Drivers who've broken down told to report breakdowns online instead of phone call

Drivers have been left fuming after they were told to report vehicle breakdowns online rather than being able to call directly from the incident. A pensioner was left stranded and the 85-year-old man was forced to walk home to get help, they have claimed.

The RAC, the popular car breakdown operator, has attempted to promote quicker responses via its website rather than having drivers be left on hold. In the incident reported by The Telegraph newspaper today (Thursday September 12), an 85-year-old motorist, who had originally called for help when a wheel fell off his car, had to return home on foot to write in for assistance.

He had to wait more than 15 minutes after calling up and was hit with an automatic message urging the driver to log the issue online for more ease. He told the paper: “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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The driver added: “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.”

Towing the car cost the driver £100. An RAC spokesperson said: “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 by phone. 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. We pride ourselves on the service we deliver, and our focus is on continuing to improve in the experience we provide to millions of our members every year.

“We’ve apologised to Mr Rayner for any confusion and offered him a gesture of goodwill that he has accepted. We’re happy to say he remains a valued member of the RAC.”