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[Help] Calling RAC without using an app.



B

boik

Well-known member
Sep 3, 2011
3,513
Between Happiness and Heartache
Morning folks. Just wondering if anyone has experience of this?

My elderley parents are with RAC and broke down yesterday. When they called the RAC all they got was a recorded message telling them to use the app. Apparently it never cut to a real person. They eventually got a younger relative involved who installed the app on their own phone and called them out that way. When they arrived aparently the RAC engineer was brilliant.

So, does anyone know how to get an RAC callout without using the app, or should they move to another provider, and can anyone recommend one that still uses real call handlers?
 




Guinness Boy

Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Jul 23, 2003
36,594
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
Had exactly this problem coming back from France 10 days ago and were left stranded at Newhaven at 5am on a Sunday.

They only take calls when the call centre is open and it is *not* 24/7.

Tge app is also a poor user experience.

We’re moving, despite the mechanic being brilliant when he got there 4 hours later.
 


chickens

chickens

Have you considered masterly inactivity?
NSC Patron
Oct 12, 2022
2,507
Had this a couple of months ago with a puncture on the M4, it’s a bloody faff, and even when the app was installed the location finding bit wasn’t working so the patrol man still had to call my mobile to find out where I was. It’s absolutely rubbish customer service, the last thing I want to be doing when broken down on a motorway is dicking about with apps.

I will be looking elsewhere when my membership is up for renewal, so all recommendations welcome.
 


B

Bodian

Well-known member
May 3, 2012
13,449
Cumbria
Oh - we've just signed up to the AA and Mrs Bodian had to download an app on to her phone. So, doubtless this will go the same way. God knows how I'll call them out - I don't even have a mobile and would just use the motorway phone thing.
 






B

boik

Well-known member
Sep 3, 2011
3,513
Between Happiness and Heartache




Gazwag

Gazwag

5 millionth post poster
Mar 4, 2004
30,541
Bexhill-on-Sea
Same with AA, driving home from the Palace home game in March 2023 pot hole badly burst front tyre in Polegate, limped to Lidl car park and rang them but ended up having to download the app with my phone on 25%. That was 11pm, eventually at 3.30am they decided they couldn't get anybody there so they arranged free taxi home, luckily my phone battery died just as the taxi pulled up. Thankfully Solly won us that game, otherwise it would have been an even worse trip. The next day they were excellent in recovering my car for me and getting it to the tyre repair place.
 




B

boik

Well-known member
Sep 3, 2011
3,513
Between Happiness and Heartache
Guinness Boy said:
Had exactly this problem coming back from France 10 days ago and were left stranded at Newhaven at 5am on a Sunday.

They only take calls when the call centre is open and it is *not* 24/7.

Tge app is also a poor user experience.

We’re moving, despite the mechanic being brilliant when he got there 4 hours later.
Click to expand...
On their website it say:

"Prefer to speak to us? Call 0333 2000 999. Lines are open 24/7."

Are you saying that's definitely not the case?

I'm probably getting to sound a bit like my dad, but why is everything so difficult these days? So many areas without 3g.

We parked in a car park in the lake district which was pay by app only. There was no phone signal. There was a helpful note telling you to drive the the hotel 2 miles down the road where you could pay.
 


Guinness Boy

Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Jul 23, 2003
36,594
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
boik said:
On their website it say:

"Prefer to speak to us? Call 0333 2000 999. Lines are open 24/7."

Are you saying that's definitely not the case?

I'm probably getting to sound a bit like my dad, but why is everything so difficult these days? So many areas without 3g.

We parked in a car park in the lake district which was pay by app only. There was no phone signal. There was a helpful note telling you to drive the the hotel 2 miles down the road where you could pay.
Click to expand...
I can only go by what Mrs GB was saying as she’s the member. We didn’t get an answer at 5am. We did at 7am. She said she was told “that’s because the call centre is now open”.

Maybe they’ve got one or two on emergency cover overnight but defo not a full team.
 


B

boik

Well-known member
Sep 3, 2011
3,513
Between Happiness and Heartache
Guinness Boy said:
I can only go by what Mrs GB was saying as she’s the member. We didn’t get an answer at 5am. We did at 7am. She said she was told “that’s because the call centre is now open”.

