Warning if you are in the RAC and go offroad.

This is what I was told by "Customer Services"

Their answer to that was I was in a area well known for people breaking things offroad and calling the RAC, the fact it was a cam belt and it snapped on road seems to make no difference.

I'd guess at higher membership fees if they get involved in recovering vehicles after accidents!

On or around Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:05:45 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@btopenworld.com (Tim Jones) enlightened us thusly:

I think the AA have a fair point - they will recover you but will charge. If there's an insurance claim involved, then recovering that becomes part of the claim.

As for the off-road thing... in the case of a cambelt, it can break anywhere and any time, if you're unlucky. Provided they don't have to recover it from an off-tarmac site, I can't see how they can legitimately refuse. If you tow it to the roadside and then call them, how can they tell what you've been doing?

As long as your insurance don't start asking tricky questions about why you didn't phone their helpline to arrange recovery. Decent policies will include a helpline and recovery service, so it's probably best and simpler to use this. It may even be the same vehicle and driver that recover you, but it'll be simpler if it's done by an agent of your insurers at their pre-agreed rate.

I had a long conversation whilst bored in the car today with a man from the RAC customer services.

He assures me that any vehicle is covered, as long as it complies with the following rules.

Is under 18foot long Is less than a specified weight that i cannot remember Is not sign written Is not used for business (on my policy) Is not used for competition use

A patrol man will be sent if the vehicle is stuck on any place that has public access. I strongly mentioned off road situation, but he confidently said the as long as it is plublic access, there will not be a problem.

I asked if the conversation was recorded, and he said yes.

I also asked for it in writing - He said not a problem, something would be in the post.

I shall wait and see...................

Yes, do let us know, I intend to give them a prod and see what they say too, after Geoff's experience.

Geoff,

I'm not a lawyer but acording to the RAC t&c's providing you were not taking part in a motor sport, you are covered even if you were off road providing that it's open to the public:

? Vehicles which have broken down anywhere other than on a public highway, or other road or area to which the public have right of access.

regards

nemo2

I was a member of the All Wheel Drive Club many years ago solely because it had arranged special cover with RAC for off road activities. At the time I quized the RAC about the extent and reality of the cover and was told, IIRC, that anywhere I could get to, and break down at, they would recover me from without difficulty.

HTH

Richard

On a related note..

I broke down on a French motorway a couple of years ago. I had the (hugely expensive) RAC cover for EU countries.

When I called them, they told me that the cover didn't include recovery from a motorway as the gendarmes are in charge there. I would have to pay for recovery off the motorway and then call them. At that point, they would send a recovery truck. If I couldn't resume my journey, they would tow my vehicle to the nearest garage, hire a car (basic: Ford Ka - size) for me to drive to the ferry port, tell me to leave the car there, carry all my belongings onto the ferry as a foot passenger, carry them off again on the UK side, hire me a car in the UK, and get me home. My vehicle would then be 'repatriated' within 4 weeks of the repair being finished.

I was in a transit van, - full of personal belongings and the usual alcohol stash, etc. Luckily, it was a snapped fan-belt and I was able to limp-off at the next junction and a local peugeot garage let me try-out a few from his stock until I found one that fitted. God knows what I would have done if I hadn't been able to solve it myself.

Check.

It is sign written.

Check.

Can be used for competition, tho in this cas it was not.

I am still in negotiation with them and report back when the matter is resolved.

You poor buggers.... How can they turn such a simple request for a tow into such a bloody nightmare? Thank God that the RACQ here in Oz isn't tied up in that much red tape... yet.

I was off-roading to circumvent a toll-road a short time ago and got myself bogged to the eyeballs after slipping into a creek. Quick call and the flatbed was on the way - nearly got himself bogged lining up the winch and hauled me out - cost me $120, but he was such a nice bloke about it and it was totally my fault anyway.

- Craig.

Breakdown cover is for breakdowns and an accident is not a breakdown so check the small print and also check your insurance cover.

In message , snipped-for-privacy@privacy.net writes

That would definitely seem to include a green lane.

Not sure about a pay and play site on private land. Does that come under the heading of public right of access? ( Doesn't even include the word "Vehicular" so as long as their is a public footpath nearby......??

When I skidded into a hedge and got thouroughly embedded couple of Christmases back, the RAC said that if the recovery involved any lifting I would have to pay.

In the event the recovery did involve lifting, but it was a really pleasant guy from the local garage who was contracted, who was called out, and I did not have to pay.

Had to pay for the hedge to be replanted mind :(

Breakdown cover for breakdowns, Insurance cover for accidents, seems pretty straightforward to me!

Shirly, that'd be either Insurance cover for insurance or Accident cover for accidents, no? Maybe not so straightforward?

August last year I ran my 206 into the back of an MR2, ( was a bit of a mess*)

Rang Green Flag , explained what had happened, told them where I was , 25 mins later were on the back of a lorry and on our way home , no problems at all.

A few years ago on a green laning trip, got up one morning, (camped half way up a byway in Wales) to find a flat battery on the rangerover, rang the AA sure enough out they came , was well funny watching an AA van tooling up a byway with the beacons flashing , but again no probs they just did it

sounds to me like the RAC are out of order

...........................Smurf

That might be a different situation though because a byway is part of the road network so depending on whether you take the proper definition or the "common sense" definition, isn't off-road. How each organisation would deal with it could come down to the whims of the person on the phone! It's not nice having someone in a call centre making decisions, they're not usually up to it, or they'd not be working in a call centre ;-)

Ding - not fair. I've worked in call centres for the last 8 years until my recent change of job, and there are some bloody good, helpful and knowledgeable people working in them. Don't forget that in some areas a call centre is the only large local employer and a lot of people don't have the luxury of working in a more fulfilling environment. I know that call centres can be a crap experience (for customers AND call centre staff), but that's not the fault of the people who have to work there.