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Posted 20 December 2021

RAC breakdown cover auto-renewal without my permission- how to cancel?

RAC breakdown cover auto-renewal without my permission- how to cancel?

i was with them for a year for £35.00 per year from a deal here on HUKD which i thought was ok but now theyve autorenewed for another year 3 days ago without asking me and taking the money from my credit card, how do i cancel and get a refund, as i never used them last year and dont fancy paying them £90.99 for another yr wherein i wont use them?

- interestingly, they waited 3 days after they auto-renewed to sms me on my mobile that theyve auto-renewed.

- interestingly also, i cant find anywhere when one logs in to their portal to cancel payment card or to cancel auto-renewal.

- I tried calling them and gave up after being on hold for 45mins!

- tried there chat and chat was responsive until they heard that i wanted to cancel and all of a sudden no response, the chat kept saying Aagent typing' for over 30mins and i tried twice.

- is it just best and less aggro to get in touch with my credit card company and ask them to cancel the payment?
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  1. deleted2344480's avatar
    john453620/12/2021 12:43

    and here am i trying to turn auto-renewal off and not been able to - i …and here am i trying to turn auto-renewal off and not been able to - i guess that must be my fault too, right?[Image]


    Yes. Like all this, it is your fault.

    You cant turn off auto renew now because the payment has just been gone through and wont have hit your account yet. Thus they wont let you do it as you could then phone up and complain they took payment and you had auto renew off.

    Wait a week and try again and it will work.

    Speaking here from experience.
  2. bozo007's avatar
    The terms probably had auto renewal in them. Most services like these usually do. When I sign up, the first thing I do is to put a reminder in my phone's calendar app to cancel it.

    I suggest you try to contact RAC to cancel, maybe through Twitter as that seems to be the best way for many situations these days. Cancelling your card mandate doesn't absolve you of your contractual liability, assuming you agreed to auto renew when you signed up.
  3. Buckyball's avatar
    choccie3220/12/2021 13:14

    No, continue assuming it’s my fault for my ability to read when I sign up f …No, continue assuming it’s my fault for my ability to read when I sign up for things. I even posted the image with the phone number to call for you. I haven’t said it’s not underhanded or not for the company’s benefit. It is, however, in all the writing they put on screen. You may need to take your anger out elsewhere.


    Hobby lawyer or RAC employee? I don't think there is any legal ground to opt-in somone into something somewhere in the T&C. (edited)
  4. wibbleboy's avatar
    Which number did you call? You should get 14 days to cancel after renewal by calling customer services on 0330 159 0739
  5. john4536's avatar
    Author
    choccie3220/12/2021 12:26

    Ok, I’ll assume they made terms and conditions just for me then


    yes pls, as you clearly assume everything else and for everyone else too.
  6. IAmATeaf's avatar
    It’s not under hand, well it sort of might be but a lot of insurance companies have auto-renew enabled by default, it’s up to you to say I want it disabled and that I don’t want my payment details held. I normally always call up after taking out a policy to check and change these 2 things just to check and confirm that my account has no set to both.
  7. choccie32's avatar
    deleted145713120/12/2021 19:38

    Hobby lawyer or RAC employee? I don't think there is any legal ground to op …Hobby lawyer or RAC employee? I don't think there is any legal ground to opt-in somone into something somewhere in the T&C.


    Didn’t say that it had an legal standing, did I? I said it’s written there that it will happen. Not a hobby lawyer, just someone who can read 🏻 I know that is proving difficult for some. (edited)
  8. john4536's avatar
    Author
    IAmATeaf21/12/2021 12:47

    You’re arguing/debating with the wrong people, you need to get onto the R …You’re arguing/debating with the wrong people, you need to get onto the RAC and tell them your thoughts and views. All we have done is point out that auto-renewal is enabled by default by some providers and that it’s then up to you to both read their terms and understand and then get it disabled if you don’t want it enabled.



    firstly i wasnt arguing with anyone,

    secondly i asked for help, not condemnation nor admonishment as those are not helpful,

    thirdly, i was just pointing out that it's wrong for auto-renew to be the default as thats in RAC's interest and causes problem for customers and also that even though you and some others keep saying it's kind of ok for auto-renew to be the default, there are also many other companies who also have auto-renewal but not as default, their happy customer have to choose to enable it.

