My disabled sister and her husband who is a pensioner with a bad back, decided to take a leisurely 3 month break to Spain in there motorhome. Unfortunatley when they got to the border with Spain they had an accident that has written off there motorhome. Before taking the journey they took out the top Euro cover with RAC. Despite telling them 5 times that they were taking four dogs with them they were assured that it was not a problem.
After the accident the Police arranged for a local company to recover their motorhome. Ufortunatley the recovery company parked the van upto a wall that pushed the cycle rack through the back of the van!... A hotel was offered but at the risk of losing there belongings they decided to stay with the van until they could contact their insurance company after the weekend.
On monday morning they were able to contact their insurers given the ok to leave their belongings, the RAC did not provide a hotel until 8pm that night.
The RAC then gave them the option of hotel accommodation or car hire to get them to France then another hire car from Calais to there home in yorkshire. Unable to stay with four dogs in hotels they opted for the car hire. (Getting a Taxi, car hire or a hotel with four dogs soon became a problem!. Also as my sister is disabled she can only drive an automatic so she could not be put on the insurance leaving her elderly husband to do all the driving.
Last night at 10pm they arrived in Bordeaux, unable to find a hotel that would take four dogs they were left with no option but to sleep in the hire car even though it was minus one degrees.
When they get to Calais (after a 10 hour drive) to catch the Euro tunnel crossing that they have had to pay for, they then need to make the 6 hour drive home to collect their car, drive both cars the 6 hours back to the ferry and return the hire car to Calais because there is a time limit on the hire of the car or penalties will be charged. The hire company in Calais is national car hire and has a uk branch 10 miles from where they live so why do they have to go back to France ?.
The motorhome will be recovered back to the uk some time next week but to Surrey ??? they live in Yorkshire! what about their belongings in the motorhome?
As i understand it the problem is that a pet cannot travel in the RAC recovery vehicle, it has to travel in your recovered vehicle, not possible on this occasion. The breakdown cover they took out with the RAC covers them for quite an amount in hotel or car hire costs even a payment for an aditional driver if only one person can drive the vehicle.
As they cannot continue their trip there is no continuation costs for the RAC to pay, so providing accommodation for one night only, then expecting an elderley person with a back problem to drive halfway across europe then halfway across Britain and back to return a hire car within a time limit and at their own expense is unfair and dangerous. Professional drivers are not allowed to drive more than 8 hours for a reason.
This breakdown cover has cost them dearly in time money and stress. Personally something that i would not recommend buying.
After the accident the Police arranged for a local company to recover their motorhome. Ufortunatley the recovery company parked the van upto a wall that pushed the cycle rack through the back of the van!... A hotel was offered but at the risk of losing there belongings they decided to stay with the van until they could contact their insurance company after the weekend.
On monday morning they were able to contact their insurers given the ok to leave their belongings, the RAC did not provide a hotel until 8pm that night.
The RAC then gave them the option of hotel accommodation or car hire to get them to France then another hire car from Calais to there home in yorkshire. Unable to stay with four dogs in hotels they opted for the car hire. (Getting a Taxi, car hire or a hotel with four dogs soon became a problem!. Also as my sister is disabled she can only drive an automatic so she could not be put on the insurance leaving her elderly husband to do all the driving.
Last night at 10pm they arrived in Bordeaux, unable to find a hotel that would take four dogs they were left with no option but to sleep in the hire car even though it was minus one degrees.
When they get to Calais (after a 10 hour drive) to catch the Euro tunnel crossing that they have had to pay for, they then need to make the 6 hour drive home to collect their car, drive both cars the 6 hours back to the ferry and return the hire car to Calais because there is a time limit on the hire of the car or penalties will be charged. The hire company in Calais is national car hire and has a uk branch 10 miles from where they live so why do they have to go back to France ?.
The motorhome will be recovered back to the uk some time next week but to Surrey ??? they live in Yorkshire! what about their belongings in the motorhome?
As i understand it the problem is that a pet cannot travel in the RAC recovery vehicle, it has to travel in your recovered vehicle, not possible on this occasion. The breakdown cover they took out with the RAC covers them for quite an amount in hotel or car hire costs even a payment for an aditional driver if only one person can drive the vehicle.
As they cannot continue their trip there is no continuation costs for the RAC to pay, so providing accommodation for one night only, then expecting an elderley person with a back problem to drive halfway across europe then halfway across Britain and back to return a hire car within a time limit and at their own expense is unfair and dangerous. Professional drivers are not allowed to drive more than 8 hours for a reason.
This breakdown cover has cost them dearly in time money and stress. Personally something that i would not recommend buying.