Breakdown Services

[Carrie]

Twice over the last weekend I needed to call out the RAC to my car. The first time, they were very prompt and I had no complaints. Then last night, the car died on the service station on the way back from Donington. No problem, phone the RAC.... Well, I spent an hour in a call queue and still hadn't even got to speak to an operator. At that point, the Tom Boardman Racing Team arrived and so I asked them if they'd help and they got my car started, but when you break down you don't usually have a friendly touring car team on hand to help out.
In this case, I was on a service station, but the fact remains that it was dark and I could have been broken down anywhere. You assume that when you've paid for breakdown services, they'll only be a phonecall away if you need them. As far as I'm concerned, to be waiting in a call queue for an hour and to have still not had your call answered is just totally unacceptable.

[marcus]

I agree Carrie...you were lucky mister Boardman and friends came along..most of been a nice experience.

i was talking to a bloke at work last night who broke down on the weekend and after an hour and a half waiting the service crew showed up ...looked at the car and promtly asked him if he knew how to fix the problem..he was dumbfounded ..here was a qualified machanic asking him a guy who knows nothing about cars how to fix the rpoblem ..turned out to be something electrical but he said it took the guy 1 hour to work it out and then didnt know how to replace a fuse.

unbelieveable

[Ray Bell]

They've been helpful to me on a couple of occasions, I must say... once I couldn't trace an electrical fault, another time the ignition was hopelessly wet and they could dry it out, but mostly, when I was an NRMA member (which is over thirty years ago now) I called them only when I didn't have the tools to fix the car myself....

[Bluebottle]

I've had good and bad from the two main UK services- including being towed home in my Dutton Melos by a Transit and on the end of a 6' metal pole, along dark twisty country roads. Another time, he insisted on trying to tow- start my Dutton on an icy road, it was a little bit like dragging a paper cup on a piece of string! Another chap was relieved to be called out to something he could actually fix- his last two calls had been to brand new cars with faulty alarms- they wouldn't let their owners in, never mind starting!
Each time I've called one of them out to a Dutton, I've faced the question "Did you build it yourself Sir?" i.e. "Are you responsable for this mess, Idiot?"

No I didn't build it myself, and if I had I wouldn't tell a breakdown man!!

[elephino]

I've dealt with the NRMA and usually they are very good. Best one was when I had a problem where the battery had collapsed and the car stalled as it sometimes did, when I put my foot on the clutch to slow for lights. I called them up and they arrived just as I hung up from another call to say I'd be late. Luck played a big part, but even so.