RAC Insurance, I've just had an accident.... (RAC)

Member Name: yorcie

Product:	RAC
Date:	23/06/01 (371 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick and easy, All taken away from you, No form filling

Disadvantages: Probably not the cheapest

You hear that mind numbing 'CRASH' as the other car hits yours...it is indescribeable.

With the car hit and the damage done, the whole thing is a 'snapshot' and is totally irreversible. Quite apart from checking that the other driver is alright (and that you are) your immediate reaction is to look at the damage and cringe. It is always looks worse than it looks.

Lets say, you, like me, have been paying motor insurance since Noah said 'cast off the bowline' and you rarely claim for anything. You now want a first class service to kick in. You want all this taken off your hands, you dont want to be waiting for forms to fill in or people to ring you back 24 hours later. you want an instant response, after all, thats what you're paying for.

In my case I have been with the RAC for about five years now and have only claimed once, when my car got broken into and had the window smashed. On that occassion I have to say they were great, the service was quick and I had my car back before I knew it.

On Monday 11th June I was leaving a filling station when I was hit from behind. This was at 7.15pm. We didn't swapped details and as I couldnt get my boot lid shut she lent me a bungy strap and a tea towel to protect the paint. I then bade her farewell and went off home for my supper. At 8.30 I rang my RAC insurance number from the booklet supplied. I explained that I had emptied the car of belongings but I was unable to lock the boot lid and it was parked in a street. 30 minutes later a flatbed tow truck was outside my house, 15 minutes after that I watched it pull out of the street. It was to be taken to a secure holding centre and delivered to the garage the next morning.

The next morning I was called by the RAC to ask if everything had gone well the night before. (now that's customer service) to which I expressed my sincere appreciation. They reported that it was in the garage and being evaluated that morning. The garage
would contact me. In the meantime she said she was now handing me over to my insurance company AXA who would deal with the rest of the claim. Well, that was a bit of a shock, I thought the RAC were my insurers (though I suspect that had I read the booklet properly I would have known this). I contacted Axa with a reference number and they were so very helpful and sympathetic to my problems.

I was day off on this day but had to emphasise that I needed a car the next morning as I worked 12 miles away. The car had to be assessed first by an approved inspector as to whether it was repairable or if it would have to be written off. Crossing my fingers worked because the garage rand me at 12 noon the next day to tell me my car will be repaired and the driver is just leaving now with your car.

Sure enough my hire car arrived 30 minutes later and was duly handed over.

The point of this opinion is to tell you of the service I received from RAC and as it happens AXA. The only thing I had to do was write down a telephone number, The service was absolutely brilliant and if I am paying £30-50 over the odds each year I don't really care. Its NOW that I need this to be dealt with swiftly. Saving money may have cost me more in all sorts of ways. I am definately staying put this year and I would recommend them to anyone.

If you want to compare the good and the bad, I work with the person that hit me from behind. Her insurance PROVIDENT was an absolute nightmare. I am about to write what has happened to her. As it happens she is only 21 and pays an extortionate annual fee for just having a ROVER 214.

When it came to the crunch (no pun intended) they were absolutely appalling. Please read my op under PROVIDENT
(out shortly)

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