    thanks for commenting though.
  9. choccie32's avatar
    Read what you sign up for… my rac is auto renew and you simply turn it off in your account. You’ve given them permission by not reading the info.
  10. john4536's avatar
    Author
    wibbleboy20/12/2021 12:04

    Which number did you call? You should get 14 days to cancel after renewal …Which number did you call? You should get 14 days to cancel after renewal by calling customer services on 0330 159 0739


    thats the number i called, but been kept on hold and yes i too thought one has 14 days to cancel, but their renewal document i downloaded online doesnt say so, so wasnt sure, especially since its a renewal and not first time.

    bozo00720/12/2021 12:04

    The terms probably had auto renewal in them. Most services like these …The terms probably had auto renewal in them. Most services like these usually do. When I sign up, the first thing I do is to put a reminder in my phone's calendar app to cancel it.I suggest you try to contact RAC to cancel, maybe through Twitter as that seems to be the best way for many situations these days. Cancelling your card mandate doesn't absolve you of your contractual liability, assuming you agreed to auto renew when you signed up.


    cant remember agreeing to auto-renewal when i signed up, unless it was auto-ticked or hidden away somewhere and didnt see it as i am just one of those ppl who will never agree to any auto-renewal with anyone (edited)
  11. john4536's avatar
    Author
    choccie3220/12/2021 12:10

    Read what you sign up for… my rac is auto renew and you simply turn it off …Read what you sign up for… my rac is auto renew and you simply turn it off in your account. You’ve given them permission by not reading the info.


    sorry but thats an assumption, i read everything and never agree to auto-renew - can you post a link or screenshot pls where one can go to turn off auto-renew as i cant find it when i login.
  12. choccie32's avatar
    john453620/12/2021 12:16

    sorry but thats an assumption, i read everything and never agree to …sorry but thats an assumption, i read everything and never agree to auto-renew - can you post a link or screenshot pls where one can go to turn off auto-renew as i cant find it when i login.


    It’s not an assumption, I have the membership and I read it. They don’t give me my own personal small print and the rest of the world different. It’s always there somewhere. You opt out.


    john453620/12/2021 12:16

    sorry but thats an assumption, i read everything and never agree to …sorry but thats an assumption, i read everything and never agree to auto-renew - can you post a link or screenshot pls where one can go to turn off auto-renew as i cant find it when i login.


    46469597_1.jpg

    Clearly states you opt out. If you didn’t opt out then you call them. I’m not going through reregistering to show you. (edited)
    Ges_Gals's avatar
    That isn't worth the space it takes up on the screen! Firstly, agreements have to be reasonable for them to be legally binding. This is essentially saying that dispite your agreement with them being for one year, they will assume you wish to remain their customer after that year unless you contact them or have opted out after being automatically opted in. That is not reasonable and therefore not enforceable. Secondly, when you provide payment details, under GDPR unless you catagorically give permission for those details to be retained, they have no right to do so. Doing anything to make it less obvious that your payment details will be retained, automatically storing them and putting something in the small print, defaulting your permission to be set without making this explicitly clear etg is now a breach of the Data Protection Act, as this is preciselyh the behaviour that GDPR outlaws.
  13. john4536's avatar
    Author
    choccie3220/12/2021 12:22

    It’s not an assumption, I have the membership and I read it. They don’t giv …It’s not an assumption, I have the membership and I read it. They don’t give me my own personal small print and the rest of the world different. It’s always there somewhere. You opt out. [Image]


    it is an assumption, and yes ive now found where it cld be turned off - i didnt turn it on and you can only say i didnt turn it off but i definitely didnt turn auto-renew on, they must have done it by default.

    and i did call them, 3 times and each time being kept on hold for long periods, almost like they dont like the word 'cancel'.

    i can afford to let it slide for another year but it feels a bit underhand to me and i will be taking a screenshot of me turning auto-renewal off this time as come next year dont want it to turn itself on magically again like it seems to happen for/with some other companies too, i will not mention them here - but there is one famous company wherein you have to repeated and at different occasions turn off auto-renewal before it sticks..

    auto-renewal shld be off by default and not on by default, thats underhand tactics to entrap customers. (edited)
  14. choccie32's avatar
    john453620/12/2021 12:24

    it is an assumption, and yes ive now found where it cld be turned off - i …it is an assumption, and yes ive now found where it cld be turned off - i didnt turn it on and you can only say i didnt turn it off but i definitely didnt turn auto-renew on, they must have done it by default.


