RAC Battery rip-off!!!

ghettokartel

Tuner
Points
25
Location
HARINGEY, NORF LONDON
Car
AUDI A4 FSI
Just had RAC out to jump start my car. I was determined not to buy a battery from them as I knew they would be expensive. However, they guy said that the short drive to Halfords where I planned to buy a replacment, may damage the alternator. So he sold me a bosch 4 battery for £102.99, telling me that it cost £99.99 online and in store's. I have just checked and they are only £50!!!

What a rip-off, are RAC employees commission based?
 
did they fit it for you ? clean your car and give you bed bath aswell for that price ?
that is a right rip off. send them a mail with the quote you got, make sure its exactly the same battery with the same gaurantee and tell them to refund the difference. or your off with the AA.
(not alcohol anon ;) ) lol
 
cant say ive heard of running with a bad battery damaging the altinator, christ i drove 12 miles without a battery.

you probably saved a bit anyway halfords wanted something like £120 for a battery for mine. local motor factors £54 and somehow the wife managed to get trade discount so not sure what i owe her for it.

be good not to have to go start the car in the middle of the night to keep it going
 
You could try writing to customer services a lodging a complaint, keep the letter civil & factual. If your lucky you may get a partial refund or maybe a discount of something else.
 
Just had RAC out to jump start my car. I was determined not to buy a battery from them as I knew they would be expensive. However, they guy said that the short drive to Halfords where I planned to buy a replacment, may damage the alternator. So he sold me a bosch 4 battery for £102.99, telling me that it cost £99.99 online and in store's. I have just checked and they are only £50!!!

What a rip-off, are RAC employees commission based?

are you positive its a s4 battery???
 
I would triple check the battery spec's and then fire an email off to Customer services requesting the difference is paid back into your account.

Maybe the RAC has close links to Dick Turpin! the bandits! :amazed:
 
You surely cant expect someone to come out to you at your house (or where you are broken down ) try to fix the problem and then provide and fit a proper battery for the same price as going to a 2supermarket" that sells on price
Remember Halfords would charge you for fitting it even if you took the car to them and their batteries are definately not in the same league as a genuine Bosch item.

Halfords are cheap and even cheaper with a trade card . Surely this says something
I buy quite a few and reckon I take back half the ones I buy as they go dead quite quickly if the cars are not driven. Decent batteries dont.
 
ofcourse I dont expect RAC to be the same price as Halfords, If you read my post properly you will find that I never said I expected them to have the same pricing. I asked the RAC guy to jump me so as to enable me to get to Halfords to buy a new battery. I was then told by the RAC guy that the battery he had in his van was £100 odd and would cost the same in halfords. I thought he was telling the truth so bought it. I have now found out that the correct RAC price is £81.99.I think the rac guy ripped me off and did not give me the proof of purchase on purpose. I called rac to complain and was told that the guy who came to me stated on his service report that he game me a jump start and that was in!! no mention of selling a battery!! i recon he replaced the battery he got from his van and pocketed the difference!!:confused:
 
I did read your post carefully and I agree 100% that you should be able to expect an honest "deal" from the RAC.
However........... I dont want to sound harsh but surely you asked for a receipt especially if you paid him in cash, Of course if you paid by cheque/card etc you can prove you bought it from him. Thats basic common sense ( sorry )

But in either case you should definately take it further. Despite that he says he didnt give you a battery you have a case.
You do have his ID as there is a record of the call out to do with a battery. Maybe he has done this before ?
Make it official and put it in writing, You do after all have the battery as evidence . It may well be one off his van but it may be marked in a way they can trace it.
And this is hardly a story you would make up so I would hope they would investigate it in further.

But you need to prepare yourself for the question . "why did you pay cash and didnt you ask for a receipt"
 
If you have proof of purchase you are more than halfway there - it shows the driver is lying for a start . That should be enough.

Its possible that he is not authorised to sell things like batteries in which case they will have to sort things out

Good Luck
 

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