RAC Reviews

Very poor service from a big company I broke down in Watford at 1430 and I got home 95 miles away at 0145 the following day would not use them again through choice

On 12th September I grounded my BMW Mini roadster Cooper S on a tree stump. My view was that the car would have to be craned off to avoid further damage. The follwing morning at 8.30 as arranged Phil from RAC arrived. Using great skill and ingenuity he was able to free the car undamaged. He was also friendly, and reassuring throughout. He is a great advert for your organisation.

Feeling sad and hopeless..

My car steering wheel was very very stiff and I could barely drive, turn and reverse. But I still drive as close as I could to home because where esle could I leave my car when I'm carrying heavy food shopping?

I asked the guy and he said it is a breakdown so it is covered in my insurance which I have been paying. But it turned out I'm 0.1 or 0.2 mile too close to my home and its not covered...



And you all know it has been difficult to get normal income during the covid-19 timing, thought we are suppose to help each other out not to mention I have been paying....

What am I going to do with the car now

Broken down in Shaftesbury RAC came out fixed our car excellent service Thank you

Had a disastrous experience being recovered left waiting for hours on end in unsuitable and dangerous locations, damaged my car and failed to return calls or emails of complaint to resolve.
A total disgrace.

Buck up RAC.
A summons is heading your way!

Try and cancel your policy - Impossible to get through. Makes me wonder whether this is intentional

Ive complained over the phone and don't seem to have gotten anywhere, so I'll do it here.

I was in a party of two when we broke down on the M5 on May 20th. We called the RAC at 6pm asking for assistance.
We were told on the phone that someone would be with us in an hour. Half an hour later, we received a text confirming this. After another hour (1.5 hrs total) we decided to ring the RAC to see what was going on. The woman on the phone stated that no one had been called to get to us and that we were now looking at another hour again before someone would get to us. We were on the side of the motorway and sitting amount get brambles, next to a bridge with some shifty looking people passing by. Explaining that we were becoming frightened on the phone didn't seem to bring any empathy.
It was gone 9pm before someone arrived and followed us to a nearby services.
After this, we were assured that someone would collect us to tow us home. After another three hours (6 in total), we rang to check this. Again, we were told that no one had actually been called out for us and that we were very likely to end up waiting all night. We were given the option of waiting in the hope of someone potentially becoming free, which the caller stated was unlikely, or that we could be booked a hotel room nearby. As no times were given for the hotel room, we decided there wasn't much point in taking that option as we just wanted to get home.
At 2am, someone arrived to take us home and did so.


We just want to leave the RAC, as we no longer feel safe and have no trust in your service. We deserve a refund for this year due to our appalling experience

6 hours to wait for these muppets I pushed my motorbike home 8 mile by the time they showed up. Customer service is terrible

What a selfish driver. Parking on the pavement. Well done RAC. Not. There was no driver present anywhere near the vehicle. There was no recovery inprogress neither.

Had exceptional service from one of your breakdown response engineers last night. Very helpful and informative. Arrived within 20 25 minutes which was impressive. He attended Amesbury last night at approximately 7pm. Please pass on my thanks.

My girlfriend got stuck on her own just after the Severn bridge and it took hours for collection. It took 25 minutes just for someone to answer the phone and that was one of about 5 phone calls. After the 4th phone call (waiting 25 minutes each time) I decided to make a formal complaint. The issue was they kept telling me they would phone back with an ETA and no one ever did. After I waited on the phone for 25 minutes for the fifth time and complained I had a reply within 5 minutes of an eta. I got told it would be hours and when the driver arrived he had run out of driving hours so droped her at a garage. There she waited a couple more hours until she got picked up and dropped to me at a car garage. 8 hours it took in total! What is the point in paying for a breakdown rescue service if they don't really give a sh..
I think I'm going to cancel my membership and go with someone like green flag.

RAC do a warranty on vehicles my advice is don't buy a vehicle if it offers you RAC warranty, the vehicle checks done by the RAC on my son's vehicle was substandard. Trying to make a claim I've got more chance of winning the lottery 10 times in a row.

