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Had to paid to be towed home - this is worth knowing

was_ser

By was_ser,
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was_ser

was_ser 10

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Some may already know this, but I have had a lesson in not reading T&C's. Broke down in my VR6, RAC guy said we can tow you for £200 as its modified it will need a special tow truck, hence the charge.  Its in our T&C's,  modified cars are not covered and it is in their General section, point 13. So if you have RAC and have a modified car you might want to check with them, see if it is covered. Or be expected to cover the Tow home. 

Remember its your responsibility to review the T&C's. 

 

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VR6Pete

VR6Pete 1,455

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wowsers. I would have told him to stick it!

 

It always pays off to read the small print - I know some break down companies don't pick up from race-tracks, and places like nurburgring are excluded from the policy too! 

 

What defined it as a modified car? Was it because it is low? Different wheels? exhaust?

 

RAC are not the best to be honest! I always take up breakdown cover from my insurance that uses local break down recovery vehicles - yes probably not gonna get a good road side fix like AA or RAC, but I would really only be looking for recovery home and fix it myself :)

 

I was so lucky when I wrote my car off at the nurburgring - my insurance breakdown (CIS at the time) recovered the vehicle from a near by scrap yard and repatriated it home, and I mean the car was a total write off, engine hanging out the front etc... was just happy to get it home! and there were no questions of this.

 

Chances are that unless the vehicle is totally slammed to the ground a normal recovery vehicle would do the job just fine! :) 

 

Pete

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was_ser

was_ser 10

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its due to it being too low..the RAC man said there was a risk of damage. Modified  = anything that is not standard. RAC don't cover Nurburgring either. Insurance companies seems the way forward. RAC is around £150 per year for one car only. so moved to my trusty Volvo T5 and will cancel when it comes to renew..annoying as it renewed 2 weeks ago!!. Good news, someone if whipping my gear box out in the next couple weeks so hopefully get the VR6 fixed and back on the road before winter really sets in. Recovery guy said the same thing..normal tow truck would had got it on. Complaint form on its way. 

 

The next time I see an RAC man at a modified car event I get to have an interesting conversation. 

 

Also if I couldn't pay it..then what they leave me in the middle of nowhere..I'm sure they have a duty of care..esp if it was a female. 

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VR6Pete

VR6Pete 1,455

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7 minutes ago, was_ser said:

its due to it being too low..the RAC man said there was a risk of damage. Modified  = anything that is not standard. RAC don't cover Nurburgring either. Insurance companies seems the way forward. RAC is around £150 per year for one car only. so moved to my trusty Volvo T5 and will cancel when it comes to renew..annoying as it renewed 2 weeks ago!!. Good news, someone if whipping my gear box out in the next couple weeks so hopefully get the VR6 fixed and back on the road before winter really sets in. Recovery guy said the same thing..normal tow truck would had got it on. Complaint form on its way. 

 

The next time I see an RAC man at a modified car event I get to have an interesting conversation. 

 

Also if I couldn't pay it..then what they leave me in the middle of nowhere..I'm sure they have a duty of care..esp if it was a female. 

 

Isn't there a cooling off period you are still in?

 

Gearbox isn't a big job to be honest! Hope its nothing major ! deffo post up with the results!

 

I would have asked for him to use his discretion and good human nature instead of supporting the money grabbing tactics of the RAC - B*stards !

 

Maybe you would have got home if you were wearing these;

 

7f85734b_Blackadder.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...
was_ser

was_ser 10

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Got rid of RAC and now have cover via Adrian Flux..RAC was £145 Adrian Flux £55 and they tow modified cars no issues..SO Green Flag, AA and RAC will not tow you home if your car is lowed.

 

Nor will they tow you home for free,if they suspect your car as been through water..they will charge you so don't tell them!!! 

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VR6Pete

VR6Pete 1,455

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Got rid of RAC and now have cover via Adrian Flux..RAC was £145 Adrian Flux £55 and they tow modified cars no issues..SO Green Flag, AA and RAC will not tow you home if your car is lowed.
 
Nor will they tow you home for free,if they suspect your car as been through water..they will charge you so don't tell them!!! 


That's madness if it's been through water. What's that got to do with anything?
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dubspy

dubspy 19

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I have been with AA for over 10 years, i have never had an issue revoering cars, 95% of my cars have all been modified and extremely low in certain cases had to wait for a proper low loader and they had to swap trucks part way through due to being so far from home. I have heard of issues with RAC before but never once had a problem with AA.

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VR6 Supercharged

VR6 Supercharged 104

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Oh bugger, took out cover with RAC the other month. Wasn't car specific its any car policy as it where as we've 3 cars, normal every day car and 2 lowered modified VR's. Don't like the sound of being charged extra ontop of premium already paid (did'nt read small print :blink:)  lets jst hope I never need 2 ring them... :ph34r: Only took it out this time round 4 peace of mind...

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VR6Pete

VR6Pete 1,455

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Oh bugger, took out cover with RAC the other month. Wasn't car specific its any car policy as it where as we've 3 cars, normal every day car and 2 lowered modified VR's. Don't like the sound of being charged extra ontop of premium already paid (did'nt read small print :blink:)  lets jst hope I never need 2 ring them...  Only took it out this time round 4 peace of mind...


Usually have 14 day cooling off period? Can't you cancel / swap?
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The Monk

The Monk 50

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Likewise. Only cars I've ever had to have towed/recovered were both my mk3s. Both spent two occasions on the back of an AA truck. One was also towed a few miles. Both lowered more than 50mm.

 

Unless their T&C have changed without informing me, I'm still with them and will continue until the above happens. That said, I may nip onto their website and check.

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VR6 Supercharged

VR6 Supercharged 104

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On ‎29‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 10:53 PM, VR6Pete said:

 


Usually have 14 day cooling off period? Can't you cancel / swap?

 

Sadly not, gone way past the cool off period. Suppose if I'd have known at the time I would have waited until my insurance renewal came round as they said it was £55 for breakdown/recovery and they already know of all the mods on my VR as I told them at the time of renewal. Bugger........ :angry:

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VR6 Supercharged

VR6 Supercharged 104

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On ‎07‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 5:45 PM, noggin said:

I took out Green Flag and they charged me extra because the car was 17 yrs or older. Luckily I haven't had to use them yet.

Extra because its 17 yrs old...... Now that's the bit that gets my back up. Never ever have I had breakdown cover on any of my (old cars) or motorbikes (new'ish) over the past 27 yrs, or there abouts. It was only this time round that I/we did at the wife's insistence.. It would appear to me that the likes of the RAC, AA, Green Flag etc are quite happy to take our money in the obvious hope that we don't breakdown.. Then if we do, its then a case of "Ahh, well your car is old, err, its non standard, err its over 3 yrs old, err we don't know what to do with it. Oh actually yes we do, we'll charge you double your premium costs just to tow you home. At the end of the day my take on the so called Knights of the road is this, they would rather come out to a car that has either run out of petrol (easy fix, obviously) or a car that won't start in the morning, and then just try and SELL you a battery to fix the problem, they don't really seem to care. I always thought it was the motorist that came first, or atleast that's what it used to say on the advert on telly all those years ago by the AA I think it was..? Anyhoo, rant over. And if any you have actually  taken the time to read this rant, then thanks very much. :lol: 

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