Name: RAC
Rating: 1.43

“Don’t nit ever use rac breakdown they lie about how long they will be , I’ve been waiting over 5 hours and have just had someone turn up I was told at 7pm someone would be with me in 45 mins , I told them that my step daughter was taken to hospital with a serious condition and I had to be here urgently. I was waiting on the m1 from 6,30 to 10 when a non rac contractor came and picked to up but could only take me Watford where I had to wait until 12.30 am to have my car put in a low loader lorry RAC tried to sell me a tyre at £360 when the tyre only costs £185. They should be ashamed of themselves and this was the worst experience ever and would never use them again. I will be asking for a full refund of my policy Beware”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Do not use RAC breakdown assistance Do not use RAC breakdown assistance Do not use RAC breakdown assistance I am writing to complain about the recent encounter I have had with one of RAC road side assistants. I called for help as my battery was dead, the assistant turned up and did the necessary checks. After diagnosing the vehicle he concluded it needed a new battery and gave me a price. I told him I would shop around and asked if there was any price matching services available. At this point the assistant became rude. He did not like that I was asking questions and simply answered with 'look on the ap'. At this point he said he had another job to go to and began rushing the service and dismissing any questions I had. When I questioned the change in customer service he was giving me he said accusingly answered 'well you could have stole this vehicle because it has no plates' and 'I'm doing you a favour by looking at it'. This concerns me for two reasons 1) if my car was stolen would the RAC help the thieves if they paid for a battery. As until up to this point he was compliant to fit a new battery should I have paid for one. 2) this made me feel obliged to buy a battery and that the service I am entitled to wasnt actually entitled even though break down cover is included in my car insurance agreement. And I have contacted the customer service to find out about the battery price match and the lady on the phone said no sorry we dont that and than i said to her say it on your website and she said oh didnt know that let me transfer you call to another team they may know something I dont and i said ok after I was waiting for like 10min been placed on hold someone else answered the call and I had to repeat my self about the price match and he did know nothing about it I haven't got no idea why they put out a false advert it's so shocking u real. Overall I am disappointed in the service I recieved. I believe I should be entitled to receive a better experience. I expect a response in the form of email or telephone call to resolve this issue at the earliest convenience. Kind regards Ari”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Terrible service. Do not recommend to anyone”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“They are just awful. Lied throughout the entire process then called back to say nobody was free so they wouldn't be coming to recover the vehicle! I could go on forever, but believe me when I say they are a disgrace.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“I was broken down yesterday in Luton. Called RAC for the first time. I have thier business cover paying about 130 pounds a year if not more. They took nearly 2 hours to recover me to their recommended garage from RAC name Fensomes on crescent road, Luton in the night. I left my car in their car park over night as it was Sunday and late night left my keys to one of their member. Well, when I came to the garage in the morning and talk to the lady over the reception, she asked mechanic and mechanic says we don’t deal with this kinds of repairs. But hang on a second why RAC can do this to me. It was recommended by RAC. Anyway, when I called RAC again and asked them to recover me to other garage, guy over the phone said it going to chargeable as I have to pay. He redirected me to customer services and it was only a voice message telling me to email address to correspond to them via email. In this state of mind when I called again I talk to lady she said oh because it was recommended by us, we can recover you. How come on earth same RAC is willing to recover me. I have been told I will get recovered within 90 mins. Now Its been nearly three hours I am waiting for RAC recovery. I called them after 90 mins but they saying I got to wait for recovery man call. I am really ashamed that I have been relying on this unreliable service for last few years. It was my first call ever to them. I am one of the most unhappy customer of RAC. I don’t recommend it to anyone. Thanks”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“I was broken down yesterday in Luton. Called RAC for the first time. I have thier business cover paying about 130 pounds a year if not more. They took nearly 2 hours to recover me to their recommended garage from RAC name Fensomes on crescent road, Luton in the night. I left my car in their car park over night as it was Sunday and late night left my keys to one of their member. Well, when I came to the garage in the morning and talk to the lady over the reception, she asked mechanic and mechanic says we don’t deal with this kinds of repairs. But hang on a second why RAC can do this to me. It was recommended by RAC. Anyway, when I called RAC again and asked them to recover me to other garage, guy over the phone said it going to chargeable as I have to pay. He redirected me to customer services and it was only a voice message telling me to email address to correspond to them via email. In this state of mind when I called again I talk to lady she said oh because it was recommended by us, we can recover you. How come on earth same RAC is willing to recover me. I have been told I will get recovered within 90 mins. Now Its been nearly three hours I am waiting for RAC recovery. I called them after 90 mins but they saying