The RAC left me stranded at the roadside for 13 hours after I broke down. A mechanic arrived almost three hours after I first called, and said my car would need to be recovered. I paid £195 for this. By 10pm I was still waiting with no updates. I called seven times and was promised callbacks that never came. After 12 hours, I was told no recovery vehicle had been ordered and that none was now available. A taxi was later dispatched to take me home at 11pm and my car was recovered the following day. I had to take the lost day as unpaid leave. I requested a refund of the £195 and compensation. RAC offered me £50 and closed the complaint.
JM, Newark, Nottinghamshire
The RAC’s reply to your formal complaint speaks volumes, although not in the way it intended. It patronisingly informed you that you had been warned it might be a three-hour wait for assistance. Which it was – for the first mechanic.
