Sometimes I write, but it isn't about writing. This is one of those times.
RACV have been there when I needed help with my car quite a few times, however they are not the best when explaining details. I wrote them and told them of my issue with a particular roadsaide assist which cost me $150 tow-time, but they didn't seem to concerned about it, or that I felt duped. At any rate, I have removed myself from their insurance scheme and will be removing myself from the roadside assist program shortly as well.
The best ones (and cheaper options) are these (Australia Wide!):
http://www.aac.com.au/Member-Benefits.php
Seems very good, but you can only cover a fairly new car.
https://www.roadsideassistance-1.com.au/?page_id=244
Seems best for me right now due to my car being a 1998 model. Heaps cheaper than RACV as well. Under $60.
Bye bye RACV, thanks for the memories, but I wouldn't have gone looking elsewhere if you hadn't done the following:
(If you don't want to read the whole thing, it is basically me requesting a partial refund because I was not aware how far from home I was and so did not expect a $150 bill. I did not realise I needed to pay the money immediately upon arrival at the destination, if I had I would have had the driver stop at an ATM. And I did not realise that there would be a surcharge for paying by card over the phone. If this had all been explained to me and they gave me an estimate on cost of the tow, then I would have made other arrangements. They did not see it my way and instead said: We understand what you are saying, and we'll look into it, but bad luck there chum!)
Recently I was in need of emergency roadside assistance (Friday 18th April). In this case my car could not be fixed on the side of the road, so needed towing. My car was parked near the corner of Keilor road, where it turns onto another road, also called Keilor Road (same road, just not a straight through road) in Niddrie. From here there are a few routes that may be taken and differ slightly in distance. I assumed I would be taken along the shortest route, considering the distance and the amount I would have to pay once I traveled past the 20km free limit. The difference may have been only around 5kms, but it makes a lot of difference to a low income earner. Could you please review the route taken by the driver (or the distance as it was logged by the driver), and consider a refund of the difference if you have also found the kms excessive. Thank you.
In addition, some advice for the future, if you enjoy customer satisfaction: I was not sure how far I was from home, although knew it was over 20kms. My guess was 35kms, and I had guessed how much it would cost in that case. So when I arrived at my home and had to pay $150, I was very surprised. I was not expecting such a large amount. I believe that an estimate should have been given by the driver or RACV representative on the phone, this would then helped me avoid “bill shock”. Even if the driver or RACV representative made an estimate, then added 10% as a buffer, this would have prepared me for the possible cost I would have had to pay.
Further, the fact that I had to pay on the spot was not told to me until I was at home. And I certainly did not have that amount of money on me. If I had have known that I had to pay upon reaching the destination, I would have asked the driver to stop on the way so I could withdraw money. Instead, I paid by credit card and was slugged with a $5 fee. Talk about kicking me while I was down. That’s how it felt at the time - especially after going through the ordeal of my car breaking down etc.
This sort of information should be relayed to the customer so that they can make an informed decision (this is regardless of whether it is in the “fine print” of the RACV conditions. Although, as I mentioned, this is only if customer satisfaction is important to RACV).
A nicer option would be that a bill is sent to the customer within the next week, and is able to be paid the same as other RACV bills.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my requests and feedback. Please keep me updated on the development of your findings.
RACV have been there when I needed help with my car quite a few times, however they are not the best when explaining details. I wrote them and told them of my issue with a particular roadsaide assist which cost me $150 tow-time, but they didn't seem to concerned about it, or that I felt duped. At any rate, I have removed myself from their insurance scheme and will be removing myself from the roadside assist program shortly as well.
The best ones (and cheaper options) are these (Australia Wide!):
http://www.aac.com.au/Member-Benefits.php
Seems very good, but you can only cover a fairly new car.
https://www.roadsideassistance-1.com.au/?page_id=244
Seems best for me right now due to my car being a 1998 model. Heaps cheaper than RACV as well. Under $60.
Bye bye RACV, thanks for the memories, but I wouldn't have gone looking elsewhere if you hadn't done the following:
(If you don't want to read the whole thing, it is basically me requesting a partial refund because I was not aware how far from home I was and so did not expect a $150 bill. I did not realise I needed to pay the money immediately upon arrival at the destination, if I had I would have had the driver stop at an ATM. And I did not realise that there would be a surcharge for paying by card over the phone. If this had all been explained to me and they gave me an estimate on cost of the tow, then I would have made other arrangements. They did not see it my way and instead said: We understand what you are saying, and we'll look into it, but bad luck there chum!)
Recently I was in need of emergency roadside assistance (Friday 18th April). In this case my car could not be fixed on the side of the road, so needed towing. My car was parked near the corner of Keilor road, where it turns onto another road, also called Keilor Road (same road, just not a straight through road) in Niddrie. From here there are a few routes that may be taken and differ slightly in distance. I assumed I would be taken along the shortest route, considering the distance and the amount I would have to pay once I traveled past the 20km free limit. The difference may have been only around 5kms, but it makes a lot of difference to a low income earner. Could you please review the route taken by the driver (or the distance as it was logged by the driver), and consider a refund of the difference if you have also found the kms excessive. Thank you.
In addition, some advice for the future, if you enjoy customer satisfaction: I was not sure how far I was from home, although knew it was over 20kms. My guess was 35kms, and I had guessed how much it would cost in that case. So when I arrived at my home and had to pay $150, I was very surprised. I was not expecting such a large amount. I believe that an estimate should have been given by the driver or RACV representative on the phone, this would then helped me avoid “bill shock”. Even if the driver or RACV representative made an estimate, then added 10% as a buffer, this would have prepared me for the possible cost I would have had to pay.
Further, the fact that I had to pay on the spot was not told to me until I was at home. And I certainly did not have that amount of money on me. If I had have known that I had to pay upon reaching the destination, I would have asked the driver to stop on the way so I could withdraw money. Instead, I paid by credit card and was slugged with a $5 fee. Talk about kicking me while I was down. That’s how it felt at the time - especially after going through the ordeal of my car breaking down etc.
This sort of information should be relayed to the customer so that they can make an informed decision (this is regardless of whether it is in the “fine print” of the RACV conditions. Although, as I mentioned, this is only if customer satisfaction is important to RACV).
A nicer option would be that a bill is sent to the customer within the next week, and is able to be paid the same as other RACV bills.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my requests and feedback. Please keep me updated on the development of your findings.
I can understand it, the roadside assistance service should be very good because we totally rely on them If we stuck somewhere we call them and demanded for help as soon as possible. Car transport is a major issue and choose very carefully when going for some services.
ReplyDeletetow truck london