RAC Horsebox rescue services

ElleSkywalker

ElleSkywalker

As excited as Kitty about to be a bridesmaid
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Hi all,

My insurance renewal has come through and the people I am with now use RAC Horsebox breakdown cover for rescue services. It's called RAC breakdown, roadside recovery, at home, and onward travel and misfuel rescue. I've always been with Equine Rescue Services (over 10 years in total) and have called them out a couple of times and they have been very good including arranging onward travel for a horse when my box broke down and was towed to a garage.

It's not overly clear that the RAC would do this, in one section about onwards travel it says a small car (hatchback) would be provided and I am not sure I can squash one of my Shetlands in that let alone the real horses.

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of the RAC horsebox rescue services at all?
 
Hum, this is what am thinking, what do RAC know about horses and haven't always had the best experiences with them either.

Looked at going direct to ERS and they are £228, where as via insurance last year they were £145ish and RAC this year £135ish 😕
 
View said:
I would not touch the RAC with the proverbial bargepole. They cancelled my Mum’s cover without telling her, so she was left stranded (yes, they really left an 80 year disabled lady stranded on a dark street) and left me stranded when they denied I was a member.
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They left my Mum, who was a 90yr old diabetic, alone on the side of the road, on a really hot day for eight and a half hours.
 
They left me stranded at the roadside with my horse trailer and horse on board claiming I'd refused to pay the premium which had been taken in full from my account a few weeks earlier. At the time, although it may have changed now, the RAC contracted out the horse recovery part so they could have simply called the third party company to help me instead of lying.
 
Left me on the top of the pennines for 11 hours without food or water. Lied about the forgot they to organise a tow truck and then charged me for the recovery because 'it was my garages fault'. It wasn't. It was blooming cold up there at 1am as well. Was glad I travelled with a sleeping bag and full winter wear.
I have multiple stories but it will make you question my sanity for not leaving sooner 😅
 
My insurer did exactly the same this year so I went to Equine Rescue Services direct and just did it that way. I used to be in the RAC for my car and they were hopeless - it was a definite NO from me with a horse involved! Equine Rescue were able to use my existing membership so my number is the same - I've been with them for over ten years and they have rescued me several times, with and without a horse.
 
Landcruiser said:
My insurer did exactly the same this year so I went to Equine Rescue Services direct and just did it that way. I used to be in the RAC for my car and they were hopeless - it was a definite NO from me with a horse involved! Equine Rescue were able to use my existing membership so my number is the same - I've been with them for over ten years and they have rescued me several times, with and without a horse.
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Did you have to pay their full price or were they able to offer a discount taking into account how long you'd been with them?
 
My insurer offered me RAC horsebox rescue and it's worth checking the small print - they would return us, the horse and the horsebox to anywhere in the UK BUT if you want the horsebox dropping off at a garage then it had to be within 10 miles of where you had broken down.

For me that was absolutely pointless because I would want the horsebox dealt with by my own garage not potentially stuck miles away at an unknown garage and if it did get home then I'd have to somehow find a way of getting it to the garage.
 
I had rescue with a horsebox insurance policy. My clutch cable snapped one day and I called, and... The RAC turned up.

The man had no interest in mending the vehicle, just wanted to front end suspend tow the horse in the horsebox to my home. I rejected this as it was a herringbone lorry and the poor horse would have been off balance on a hilly, winding, partly motorway and partly rural side roads journey.

Once he knew I had refused the suspended tow, magically he started to put effort into mending it, and found a part and fitted it. Not until I'd done a long time not knowing what was going to happen. He was stubborn about not calling out a rescue horsebox to transport the horse, despite that being in the policy. Not fun, in the dark, alone, in a field in the middle of nowhere, in winter, at the end of a hunter trial.
 
The RAC car and caravan cover doesnt cover the caravan, so despite paying a huge extra premium, if the caravan breaks then its tough.

They also left me stranded in Birmingham for over 11 hours, car totally dead, temps below freezing and at the time I couldn't walk very far so was totally trapped. It was awful.
 
I had RAC breakdown cover with my NFU insurance.

When the turbo went on my lorry, my horse would have been standing on the lorry for more than 6 hours, because they wouldn't arrange transport for him until a mechanic had attended to say it wasn't fixable roadside. Thankfully, I was 15 minutes from home and a lovely friend came and picked him up. After the mechanic had been and determined that turbos can't be replaced roadside (even I knew that!), I had to leave the lorry in a layby overnight until it was towed.

To top it off, the recovery company ripped the side of my lorry off on a narrow lane causing more than £6k worth of damage. I ended up having to sue the RAC to recover the money - they only paid up the day that they had to file their defence with the court.

I think that answers your question, OP! :)
 
So, plot twist, turns out the breakdown cover I had at least for the last two years has been with Equity Red Star (also ERS) not Equine Rescue Services. I've had Equity Red Star out and they have been very good too. I admit I just say the logo of ERS and assumed it was Equine Rescue Services. Although I'm sure I definitely had them for my old box and they were also v good.

I shall be looking for quotes with breakdown cover from either version of ERS next week, and if I can't find any will be going direct to Equine Rescue myself and paying the premium as I don't feel comfortable with the RAC cover that's offered especially after the stories recounted above 🙂
 
SEIB used RAC for a couple of years but after appalling results changed to ARAG. Luckily haven't had to use 🤞🤞
 
Mamamia said:
I had RAC breakdown cover with my NFU insurance.

When the turbo went on my lorry, my horse would have been standing on the lorry for more than 6 hours, because they wouldn't arrange transport for him until a mechanic had attended to say it wasn't fixable roadside. Thankfully, I was 15 minutes from home and a lovely friend came and picked him up. After the mechanic had been and determined that turbos can't be replaced roadside (even I knew that!), I had to leave the lorry in a layby overnight until it was towed.

