old - Fazer Owners Club - old
General => General => Topic started by: BennyBoy on 24 October 2012, 01:11:39 am
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Don't ever let the RAC pick up your bike!
That is all.
ok, to fill it in a bit.. got a flat. no biggie, it happens. Got the RAC out to pick it up. After waiting over an hour, they picked me up, loaded the fazer onto the back of a truck. Got it home and unloaded it. The mother#@*%ers ratchet strapped my bars on each side so tight the entire left hand control module is broken open, bars are bent and clutch lever is buckled.
Currently, squeezing my clutch does nothing other than turn on my high beams. Bars are bent. High/dip, pass trigger, horn, indicators - all dead. Black knobbly bit on the indicator switch is m.i.a.
...and RAC's responce so far?? Thats right. Apparently, I agreed when i joined that any additional damage acquired as a result of transportation of my vehicle following a breakdown is my responcibility.
Arse!
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Sod that mate,i would ring citizens advice :eek i did recovery for the rac/aa etc for years and not once did i damage a bike due to transit :( The clown who did it obviously didnt have a clue what he/she was doing :rolleyes
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Sod that mate,i would ring citizens advice :eek i did recovery for the rac/aa etc for years and not once did i damage a bike due to transit :( The clown who did it obviously didnt have a clue what he/she was doing :rolleyes
Yep me too and you should be able to claim, Speak to your legal cover on your Insurance http://www.freemotorlegal.co.uk/ (http://www.freemotorlegal.co.uk/)
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Mate of mine bike got damaged being recovered from europe.
He had a fight but the AA eventually coughed up.
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...and RAC's responce so far?? Thats right. Apparently, I agreed when i joined that any additional damage acquired as a result of transportation of my vehicle following a breakdown is my responcibility.
Sounds like BS to me. They should have a Duty of Care towards your property and it sounds like they failed in that.
I'd contact your local Trading Standards and have a word with them.
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I was given free RAC cover when I insured by bike through Bennets... wonder how they would react if they found out the RAC were causing them claims???
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Yeah.. I've had a nice little chat with their legal team and offered to send them an invoice for my bike along with courtesy car and inconvenience..
...They've agreed to look into their third party recovery morons with a view to recovering my losses and settle. No courtesy car yet though. Have been promised a callback by tonight.
RAC have offered to move my bike (impossible. stuck in gear, clutch buggered) to a garage for only £85 + £2 per mile to the nearest shop (40 miles) to pay for someone to do a report (at my expense) and have allowed me the opportunity to pay them to take my bike back home. IF the report sayd the damage was 100% definitely teh recovery agents fault, they will request the money back from the recovery guys.
So thats me.. stuck at home, walking to work which takes a hell of a lot longer. need to nab someone's car to go to lincoln this weekend to do wedding prep,
...and now I have a choice... do i repair my bike, OR do i pay my rent this month.
Bollox!
Someone please learn from my mistake and don't trust these complete morons with their pride and joy like i did. I mean, comeon.. how hard is it to apply ratchet straps properly?!
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On the flip side to the above a member of the AA recovered my FZS600 when the battery died outside PC world in Weston. He was very careful with my bike, didn't over tighten anything and double checked was secure. No damage whatsoever to the bike
So I would recommend the AA for all the times I have used them both for my bikes and cars
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Well I know who's getting my breakdown business next time :)
To think, i went RAC over AA because of a tenners difference
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I thought they carried special bike straps to hold the bike in place, sheeves that went over the grips?
Or is that what did the damage anyway.
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Mine's never been held down by the bars, they've always used the forks at the front and the frame at the back.
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I think judging a company by the actions of two blokes is a bit unwise...!
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Mine was held down by centre standing it, strapping both wheels and both bars... still fuming with them.
It may not be a great idea to judge a company by a few exoperiences.. but for a company to allow this to happen and then respond with "not our problem mate" until legal action is threatened... its really off!
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The RAC are a pain to deal with, they are trying to fob you off.
Firstly, put your complaint to them in writing, post it by recorded delivery. Give them a reasonable time frame to respond ie 7 days from receipt of letter. Send it to a responsible named person, find out the name of the director of customer services and send it to him/her......shit always travels downhill.
