I would not be happy

You were treated like a dog !

Finally found a company that applies common sense to the problem by leaving the decision to the driver. No wonder they have jumped to become a Which Recommended provider in such a short time.

Another relative broke down 40 miles from home late one Sunday evening and an elderly mother cdould not climb into the recovery vehicle so Start sent a taxi to pick them up and recovered the vehicle.

Not pet related but at the end of April I taxed the Caterham ready for the summer. First trip ou the engine started to missfire on the A46 just as I was passing a pull off, it ground to a halt shortly after. Quick check showed no priming noise from the low pressure fuel pump but the fuse was OK so looked like a dead fuel pump. Rang Aviva Rescue whose number puts you direct to the RAC. Told them the problem, they said I was a priority due to my location on a major trunk road and I would be attended to withing 45 minutes, this was at 12.45 pm on a slow Sunday.

Patrol rang me 15 minutes later, he was about 6 miles away changing a wheel on another car. Discussed problem and he agreed awith my diagnosis and said there was no point in him attending since he did not have the parts, he would phone it strait through for recovery. 15 mintes later RAC rang to say recovery on its way, expect 90 minutes but that was from my initial call so expect them within the hour (about 2.15). 2.45 no recovery so rang them back and they promised to investigate and update me. Rang me back to say truck on the way.

At 3.50 still no truck so rang them again. They checked the status and informed me the truck was so close I should be able to see it any second and to watch out for it..

4.15 still no truck. Rang again and was told that they had lost contact with the driver.

At about 5.00 they rang me to say the driver was on his way and would be with me shortly. at about 5.05 driver rang to ask where I was, he was 20 miles away unloading his previous breakdown.

He arrived at about 5.45 and told me he had been stuck in Skegness all afternoon recovering a car and caravan.

Arrived home at about 6.45. Tested fuel pump and it was dead.

Next day i rang the RAC Customer Services and gave them details. About a week later thay rang to say that major mistakes had been made and the level of service I had received was unaceptable. They sent me a cheque for £100, not bad when I only paid £60 for the year.

New fuel pump fitted on the car a couple of days after I broke down and car burst into life immediately. Now here is a coincidence, the car was built in 1993 and the fuel pump packed in in 2005. Fortunately it simply failed to pime on the drive so no harm done that time. So the original lated 12 years and its replacement lasted 12 years. Think I will be changing the pump in 2029. Rubbish American pumps.