Drivers told not to make phone calls when they've broken down or risk £100 charge
Motorists in distress have been cautioned against making phone calls for help, following a case where an elderly driver was advised to seek assistance online after his vehicle broke down. The RAC has shifted its focus to online reporting, aiming to reduce wait times experienced during phone calls.
According to The Telegraph, an 85-year-old man was forced to walk home to request aid online after the wheel of his car came off and he couldn't get through on the phone.
After waiting over 15 minutes on the line, he encountered an automated message suggesting he log the problem via the website. Expressing his frustration, he said: "If you're sitting in a car with traffic going past at 90 miles an hour on a motorway, that's not the sort of response you want."
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He further recounted: "One of [the call handlers] actually just told me to go online and cut me off. If they don't answer their phone and I'm stuck on a motorway, how on earth do I get in touch with them? And I think that is the big problem facing not only me, but a hell of a lot of other drivers. You know, we don't all have smartphones.
"I tried to ring them, and I think I was on the phone for 15 or 20 minutes [with] no response, and then the phone line kept coming back to say 'the easiest way to get in touch with us is online'. So I waited, and then I eventually went online."
The driver had to shell out £100 to tow the car, reports Birmingham Live. An RAC spokesperson commented: "We're sorry Mr Rayner thought the only way to log his breakdown was online. This isn't the case we offer members the choice to call or go online. In fact, over half of all breakdowns are reported to us by phone.
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"While many of our members prefer to go online as it allows us to locate them more easily and keep them regularly updated on when we will arrive we appreciate this isn't the case for everyone. This is why we have fully staffed call centres in three UK locations that take tens of thousands of member phone calls every week."
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