List all of the damaged parts and the cost to replace (plus labour) and include it in the body of your letter
Also add in the cost of a hire car to enable you to get to work as clearly your bike is unrideable due to their negligence.
Ask them for the insurance details of their third party garage so that you can speak with their insurer as well advising them of your situation.
Tell them that if they fail to communicate you will go to small claims court (County Court) and sue them for the damages.
You will also be contacting MCN, Bike, Ride etc highlighting their dirty tricks so that the other 1 million motorcycle license hholders are aware of the shabby way in which you have been treated.
Responsibility of the RAC or its Agents:
The RAC has a general duty of care to look after your vehicle while it is in its possession. If the bike is damaged due to staff negligence ( the way in which it was secured on the recovery vehicle ,it will be the RAC's responsibility, they appointed the 3rd party.
I suggest you also contact Citizens Advice.
The Citizens Advice consumer service provides free, confidential and impartial advice on consumer issues. Visit www.adviceguide.org.uk (http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/) or call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 08454 04 05 06.
Good luck
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Mmmmm...........Makes you think whats best!..Ive been with the RAC for the last 5 years and used their services on 2 ocasions with the car and one with the bike. I broke down with the bike and when the mechanic looked at it, he gave me the wrong advice which i am glad to say i didnt listen to. When the car broke down, he mechanic couldnt have been more helpful if he tried! Brilliant service!...
The mechanic (loosely termed) who collected your bike mate was obviously have a really bad day and didnt want to lose your bike off the back of his truck. This is by no means any excuse to completely fuck your handlebars, switches and levers. The loose term of 'its your responsibility once collected by the RAC' can not be used as a full excuse for the damage to you motorcycle as it could be termed as 'unnecessary excess force' to secure the bike. This is a definate situation where you can sue the RAC for the damage. Go to citizens advice or get a solicitors letter for backup. The letter might cost you £25.00 but this you can also claim back.
Pay your rent mate and keep the roof over your head but start the ball rolling with a call to the solicitors!..
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I have had motorcycles recovered by the AA over the years and my son had his recovered by the AA this year, I or he have never had this sort of problem. I know that the 3rd party used by the RAC to recover your bike might well be used by the AA But on this occasion they held the RAC reputation in their hands. mistakes happen it how they are dealt with that makes the difference.
I have read this and will stay with the AA next year now regardless of any savings possible with RAC. I think that the more this gets read the more it could cost the RAC.
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Cheers for the advice lads and ladies :)
After another shouting match with them this afternoon, they have got the recovery agent to look into it... slow progress but its now gone from not our problem to we'll consider it - to we'll ask the recovery agent to look into it - to we've demanded the recovery agent look into it and they said they will.
I've asked my legal guys to advise too... BikeLawyer - amazing firm! Andrew campbell, the owmer/lead solicitor writes the mcn legal column and his assistant Hywel are top guys! They're handling a previous claim for my last fazer which met its doom thanks to a corsa and will more than likely jump on this in minutes if needs be :)
So in short.. RAC (Really Are Crap), avoid! Bikelawyer - if you're insurance lets you nominate your own legal guys... they are top notch guys.
Boom.. Will keep you all updated.
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I believe that you can always choose your own lawyer, at least that's what Andrew Campbell always says!! ;)
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there is no way that the action of a hamfisted recovery operative can be the responsibility of the vehicle owner. Its clearly negligence. And dreadful customer service by the RAC to suggest otherwise.
Write now to as many bike mags as u can. I will wager a letter to the RAC by any of them will soon have them coughing up.Its sheer bullying by the RAC.
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You state that the RAC said "We will get the recovery company to look into it".........this is still a top quality fob off.
YOU are the customer of the RAC, your contract is with THEM.
You need someone at the RAC to take responsibility, they are liable. I guarantee that if you don't sit on these idiots the whole situation will disappear into a black hole.
The four things that I have learnt in dealing with Insurance companies and associated third parties:
1) You have to sit on these morons and push for action.......become a pain, they will want to get rid of you and resolve your problem, simply to stop your daily phone call!!
2) People never do what they say they will do.......get everything in writing.