    Ok, I’ll assume they made terms and conditions just for me then
  15. john4536's avatar
    Author
    choccie3220/12/2021 12:26

    Ok, I’ll assume they made terms and conditions just for me then


    and here am i trying to turn auto-renewal off and not been able to -

    i guess that must be my fault too, right?

    46470024-U3Tvk.jpg
    Ges_Gals's avatar
    If you are still having an issue with this, just email them and tell them they do not have permission to store any of your payment details. Under GDPR a company has to accept any such reasonable communication. They may not insist on you contacting the right person, using their website, filling in their form etc. If they then auto-reniew on you, the transaction amounts to fraud and they are also in breach of GDPR which is reportable to the ICO.
  16. john4536's avatar
    Author
    deleted234448020/12/2021 12:49

    Yes. Like all this, it is your fault. You cant turn off auto renew now …Yes. Like all this, it is your fault. You cant turn off auto renew now because the payment has just been gone through and wont have hit your account yet. Thus they wont let you do it as you could then phone up and complain they took payment and you had auto renew off. Wait a week and try again and it will work. Speaking here from experience.


    indeed and for some such underhand tactics by some companies is good business.too. (edited)
  17. choccie32's avatar
    john453620/12/2021 12:43

    and here am i trying to turn auto-renewal off and not been able to - i …and here am i trying to turn auto-renewal off and not been able to - i guess that must be my fault too, right?[Image]


    No, continue assuming it’s my fault for my ability to read when I sign up for things. I even posted the image with the phone number to call for you. I haven’t said it’s not underhanded or not for the company’s benefit. It is, however, in all the writing they put on screen. You may need to take your anger out elsewhere. (edited)
  18. john4536's avatar
    Author
    choccie3220/12/2021 13:14

    No, continue assuming it’s my fault for my ability to read when I sign up f …No, continue assuming it’s my fault for my ability to read when I sign up for things. I even posted the image with the phone number to call for you. I haven’t said it’s not underhanded or not for the company’s benefit. It is, however, in all the writing they put on screen. You may need to take your anger out elsewhere.


    you will one day experience something similar or worse and then maybe learn one of life's greatest lessons, which is to be more sympathetic than contrary in life. (edited)
  19. john4536's avatar
    Author
    IAmATeaf20/12/2021 13:41

    It’s not under hand, well it sort of might be but a lot of insurance c …It’s not under hand, well it sort of might be but a lot of insurance companies have auto-renew enabled by default, it’s up to you to say I want it disabled and that I don’t want my payment details held. I normally always call up after taking out a policy to check and change these 2 things just to check and confirm that my account has no set to both.


    firstly something is not right because many ppl do it nor because many companies do it,

    likewise many other companies have option to auto-renew but never make it the default, as its always in a company's interest when it the default and not in the interest of the customer,

    it should be upto the customer to enable it if and when they want or need that so called convenience and not upto the customer to disable it, saying so is a form of connivance.
  20. john4536's avatar
    Author
    choccie3220/12/2021 19:44

    Didn’t say that it had an legal standing, did I? I said it’s written there …Didn’t say that it had an legal standing, did I? I said it’s written there that it will happen. Not a hobby lawyer, just someone who can read 🏻 I know that is proving difficult for some.


    yep, we know who is having 'the difficulty'.
  21. IAmATeaf's avatar
    john453620/12/2021 14:56

    firstly something is not right because many ppl do it nor because many …firstly something is not right because many ppl do it nor because many companies do it, likewise many other companies have option to auto-renew but never make it the default, as its always in a company's interest when it the default and not in the interest of the customer, it should be upto the customer to enable it if and when they want or need that so called convenience and not upto the customer to disable it, saying so is a form of connivance.


    You’re arguing/debating with the wrong people, you need to get onto the RAC and tell them your thoughts and views. All we have done is point out that auto-renewal is enabled by default by some providers and that it’s then up to you to both read their terms and understand and then get it disabled if you don’t want it enabled.
  22. john4536's avatar
    Author
    thanks everyone, the thread is now expired (since yesterday) as no more advice or help or opinions are needed (edited)
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