RAC Reviews

Name: RAC
Rating: 1.43

1.4 Rating 2,842 Reviews

10 %

of reviewers recommend RAC

Company Reviews

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Metrics

1.4

Based on 2,842 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Own Driver, Courier
Average Delivery Time	Next Day
On-time Delivery	Greater than 21%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders	Greater than 76%
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Telephone, Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In	Over A Week
Customer Service	1.3 out of 5
Returns & Refunds
Refunds Process	Difficult

Phone:

801 82 82 82

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102

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Sort by: Most Recent Most Recent Highest Rated Filter: None None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“This company is dreadful, one of our company vans broke down, so we called RAC, they charged us for it, and it has taken me over 2 weeks to get a copy of the VAT receipt for our accounts. I am still on the phone to them, and still waiting for it. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. They are so useless. I'm not sure how they are allowed to do this. It is legal requirement to provide a VAT receipt, and they are not doing it. Considering getting the police involved as they are acting illegally!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Been playing around for most of the month, we tried to get a black box installed and they just didn’t turn up the first two times. Finally got it re arranged and they cancelled our policy without telling us, still sent an engineer and didn’t know we were driving an uninsured car for month of the month. The least friendly and unresponsive people I have ever come across you are such a joke”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“I started calling them at 1230 am and and still on hold 30 plus minutes later. This is hardly peak breakdown time - no one has even answered the phone. What kind of emergency service is this ???”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“My advise is to keep clear. Why, well on the 01/07/2019 I broke down on a main on a main carraigeway, I phoned for help and was told it would take 2hrs to get to me as they were very busy,so I nursed the car home approx 3 miles,at an average speed 15 miles per hr,I had another call and the operator told me it would be another 2 hrs,then at 21.15 I was called again and was told it would be the next day at 08.00 hrs because it was a bit late,so I waited until 10.00,still no assistance, so my friend towed me to his garage and diagnosed an egr valve problem, job done,I got back home and a mechanic called to my house at 12.15 and informed me that he was given the call out at 11.00 that day, not very good service, when I took the plan out I informed the rac that my car was a wheelchair access car,because my wife was paralysed and could not walk,it was a good job that she was not with me when I broke down,I received an apology by email from the rac, and said that it would not happen again,and that you can be sure of,because I am going elsewhere.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Would give 0 stars if I could. Broke down Sunday at 4.15 didnt get home until 17.5 hours later. Mechanic actually made it worse as didn’t have the right tools and broke the ignition rod. Never got any updates”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“I started my car and it sounded dreadful - it loved, but only just. I called the RAC and had to pay £175 to join in a ‘pay as you go’ membership. The call centre said it would be three hours before a mechanic attended. While we were still on the phone dealing with the membership, someone else tried to call from a mobile number I didn’t recognise. The RAC call handler told me to answer the call in case it was the mechanic. It was and he said he’d be there in 15 minutes (not the three hours I’d been warned about). He arrived, diagnosed the problem and told me the car was just about ok to drive and he’d go ahead of me to accompany me to the local garage half a mile away. We did that and he left and I realised I could have saved myself £175 and called the garage the next day. A week later, my battery went flat and I called the RAC. I was told it would be a four hour wait for a mechanic and I would be charged £80 (or was it £85?) for the call out! I remonstrated and said I’d paid £175 just a few weeks ago. I was told that’s how ‘pay as you go’ works. There is a call out charge every time. I cancelled the call out and found a friend who made the drive to me with jump leads (something I’d been loathe to do due to the time of day). Hugely expensive!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“It's extremely rare for me to write an review, but I have to make exceptions for RAC. My car broke done on M1 six hours back. In last six hours I Must have called RAC more then 10 times but no sign of any support from RAC. Every time I called, am given only assurance that dispatcher will be sent in some time but they can not guarantee when dispatcher will attend my car. As per last call dispatcher will be free in 3 hours if he/she is not diverted to another call. Looks like one dispatcher is attending whole country. Never knew some organisation can be such pathetic.