Exposed: RAC's multi-car breakdown plan rip-off
Multi-car customers on budget breakdown recovery plan hit with inexplicable premium.
If you want breakdown cover for a couple of vehicles you own, you might hope for a discount from your provider because of the extra business. You certainly wouldn’t expect to pay extra per car.
The RAC, however, is currently charging customers who sign up for its basic roadside recovery package an extra premium when they bring more than one vehicle under their membership cover.
Prices being driven up
‘Roadside’ is the basic breakdown service offered by the RAC and it costs £27.99 for single-vehicle cover.
This plan comes with 24/7 breakdown cover, including a ten-mile tow.
However, when you look at the cost of multi-vehicle cover, you’ll notice that the pricing isn’t just a simple multiplication of the cost of one car. You’re actually being charged extra for the privilege.
|
Number of vehicles covered |
RAC |
Extra cost |
|
1 |
£27.99 |
n/a |
|
2 |
£66.99 |
£11.01 |
|
3 |
£96.99 |
£13.02 |
Thankfully the other three roadside assistance options offered by the RAC do give large discounts for members with multiple vehicles.
The Roadside Recovery bundle, which the RAC says is its most popular choice, costs £67.99 for one vehicle, £114.99 for two, and £149.98 for three, saving £20.99 or £53.99 respectively for drivers who choose to bring multiple vehicles under the same cover.
The savings can be even greater for their Unlimited and Premier options, which offer much more comprehensive cover in the event of a breakdown.
So why were drivers on the cheapest package being penalised? We asked the RAC for an explanation as to why the product had been priced this way.
It responded to say that it was amending its vehicle-based pricing, so that cover for multiple vehicles would not add additional expense for drivers in the future. This should be brought in line towards the end of October.
Check out how the main breakdown policies compare in Cheap breakdown cover: RAC vs AA vs Green Flag.
Cut the cost of your travel insurance with loveMONEY
Save money on your car insurance
Where to get the cheapest breakdown cover
Young drivers: save a packet on your car insurance!
Will your car be caught up in the VW scandal?
Most Recent
Comments
-
RAC pricing is a rip-off in general. I was with the RAC for years and always had a good experience but the prices just kept going up by far more than inflation every year so in the end I decided to shop around rather than stay loyal. I've now been with Start Rescue since 2011 - this year I paid £31.90 , and the cost of my annual cover has gone up less than £2 since I joined with the same car that is now over 10 years old. For this low price I get a very good level of cover including roadside, recovery, at home and onward travel, which the RAC charges £123.99 for. I have been fortunate enough that I have not had to use their services yet, however their reviews are generally good and I would never go back to paying over £100 a year again.
REPORT This comment has been reported. -
Actually I suspect there is an argument that will show three car families probably make more breakdown calls than single car families . However I do not have the data. Its a hunch that with three cars in many cased it is two older runabouts for wife and children and they do not get the care and attention of a single car in a household.
REPORT This comment has been reported.
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature
12 October 2015