A couple in their 60s have slammed a well-known tow truck corporation for offering a “paltry” £85 in compensation for their horror ordeal.
Christabel Bradley, 62, and her husband Jonathan, 63, “feel duped” by RAC after they were left stranded on the side of the road and forced to sleep upright in their van.
They pair had been on their way home from a camping trip when their vehicle broke down in the countryside.
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They immediately contacted RAC for assistance with a roadside mechanic.
An hour later, he identified the issue as a coolant problem but was unable to fix it – with Christabel and Jonathan forced to wait for a RAC tow truck.
This was the start of their 25-hour-long nightmare.
The pair claim the company’s automated system advised someone would arrive between 7.50pm-9.50pm, which was later changed to 11.50pm.
But as the clock struck twelve, there was still no help.
They were left stranded “with no food or water”.
“I told her [the operator] we were in our 60s and had no food or water,” claims Christabel, from Ramsgate, Kent, who spoke exclusively with Need To Know.
“We were in a fairly precarious spot, just off a busy junction, with people driving fast down country roads with no pavements.
“I asked her why we had been sent messages saying help was on the way when it wasn’t.
“She told me it was because the messages were based on an algorithm that calculated average wait times and admitted that in reality, it wasn’t the case.
“At this point, I lost it and burst into tears of frustration, despair and fury.
“I was also a little scared that we were in the middle of nowhere, parked right next to a house where the residents must have wondered what we were doing and – at best – could have thumped on the window.
“Next to us was a bus stop where someone had clearly been sleeping and there were broken bottles and discarded litter.
“I felt duped and lied to by an organisation that trades on trust.
“She [the RAC customer service worker} suggested we leave the camper van with the keys on the wheel and find a hotel.
“We were obviously not going to do this, given it was parked on the entrance to a footpath and found it extraordinary that the RAC would suggest it.
“And apart from that, it was a ludicrous idea because we were in the middle of the countryside in the middle of the night – not exactly a hub of hotels with all-night reception.”
The couple say they also felt unable to leave to find supplies because they kept being told help was on the way.
Meanwhile, the back of their van was packed with camping gear so they could not put the bed down.
Jonathan, who is 6ft 3in, slept in the passenger seat while Christabel says she spent the night with her head resting on the steering wheel and got just one hour of sleep.
The following morning, they claim they were told the tow would be a “top priority” – but another promised recovery window came and went with no assistance.
The tow truck finally arrived at around 2.30pm on 13 August, roughly 25 hours after they first broke down.
A recovery driver took the couple to Crowborough station, where they bought drinks and sandwiches before catching a train home.
The couple eventually arrived home at around 10.30pm, collapsing into bed.
Christabel, a writer and editor, complained to RAC and was told the case could take up to eight weeks to resolve.
When they finally contacted her, RAC offered the couple just £85 compensation.
In an email, seen by Jam Press, the company admitted that its digital system did “not offer accurate information regarding when to expect attendance” and their service “fell short” of their expectations.
She added: “I laughed [at the amount offered] because it was so little, so late.
“I feel utterly let down and betrayed by an organisation I once trusted.
“This is not the kind of 24/7 help they advertise nor the reputation as trusted white knights of the road they have traded on.”
The email was received by Christabel on 24 August, with the original breakdown taking place on 12 August.
Jam Press approached RAC for comment.
“We’ve apologised to Mrs Bradley and offered a gesture of goodwill for the inconvenience,” said a RAC spokesperson.
“We successfully rescue thousands of members daily, but the heatwave led to unprecedented demand. As a campervan, Mrs Bradley’s vehicle also required specialist recovery equipment.
“Given the unexpected delay, we offered her an overnight hotel, alternative travel and access to food and refreshments. Mrs Bradley turned these down and decided to stay with her vehicle.”
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