To top it off, the recovery company ripped the side of my lorry off on a narrow lane causing more than £6k worth of damage. I ended up having to sue the RAC to recover the money - they only paid up the day that they had to file their defence with the court.

I think that answers your question, OP! :)
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Doesn't surprise me in the slightest. They were obsessed with trying to fix roadside even though it was obviously never going to happen. The first mechanic said needed a tow, failed to communicate this, second mechanic then came out said needed a tow. Tow truck finally arrived at about 01:40am which I then got charged for and had to take them to the ombudsman.

They've left me at services on the M1 for a whole day telling me they were only going to be an hour and organising recovery home... To then book me into a hotel.... On the wrong side of the motorway 🤷 didn't get into my room until 2am pick up was at 6am.... Again wrong side of the motorway.
 
millitiger said:
I'm not insured with Anthony Evans anymore, however they've just sent me a renewal for my roadside recovery with Equine Rescue and it's for £125.
I hit renew very quickly!
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I've just had a look on Anthony Evans as didn't realise you could purchase the roadside recovery via them if you don't also insure through them too, so thanks for the tip! £175 for the home start cover rather than full price direct 😀
 
Small update for anyone that stumbles across this thread. It is possible to buy Breakdown cover with Equine Rescue Services via Anthony D Evans without having to have any other policies with them. The full cover including homestart is £175 for the year which is cheaper than going direct to ERS, although if you do go direct you get £500 of roadside parts covered as well.

Here endeth the public service announcement ☺️
 
ElleSkywalker said:
Hi all,

My insurance renewal has come through and the people I am with now use RAC Horsebox breakdown cover for rescue services. It's called RAC breakdown, roadside recovery, at home, and onward travel and misfuel rescue. I've always been with Equine Rescue Services (over 10 years in total) and have called them out a couple of times and they have been very good including arranging onward travel for a horse when my box broke down and was towed to a garage.

It's not overly clear that the RAC would do this, in one section about onwards travel it says a small car (hatchback) would be provided and I am not sure I can squash one of my Shetlands in that let alone the real horses.

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of the RAC horsebox rescue services at all?
Click to expand...
Don't touch them!! They are worse than useless. I had the most awful experience and complained. Read below:

"Thank you for reaching out to us. I’m truly sorry to hear about your experience and that you felt the need to raise a complaint. I’m personally handling your concerns and have looked into what happened.

Summary of your complaint

I understand you faced difficulties contacting RAC for assistance when your horsebox broke down on a busy A road. The air brake pressure dropped, causing your vehicle to stop while you were transporting your horse. You encountered issues with our automated phone system and a lack of internet signal, and were informed that no recovery could be dispatched until the police had cordoned off the road. After the police arrived, you experienced further delays being transferred between departments, and ultimately, the police arranged their own recovery, resulting in a charge to you. You also had to arrange separate transport for your horse. You’re seeking full reimbursement for the police recovery cost and have expressed concern about the risk and distress caused by the delay and process.

My findings and outcome

I am sorry to learn about the difficulties and frustration you encountered when trying to contact us through our automated phone system during your recent breakdown. Our Interactive Voice Response, or IVR, system is specifically designed to guide customers to our digital platform, as this is generally the fastest and most efficient way to request assistance in the event of a breakdown. However, we do recognise that not all customers will have access to the internet or a smart phone at the time of their breakdown. In these situations, if you remain on the line, you will be connected to an operator who is able to log your breakdown and provide support over the phone. I have reviewed your concerns about this process, but I am unable to uphold your complaint regarding the difficulties you experienced with the automated system.

With respect to the delay in dispatching recovery to your location, I would like to clarify that when a breakdown occurs on a motorway, dual carriageway, or other busy A road, it is sometimes necessary for the local highways authority or emergency services to attend first. This is to ensure that the scene is made safe for both you and other road users before our recovery team can be dispatched. This step is taken in the interest of public safety and is a standard procedure in such situations. I understand that this may have caused additional waiting time, but I am unable to uphold your complaint on this matter, as these protocols are in place to protect everyone involved.

I also acknowledge that you experienced further delays after the police arrived, particularly as you were transferred between different departments while seeking assistance. I apologise for any inconvenience or frustration this may have caused you during an already stressful situation. However, after reviewing the circumstances, I am unable to uphold your complaint regarding the additional delays caused by these transfers, as it was necessary to ensure you were connected to the correct department to handle your case.

Regarding the charge you incurred as a result of the police arranging their own recovery service, I would like to explain that the police have a responsibility to ensure public safety and to remove any obstructions from the road as quickly as possible. This applies to all vehicles that are considered a hazard, whether they have been involved in an accident or have broken down, and is irrespective of any membership the driver may hold with a motoring organisation. While I am sympathetic to the financial impact this has had on you, I regret to inform you that we are unable to reimburse you for the charges imposed by the police recovery service in these circumstances.

Finally, I want to acknowledge your concerns about the increased risk and distress you and your horse experienced as a result of the delays and the overall process. We always aim to attend breakdowns as quickly as possible, but there are occasions when factors outside of our control—such as adverse weather conditions, heavy traffic, or emergencies—can cause unavoidable delays. I apologise that we were not able to reach you sooner on this occasion, but I am unable to uphold your complaint regarding this aspect of your experience.

Your case has now been closed. I would like to reiterate my apologies for the inconvenience and distress you experienced, and I am sorry that you felt the need to raise a complaint.

Kind regards,

RAC Customer Care
 
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