"Be with you within 15 minutes" - over 3 hours later.... (RAC)

Member Name: Kayteehee

Product:	RAC
Date:	05/07/09 (71 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: They fixed my tyre

Disadvantages: Over 3 hour wait, rude staff, left 18 year old girl on own at 3am

Three years ago when I passed my driving test my step-dad kindly got me RAC membership. He had been a customer with them for a few years and when he rang up to get my policy he asked them what it would provide. They said that if I broke down as a lone female I was in their priority list and therefore they would aim to get to me within fifteen minutes. Sounded great so we went ahead with it.

Didn't have to use them for a few months and then went to my friend's 18th birthday party and was the 'dessy-driver' no alchopops for me! After the party 4 of my friend's friends who I didn't know that well climbed into my car for a lift home. Shortly down the road, I realised that on leaving the car park my car tyre had been punctured and was completely flat!! Ahh! Me being the typical female driver I am, though I had seen a tyre being changed before I had no idea what to do now... I asked everybody in the car if they knew how to change a tyre, unfortunately they were well beyond intoxicated...so that was a no-go.

I assured them all that I would be fine as I had RAC cover and they would be with me in around fifteen minutes, so despite being after midnight, they left the car and started to walk home. I was fairly low on phone battery when I rang the RAC.

The operator took my details and then came the shock. She said someone would call me WITHIN THE NEXT 90 MINUTES to give me an ETA. I was confused and asked her to repeat this. She did. "90 minutes to give me an ETA?" "Yes" she said in a very off voice. "Well I was told that as I am a lone, young female driver that I am on your priority list and that you would aim to get to me within fifteen minutes". This angered the operator who said "FIFTEEN MINUTES? We've never said that before!!.. I've only got one patrol operating in the whole of Yorkshire and he is an hour away at the minute on another job, how on earth do you expect him to get there within fifteen minutes???" I was thoroughly annoyed at the rudeness of the operator and replied that well when I was persuaded into buying your cover this is what I was told, and not that there was only one patrol available in the whole of Yorkshire, the biggest county in the UK.

Anyway I was left with no choice but to sit it out, and around TWO HOURS later they did call me and say they would be with me within the next forty minutes. I tried to stay awake in my car, it was now almost 3am and a random man appeared and started knocking on my window, he was walking home and wanted to see what I was doing. This was very scary but I kept my doors locked despite him asking me to open the door. Shortly after the RAC man arrived, later than I was told. He sorted my tyre in about five minutes and left. He was pleasant and I was too half asleep to complain about the rude staff and not being able to be attended to for about three hours.

I was throughly annoyed at being spoken to in such a rude manner by the RAC operator when quoting something I had been promised by their staff when purchasing their breakdown cover. I wish I had seen fit to complain about how I was treated but instead I changed policies to the AA who come much better recommended and seem to have a lot more patrols.

The moral of the story: DO NOT listen to RAC and their 'promises', and learn how to change a tyre, no matter HOW blonde you are :D

Summary: RAC = Rude, Arrogant and erm... some other word I'm probably not allowed to say :D