I got to wait for recovery man call. I am really ashamed that I have been relying on this unreliable service for last few years. It was my first call ever to them. I am one of the most unhappy customer of RAC. I don’t recommend it to anyone. Thanks”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Broke down on the way home about 4 miles from my house. Believing I had breakdown cover with RAC I rang them only to be told they couldn't find the policy number and that I don't have cover with them. Was told I would have to pay £175 for them to come out and take me to a garage. As it was late and no garages were open the guy agreed to tow my car back to my house. When I rang customer services (Esure) the next morning to explain my circumstances and that I still needed taking to a garage I was told that actually I am covered by RAC for all breakdowns whether it be on the road or at home. Tried then to explain this to the breakdown line who said they would send someone out within the next two hours however a recovery vehicle never turned up. On top of that I am getting no response regarding reinbursement of the £175 they took from me. Very poor service **HIGHLY NOT RECOMMEND**”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY DO NOT RELY ON THEM IN AN EMERGENCY. My husband suffered a very severe allergic reaction having been stung in between his eyes whilst we were riding our motorbike back from a weekend. This required a 999 emergency ambulance as his face swelled and he couldn’t see as both eyes were so swollen. After treatment I told the ambulance no worries as I have full RAC recovery which includes driver assist . When I phoned the very rude agent ( such a shame I can’t post his name ) first told me I didn’t have recovery and could only be towed 10 miles. When I said this wasn’t correct he told me “you need to read the small print!” How rude. I then to,d him to check again as I knew this wasn’t right then he said oh yes I made a mistake. He then demanded the ambulance print out documentation. He even argued with the ambulance paramedic who told him it wasn’t possible . We went round in circles with him demanding this otherwise we would have to pay a huge call out fee and a price per mileage to get home. He wouldn’t even tell me the cost of this. He refused to let me speak to a manager even though I asked this several times. I explained this was a medical emergency and we needed to get to a hospital as advised by the ambulance. He hung up on me. I tried a second customer agent who just kept saying unless this document could,d be emailed they would not do anything as this was their process. The ambulance technician had given them all the details of call sign time and job number they could easily have verified . The ambulance managed to print off some data personal and private from their machine which I told him I had in my hand but they still refused. I told him I didn’t know how to emailand he said I bet you are calling from a smart phone of course you know how to email it. Seriously no concept of customer care or a realisation older people don’t necessarily have these things on their phone or if they do they don’t know how to use them) By this time I was in such a state of distress. My husband getting worse , ambulance gone getting dark and 50 miles from home with a huge motorbike I can’t ride. Again I asked to speak to a manager he ( again wish I could publish his name) told me there were none working on Sunday despite telling me a few minutes earlier he had spoken to his manager. So a lie . I asked him to stay on the line whilst I walked to the pub nearby to see if anyone could help me email and he said no. He hung up on me. 3 rd call I got a lady who said she would see if the email had arrived and I got cut off. Convenient. Fourth time so by now 2 hours later on the point of having to recall the ambulance or leave the bike and get taxi home and I spoke to a man who got things organised and was kind and sympathetic but it was still going to be 3 hours. They would try and hasten it as it was a medical emergency. They subcontracted the job and the guy was excellent it was still 5 hours from starting the call to getting home. My husbands allergic response was by this time worse as we had not been able to take the advised meds as they were at home and he ended up in hospital for 24 hours on a drip of steroids andantihistamine and a week off work. I rang to complain and they haven’t even asked for the details. I had a generic email saying it could up to 8 weeks. Policy cancelled . Wish I hadn’t paid 15 years worth of money nearly £400 a year in the thought I could rely on them in a real time of crisis. SHAME ON YOU RAC AND SHAME ON THE 2 OPERATORS. I HOPE IT HAPPENS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. I would upload a photo of what my husbands face looked like but it is too shocking and who knows what they would do with it. Have a good laugh probably . Disgusted . I read the small print it says they require documentation NOT that you have to email it from the ambulance or side of road. They could have got this so BEWARE . There’s a reason the 1* rating is 86.6% . Just wish I’d known and not just autorenewed .”