I cancelled my RAC membership last year, so I was surprised to receive an email recently that offered me “an extra year’s membership – completely free”. I rang to ensure the offer wasn’t a scam and was told that the year’s membership would, indeed, be free – unless I had a breakdown and required roadside assistance, in which case I’d be charged £85. This is like my local supermarket advertising free food as long as you don’t want to get your hands on it.
SM, Mere Warminster, Wiltshire
This sounded so bizarre I asked you to send me the offer, thinking that you must have missed the small print. You hadn’t. The email was unequivocal. “We’re always looking to help our members,” it began. “And with costs going up, it’s been a tough time for everyone. So we’d like to give you an extra year’s membership – completely free!”
The small print stated that breakdown is provided by RAC Motoring Services. Anyone would assume they were fully covered and it’s not surprising you thought this seemed too good to be true.
Extraordinarily, the RAC seems to blame you. It told me that it had explained the invisible caveat to you on the phone when you cancelled your policy last year, and on a call this year. You have no memory of the former conversation and the latter only happened because you’d rung to query the offer.
I asked the RAC how many former customers received this misleading email and whether a subsequent clarification was sent. It ducked both questions and stated merely: “We’d like to apologise to SM for the error in his email. The email should have explained that rather than being a breakdown policy, this is a free membership that provides a legal advice helpline, discounts from trusted partners, and access to our roadside assistance on a discounted pay-on-use basis.
“Any customer taking this membership-only product always has it clearly explained on the phone and will receive a more detailed email than SM did.”
I think it highly unlikely you were the only one to receive that deficient wording. It’s possible that others signed up under the misapprehension they were covered for breakdown. I suggest you complain to the Advertising Standards Authority.
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