3) Get names, telephone numbers and email addresses of EVERYONE you speak to............so that you can hound them
4) Threaten them with a sh*t storm of bad publicity and a county court summons if they don't take you seriously and if they do not repair the situation to your satisfaction
Don't let them off the hook, they rely on the fact that most people are too lazy and simply give up.
Your bike solicitor sounds good !!
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Totally shit. I went with the RAC for insurance this time (best price...), glad I didn't opt for their recovery when they tried the up sell. I guess its tough to know who to go with as they all farm some of their recovery to 3rd parties...
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I think to be fair rac aa and even green flag all have good and bad
the two times I have used green flag they have been brillant ! once all the way from the Isle of wight to Haverhill in suffolk
the second time My ignition broke leaving me stuck at a petrol station in a automiatic car so we couldnt even move it away from the pump till they arrived !
But a friend has been in the same boat as you
she had a classic ducati 350 single and the sparkplug went in to meltdown !
she had them collect the bike and taken to a repair shop the manage to ( i think if I remmber rightly )
broken clutch lever switch gear cluster handle bar clip on bracket top section of the yoke all damaged and all needed to be replaced
for the first few months they claimed it wasnt down to them it finally got sorted after I think nearly ten months but then took several more months to get the parts I think the clip on braket was something silly like £600
now after all that time shes lost her rode confidence and just doesnt ride any more
sorry if it sounds grim , but as i said this was green flag and not the rac Good luck
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Sounds like you are on your way to getting it sorted.
Pretty crap service. Was the truck kitted out for carrying a bike?
Have to say I've been a RAC member for 17 years.
Had them out once for my car - timing belt - which they recovered. Several times for the bike, all punctures. Was recovered 120 miles from Fort William for a double rear puncture. Local contractor appeared after about an hour of waiting. They had a proper bike trailer and carefully secured the bike. Had a couple of temp repairs, on both occasions the drivers offered to follow me over 30 miles till I got back home, on one of those occasions the driver insisted on following me.
So dunno if you have been unlucky, or I've been lucky, but I've been happy with the service every time I've called em out.
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the aa are no better m8 , been paying about 172 a year for a transit tourneo for the last 8 years, nether called them until last week, couldn,t open the back to get the tools out to work as i have boxed of the tools in the rear. they refused to come and open the rear door. :eek as not an emergencey. so it cost me 40 in fuel for nothing , self employed. :'(
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OK...
So, nothing from them yet.. time to start phoning them constantly and ruin someones day i S'pose.
Also - have been keeping names, numbers and email addresses. Full report will be going to bmf, mcn, review websites - pretty much everywhere I can find before i get bored.. and a couple more for good measure.
in reply to VNA... no, it wasnt properly kitted out. It was a flatbed truck with a steel checkerplate floor. No paddock stand, nothing.. just a platform and a bunch of straps. had to centre-stand the thing and stick 4 or 5 straps on it to stop it sliding around.
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Transporter not fit for purpose then.
Shocking.
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Something like that, yes.
OK, so one chat with my lawyer and then speaking to the RAC.. the RAC are picking up my bike tomorrow AM and taking it and me to a shop of my choice. I am then getting a lift back to my place of work while the bike is estimated.
Fingers crossed by the time the bike has been estimated for all the damage I think it has.. I'm hoping they will have green-lighted my repairs.
So far, i have racked up phone bills of £35, £50 expenses and 17 hours dealing with the RAC to get this sorted. For that i am wanting:
- Damage repaired - replacement bars, control set, clutch lever - all caused by their contractors.
AND EITHER- Full Service and Replacement Tyre
OR- £35 + £50 + some form of compensation to the tune of 2 days wages for my time
Is this an unreasonable request? I feel that if the RAC hadn't done what they did - these costs and times wouldnt have been incurred and it is their job to put right what has been wronged
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its not going to hurt to ask ! if they say NO then see them in court
all of the things you have done and costs you have incured (responable costs that is ), I beleive should be at there expense
but be carefull what you claim for ! respoble costs is down to interpritation !
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Well tat was a bloody joke!
My bike was meant to be collected at 8AM. at 8.30, I'm STILL WAITING at the end of my street with my bike. because its narrow and i wanted to make things easier for them.