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“My wife broke down at 10pm in the car with only our 7 year old daughter, we weren't members by phoned RAC around 10:20pm and after 25 minutes on the phone finally managed to get an overpriced "pay as you go" membership costing £175 (compared to the £4.12 per month that is advertised on their website - not applicable if you have already broken down). I explained to him that it was extremely urgent as my wife was on her own with our young daughter and it was already 11pm, on top of the fact that they were stuck on the hard shoulder of the M40 in an area where the barrier is 6 foot high so they couldn't even step off the hard shoulder to get out of the way of other vehicles. Before setting up the membership we were told that recover could take "up to an hour". Longer than I would have hoped for but I thought it would be quicker to go ahead with this than trying to arrange another company. For 3 HOURS they waited there, scared out of their minds, always thinking that a lorry was going to not see them and run them over, I kept calling to ask where on earth they were, after an hour and a half it turns out they weren't even put on the priority list!! Then even once they were, they couldn't give us any estimate of when a recovery vehicle would be sent. Eventually at 2am they called and basically told us that they had nothing available (despite leaving a woman and young child in mortal danger for hours) and they would not be coming (despite us having been told it would be 1 hour and taking £175 from us)! In the end we had to call a different company who managed to turn up after about 90 minutes, finally arriving at 3:30am, getting them home at 4:30am! All that wasted time, stress, fear, money could have been saved if they had just told us from the start that they couldn't recover us. What an absolute disgrace of a company, who should really be ashamed of such awful service.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Disgraceful service, took RAC 15 hours to attend our car which had a flat battery. Initially said we had an aged parent at home who needed our attention, fell on deaf ears. Two of us made our own arrangements to get home whilst the third person waited for information, eventually it came, "We are to busy and you are a low priority, we will arrange for a taxi to take you home" Next day (15 hours later) they arranged for a taxi to take us to the car where the RAC guy fixed the car, he was good. As for the overall service I was totally disappointed as I have been with the RAC for several years. NEVER AGAIN”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“I was told 3 hours for recovery but they will prioritise as there is a 4 year old child roadside. We are now 5 and a half hours later and still no sign, called for update and now saying earliest will be another 1 and a half hours minimum. Disgusting treatment, no updates and I will be changing provider.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“**PLEASE DO NOT USE THE RAC** I broke down on 22nd June 2019 at 6:13pm. A very secluded road, surrounded by trees and fields which seemed to be shooting clay pigeons. At the time I was under the age of 18 and my friend was only just 16. I broke down in a very dangerous place, I was causing an obstruction, I called the RAC straight away, I wasn’t a member at the time so I was vulnerable with no breakdown cover. They charged me an extortionate price to become a member for the service they provided. We started off being told someone would be out to us to see if the car could be recovered or repaired. I was sure the car was not repairable so I was awaiting recovery in all honesty. We waited and waited we had no updates. Eventually a repairman arrived and said that the car needed recovery. At this stage I knew the vehicle he arrived in was capable of towing the car, I asked the question and he said he’d have to call a truck.. I was confused but went along with it as he said I’d have a call within thirty minutes to clarify a time they’d be with us. After waiting thirty minutes I was confused as to why we hadn’t had the call. I left it for another thirty minutes. After an hour in total I called, I was told another thirty minutes. We waited and waited and nothing happened. After waiting a while I then received a call around thirty minutes later. Telling me someone would not be out until around the hour of 11pm. I was furious and expressed this to the manager, I was spoken to in a very horrible manner and was then made aware that the RAC told the repairman not to tow the car because they were busy and we could wait. Two female minors, left in a dark, unsafe location causing an obstruction, with no toilet, food or water. We were genuinely concerned for our safety. The place had no lighting and we were in such a vulnerable situation. At 12:43am the following morning the truck turned up and recovered us. I did not get back to my home address until 2am. For 8 hours I was in an unsafe location and was stripped from all facilities of human nature, throughout this time we had no food, we didn’t have a drink and weren’t even able to go to the toilet. As two young females under the age of 18 we were extremely