If I could give zero stars then I would not that they even deserve that. Twice used 1 five hour wait in the middle of winter 2nd 6 hours and counting

Complete joke and waste of 6 hours of my life. My wife broke down in my car the day before so I bought a years cover online, coverage to start the same day. On the confirmation page after purchasing it told me the only service I could use More

RAC - RIP OFF!!! . I was told that I had all the cover that I had with the AA, Home, Roadside, get you home, etc but I have not had that. I called last year & was told that I did have it all. This years renewal has gone up again, even though I have not had to call them and I still do not have the correct cover that I asked for, I can have it at even more cost. So they LIE

Also, their phone numbers all have charges apart from the SALES so use that one. You would think that members would not have to pay to speak to them.
DD now cancelled and I'm off elsewhere.

Took out travel insurance out with them had a few issues and was on the phone for 68 minutes and someone picked up the phone and dropped it down again so tried next day waiting for an hour no one answers the phone so if you want an insurance company that's at the end of the phone this is not the one for you

AVOID THESE COWBOYS AT ALL COST!!! Took 8 hours to recover me, worst service ever!!!!

Excellent Service. Came Within 60 Mins. Very Quick Response, Super Fast , Amazing Guys, Always Know What They re Doing, Job is Spot On Perfect Well Done Guys. Will Keep Using These Legends. Thank You

Awful. still sat here waiting with a young dog, sat at the side of the road don t know whether to leave the car to go and get water in the boiling heat as I keep getting we will
Update you in 30 minute texts, so I can t lwave the car incase they turn up. Approaching a 4 hour waiting time now, how is this acceptable?

Hi customers ! I have contacted this RAC and find that this company is the worst one in the world. On 2rd of August our car was broken at 6pm.and my husband called the office of RAC and was told that they would send the lorry to our broken car. and three hours later the driver came to our car . He just checked our car and said that the engine had some problem. he did not repair it nor took the car away. It was 10pm we went to the pub where there was no any meals at all. My husband called the RAC to ask for someone to take our broken car away. The lady said that she would send another lorry to take our car away. However no lorry turned up I called them again, nobody answered it except the music and robot voice that told me to hold it. I kept holding the call for 3 hours , finally at 1.30 AM of 3rd a man answered and said that he would send taxi to picked us up. The temperature was 15 degree and dropped down 11 degrees from 26 degree at day time. My husband and I stayed in the broken car, we had nothing to eat and felt hungry and cold . At nearly 2.30 AM of 3rd the taxi came and send us home at about 3.30AM of 3rd August. After 5 hours' sleep, my husband continued to contact the RAC , still no body answer it until 1.3 PM of August, they answered the phone and sent a taxi to send my husband to the site of broken car. Meanwhile they send a lorry to take our car. What a nightmare! Their management is the worst one. Their service is the worst one. This company should close.

Useless idiots who couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery doenst even begin to describe the incompetence of this company.
Cancelled a tow truck and don't tell us so had to continually phone them to explain the situation promises made and not kept. Buy from them if you wish to waste your money

Only leaving one star because of not being able to leave minus ratings.

Absolutely appalling service.

Reassured we would be seen in 1.5 hours.
Took over 7 with continuous lies from the RAC team.

During that time we were continually told that the vehicle recovery would be any minute. Not to leave our vehicle. So we couldn't leave the car to relieve ourselves or take a walk to get a drink. In the blistering heat.

Absolutely appalling service.

Utterly ridiculous. Told via text we would receive an update very soon . 4 hours later, no response. After calling them, told due to the weather conditions it s a 6 hour trip to reach us. Didn t realise cold temperatures = 6 hour delays. It s been 6 hours and still nothing. Joke company, they don t even care, read the other reviews.