The phine rings... "be there in 10 minutes". 1 hour and 15 minutes later he turns up... WITH THE WRONG TYPE OF TRUCK!
I let him load the bike anyway.. lets face it... it already FOC'd. We get it to the bike shop nearly an hour later. He unloads (scratching my bike in the process) and then has the balls to ask me to sign a form with a picture of a car on it to say there was no damage. I very politely told him I wasnt going to sign for a damaged bike to say it was delivered unharmed.
I get the quote (just shy of £800) for all damages and a new tyre. I then go out to get back in his truck for the ride home I was promised.. and HE'S DISAPPEARED!
I call the RAC - fuming... their suggestion - get a train... to my town... which doesnt have a feckin train station! NO!
they say - get a bus... more like 3, taking half a day... NO!
..they evetually cough for a taxi which on arrival asks where in Nottingham I want dropping...???!!?? I don't! so he has to get authorisation to take me to the right destination - fair enough.
All straightened out - I get home, call the RAC with the estimate... they now want it in writing with a complete explanation for the damages... including pics, faxing TODAY... using that fax machine I've never owned.
I was meant to be taking a late start at work.. 8am pickup would get me to work at 10.30(ish).. no harm done. I now have a day off - UNPAID because i wouldnt get there til 2.30 if i left now.. and will the RAC cover my lost earning as a result of their negligence...??? NO!
Bollocks!
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think negligence might be better swapped for incompentance ! ignorance apathy and stupidity !
I cannot believe that an organization such as the RAC can think your going to just roll over and give up but thats what it seems to me there hoping
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Yeah... never was too great at words...
Have had the quote faxed to RAC by the garage now and its in their "admin queue" waiting to be scanned in and saved.. fun times.
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benny it was sarcasm no worries
posted a link to this thread on my face book ! hope tyou dont mind one reply read
"wasnt it watchdog that had to get involved with a claim with one of the recovery companies after they towed an automatic car by wrong axle and messed transmision up. They all try and get away with "any damage caused is not our fault" crap but its all smoke and mirrors they are responsible for damage they cause!"
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No worries Snappy-old-boy ;)
Interesting to see I'm not the only one and this has been reported before. I intend to fight this as far as I need to in order to ger the bike repaired of replaced by these idiots.
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I think you really need to get a decent solicitor on this as it could drag on and as well as being out of pocket you are already finding yourself inconvenienced. No one at the rac will admit fault if they can avoid it and you will probably find yourself dealing with different people all the time.
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Surprisingly, the one thing the rac have been half decent at is that there is an assigned person on my case who i have spoken to everytime I call in.
Hes not particularly helpful, but hes consistently availabl when needed
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I think now is the time for a recorded delivery letter
give then seven days to reply list ALL your expensise cost of repair and lost of earnings ! as much as you can reasonably expect!
Faillure to reply and this will significatly increase as it will be handed to the solicitors (give name if you can) and there cost will then be included in any settlement
They know all of this and they know they dont (i think ) have a leg to stand on ! the're just wasting your time and theres in the hope youll either go away or cliam of your own insurance !
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Want to kill them all!
Latest is that I faxed them a copy of the damage repair quote on wednesday and got a receipt.
The garage did the same.
...somehow, they never arrived.
I emailed it yesterday... I have a auto-reply from the RAC saying "thanks for your email....balh blah"... somehow, my email also didn't arrive.
Nearly time to release the bloodhounds... eerr, i mean legal professionals.
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Further to this.. no new news... so here's a rough draft of the letter the RAC will be getting.. thoughts??:
Ref: Motorbike, vehicle registration T655 XBV.
On Tuesday 22nd September, my motorcycle suffered a flat tyre.
As an RAC member, I phoned for a pickup to take me to an address where I could store my bike overnight until I could get the tyre changed.
After calling the breakdown assistance line, I was told someone would be with me in half an hour. A breakdown truck finally arrived after an hour - 30 minutes later than I was told it would be.
On arrival at the street my bike was on, the breakdown driver called me to say that he could not get his truck down to my end of the road. He was asked to wait where he was and I would wheel the bike to him. He agreed.