scared. After arriving home we went straight to sleep to then receive a notification from my INSURANCE company to tell me my policy was being CANCELLED! The black box I have doesn’t require the engine to be switched on for it to track so it tracks any movement. So even though the vehicle was on the back of a recovery vehicle, it tracked that the driver who was a contractor of the RAC. After panicking about this I had to then gain contact with the RAC to receive proof that my vehicle was recovered during the times which it was said to have been speeding. This driver was driving at ridiculously unsafe speeds doing nearly three times the speed limits! After receiving this documentation I decided to complain to the RAC - DONT WASTE YOUR TIME COMPLAINING THEY ARE NOT EMPATHETIC AND WILL NOT SPEAK TO YOU NICELY. A month later, I am still in dispute with the complaints team as they refuse to give me any sort of refund and I have been spoken to so rudely! I am extremely surprised that a company as reputable as the RAC treat their customers like this! DO NOT GO NEAR THEM!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Short version of long story - I broke down on M11, called RAC at 9.30pm, they failed to keep me informed as to likely recovery time, every time I called them I was given revised ETA which was not met, recovery vehicle eventually arrived at 2am. Lone female, waiting four and a half hours in pitch dark and pouring rain. Had to sit in car after three hours (contrary to safety advice) as I was so cold and wet that shivering had set in - had to choose between hypothermia and the risk of being hit by fast-moving vehicle. RAC subsequently responded to my complaint by sending me what’s clearly their standard apology and a cheque for £60. I shan’t be renewing.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Still waiting after four and a half hours. I was told the ETA was 20.30 at 22.00 I called again only to be told it would now be 02.30. I explained that I am 100 miles from home in the middle of London. Terrible service. Total lack of honesty and they just keep putting you off.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Brilliant service. Vauxhall corsa had a couple misfires on motorway but I carried on until St Mawes. I strongly suspected the coil system (again). Called out RAC at 4.15 and they promptly arrived at 5.20. Fitted a new coil and checked all levels on oil and water. Gone and sorted by 6pm”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“An absolute shambles of a company. If you are vulnerable at all or have regular vulnerable passengers do not waste your time with this company. They leave you at the roadside for hours on end - I’ve had two experiences of this and they fail to communicate with you. Staff forget about you, give incorrect information and you end up walking an hour home 6 hours later for you to call them (waiting at least 20 - 30 minutes a time for them to answer at all) and they tell you someone will be with you shortly. I’d been told that 6 hours ago!”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“On Tuesday 22nd I had a car problem and had to call the RAC I called at 17:30 and eventually got through at 17:45 and gave details etc and was told that it could take up to 5 hours. It probably won’t but we have to advise the worse case scenario. I wasn’t too happy about the thought of sitting in my car till possibly 10:45, but was hopeful that I would see someone sooner. I then called back around 20:30 to get an update and was then told that it could now be up to another 3 hours, so now an hour longer than the original worse case scenario of 10:45. But what could I do, so I got ready for a late night in the rain. Now at 23:00 I again called for an update, to now be told it could be 2AM, now making it possibly 3 hours over the original 5 hours advised. At 1:55 I again called this time to be advised at long last someone was on the way. He arrived around 2.15. When talking to him I found out not only did he work for Green Flag, he was given the job just after 2AM. Which makes me very curious about all the other expected times I was given throughout the evening. If during the first call I was advised it could take the length of time it did I would have called a taxi and got home, instead I was left sitting in a car and eventually got home around 3:30. Due to this, I would like to cancel my membership and be refunded as It only started a couple of months ago. I feel totally let down by the service, and that being given 4 different times, and an 8 hours wait is ridiculous. Below is their reply Thank you for contacting us about the service you received on 23 July 2019. We always plan ahead and knew the weather would be hot, meaning more people would be travelling and the number of breakdowns would increase. We planned for this and ensured extra Patrols were on the road and more colleagues were available in our contact centres. Unfortunately, the extreme temperatures meant demand for our services was even higher than anticipated. Whilst we worked very hard to meet the demand, like many other service providers, some of our customers had to wait longer than we would have liked. We appreciate you will be disappointed with your breakdown experience, however, I hope you understand that the exceptional weather conditions are outside our control and so we're unable to provide any compensation. I assure you we will continue to use our experience and expertise to provide you with excellent service, should you need assistance in the future.