RAC Members Beware
Having been a member of the RAC for about 20 years, I had cause to use them on the 13th of April.
We were towing our twin axled Bailey down into Kent for a few days. Our tow car a Discovery 4 suffered catastrophic engine failure just as we left the M20 (be grateful for small mercies). The RAC were quick to the scene, I'll give them credit for that. The RAC man himself full marks. Quickly diagnosed that this was no roadside repair. So far so good. " Don't worry we will get you home and your caravan, that's what we do". Roadside rescue and recovery for the car and caravan is what I was led to believe I had paid for all those years. Much confusion at the RAC offices, eventually given a number to phone of the recovery specialist who would get us all home. Recovery specialist "No I can't talk to you, I have to have an email or a phone call from the RAC offices. In any event my boss says not to take on any more RAC jobs." Back to RAC again. " OK don't worry, here try this number instead". Duly phoned said number, " Yes can do, be with you in a couple of hours. It's about 80 miles to Barnet so that will be £1043 please. What's your card number?" "Oh really, hold on I'll just call the RAC back and query this". The RAC roadside guy was as puzzled as me he couldn't fathom out what was going on either. Another call to RAC offices, "Yes your caravan is a bit over 6.5 metres, ( it's about 8 metres actually) so we now classify you as a commercial recovery so you'll have to pay the fee." "Really, when did this change happen?" "Errr 13 days ago 1st of the month." At this point I was very restrained and managed to hold back from expressing my view in good old fashioned anglo-saxon phraseology! We got back to Barnet about 4 hours later and £1043 lighter! Thanks RAC you were terrific!!! Now my question: Anybody have a view on the services provided by Green Flag as the RAC is no longer of any use to me?
Thanks
Rod
Answers
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Did you have RAC Arrival or ordinary RAC cover?
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Exactly why I asked. You can now get Arrival without being a C&CC member.
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RodB, I'm a bit lost on this one.
Are you saying that you took out the correct policy and were covered at the start of it, but RAC changed the terms and conditions part way through. If that is the case you should have been notified in advance of the changes. You should have redress against them for the costs incurred.
Colin
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The RAC length limit is normally 7m, but this is the body length and not the overall length. This often causes problems with customers when the breakdown provider staff do not understand. I would send a formal complaint to the RAC pointing out what you believe was their error and asking for the money back and compensation for their staff failing to read their own policy.
If you look at the figures you will find the overall length of most caravans is over 7m and their staff's interpretation of that clause would render the policies useless.
If the original policy covered you, they would have to have notified you of the change and you need them to prove that. I do not believe they changed he wording though it was just an error at their office.
I would then use the clubs own Mayday policy it is cheaper and the service is very good.
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Have had to use Green Flag/ Mayday on more than one occasion! We received first class service every time and we were transported home complete with caravan on the trailer. No length/ weight restrictions and they even towed our caravan to our storage compound, reversed van in for us, and then took us back to our house! Excellent service every time, even when not towing! Would highly recommend. Also cheaper!!0
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As far as I know neither the RAC not the AA will recover a defective caravan regardless of length when there is nothing wrong with the tow vehicle. Green Flag does though.
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CaravanOscar Max
This is copied straight from the Arrival overview page, perhaps the issue arises from the terminology RAC and RAC Arrival.At least Mayday has a separate identity from Green Flag.
I see now if you take an Arrival Policy out,you get free Membership to the Camping and Caravanning Club,which doesn't seem fair for members who have a pay for both.
Cover for your vehicle (as long as it’s under 3.5 tonnes) and also your caravanAny towing vehicle is covered as long as it’s designed to tow a caravan and weighs less than 3.5 tonnes. There are no height, weight or length restrictions for the vehicle you tow.0 -
I have had mayday green flag through the CAMC for a few years and a year ago I suffered a tyre blowout on the M6 smart motorway on the caravan, The car managed to drag the van on its wheel hub a mile to the nearest rescue bay. I was lucky that day! I was on the phone to the police screaming at them to put the matrix signs on but there was total confusion. I was lucky i didn't become a statistic. anyway, having left the vehicle and got behind the barrier I had to use the emergancy phone, couldnt hear my mobile due to the road noise. I stupidly asked motorway control to get green flag out. several texts came, recovery dispatched from warrington so wouldnt be too long but just as that happened there was a pile up on the other carridgeway! recovery phone me a few times to check position etc and the truck sails past on the opposite side but stuck, took him 30 mins to be able to get around to me, so far I had waited an hour - motorway control had given green flag the wrong location they said but I clarified it all with them directly.