I wheeled my bike up the hill to him, only to find he wasn't there. I called him back and he said he had found another road to use to gain access and had done so, despite being told to wait and without bothering to let us know.
He then refused to go back to where he originally said he would be, leaving me to push a motorbike up a steep hill, past over 50 houses with traffic on both sides of the road posing danger to myself.
When I arrived at the top of the hill, I was met by a man smoking and messing around with his phone. He had a flatbed truck - the wrong type of vehicle for recovering a motorbike. By this point, I was so relieved to have someone finally pick my bike up that I allowed him to load my bike and take it home.
On arrival home, I was asked to sign some paperwork and was told it was simply to acknowledge that the bike was collected and delivered as requested.
I signed the paperwork and then got out of the truck to get my bike taken off. On removing the bike from the truck, I noticed that part of my indicator stalk was missing. I brought it up with the recovery agent who informed me that it was not his problem. He then unloaded my bike and on starting the engine, I noticed that there was the following damage:
Broken indicator stalk
Broken lighting switches
Broken horn
Broken clutch
Broken pass trigger
Bent handlebars
Damaged switchgear casing
The driver again reaffirmed that this was not his problem and simply got on his truck and left me stranded at the end of the road (the truck being too wide to get down the road to the house where I wanted the bike leaving).
I called RAC to complain and was informed that not only was the complaints department closed, but the RAC were unable to provide assistance in getting the bike to the address where I wanted it keeping.
After nearly half an hour of wrestling with it, I finally got the bike uphill and up the road to the address where I wanted it stored and locked the bike up.
The following morning (Weds 24th Sept) I called the RAC customer care team, who were less than helpful. I was informed that I would not be given a courtesy car, I would not be given transport to get the bike reviewed and the RAC would not provide a mobile mechanic to look over the bike.
This was completely unacceptable as there is no mobile mechanic I could instruct to look at it, I was left without transport and had no means to pay for a recovery truck to move my bike to a place where I could have it looked at.
It took 3 full working days and several hours of phone calls before I was offered transport for my vehicle and me to the estimators and back again.
A few days later, and a week after I originally reported the damage, another truck was sent out to me to move my bike.
The truck was supposed to turn up at 8AM and finally showed up nearly 2 hours late despite being pre-booked. Again, the wrong type of truck was sent out, but at least this time the driver knew how to secure the bike.
On arrival, I refused to sign the forms saying the bike was delivered intact as the driver managed to scuff my paintwork while unloading the bike. The driver then left without providing me with transport back to my office as promised.
It took over an hour of phone calls to get transport home. During this time I was offered told:
• Get a train (the town doesn’t have a station)
• Get busses (would take 6 hours, cost a lot and still only get me to just within a mile of my destination)
• get a taxi and apply for reimbursement (I don’t have £80 to throw at RAC incompetence)
Eventually, RAC sent a taxi for me which took another 30 minutes to arrive.
On arrival, the taxi had been given the wrong destination and I had to wait for the driver to get authorisation to take me to where I was supposed to be going.
I eventually got back to my starting point 4 hours later than expected - causing me to have to take a day (unpaid) off work.
A mechanics report was sent to me shortly after - detailing the damage, cost of repair and clearly stating that the damage was caused by incorrect securing of my bike resulting in excessive downward pressure on my bars - resulting in broken switch gear, bent bars and the rest of the damage mentioned above.
The garage sent this to the RAC who claimed it never arrived. They sent it to me, and it arrived immediately.
I then faxed it to the RAC and got a receipt from the fax machine confirming delivery - yet the RAC claim it never arrived.
The following day I had to email the report to the RAC twice before anyone would acknowledge it had arrived - despite me having a pair of auto-generated replies from the RAC informing me that my email was received.
A week and a half after my bike was ruined by the RAC (Friday 2nd October) - the RAC finally agreed to give me a courtesy car, but only for that weekend - and I had to pay the fuel deposit, delivery and collection charges! I was told I could expect these back IF a case was found in my favour. This car has since been collected and when I requested an extension of the time which I could keep the car for, I was told that not only was it not possible, but I should be grateful that I was even given this as its not normal practise.
