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RAC: Breakdown Cover reviews

Name: Breakdown Cover
Rating: 1.8 (142 reviews)

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1.43

Based on 142 reviews, last reviewed 4th Jan 2025

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

20% decrease in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

14%

77%

Latest highest rating:

4

Brilliant There is a discount on brake down cover at min...brilliant for money. Reviewed on: 24th August 2024

Latest lowest rating:

1

I would give them a ZERO if I can. I would give them a ZERO if I can. 2024 New Years Eve I was returning back from Scotland to Leicester and the weather was pretty bad, heavy winds and ... Read more Reviewed on: 4th January 2025

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About this product

Like many drivers, breaking down is not something we want to think about! But when it happens, You'll be thankful that you're with a good breakdown cover provider. That's were our RAC breakdown cover reviews come in. You can read and write YOUR RAC Breakdown cover reviews. We started Smart Money People to help drivers like you to find the best breakdown cover based on our honest reviews. Together, we can make financial services work better for everyone.

RAC Breakdown Cover reviews (142)

Review of the RAC, Breakdown Cover:

Shocking, Disgusting Service and Unacceptable Treatment

I have had an absolutely appalling experience with RAC and feel compelled to share my ordeal to warn others. On the 1st December 2024, I reported a breakdown at 20:19, expecting the professional and reliable service I had paid for. What followed was over 8 hours plus of waiting in freezing conditions with inconsistent updates, which I had to keep calling in repeatedly myself , lack of empathy, and ultimately being stranded. The estimated arrival times kept shifting—from 21:40-22:40,12:20am-3:20am to an outrageous 7:30am-10:30am. This caused me to miss my hotel booking, as RAC patrol could only take me to only one place either the hotel or back home. Despite explaining to RAC that I needed medication at 22:20 due to a pre-existing condition (which I hadn’t expected to need during a breakdown), their responses were dismissive and unhelpful. When I finally got through to Emily, she suggested I cancel the callout and rebook, which would’ve meant waiting even longer. No solutions were offered for what to do during the long wait, and at one point, I was even told not to call back. By the time help finally arrived at 2:24am, I had endured over 7 hours plus of frustration, freezing cold, and rising stress, which impacted my health as a diabetic with high blood pressure. I could barely feel my feet as it was freezing cold. They sent out an independent breakdown company who found me shivering with cold and reported back to his head office that this call out should’ve been a priority with the state he found me in and especially with my medical condition. To which his office replied back which I heard myself was that it’s not been sent to us as a priority yet stressing numerously to RAC about my medical condition they didn’t really care or pass it on to the company who came to me on there behalf. The saga didn’t end there. Over the following days, communication was a disaster. I was repeatedly told incorrect information, including that my vehicle had been delivered to the garage when it hadn’t. Today being the 4th or December 2024, I was promised a rental vehicle from Enterprise, which I needed urgently due to RAC’s failure to tow my van on the night of the breakdown. I was picked up by the car rental company and as I arrived at Enterprise, they informed me that the rental was for a manual vehicle, despite being given a choice for a manual or an automatic by the RAC representative themselves I opted for an automatic. I contacted RAC to resolve this as being asked by enterprise rentals thinking it was an oversight by them and spoke with a representative named Heather, whose behavior was appalling and humiliating. She accused me—without any evidence—of using my van for business purposes and abruptly canceled the rental vehicle and even refused me my own vehicle back which has been stored by them/their independent contractor due to them not being able to bring it back to bradford as my RAC covers me to be taken anywhere of the time of breakdown if they can’t fix it plus car hire to get me to my destitution for 3 days. Heather also claimed she had accessed my business details and made unwarranted assumptions based on my company being registered to my home address. I explained, repeatedly, that my van is solely for personal use and that my insurance, logbook, and council records permit records all reflect this. Her behavior was utterly unprofessional; she hung up on me, leaving me stranded and embarrassed in front of a room full of people at the Enterprise office including their staff. I had to arrange and pay for an Uber to get home, as neither RAC nor Enterprise offered me any assistance back. This entire experience has been humiliating, distressing, and unacceptable. I am pursuing formal complaints with the Financial Ombudsman and exploring legal options for breach of contract and emotional distress caused by this appalling service. If you’re considering RAC, I urge you to think twice. This experience has left me deeply disappointed and without trust in their services. Reviewed on: 4th December 2024

Worst customer service ever

I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the key replacement service I received yesterday. I trusted RAC to help me with a straightforward issue, but unfortunately, RAC service has left me with a much bigger problem. Prior to the service, my old spare key was working perfectly fine. However, after the technician completed the key replacement, neither the new nor the old key works, and I am now unable to start my car. This is highly frustrating and inconvenient, as I was expecting your service to resolve my issue, not create further problems. To make matters worse, I received an email from you advising me that this situation has nothing to do with RAC and suggesting that I take my car to a mechanic myself. This is entirely unacceptable, as the issue clearly arose from the work done by they key replacement service, making it your responsibility to rectify the situation. Reviewed on: 1st October 2024

6 hours to recover a lorry in a dangerous situation.