Anyway, blowout is on the off side next to the live lane and spare is under the near side so van needs jacking and quote sensibly the guy isnt putting himself at risk and he, I and his control keep phoning motorway control requesting lane 1 closure and a barrier, trouble is the matrix signs dont work! this is a week after the panarama!
takes 3 hours for a motorway patrol to turn up, they were understaffed and had gone to the pile up on the other side first. lane blocked by patrol and the recovery jacks my van and gets the spare on, then shadows me to sandbach services into the hgv park. at this point I go into the van to find the blowout has caused the floor, arch box and insulation to be wrecked and the van is covered in polystyrene shreds and tyre fibres! I dont want to tow it further and I am on my way to Blackpool so I ask for recovery to blackpool and am told a flat no! "your towing that home at slow speed - your not using that" and to be fair it couldnt be used so he left me too it and I towed it back to storage and had to change plans and sort a claim out.
3 weeks ago whilst going to CAMC wareham hunters moon I became aware of mechanical trouble with the car, got to the site at slow speed and was told to call them out the following day, which I did. Local guy comes out pretty quick, gets in the car we have a slow drive around the site "driveshafts have gone""take it somewhere local you will be ok not towing". So took it a local place who disagreed with driveshafts but couldnt do it anyway. in the meantime I get a text from green flag saying "due to your temp repair we won't cover you for this problem unless you produce a receipt for repairs". I go ballistic on the phone. "its a standard text" told them no repair made, he didnt jack the car, he didnt even look at the driveshafts. I get escalated up.
both the GF operative and the garage i went to in Wareham said "you wont be towing back" SO I told the manager i was escalated to that they would be recovering me and the van from the site 200 miles home.
they then admit "it will cost us a fortune" and offer me 2 options a, they try and find a repairer for the car and recover it to them" and if not available they will hire me a tow car on the Friday for the Sunday departure.
8am the following morning I get phoned to say they have a place in bournemouth and are coming for the car, 1 hour later its gone and 5 hours later the garage gives me the news I was dreading. repairs authorised and completed green flag covered a taxi from the site to the repairer (some 20 odd miles) and the car towed the van home.
TLDR although covered they will look to avoid recovery of a caravan where possible! Mine is 7.25m long.
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There is nothing smart about so called ‘smart motoways’. In my view whoever came up with the idea should be shot! Extremely, and unnecessarily dangerous places to suffer a mechanical failure. Being stuck in a live lane of a smart motorway, just terrifying. I speak as an experienced retired Met Police traffic patrol. Well done to you for having the gumption and courage to drag your caravan on its wheel rim to the emergency lay-by. It’s a bit safer than the live lane, still not a desirable place to be but better than nothing. In all my experience I really struggle to think of a more risky motoring situation than a breakdown on a so called ‘smart motorway’.
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There is one element about Smart motorway that is a positive and I wish it could be implemented on all motorways. The variable speed limit really does help in keeping traffic moving. I despise the demise of the no hard shoulder though an think it is extremely dangerous.
Colin
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For many years we have always used Mayday rescue, Mayday will recover the vehicle and caravan if the driver is injured or becomes ill.
In recent year we have changed to a Mobility vehicle it come with all dancing RAC Premium cover, we pay an extra £65.00 for RAV Arrival add on. We have been away on holiday I became ill apparently if you become ill no recovery tough luck, reading through buried in the small print if your caravan breakdown again tough luck, RAC recovery seem to have a lot of hidden caveats in it policy.
Before we go away again we will sign up to Mayday Rescue, we will not renew our RAC Arrival in September.
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"Mayday will recover the vehicle and caravan if the driver is injured or becomes ill."
But only if you pay for "Extra Care", @Oscarmax. The basic Mayday policy is the same as the RAC one in that respect in that it won't cover providing a driver if the main driver is incapacitated. I have Extra Care on my policy since Ros wouldn't drive my car, let alone tow the van if anything happened to me.
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