As things stand:
• I have been without transport for 2 weeks
• I have lost full days wage
• I have spent nearly £50 on phone calls
• My bike is still off the road
On top of this, I have been lied to by RAC, its customer service team and its Breakdown customer care department on several occasions. I have been told that you have a no names policy, yet when I call back 2 minutes later I will be given the name I requested. I have been promised repeated call-backs which never happened. I have been told people, actions and departments do not exist – yet I have spoken to them shortly after.
I have been informed repeatedly that you are waiting for the 3rd party recovery company to put together a statement and present their case and that this will take a reasonable amount of time. The recovery agent has been on holiday and has been unavailable - which has delayed this case.
However - after seeking legal advice, I have been informed that this is irrelevant. I have conclusive proof from a mechanic that this damage was caused by a recovery agent and since my contract is with the RAC, it is up to them to get my bike repaired and then recover their costs at a later date… Not to make me wait while the RAC check whether or not its costs can be recovered before it starts the process of making good what it has damaged
Further proof that my bike was in good working order before the RAC handled it comes from its location. If my bars, switch gear and clutch had been broken before the RAC handled my bike - then the bike would not have been moveable to get it to the location of the recovery from where it is kept - a distance of 40 miles.
It is also impossible that this damage could have been caused by a crash as a crash would have damaged the bike fairings and would have not damaged the switch gear - the complete opposite of my bikes actual condition.
I have taken legal advice and have been informed that if you do not respond to this letter in a satisfactory way within a period of 7 days that my best option is to take the RAC to a small claims court.
This is advice I intend to take and have already acquired the forms necessary to start this process.
To resolve this matter in an agreeable manner, I expect the RAC to:
• Issue a formal apology for the way in which my bike, myself and this case has been treated
• Pay all costs related to getting my bike back on the road in a good working order
• Cover the expenses of my phone bills and lost earnings due to the RAC's actions.
• Offer a goodwill gesture in the form of an extended membership free of charge or a financial gesture to cover the stress and time taken to get this issue resolved.
Yours,
Ben Bell
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At the begining the way its worded you seem to have pushed the bike up the same hill twice to get to two different locations !1
start at point A ! pushed the bike to point B up a hill
then pushed the bike back to point A up a hill again ?
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I'd also chuck in that you consider them to be in breach of the "Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982" which, according to Which Magazine: "Requires the trader to use reasonable care and skill and says that any materials or goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. It also says that, unless a specific date is agreed for a service to be provided, it must be carried out within a reasonable time."
Note that *your* contract is with the RAC, not the recovery agent. *They* may have a contract with him, but that's not your problem.
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Snapper... good call. My bad.
Cheers for the advice graham. I will find a space for it :)
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Fuck me!....I am so glad you have got a solicitor involved mate cos that would have been my worst nightmare! The customer relations seem to be totally non-existant. As for the twat who was supposed to pick you up and take you and bike to the bike shop, what fookin planet did he come from?...To not take care in loading and unloading the bike from his 'FLAT BED' truck and now damaging your paintwork in addition to the rest of the damage caused by the other cnut......has he a death wish as well???????....You should have at least have been supplied with another bike while yours is being sorted out and not fobbed off with excuse after excuse about not getting emails/faxes. They will not be getting a renewal from me next year and i always used to think highly of them!....Good luck getting it sorted out my friend! :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
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Yeah, I'm getting sod all from them.
Really glad to hear yo uwill not be renewing with them and won't eventually have to suffer the crap that I am getting from them
I am not planning to renew with the RAC even if they offer me a free membership. I would rather pay for someone to recover a bike of mine without turning it into a several thousand pound garden ornament.
I have heard really good things about "2Gether Motor Breakdown". They have a crap website, but their reviews on reviewcentre.com are incredible with 4/5 compared to the RAC's 2.3/5 :)
..That said, they may be crap and just have a few good reviews, but they are the top ranked recovery agency on most review websites I've seen and they can't possibly do a worse job... well, unless they secretly burn people's vehicles and beat their customers into giving them good reviews.. who knows.
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Blimey this is scary, but hopefully once your solicitor swings into action and makes it clear they will be incurring solicitors fees aswell they will settle immediately.
