RAC renewal "scam".

PlacidoD

PlacidoD

Joined
Apr 1, 2024
Posts
1,883
Likes collected
3,833
Location
Bolton
Funster No
102,131
MH
Westfalia Big Nugget
Exp
Spring 2024
Got an email re my RAC breakdown cover renewal today. They wanted £188.99 including a £50 admin fee for doing nothing to auto-renew. That is a 35% increase on last year regarding a service that I have not called upon for over 5 years!
Last year they got away with £140 only because I was busy with other things. Thought I would be safe this year because the debit card has expired but their small print suggests they can still collect on auto-renewal despite that!!!
So I rang and haggled the figure down to £96.99 and turned off the auto renewal while I was at it (You cannot do that online. You have to ring them. Another piece of obstruction as an inertia enrichment tool!)

I hate auto-renewal! So many companies now employ that and you end up paying through the nose unless you are proactive. Leaches!!!
 
Last edited:
One software company had the audacity to e-mail me, and ask why I wanted to turn-off auto renew.

I simply replied "I am old and may be dead next year, this will save you the trouble of chasing the executor of my will".

I added that I would not be renewing once this 12 month licence had expired.

I hate auto renewal.

Many companies, nowadays, do not allow one to exit auto-renew on line. They hope that being 27th in the bloody queue, during a phone call, will be a deterrent..
 
Same problem with the AA and the con is, you cannot report them to the FCA for sharpe practice because you are not paying for breakdown cover ( which would be deemed as an ‘Insurance Plan’) but membership of the organisation which is unregulated.
 
£50 admin fee? What! Does the auto renew regardless of card expiry apply only to debit cards? I have a number of auto renew subscriptions on credit cards and if the card has expired I always get a ‘can’t collect’ email.
 
PlacidoD said:
You cannot do that online. You have to ring them. Another piece of obstruction as an inertia enrichment tool!
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure the new (Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act) rules require companies to provide online cancellation - but I think it only applies if you signed up online in the first place... :unsure:
 
Rather ironically my health insurance renewal came today and the provider was keen to emphasise that the premium was lower than last year. Would they be doing the same if I had not opted out of auto-renewal?
 
Last year RAC took £235 out by auto renewal. I checked what a new member would pay and it was £75.
I phoned RAC and told them I was going to cancel and re join as a new member, The call handler spoke to a supervisor and matched the £75... refund to a week to arrive.
 
I got AutoAid - you have the option to auto renew or not.

I did have it on auto renew but my card had expired - so they called me, we discussed what options I wanted (they've recently added a 'lost key' option) and it was all rather adult and civilised.

No price hikes (their prices are clearly listed on the website), no 'we'll add 10% because you're already a member"

The one time I did have to call them out they were absolutely great. Called every 20 mins to check in and make sure I was OK, got me a recovery vehicle that was big enough to take a van.

I've been very impressed.

I used to be with the AA but switched after a breakdown with a motorcycle and sidecar. I pointed out in the initial call that they needed a flatbed or a trailer capable of taking a sidecar.... Yeah, you already guessed it...

They sent not one, but two vans that couldn't recover the vehicle so I was waiting for about 4 hours.

Complained and got no apology.

Bye....
 
You are lucky! On my RAC renewal there was an 80% jump. Was with them for 5 years and never called them out.

They must look at our ages and think we are a soft touch. I just cancelled the auto renewal and went to Auto Aid. They tried to ring me and I have no doubt they wou.d have offered a lower price, but why would you stay with an organisation that tried to fleece you?

They will only learn one way about retaining customers.
 
I got an auto renew notice on my car insurance with Quote Me Happy.
I had the option to cancel online before renewal date but as the premium had come down by £70 and they were the cheapest last year i let it roll
 
I once paid for one years of RAC cover for my son as present for his first car. 6 years later i was still paying but he had no knowledge as he moved to the AA after first yr. They wouldnt let me cancel it. more than one card had been renewed but they were still getting my money. I was a RAC member so seeing RAC on bank statement didnt flash any warning lights until one day. I couldnt cancel it and didnt know it was on auto renew, my son eventualy cancelled it , but neither of us could get any money back but that is the last the RAC got any money out of me.
 
Last edited:

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Forum posts reflect the views of individual users and not MotorhomeFun.
MotorhomeFun does not endorse or verify user-generated content.

Back
Top