Continental Insurance Cover

[blaven]

My wife insists that I'm only allowed one rant per day. I've been very good so far and it's just gone seven p.m.,-so here goes.

We've both been members of the C & Caravanning Club RAC Arrival recovery scheme for many years.

Today I decided to add foreign cover to my policy which hitherto had been UK only.

I duly telephoned the RAC number and after the usual shennanigans of being told I'd pushed the wrong button and being told that there was an inordinate demand for their services at that time (about 1pm) I eventually got through to a most helpful lady,-(no names, no packdrill) who told me that, since my present policy was due to expire in two months, the most economic way forward was to cancel it and take out a new one which incorporated the desired European cover. Even I could see that this made sense and, after being compulsorily talked through the fine print at great length, and having reluctantly rejected the kind offer of a new battery being provided at advantageous rates by the patrolman should my breakdown be battery-related, we eventually arrived at the bottom line.

Which was a good deal.

Being terminally indecisive, I thanked her and said I would need to think, and get back to her.

So having thought, I duly phoned back in about twenty minutes to accept, only to be welcomed by another lady who could only after a lot of what seemed like gargantuan effort and heavy breathing, access and read my notes left by the previous lady.

So again, I had to give all my details, be talked through the policy in intimate and exhaustive detail, gracefully decline the attentions of a patrolman wielding a fresh battery at advantageous rates etc.

At length the original quote was retreived from the system, (exactly the same as the previous one).

Yippee!, I thought. It'll soon be over. Not a bit of it! Apparently this lady was unable to process my payment. The accounts team were all busy. (I had during all this time been put on hold many times while she consulted with her superiors) She was a wee bit embarassed and said that the accounts people would phone me back in 10-15 mins. To this I agreed,-I was hoarse by now and in need of a brew.

Forty minutes elapsed,-and nothing. so I picked up the phone again and,-you guessed it got through eventually after going through the Breakdown Department. This time I pleaded with another nice and apologetic lady who said that 'the Manager' had left a message on my voicemail. (we live in an area with no mobile cover)(and even if there were, I would'nt have a clue how to access voicemail). I expect by now there was a degree of rattiness discernible in my voice. This very patient lady explained that she had just spoken to 'the Manager' and that, if I put the phone down, he would ring me back immediately. She also told him of my displeasure thus far at the level of incompetence displayed.

Are you with me so far?

Another 40 minutes went by and not a murmur.

The RAC was duly rung again and eventually another lady whose name I didn't catch patiently listened to my desire just to give someone,-anyone, my debit card details and be done with it. It was 4.20 pm by now and the will to live was questionable.

"Yes, we just need to ask you a few questions". So again the whole rigamerole was gone through. By now I was on the point of accepting the kind offer by the RAC patrolman of a fresh battery at advantageous rates etc.

Long story short, I finally made a debit card payment at about 4.45pm. this afternoon.

Two minutes after I rang off, the phone went,-the same lady, who had forgotten to alert me to a couple of the more arcane aspects of the policy earlier. I had it word perfect by then!

Still waiting for 'the Manager'!

May God help this country, especially in the post Brexit era. The words 'brewery' and 'p--ss-up' come to mind.

[vindiboy]

Are you aware that the Continental breakdown cover via the club is only for 90 days? useless for us long term travellers, Comfort gives me year long breakdown  Continental, I can insure my Bungalow with the club [ and do] and get 180 days unoccupancy cover ,so 90 days breakdown, Ridiculous.

[blaven]

Yep. 90 days does us just fine. Big garden, two dogs in kennels, small van.

[colin]

RAC office staff, great aint they *-)

a story from 20+ years ago.

Was driving back from Cornwall on the A30 when I realised the indicators on my old Cavalier weren't working correctly, turned of onto the old Okehamton road and checked them out, putting a spanner from earth terminal to body showed it was a bad earth but couldn't solve it, so decided to drive into town to see if I could get it fixed, along road came to a garage full of RAC relay trucks, being a member called in and explained problem, just needed a short length of wire to sort it, but no they wouldn't touch it without ticket from headquarters, "use this phone and tell them your at RAC west country relay base", so I phone the breakdown number, when asked I told them I was at the west country relay base, to be asked "where's that?" I explain it's just outside Okehampton, to be asked "What's the road name" so I have to ask across office for the exact address, which I give, I was then asked " How will the patrolman reconise your car?", "Well it's surrounded by about 20 RAC relay trucks" say I, only to be asked, "and is there any other details which will help him find the car?" :-S

[blaven]

Well, to be fair, all the women I spoke with were without exception lovely. It's just that they have got a script to follow from which they won't deviate. If you try to interrupt they just steamroller over you. I'm sure if you told them they'd just won the lottery, they'd pause for a millisecond before suggesting that you go for the add-on new battery at advantageous rate from the patrolman. I mean, we all know that's a scam. It's just like dealing with robots. Sheesh!