I bought a 2008 Fiat Punto from a garage who said it included a 3-month RAC Gold Warranty and made it sound like the best thing since sliced bread. This was just TWO MONTHS AGO!
Then the heater stopped working just recently. Now, the amount of knowledge I have about the workings of a car would fit on the back of a postage stamp with room to spare, so I had to rely on RAC Warranty as I do with the RAC Breakdown cover I have, having changed to them this year from the AA.
So, after spending forever for the RAC to get back to me about how to go through the warranty process (I wanted them to set it out in an email so I had it all written down - I hate phoning call centres), I was able to book it in with a local garage today.
They charged me an hour's labour to do diagnostics on it to tell me that: "The heater motor has stopped working because it has burnt out" (well, duh!)
Then they contacted the RAC who told them that they will pay for the heater motor (£109.44) and they'd only pay for half-an-hour's labour (£22.50). Add VAT comes to £158.33
So I would have to pay for wiring loom (£75.98), resistor (£19.37) and 3.5hr labour (£157.50). Add VAT comes to £303.42
If they ordered the part today, it would come by Tues/Wed next week. However, I asked for the garage to hold off ordering it while I hope RAC will do the decent thing and NOT fob me off here.
The fact is that my car's heater doesn't work. I don't know the motor from the wiring loom and wouldn't know either of them if I fell over them. I expect the warranty to make the heater start working! Anything less and I will be taking this to the media and making a storm about it, the likes of which they've never seen.
So, RAC, are you going to do the decent thing, or attempt to fob me off?
Then the heater stopped working just recently. Now, the amount of knowledge I have about the workings of a car would fit on the back of a postage stamp with room to spare, so I had to rely on RAC Warranty as I do with the RAC Breakdown cover I have, having changed to them this year from the AA.
So, after spending forever for the RAC to get back to me about how to go through the warranty process (I wanted them to set it out in an email so I had it all written down - I hate phoning call centres), I was able to book it in with a local garage today.
They charged me an hour's labour to do diagnostics on it to tell me that: "The heater motor has stopped working because it has burnt out" (well, duh!)
Then they contacted the RAC who told them that they will pay for the heater motor (£109.44) and they'd only pay for half-an-hour's labour (£22.50). Add VAT comes to £158.33
So I would have to pay for wiring loom (£75.98), resistor (£19.37) and 3.5hr labour (£157.50). Add VAT comes to £303.42
If they ordered the part today, it would come by Tues/Wed next week. However, I asked for the garage to hold off ordering it while I hope RAC will do the decent thing and NOT fob me off here.
The fact is that my car's heater doesn't work. I don't know the motor from the wiring loom and wouldn't know either of them if I fell over them. I expect the warranty to make the heater start working! Anything less and I will be taking this to the media and making a storm about it, the likes of which they've never seen.
So, RAC, are you going to do the decent thing, or attempt to fob me off?