Maybe they’ve got one or two on emergency cover overnight but defo not a full team.
Click to expand...
OK, cheers. Mum and Dad don't got out in the middle of the night, so that particular problem shouldn't arise.
 




beorhthelm

beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
35,826
leave and tell them why. breakdown mustn't rely on an app, should be able to phone from a land line to get someone to attend.
 


studio150

studio150

Well-known member
Jul 30, 2011
30,061
On the Border
boik said:
We parked in a car park in the lake district which was pay by app only. There was no phone signal. There was a helpful note telling you to drive the the hotel 2 miles down the road where you could pay.
Click to expand...

It's about time that it was a legal requirement that all public car parks and on street parking provided the option of using cash or card in addition to an app.
And there should only be the need to download one app, which would apply in all situations.
 


Tom Hark Preston Park

Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
71,882
Screenshot_20240625_112405_Chrome.jpg
 




vegster

vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
28,186
Wilka said:
https://www.axa.co.uk/car-insurance/breakdown-cover/

I'd recommend AXA.

Outside of the 2 branded breakdown providers of the AA and RAC all the others use exactly the same providers give or take.
Click to expand...
Thanks, was with the RAC until my cover went up by 40% in a year. Now with the AA for £140 for the first year...when it goes up I will swap to AXA my insurers for breakdown cover.
 


Guinness Boy

Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Jul 23, 2003
36,594
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
studio150 said:
It's about time that it was a legal requirement that all public car parks and on street parking provided the option of using cash or card in addition to an app.
And there should only be the need to download one app, which would apply in all situations.
Click to expand...
App only for breakdown and parking is mad. They need upgrading regularly and there's no guarantee you'll be somewhere with 5G when and if you breakdown or need to park. Ever tried upgrading an app over 4G or less?
 


Westdene Seagull

Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patron
Oct 27, 2003
21,397
The arse end of Hangleton
boik said:
We parked in a car park in the lake district which was pay by app only. There was no phone signal. There was a helpful note telling you to drive the the hotel 2 miles down the road where you could pay.
Click to expand...
There is a car park, which I won't name, in Brighton where I often park to walk the dog. B&H Council in their wisdom decided to bring in paid parking, apparently to provide funds to maintain the car park and access road. Only pay by phone. Often the signal isn't there to be able to pay. I no longer pay because of that and the fact they haven't maintained the car park or access road. Been not paying for over two years now and never got a ticket ( although even if I did I'd still be quids in ! ). I've now taken my strategy of not paying into Hove when I need to pop in - rarely see any traffic wardens.
 


B

Bodian

Well-known member
May 3, 2012
13,449
Cumbria
Tom Hark Preston Park said:
There is a car park, which I won't name, in Brighton where I often park to walk the dog. B&H Council in their wisdom decided to bring in paid parking, apparently to provide funds to maintain the car park and access road. Only pay by phone. Often the signal isn't there to be able to pay. I no longer pay because of that and the fact they haven't maintained the car park or access road. Been not paying for over two years now and never got a ticket ( although even if I did I'd still be quids in ! ). I've now taken my strategy of not paying into Hove when I need to pop in - rarely see any traffic wardens.
Click to expand...
We (at work) put one of these in at one of our rural car parks. There was only mobile reception if you left the car park and walked 50 yards or so. So, no-one paid and then all got fines. Which we had to refund. Anyway, we moved the machine.

The reason the car park was established 30 years or so ago was to give people somewhere to park other than the narrow road. It's worked very well. Now it's a pay car park, everyone avoids it and parks on the road again. They are now discussing double yellow lines, because parking on the road is causing issues.

The obvious solution is to remove the pay machine again - but that's too obvious of course, and doesn't fit the modern demand to make as much money out of everything as possible....
 






Tom Hark Preston Park

Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
71,882
Bodian said:
We (at work) put one of these in at one of our rural car parks. There was only mobile reception if you left the car park and walked 50 yards or so. So, no-one paid and then all got fines. Which we had to refund. Anyway, we moved the machine.

The reason the car park was established 30 years or so ago was to give people somewhere to park other than the narrow road. It's worked very well. Now it's a pay car park, everyone avoids it and parks on the road again. They are now discussing double yellow lines, because parking on the road is causing issues.

The obvious solution is to remove the pay machine again - but that's too obvious of course, and doesn't fit the modern demand to make as much money out of everything as possible....
Click to expand...
Not quite sure why that quote you, er, quoted was attributed to me. I can confirm I own neither a dog nor a car, and haven't done so for decades
 


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