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Avoid at all costs. My husband has been left for 5 hours waiting to be recovered 16 miles with his moped. Absolute joke”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Terrible service, took money for a renewal without my consent or communication, then after waiting 20 minutes to speak to an advisor via their customer service line I was told I would need to be refunded by cheque. Cheque arrived in the wrong name, emailed and sent a letter requesting new one with no response. Finally picked up the phone to customer service team again today, to be advised that despite all the delays and the name on the cheque being incorrect I have to wait another 14 days because "it is process" as they have to cancel the old one before issuing a new one. Representative stated they hadn’t received my subsequent email or letter and that they were not aware that call wait times had exceeded 20 minutes. Whilst he didn’t outright say I was lying it was heavily implied, and his tone was highly condescending which did nothing to defuse my frustration and in fact fuelled my irritation as ultimately the RAC took money from me without my consent! I advised that I wanted to raise an official complaint as it does not take 14 day to cancel and issue a new cheque to which I was informed I do not know their internal processes and as they would need to complete a formal investigation I would receive a respond in 2 months (I'm believe that's what they said but could be 3) these responses are not normally by phone but as I stated I wished to speak to someone they would log it on the ticket. I am totally disgusted by the way this whole situation has been handled this is a terrible company, it has been a terrible experience and their customer service is disgusting. Avoid at all costs!”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“took 8 hours to sort flat tyre i had to pay xtra to take wheel off”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“A terrible service, and I was lied to throughout. Broke down on a busy motorway with lorries thundering around it. Nowhere to go except stand on the edge of the road. Broke down at 7.45 pm and got 'rescued' at 3.15 am. They never once phoned me to update me and every time I called they gave me a new time window that they didn't stick to. Switching to a competitor and will NEVER use them again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“RAC breakdown. The lady on the breakdown helpline was very pleasant and helpful but sorry did not get her name. The patrol man got to me in 20 mins. Mark patrol number 4213 replaced my dead battery and checked oil which was in need of a top-up with great efficiency, what a lovely guy so helpful and knowledgeable, my car is now back on the road, thank you Mark & RAC”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“It's pretty simple: they couldn't provide the service I'd paid for. I too have a long and very stressful tale of woe, but it all boils down to this: AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Had an accident at 2.30pm in Doncaster heading for Edinburgh. Waited 3hrs to be picked up and taken to Wetherby half an hour up the road. Dumped that for 1 1/2 hrs then taken to Washington services. Left there for another hour. Then taken to Carlisle waited 1 hrs then picked up and taken to Abingdon. Waited 2hrs then taken to Edinburgh. Journey time Doncsster to Edinburgh usually 4hrs max. Journey time via RAC 15.5 hrs . Lied to me all the time throughout.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“THIS FIRM ARE A SET OF JOKES. Broke down twice and first time sat for 5 hours and second time sat on a u lot motorway for 4 hours and no sign of them. I wouldn’t have my enemy join the RAC. Guys please avoid as these guys need closing down”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Made me wait over 12 hours for recovery. The whole team: managers and even the sub contractors were telling Fins. No communications or updates from HQ. Every 2 hours I was promised they will be there within 2 hours!!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“I am absolutely disgusted with the RAC - travelling from eyemouth back to hawick in the scottish borders, my peugeot completely conked out on a notoriously dangerous stretch of road with blind bends and no grass verges for us to stand on away from the vehicle safely. I had my 5 year old daughter, husband and 2 dogs in the car, phoned the RAC at just before half 6pm to be told there would be a 90 min wait. We had to phone at least 5 times for ANY update as no one phoned us at all for hours, we even had to hang up once as the call handler took so long to give us even a response knowing full well my husbands battery was dead and mine was very low! Around 9pm after calling again we were told to WALK to find the nearest hotel!? In the pitch dark with a child, 2 dogs and with the nearest town being 11 miles away with the very real risk we could have been hit by a car! The reason for this being as apparently no recovery service would take the job within a 50 mile radius! By this point we were all freezing esp my daughter and if it wasnt for kind passers by who helped push my car to a more safe location, gave my daughter food and even offered to go and get blankets God knows what could have happened! At half past 9pm we finally got a call saying the RAC were going to call us a taxi from Kelso who arrived roughly just after 10pm with us getting home at 10.45pm having to abandon my car in the middle of no where for the night. The disasters continued the next day including phoning to lodge a complaint only to be told someone would call me back, am in now was surprised that that call never came! The recovery drivers the next day that eventually got my car back were more apologetic than the RAC have been, informing me that I am definitely not alone in being horrified by the lack of service provided. I'll be swapping providers asap as clearly doesnt matter to them who is in the car or if you are in very real danger either.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“First time I have used the RAC and will never use again. I called at 11:30 to say my VW T5 was unable to drive and required towing. 12.5 hours later we arrived home after 15 irate calls to useless automatons in their call centre, with two transfers on motorway services. The independent recovery firms who actually did their jobs, recounted numerous stories of how bad the RAC are, and actually proved they had not been contacted until 30 mins prior to there arrival, which meant that the RAC knowingly left us sitting in various locations for 3-5 hours. They deserve to go out of business.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Online Registration process directs to nonexistent server for email confirmation”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

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

RAC Reviews