[/size][/color]Unbelievable that such a huge organisation should treat it's customers so badly, as RAC used to be preferred for bike recovery over AA.[/font]
[/size][/color]Carole Nash seem to use AA now and the couple of times I've had to use them, they have been O.K, but I have been hovering like a Mother Hen[/font] :b
[/size][/color]Good Luck, with you all the Way[/font]
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You have given the RAC ample time and many opportunities to right their obvious wrong.
The truth is, they don't give a sh*t, you are one of many millions of customers, your problem is not even a niggling statistic for them because like most major companies and PLC's, you are an irrelevancy. It shouldn't be that way but it is!!
Let your bike solicitors loose on these useless arseh*les and claim for absouluteley everything :eek :
* Damage to bike £££
* Cost of a hire vehicle for the duration of your bike being off road £££
* Loss of wages £££
* Cost of Telephone calls & time £
* Time in preparing and sending emails and faxes and cost of sending ££
Get your solicitor to charge them for ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING, make the bastards at the RAC pay, they are an absolute disgrace......and breathe :D
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BennyBoy maybe if you can post up the final draft of your letter along with your last responce we can all post it all over the net as many forums as possible ?
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Will do chief.
Am planning to redraft a few little bits tonight.
Will get it sent off and give you all a copy nice and soon.
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been reading with interest, cant believe they can act like this have you thought of contacting WATCHDOG ? people need to be made aware. Hope it finally get sorted for you
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Possible progress.. or this is the end of the road.. one way or another this will get sorted.
Finally today - 13 days and 18 hours after the incident, the contractors have been in touch. they have provided the RAC with a document signed by me which says the bike was recovered and delivered unharmed.
I have informed the RAC this was signed under duress and before I was allowed to see my bike. I have also told the RAC that they wouldnt unload my bike unless I did sign it.
They have presented this to the recovery agent. The recovery agent has put in a statement saying the recovery was from an RTA with flat tyre. the damage to my bike was supposedly caused by an "RTA" where i got a flat tyre and probably ditched out and they werent paying up.
The RAC presented this to me.
I have provided the RAC with pictures of my bike. the only fairing damage - something you would certainly have if you ditched out - is a crack on the left side front fairing. I have provided a report and photos from the guy who fixed the crack.. back in August!!
Further to this, the front forks, wheel, tyre, brake, lights, indicator lights, fairings et al are all perfectly intact. There is no damage to the pillion bar, footrests, pillion pegs, exhaust, engine case, rear brake lever or gear selector... its all perfectly intact. Sounds just like the outcome of an crash or ditch out, right?
Bunch of tossers!
More to follow
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I have informed the RAC this was signed under duress and before I was allowed to see my bike. I have also told the RAC that they wouldnt unload my bike unless I did sign it.
Next time (or for anyone else faced with this situation) sign it "Unseen, signed under protest"!
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You live, you learn!
I'm pretty sure that my refusal to sign the second set of forms when the bike was taken to the garage was the reason the truck driver disappeared and didnt give me the lift back from bradford to Colne that I was promised.
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Bennyboy.......name and shame the contractor on here too.
They sound like an utter shower of lying, cheating scum bags.
put there web address and details on here to warn others and so that we can spread the word about them and the RAC to other bikers. :evil
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It makes you think you need to take pictures of your bike at the side of the road before collection, how far would you go? You don't expect this to happen do you.
Good Luck
Andy
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Here is my "RTA Damaged" fazer as it stood at 9am today.
Clearly a wreck...
You cant see the damage to the bike caused by the contractor in this shot.. but in short:
bard are bent - not hugely, but enough to notice when astride it.. also evident from the looseness of the bars as the mounting point is damaged.
clutch bent round. cable attachment point (dunno what its called) is snapped off.
LH switch gear cracked, not functioning.. crack is not visible in pic causing all electrics on that side to fail.
black nobble on indicator switch missing.
...but the point is, they are claiming this is an accident damaged or dropped bike. Thoughts?
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Some of the damage caused by them. Doesn't look too bad, but sure as hell feels like it when you cant steer the bike, turn your lights, indicators, horn, high beams etc on or off or change the bike into or out of gear.