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“My niece and her partner who are both profoundly deaf were travelling north on M5,with their baby daughter,, when they noticed the temperature gauge had risen above normal. they pulled in to a service station and text called the RAC. They were told it would be 3 hours before anyone could get to them and they were busy as it was the hottest day of the year. when the patrol man arrived he checked the car and told them it was a sensor fault nothing to worry about. He went on to tell two deaf people to listen for any unusual noise from the engine. That shows his level of understanding. They carried on up the M5 and the car broke down with smoke coming from under the bonnet. The outside temperature was 35 degrees and they had their child in the car on the hard shoulder. The RAC told them it would be 5 hours to get to them. As there was a service area about 400 meters up the road they decided to take the chance and walk to it. A kind lorry driver pulled over to help. The RAC eventually arrived at 1:30 am and told them the car would be recovered at lunch time the next day at a cost of nearly £300, which had to be paid up front. Their cover only included recovery within 10 miles. They had to book in to the motel at the service station and loose a days pay as they could not get to work the next day. The following day the recovery truck arrived and took the car and them to the M5 junction with M42 where they had to wait for another recovery vehicle. They eventually arrived home over 30 hours after their first text to the RAC. Neither my niece nor her partner could be described as vulnerable but communication is more difficult for them and given that they had their baby with them this level of service provision is not just disappointing it is downright disgustingly unacceptable. The RAC should be ashamed to call themselves a recovery service.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Hopeless waste of money using RAC. Been stuck since 4.20 am phoned them only to be told will get help at 8am. Rubbish service as if I am not paying for it. Will never use it and would not recommend. Cancelling it today.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Completely hopeless, phoned the rac at 13.16 pm today, now 17.51 & still no sign of them.Worse than useless.You have just lost another customer to Green flag.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“So bad they even managed to lose my car!! I had a bad car accident at 7pm last night- all 3 airbags in my car went off and the fire engines were called to the scene to help move the car to the side of the road. I rang the RAC to get my inoperable car towed to a repairer. After a 3 hour wait, they sent a truck from a local garage who, after trying to move it for 20 minutes or so, gave up stating that he was unable to deal with the tow as they needed a larger truck. Spent a further 5 hours on the phone being passed from pillar to post whilst the RAC tried to find a 'larger' truck (for my Audi TT) each time I called I had to explain the whole situation all over again to a call centre as though this was my first call. Each time I was promised a call back and never received one. Eventually I took a cab home in disgust having to abandon my vehicle. Finally had a call at 3.30am from a further RAC contractor stating that he would pick it up and text me where he had taken it to or call me if there was any problem. When I woke up at 8am there was no text and no call so I rang the driver but it went straight through to voicemail. I called the RAC and asked them where my car was - they said it still hadn't been picked up and they would put it through as a new job and would take another 2/3 hours or so. FINALLY at 1pm today a tow truck driver called to say he was there but he couldn't find the car!! -it has mysteriously vanished (apparently) - so they suggested I called the police to see if it had been towed away by them. So I spend the rest of the day on the phone to the police, my insurers explaining the situation, and the RAC (again- who have no record of it being moved nor even a record of the driver that called me at 3.30am). Another day wasted and worrying about my car until out of the blue at 7pm I got a short text from the 3.30am driver with the name and postcode of the depot where he had taken my car - Why did the RAC not know this? Unbelievable! The whole experience has been like a bad dream - awful beyond words. A bunch of 5 year olds could run the RAC better than this. These guys are supposed to know what they are doing and are supposed to provide a service and yet very little information I gave them was logged and each department didn't know what the other was doing. Every person I spoke to assured me that I would get a call back and yet I never did. I can understand that at certain times they are busy but the whole internal customer service system is appalling beyond belief.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

RAC is rated 1.4 based on 2,842 reviews