have been due to another couple of RAC members requesting that they drive them to the nearest car rental station to pick up a hire car.....

 

Mo,

No I wouldn't, but sometimes s*** happens!

What do you expect them to do if they have no-one to help you? Magic a RAC man out of thin air?

 

I've been with them for the past few years and have never had a problem, even coming to pick up my car out of a ditch, where someone had pushed me, only took them about 90 mins.

 

My better half had to call the AA when the alarm decided it didn't like the keyfob any more. She was in a multistorey carpark in town in the middle of the day with two kids, so didn't qualify for the women first rule, but the guy arrived within 45 minutes. He knew it wouldn't be a quick fix, so he brought her and the kids home and collected me to go and wait while he fixed it. You wouldn't expect this kind of service from your mates. The RAC staff seem to be as helpful, but when you reach their call centre they don't seem quite as organised. If I was looking at a 4 hour wait, I would prefer to know at the start instead of being strung along

 

Green flag have always arrived within 30 minutes on the four times that I've used 'em. (twice for my f'kd renault 19 16v, once for immobiliser on an astra not working, and 1 for a snapped accelerator on the morris minor convertible).

Slightly disappointed that they didn't have the gumption to bring a piece of cable to fix a snapped accelerator cable on the Minor, as all it takes to fix is a small bit of cable, but they low-loaded me for 80 miles instead, so I can't complain.

Nick.

 

The AA are tops....
My other 1/2 pranged the scoob into another car (not her fault-honest) and we rang the AA from the roadside, they said it was chargeable if I needed a recovery and I would have to claim off the other persons insurance BUT if we could drive then it would be part of the service and free.

So in the 30 mins it took for them to turn up I removed the bumper and glass and plastic from the innter wing, just enough to unfoul the wheels & get going again and tbe AA man gave the DIY bodge the thumbs up, followed us home and then took her off to work in his truck, as you say they do stuff even your mates would hesitate at.....

Dan

 

I have to give the RAC a thumbs up from me I have used them 3 times this year and each time they have been swift and helpful....

Been with them for 3 years now and it is the first year I have had to use them.......twice for my poor little baby and the third for someone elses car

 

Do you work for the RAC, Devils?! the words tosspot and you spring to mind......


Gordo

 

Gordo,

Nice one! Can't come up with a useful comment so you stoop to personal abuse. Re-read the thread. If the RAC don't have people to send, then they don't have people to send. Is that concept difficult for you to grasp?

And, No, I don't work for them.