6 hours to recover a lorry in a dangerous situation. would have been a lot longer if i hadn't made approximately 10 phone calls, then sent a tech out even though they had been told not to bother as the clutch had gone and would need recovery. 4 hours later tech turns up and says no good a recovery is needed. Reviewed on: 30th September 2024

RAC allowed my car to be abused

I have been with RAC for a number of years and I have had no reason for complaint. Recently on a long trip, my ABS came on and the brakes were playing up. I called RAC around 18:45 and I was informed someone should be with me by 21:24. The time kept being push to a later and later time until it was moved to 02:48 the following day, leaving be stranded. I cancelled the engineer and arranged another appoint the following morning. The engineer arrived, he stressed the point the car should be driven on the motorway and should be towed to a garage. I took a photo of the mileage and had over a half a tank of fuel. The car was later returned to my house a few days later, and the mileage was increased by over a 100 miles and the tank was empty. The mile gage was displaying 0 miles. I was unable to drive the car to the fuel pump and have to walk with a fuel tank to fill it up just to get it to the garage. I informed RAC that the 3rd party they used to collect had abused my car and also scratched my bumper. RAC came back stating they have conducted an investigated and found no evidence. I informed RAC have I never allowed my car to hit an empty tank in over 23 years. I was heading back home which was a 78 miles drive with family, therefore I made sure I have enough fuel. Also, who in the right mind would park their car on a total empty thank and have to walk to the fuel station to get fuel. They refused to accept responsibility. Reviewed on: 8th September 2024

Brilliant

There is a discount on brake down cover at min...brilliant for money. Reviewed on: 24th August 2024

Very professional attitude

Very professional attitude when I took a policy out for a fleet of vans. Reviewed on: 23rd August 2024

Worst rip off ever

Trustpilot reviews Thanks for your review! RAC Breakdown Cover Worst rip off ever Worst rip off ever. I paid 200 pounds for them to send a patrol what they got wrong for 3 times, when the patrol arrived I told whats the problem because my mechanic I already told me, they don't fix the problem and said if I know a garage to call back and they go take the car, what I don't need because my mechanic comes to mine. And I still need pay for the repair on the top of the £200. So I asked the £200 refund and say they don't see a reason for that. Basically they just keep the money for nothing. A complete rip off. Worst company ever. They should be ashamed to rober the customers like that. It's like you going to a restaurant paying good money for the food and you never get the food or the money back Date of experience: 20 August 2024 Reviewed on: 20th August 2024

A LITTLE VIDEO

As I was given short shrift by Customer Service, I made a little video. I kept it private and sent to the RAC but as I've not had a response, I'm making it available as 'Public' : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-0wwIygkY0 Reviewed on: 8th August 2024

Opted out of auto renew, refusing to refund

Opted out of the auto renewal due to new policy price being too high. Spoke with RAC on the phone, confirmed cancellation. RAC proceeded to debit my account for the new policy and refuse to reimburse me the full amount. Customer Service are rude and refuse to acknowledge the mistake on their end. I've used RAC for years now, won't touch them again Reviewed on: 5th August 2024

Absolute waste of time and money

Absolute waste of time buy elsewhere Absolute waste of time. What’s the point in being covered for all vehicles and one day when you help out driving a friends company van they won’t help out just want to sell you another policy. AA no issue. Have cancelled my policy as this isn’t the first time I’ve been let down by the RAC they stranded myself and son for over 8 hours 2 years ago. Reviewed on: 1st August 2024

Wouldn't honour valid policy.

Wouldn't honour valid policy. They will weasel out of your policy in any way they can to charge you more. After a terrible week of saying goodbye to a loved one my car broke down and they wouldn't collect it unless I paid over £100 more despite having a valid policy.They will let you down Reviewed on: 6th July 2024

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