RAC European Breakdown Lack of Cover
Discussion
A few friends and I went to France this weekend for a motoring holiday. My mate and I both got RAC European Breakdown Cover - Comprehensive version.
On friday, his car engine broke. We are both enthusiasts for this particular car and the engine failure was terminal and requires a specialist to rebuild the engine.
So on Friday evening he phoned the RAC european breakdown line and then the fun began. First of all, they were telling him that he would have to accompany the car to the port and push it onto the ferry to repatriate it. This isn't the idea of comprehensive cover - the idea is that you are covered to hire a car to continue your holiday. Any way, after hours on the phone at international rates, and by lunchtime on Saturday, a breakdown truck, arrives. The driver speaks no english. Luckily our B&B owner was able to translate and after an hour we sent him home as he was hoping to take the car and leave it outside his garage until Monday morning. This is not acceptable as it is a sports car and needs to be secured not left on the street.
So the pick-up truck came on Sunday morning and was to store the car securely until Monday morning when the car would be repatriated.
Today the RAC and saying that the car either needs to be fixed in France (not an option by any stretch of the imagination) or the owner will have to go and collect it as it is not economical to repatriate it.
The car is worth between £6,000 and £8,000 and the cost of repatriation is something like £500. The owner paid a premium which is about 10% of this cost and now the RAC are suggesting he might never get the car back.
Please, if you are looking for European Breakdown Cover, look elsewhere. I have been a member of the RAC for 15 years but I am utterly disgusted by their attitude
Any advice on how to resolve this situation quickly would be greatly appreciated...the longer the car is left the less likely it will be in one piece when it comes back.
Thanks
Andy
On friday, his car engine broke. We are both enthusiasts for this particular car and the engine failure was terminal and requires a specialist to rebuild the engine.
So on Friday evening he phoned the RAC european breakdown line and then the fun began. First of all, they were telling him that he would have to accompany the car to the port and push it onto the ferry to repatriate it. This isn't the idea of comprehensive cover - the idea is that you are covered to hire a car to continue your holiday. Any way, after hours on the phone at international rates, and by lunchtime on Saturday, a breakdown truck, arrives. The driver speaks no english. Luckily our B&B owner was able to translate and after an hour we sent him home as he was hoping to take the car and leave it outside his garage until Monday morning. This is not acceptable as it is a sports car and needs to be secured not left on the street.
So the pick-up truck came on Sunday morning and was to store the car securely until Monday morning when the car would be repatriated.
Today the RAC and saying that the car either needs to be fixed in France (not an option by any stretch of the imagination) or the owner will have to go and collect it as it is not economical to repatriate it.
The car is worth between £6,000 and £8,000 and the cost of repatriation is something like £500. The owner paid a premium which is about 10% of this cost and now the RAC are suggesting he might never get the car back.
Please, if you are looking for European Breakdown Cover, look elsewhere. I have been a member of the RAC for 15 years but I am utterly disgusted by their attitude
Any advice on how to resolve this situation quickly would be greatly appreciated...the longer the car is left the less likely it will be in one piece when it comes back.
Thanks
Andy
Your friend needs to carefully read the terms and conditions of the cover he took out. 'Comprehensive' means different things to different companies. If the RAC are in breach of their contract with your friend he needs to seek legal advise.
Whilst the car is still in France it may be accruing storage fees. He needs to consider going for it sooner rather than later. He can try and recover these costs in any subsequent legal action.
What sort of car is it?
Why can't the Frogs be entrusted to mend it?
Whilst the car is still in France it may be accruing storage fees. He needs to consider going for it sooner rather than later. He can try and recover these costs in any subsequent legal action.
What sort of car is it?
Why can't the Frogs be entrusted to mend it?
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