RAC Insurance Fails to Impress

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RAC Insurance Fails to Impress

Three years ago online advertisers GoCompare enticed me to take out home Insurance with RAC Insurance selling me a policy which purported to offer me house and contents insurance cover.

I auto renewed every February since believing I had peace of mind insurance.

Then disaster struck. In July 2020 I had my luggage stolen from the rack in a train.

I reported it to British Transport Police and received a crime reference number. I then read my RAC Insurance policy. It covered personal possessions away from home!

Or rather it claimed to do so.

Then reality hit. RAC Insurance were just a broker who had sold the policy on behalf of others. I found myself dealing with some overseas people who spoke with Irish accents.

And they weren’t paying. Not only had I lost my my precious possessions but I’d been sold a policy which was worthless to me by RAC Insurance. 

It would have been so much better not to have had the insurance in the first place. I’d been robbed and I would have to get over it.

But then to find I’d lost a second time with a dud insurance policy really hurt.

But to get hurt a third time?

It’s January again and policy renewal time of year.

RAC Insurance has decided its going to repeat this highly lucrative process, as they have my credit card details in their computer and it’s my turn to enrich them once again.

How can I stop them? 

I contacted my credit card provider and ask them to block the payment, and in turn they ask I contact the merchant and request they cancel the policy.

So I log into ‘My’ RAC Insurance online. Can I cancel the policy renewal?

Well, I try their virtual assistant.

It doesn’t have an answer for ‘IF YOU TOUCH MY CREDIT CARD I WILL COMPLAIN TO THE POLICE’.

All RAC offer those unfortunate customers desperate to be rid of them is an option to ‘change your policy details’.

This involves ringing an 0330 number, which in turn tells me that due to Covid 19 it is unlikely that they will answer.

So all hope is on my credit card preventing RAC Insurance helping themselves to payment for an unwanted policy.

Once that is achieved, next we will set about getting a refund for the last three years payments on the grounds the policies were mis sold and worthless to me.

What options are open to those unfortunates who find themselves trapped in similar circumstances?

As I believe I’m not the only one to have fallen foul of this much criticized industry I will update this story as it unfolds.

Update: 9th February 2021

Before my renewal date I did ring RAC Insurance Ltd a second time and I was able to get through to an operator without undue delay. 

I explained my case and she immediately cancelled the renewal. I also asked for a refund of my premiums. She said someone would get back to me. 

To date no-one has. 

My policy, which didn’t pay, cost £264 in February 2020.

Their auto renewal would have cost £387.

My new policy with a different provider cost £139.

https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumers/complaints-can-help/insurance

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