The service was excellent. The man who came to my rescue was patient and kind. He waited until we got to a tyre fitting place before he left. Thanks

Left me stranded on the m5 for 5 hours in a dangerous position with no safe refuge and then wanted to charge recovery and would not do anything but a safety tow To next junction and basically abandon me there 77 miles from home as described by your patrol man- as my mot expired during lock down even though the government has extended it by 6 months where the hell is it meant to be done if all the garages are shut. Your absolutely the definition of thieves and I will be approaching a newspaper with this.

use to be a good company just a RIP off company now . my case was on 28th march 2020. wrong fuel didn't use the service unable to get a refund even doe I didnt use the service.

A big thanks for rescuing from the Moors next to A39 in north Devon. Only a flat tyre, but it's one of those cars without a spare and the repair kit did not work. Got up to the resort on Friday night (late and dark), and provided a universal spare to get me to the tyre fitters, Kwik Fit, on Sunday....who also were so helpful.

I m a RAC Card holder with a family cars
Not happy with the quality of services
Feel like RAC staff make very upset
and cheat me

Need to discuss with someone from Complaints
Department or Someone from Head of the Team

Thanks

Left stranded by you lot on the A1 at midnight for 8 hours.

Thanks for that

Won't be renewing!

Automatically renewed the insurance just to wait 3 h on M1 on my first call to them. Kept lying about someone is coming to recover me, had to call someone else to come and recover . Save your money and dont paid them anything

Rang up on behalf of my mother today, advised that she had to leave her car at a pump at a petrol station two minutes from our house as she needed to get to work and then go straight to the hospital to see my dad. Advised that I would be driving my car to meet the engineer to give them access to the vehicle so I could get it home and then walk back to get my car. I understand that I'm not on the policy ..but for obvious reasons my dad can't be there and my mum also can't get to the car until late this evening. I can't push the car out of the way as it's an automatic and I'm unable to ask my dad to help me turn off the dump valve. No compassion at all. Just a 'customer service' advisor stuck on repeat.. who even advised that the employees at the petrol station won't like the fact the car is stuck next to the pump.

UPDATE:

My mum called this evening to be told the engineer wouldn't be out until 11/12 tonight... Again she had to be the one with the car.
She has work again early in the morning, she hasn't stopped inbetween work and visiting my dad and does not need to be sat outside waiting for an engineer at 11 o'clock at night.

I called back as I was pretty disgusted with the lack of empathy and customer service in general ...and I'm glad I did. Adam has completely restored my faith!
What a wonderful human being he is!
He has arranged for the engineer to contact me and for me to be present instead!!

Thank you Adam! 5 star+ rating for you!

Save your money - go with the AA - after calling them out after driving through water the patrol man continued to turn my car over and it went BANG - he had lied saying he didn't and they won't help me!

GO WITH THE AA - DONT GIVE THEM ANY MONEY

RAC? Hopeless.
This is the first time I've used my RAC breakdown membership and I am not impressed. I was told there would be a 3 hour wait before anyone would come out. This is in the centre of a city, not some remote wilderness. I was told that they were busy. Well, get more vans on the road because 3 hours is not acceptable and not what I paid for when I joined. I phoned a local tyre place and they came out ten minutes later and replaced my tyre - no extra charge for the call out. Brilliant.
I called RAC back to cancel the callout. It took another 10 minutes for them to answer the phone.
Later, I called customer care to make a complaint. Guess what? It's 4pm and they have all gone home.
No wonder they can't run a rescue service. Hopeless. Avoid at all costs.

Very poor response times. Ended up getting towed dangerously by a friend. Not waiting the 3+ hours in the dark to tell me my engine is kaput. Pointless and overpriced!!

I was have accident Month ago and I still waiting. I pay for brake down cover and they don't grab my car after accident. Poor company

This really is an appalling company. I won't write the entire detailed account of my grievance with them but to summarise:



Within this period, I have called/emailed multiple times to be told my complaint is being 'escalated' and I am writing this today after; calling yet again, being told a manager would call me within an allocated time, and then never receiving said call. Upon calling to enquire I was told I could not speak to management and my complaint would be.... escalated.

You are beyond infuriating, RAC!