More pics to follow
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Great..
..now the bloody contractor has agreed to maybe pay for it, but they need to drive all the way to the shop to inspect the bike. They will then make a decision
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I reckon they aint got a leg to stand on !
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Definitely, I think thy are starting to get that too.
They have agreed to pay for most of the damage to my bike. They have agreed to replace my bard and LH switch set.. just arguing over the final few bits now.
They still wont accept liability for my phonebill, lost wages or other losses yet though.
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Conversation on the RAC Facebook Page:
Ben Bell
After getting a puncture, the RAC recovered my vehicle, causing it further damage! They offered me a courtesy car for 2.5 of the 13 days its been unuseable. They refuse to offer more and told me i should be greatful I got that because its not what they normally do. They "lost" my mechanics report twice despite me having an email confirmation it was received. They still havent given my vehicle repairs the green light. I have a definitive report froma mechanic stating the damage was caused by them, but they wont accept it until their recovery agent admits it was their fault. Congratulations RAC on acting unlawfully while also managing to seriously disappoint a customer, leaving them hundreds of pounds out of pocket.
Like · · 5 November at 13:56
RAC
HI Ben. I am sorry for any dissatisfaction you may feel with the way we handled your concerns. However, I understand my colleague has now reached a resolution with you.
- Monday at 16:40 · Like
Ben Bell
Not really, no. After 3 weeks, the RAC are finally repairing MOST of the damage they caused.. leaving me to pay for the rest of the repairs myself. I've lost a days wages through broken RAC promises which the RAC refuses to pay for, I'm down £60 in phonecalls and nearly £50 in charges from the courtesy car which i was not informed of beforehand despite the hire car telling me (afterwards) that you had to do so.. by law!
- 3 hours ago · Like · 1
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was there a final outcome to this or is it still ongoing ?
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Long & short.. kinda sorted.
Ive had everything sorted.
It only happened this past week or so and I avent been on here much to update you all.
Turned ou tin the end, the way to fix it was to obtain a copy of the RAC companies house report which listed all the directors.. the with a bit of spade work on the web, start calling them 7 or 8 times an HOUR.
..After a day and a half, they gave in and authorised it all just to get rid of me.
Surely it shouldn't have to be this hard? Thankfully - I've got my bike back.. just in time to wrap it up and not ride ti for months!
Win some, loose some, want to attack some others with a cattle prod right
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Got to admire your resolve Bennyboy. I imagine most of us would have given up and just moaned about it.
Good for you :thumbup
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Hows it go '' speak to the organ grinder not the monkey'' well done.
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Cheers folks.
To be honest, I was beginning to give up myself.. but without my bike, I can't get to work.. and I don't earn enough to be able to shell out better part of a grand to repair it. Its one of those situations where you succeed or potentially end up out of a home.
Still, all sorted and I will (at some point) provide a lit of names, numbers, etc of people who are useful to shout at.
Ben
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next step is to send all this info to the bike press, and see if they will also follow it through...its crazy to think you have to call directors of a company to get a result. Its certainly made me think twice of ever using RAC again. As it is, I dont , though did pay for years with them.I get breakdown cover through my insurance companies/ bank accounts...FWIW...just hope they dont send these contractors!
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Well done Benny boy! That is what you might call determination!....lol. Its great to know that you got there in the end although the summer has long since buggered off.
Have a fantastic Christmas now mate!
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Turned ou tin the end, the way to fix it was to obtain a copy of the RAC companies house report which listed all the directors.. the with a bit of spade work on the web, start calling them 7 or 8 times an HOUR.
I did exactly the same with yell0w pages, they made a c0ck up regarding charges and 2 years down the line tried it on for £4k, I got threats of court action and debt collectors they even offered a discount if I paid it now, I was getting no where fast with the staff and managers on the phone, and so took it upon myself to find the CEO and everyone under him, I sent them all several pages of my complaint and detailed emails, I had also recorded all conversations for my own purpose so that I could go over exactly what they had said and out the blue I got a call from the PA of the CEO and they agreed to cancel the £4k and gave me a years advertisements totalling £12k FOC and its not the 1st time I've been in dispute with a company and won. It's the best feeling ever be persistent .