A broken-down campervan owner has spoke out about his RAC frustrations, claiming it took three days to be recovered.
Matt Waite says he and his campervan was towed from place to place by RAC subcontractors, leaving him to spend two nights in car parks, Eastern Daily Press reports.
Matt’s camper broke down at about 4.30pm on November 6, after visiting Somerset and Warwickshire in his self-converted Luton van, which he lives in.
Just months before he had paid £220 for RAC breakdown coverage, which he thought would cover him wherever he was.
But the first RAC subcontractor only towed him down the road to Cambridge, where he had to wait overnight in a carpark, before another subcontractor arrived and towed him to Thetford.
Matt said: “I sat at Thetford services from 10am on the Monday morning to 8pm on the Tuesday night.
“It was only then that a friend was passing that I decided to leave the van.
“I didn’t want to leave it because it has all my stuff in it, and I didn’t want it to be vandalised.
“I asked a recovery driver why they didn’t just tow me all the way back home, they said it was because it was all subcontractors.
“So they just take you to the end of their jurisdiction and then someone else picks you up.”
The self-employed builder said the RAC eventually agreed to compensate him £100 for his expenses and extend his coverage for three months for free.
Matt added: “If it had been 24 hours I would thought I had just been a bit unlucky, but not to have your vehicle recovered for three days is just a joke.
“I paid good money for what I thought was the best recovery firm – it’s not like they’re some tin-pot outfit.
An RAC spokesperson said: “We’re very sorry it took longer than expected to get Mr Waite’s vehicle back to Norfolk.
“High demand from all breakdown companies for tow trucks meant we couldn’t carry out the recovery in one go, so it took more time – something we should have explained to him sooner.
“To save Mr Waite waiting overnight we offered him a taxi home but he instead chose to stay with his vehicle. We also made him aware he could change his mind and request a taxi at any point.
“We’re confident he’ll receive our normal high level of service the next time he needs us.”
Don’t forget to subscribe to the Van Life Matters newsletter or download the Van Life Matters App to stay up-to-date with the latest UK Van Life news, tips and advice.