This Really Awful Company has got to be the worst emergency breakdown service in history. Flat battery at 10pm in central London on a Wednesday evening and I'm told they couldn't possibly get to me until 5am. Absolute rubbish. They take increasing premium from you every year and provide less for them. Having been a member for 23 years I am lost for words at how poor they are now.

Terrible service as per usual. Now cancelled. 2 hour wait for someone to answer the phone? Pathetic. Twice broken down and twice been let down by shoddy service. Cancelled & looking elsewhere.

appalling customer care staff take money without authority and pretend its ok in their ignorance, all complaints dealt with by the perpetrators! no contact details beyond call centre staff as above. they confuse ombudsman with regulator financial conduct authority. unauthorised and unknown debits naturally illegal yet rac ignores this!! BEWARE!

After many years with the RAC I've switched to the AA. So many criticisms of the RAC. their phone menu when you try to contact them is so long winded - exactly what you don't need in an emergency, or at any other time. You can be on hold for ages, while the annoying automated man tells you how they solve most problems in half an hour. three hours is my typical experience. Seems like they don't have enough call centre or roadside staff. The roadside staff when they do turn up tend to be pretty good and have solved the problem, but half an hour on the phone, being told they are busy mid morning on a Thursday and a 3 hour wait for help is very poor customer service. They also charged me after I cancelled.

I work in the outbound department. Our managers are brilliant and very helpful. And the atmosphere within the team is lovely

Would go 0 if i could terrible company 3 separate breakdowns they have failed to provide the service they advertise the patrol basically complained that he would have to tow me and to phone back to advise that i had got going and to phone back in tomorrow as there would be nothing he could do the key cover they will just tell you keys break and thats not covered absolute joke

Waited 50 minutes for the RAC, which wasn't a problem. But unfortunately i had to wait four and a half hours for a recovery vehicle to bring myself and my vehicle to my nearest garage ,which is unacceptable .

Arrived within an hour of calling. Friendly prompt and professional service and the problem solved .

Advised I was going to go with cheaper on line quite as opposed to their reminder quite. Automatically reduced & offered extra cover on one item

Expletives are not strong enough to describe how bad RAC Insurance are. Avoid them and pay a bit more. They are terrible

There are long wait times with this company!!! This is not so great in the cold and rain!!!
We got a deal with the RAC when we bought our car, it is the first time we are using them, once the agreement ends I will be going with a different breakdown service!!!!

Super friendly and came out within the hour, very impressed.

Said they be 2hrs . But took 4hrs
Although very late...Nice friendly staff

Just know that if they say they provide warranty on a part, they won't come out if you don't pay in advance the call out fee. They are a scam company. Better to buy parts from elsewhere that aren't there to steal money from you any chance they get.

Whilst i have always found the RAC mechanics to be exceptional sadly the adminastrative end of the business has been daibolical as long as I have been a business customer. This year I had a van written off so bought a new one and notified RAC. Renwal came - as usual wasn't clear as to what was being renewed. Later got the invoice which stated I still had the old van on the policy not the new one! Rang up whilst on holiday (as they only speak to business account holders between 9 and 5pm!!) complained they said they had put it right but instead took off the old van but didn't put the new one on!!! Phoned up again this time changed but put the old van on hold on the policy rather than just simply removing it. Invoicing became a mess so as I didn't know what I was paying and had nothing in righting to confirm what vans where on the policy. Phoned to clarify at which point I was so fustrated I said I wanted to leave I was told I would be charged for it!! Asked to speak to someone more senior to address issue was told I would get a call back - 6 hours later nothing so rang again - same conversation was told I couldn't leave if I wanted to raise a complaint!!!!!! Someone would call me usually within 3 hours to address my complaint 5 days later still nothing. Having moved my cover to another firm so I can be sure of rescue should something goes wrong I am still waiting for my call back. RAC we live in a letigious sociaty I want things clear and in writting when I make changes to my cover, a call back when I complain and to be treated like a valued customer.

*Ridiculous charge for missing a payment accidentally*



I've changed the details and was specifically told that I wasn't able to avoid this charge. I would now never recommend RAC Home Insurance services to anyone because of this inflexibility.

I would like this enormous charge AT LEAST reduced.

Thanks, Samantha and Gerry

After being a member since 1981 with no problems i did not expect this to happen. On the night of 31st July 2020, My daughter was left on her own at the side of a road for 16 hours waiting for someone to come out (9pm - 4am). After the operator hung up the phone the first time of calling that night at 9:11 pm. She made another 4 calls after that to be told once the system could not tell how long someone would be to others saying in another 3 calls someone would be out in 90 minutes. she received a call at 2:16am to say an engineer would be out in another 90 minutes, just after this the police turned up to say that they had a call from a member of the public to say someone was sat in their car at the side of the road acting out of the ordinary. My daughter was terrified. Finally a recovery company turned up to take the car back to the house, no sign of an engineer that was promised. She then rung back in the morning to find out that the job was cancelled because the car was back outside my house. once someone finally came out to look at the car he was not pleasant at all. The attitude my daughter received from him was awful. he told her she was making his job harder by not having a towing eye for her car but she explained to him that when she bought the car there was not one with it and the reply she had from him was "well next time go and buy one because it makes me job a lot easier". He had equipment on the van to tow the car to the garage, in my opinion he was just plain LAZY.

Been waiting for them since 7am got told a time they were supposed to be here with me and never showed total joke avoid at all cost waste of our money paying g for a service that they dont provide

Drivers go home if near end of shift leaving you stranded on motorway for hours on end then to be told we re a matter of urgency only to see the second driver go to services have a few smokes and coffee to then drive away anyway absolutely disgusting I will be cancelling my policy immediately and am pretty annoyed I have to give one star as they don t deserve that avoid at all cost

KEY REPLACE USELESS, Still waiting for locksmith after 10 days. Car in side street 6 miles away, good service my xxx.

The Royal Automobile Club at Epsom, fantastic venue! How the othet half live!!!

My bike reg EA20KHG broke down yesterday R A C sent ashley wood to recover it I was at work so my wife was waiting when ashley wood arrived the man propteley anouced he was unable to load the bike alone and told my wife she had to help my wife is unwell waiting for major surgery and was not able to help him so my wife had to go and seek help from a neighbour my point is why do they send somebody who is unable to do the job he is paid to do and ask an unwell person to help him

On initial co I been told 60-90min waiting time. After 2h I had a call that I need to wait another 2h and now after 1h and 50min I had a call from actual recovery driver says that he is over 60 miles away and on his way.
If I would know that this will be that long I would call my m8 with trailer. I m in the middle of nowhere in total darkness and 2c outside temperature. Engine not running.

Like to thank RAC for repairing my jag so we could get to Bristol airport, big thanks to the main man Jason who did a fantastic job on the a30 today at sourton cross thanks very much mate for a great job if it was not for you my jag be on a lorry home what would that. have that cost RAC think your self lucky you have good men doing a great job

Would like to let RAC know they have a 5 star member of staff in their team and his efforts need to be recognised, towed us to a garage when he only had a few minutes left of his shift. We were going on holiday the next day and his extra efforts saved us such much trouble. Massive thank you to David Keeley 4372 (Suffolk)

Been with the aa for 5 years brilliant . Been with the green flag for a year they were good too . Swopped to rac and broke down rang the horrible helpline . Was told they be with me in a hour and 15 mins bit long but ok I can manage that . This was after telling them my medical problems anxiety and panic attacks . They turn up 2 hours and half later after I rang 3 times . Couldn t fix the problem so then had to send a recovery truck I waited another 2 and half hours for that aswell so all together I was waiting from 11.15 in the morning till 4.30 in the evening didn t get home till 6.00 plus once they take you to the garage your stranded from there luckily one of the garage guys took pitty on me and dropped me home . Phoned rac to complain told them how my health was effected nice guy on the phone I must admit . . .told them I want to cancel my policy . He says hang on I will speak to my manager comes bk with a discount which is still more expensive then aa . So never again AA will knock spots off the rac in ever department customer service and waiting times . Bye bye rac and thanks for nothing

Worse dreak down company ever save time and money and go with another break down company.

The worst company. Left us abandoned at road side as contractor went home because shift finished. Took 13 hours to get home and not by the RAC recovering us. Why says 60-90 minutes on the phone when we had to be rescued by family after 13hrs ?! Seriously bad company.

First time I needed them was a nightmare because it was raining hard and my window was stuck open. Was told 90 mins, then 3 hours, then 4.5 hours! I got rescued in 3 by a third party contractor. The second time they couldn't be more efficient! Picked up in 10 minutes then towed straight to a garage. Guess it's just luck of the draw but they tried their best both times. 4 stars just because of lack of communication the first time when I had a long wait.

Mixed feelings on the billing side of things. Fortunate not to have broken down for many years, so fingers crossed on the recovery side!

Yesterday i had to call out the rac as my clutch pedal broke whilst out shopping in the high heat i was told it would be 4 hours before id be seen when the man arrived dead on 4 hours later he was rude grumpy and wouldnt listen to what i had to say he said he wouldnt tow to the garage around the corner but said hed fix it on site he bodged the padel and said its ok to drive collected his tools and went he wouldnt follow me to the garage just drove off so tried to get there and with in a minute it had broke again so couldnt get gears the car was stranded in a busy high street again and i was not waiting another 4hours i pay for your service and got stitched up by a man that really didnt want to be there really wouldnt reccomend it to anyone.....

I'd just like to comment on what I believe is extremely poor service, my car broke down on an extremely busy roundabout, luckily and credit goes to a random rac driver who managed to tow me out of harm's way who was just passing, that's where the good service ends. I called the rac around 5.30pm, it took 35 mins to actually speak to someone informing them that it's an automatic and unlikely to be repaired at roadside as it was suspected cam chain problem.

I was informed that it might take 5 hours for recovery to turn up and I will get a message when he's on his way or close (never received this) so after waiting 4 hours a little VW caddy turned up from a contractor hired by the rac, how on earth would this be able to recover a large automatic estate car I thought. In fairness the contractor seemed a genuine and professional guy who quickly done a diagnostic test and as expected the car couldn't be repaired, so he informs me that he will book it in for recovery and I should get a message within 20 minutes with an ETA for the flatbed recovery truck, another 2 hours I wait so I call the rac again to get an ETA as it was getting a bit of a joke having to wait this long, I also asked why a caddy was sent when I informed them that is was highly likely it couldn't repaired, I was told that Initially I only told them I had an amber warning light on the dash, this is total lies and extremely annoying and unprofessional, he then told me that I should expect the recovery truck around 01.30am a full 8 hours from the initial call, with the car battery dying, my phone battery dying, the driver's window getting stuck open during this time and the heavens opening with severe lightning and torrential rain.

On arrival another contractor turned up at 0200 so in fact 7 hours 30 from the initial call, another professional man. The contractor informed me that because my car is low (standard) Its possible that the truck might rip my front bumper off and I would have to sign a waiver removing any liability from any damage, I begrudgingly signed it but luckily no damage was caused.

From making the initial call to getting home it took a grand total of 8 hours 30, the recovery truck only having to take me around 5 miles.

I didn't join the rac to have contractors do their job, I didn't join the rac to wait so long, they are supposed to be a breakdown, rescue, recovery service.

Sadly I paid for a full years service as if it was monthly I would promptly cancel my cover as it was a total shambles of a service, the operators on the phone didn't offer an apology for the time it was taking.

I warn future potential customers, avoid like the plague.

Absolutely SHOCKING emergency breakdown phone service. Waited over 40 minutes and still no one picks up. Either tell your staff to stop sleeping on the job or HIRE MORE! Extremely DISGRACEFUL service when you could be in a dangerous situation and pay a big fee to be part of the service, VERY POOR.