Skoda Fabia and RAC

[kiansdad]

I have just posted this onto the RAC forum, your thoughts

I have a Skoda Fabia and called RAC for assistance as my vehicle was at home and the drivers side seat belt would not pull too due to a fault in the pre tensioners.

The RAC offered a me a recovery which I advised I needed to speak to the Garage/Dealer and also pick my child up from school in 45 minutes. I did not decline recovery just advised I would leave this aspect until the following morning. The RAC then removed all of my door seals and panelling to the door frame and began attempt to do a repair to the Seat Belt. The RAC patrolman pulled the seat belt out two thirds of the way and wrapped duck tape/.cardboard around the belt section near the door pillar so the belt would not retract fully into place. I was left with a seat belt that hung loosly which I was told was safe to use. Basically I would sit in the vehicle and plug the seat belt in without having to pull it too.

I then spoke to Lightcliffe Skoda of Halifax where I was told the seat belt should not of been touched or any attempted repair undertaken for safety reasons.

Their words were

The pretensioner in the mechanism set u[p has an ignitive device that explodes a piston in the mechanism upwards to tighten the slack in the belt in the event of collision. If one has a collision in most cases the airbags and seat belt pre tensioners are connected to the same ECU, so at the time of impact the pre tensioners go off in the seat belts tightenening you into position. Then when the airbags go off ,they slacken slightly so you can move into the airbag. What the RAC have done is absolutely ridiculous as you could in be as much danger as if you were not wearing a seat belt at all,. If anyone ran into you and set the airbags off you could suffer serious injury as you'd hit them much sooner and harder then if the pretensioners were working properley.

The police advice me that having a defective seat belt is illegal

ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1998 SECTION 40A

ROAD VEHICLES CONSTRUCTION IN USE REGULATIONS 1986 SECTION 47

SO ........RAC in particular Gareth Rowley of Customer Relations at RAc

How can you state that your patrol man did not do anything untoward. Skoda say the seat belt has a ignitive device and should not be repaired, the Police say having a seat belt that is defective is against the law yet you advice my complaint is not being upheld.

Skoda in Leeds also advice the seat belt was faulty otherwise they would not replaced it under warranty .

You disgust me and even further by advising your decision is final and I have to put up with your decision ,lump it or like it.

I am trying the FSA even though you say they will not get involved. I am also going to the Press. I have already rung certain papers and emailed Watchdog.

On top of all of this, you advised I could be recovered the following day to my garage , despite me being disabled and you allededgly look after blue badge holders according to your website, you sent a 13 tonne lorry from a subcontractor to tow the car,. Why send a commercial recovery vehicle for a car is beyond me , You then sent the same patrolman whom I had complained about the day before to recover the vehicle Hardly professional is it.

You then balls'd up the hire car booking and did not sent it to the correct branch. I got a hire car 8 hours later despite the hire car branch being 500 yards from the Skoda dealer .

I spent in excess of £20 on phone calls off my mobile to your 0800 number due to your failures.

And you want to resolve my complaint with £20 high street vouchers.

GET REAL.

I am going to publicise the fact that you left my vehicle in a dangerous and illegal condition to drive.

Despite what Skoda and the Police have told me, you demand written evidence when you have been told by Skoda the part is non serviceable.

It appears you cannot speak to the police to check my facts regarding statutory law and the legality of having a defective seat belt.

-----------------------------

I feel better for letting that all out now

[Ootohere]

Sad tale.

Seems like people were trying to help you.

I am a Professional Moaners, but fairs fair.

First thought are that

'you let the RAC man start on your car', you should have said STOP.

You could have got a Taxi to take you to collect your child as it all became a rush.

I dont understand your problem with The Recovery Truck being sent,

or the same RAC person following you stopping the truck taking your car.

What is you being Disabled and a Blue badge holder to do with anything?

Does that mean you Get £54.05 a week DLA Higher Rate Mobility component, which you could have used this once to get a Taxi to collect the child?

george

[Richf]

Awful awful letter

[kiansdad]

MY ANSWERS

Sad tale.

First thought are that

'you let the RAC man start on your car', you should have said STOP.

WHY SHOULD I STAY STOP, I ONLY KNEW THAT THE DUCK TAPE REPAIR WAS ILLEGAL AFTER THE EVENT

You could have got a Taxi to take you to collect your child as it all became a rush.

NO I COULD NOT, THERE WAS NO TIME TO GET MY VEHICLE TO THE GARAGE AND THEN GET A TAXI TO THE SCHOOL. THE GARAGE IS 9 MILES AWAY ACROSS A CITY

I dont understand your problem with The Recovery Truck being sent,

A 13 TONNE IVECO BEEVERTAIL SLIDEBACK LORRY USED FOR COMMERCIAL VEHICLES WANTING TO USE A SKATE ON MY VEHICLE BECAUSE MY CUL DE SAC IS SMALL ACCESS. ALSO THIS LORRY WOULD OF NOT GOT INTO THE DEALERS CAR PARK. I AM ALSO UNABLE TO CLIMB INTO THE LORRY

or the same RAC person following you stopping the truck taking your car.

IF I COMPLAIN ABOUT A RAC PATROL MAN I WOULD NOT EXPECT INCOMPETANCE FROM RAC TO SEND THE VERY SAME PERSON OUT THE DAY AFTER FOR RECOVERY

What is you being Disabled and a Blue badge holder to do with anything?

Does that mean you Get £54.05 a week DLA Higher Rate Mobility component, which you could have used this once to get a Taxi to collect the child?

NO I DO NOT GET DLA. NOT EVERYONE WITH A BLUE BADGE CLAIMS DLA. YOUR ASSUMING AND BEING A BIGOT

george

[Wilko251088]

Isn't the FSA the financial services authority?

[mannyo]

My dad had an issue with his Fabia and the RAC (Skoda Assist) were excellent. They turned up, diagnosed the fault and arranged for the car to be recovered. The car left without him on the recovery truck, and the courtesy car was delivered by Europcar to his home address 10 minutes later. He did not need to go to the dealer in the truck, the next time he saw the car it was when he collected it from the dealer, leaving the courtesy car at the dealer to be collected by Europcar.

[Wilko251088]

My experience was, gearbox went on motorway. Rac (via Skoda assist) came diagnosed didn't find a fault which was fair enough. We went out in the car which only didn't like 6th gear, so I drove it home avoiding 6th on my own Accord as it was a Sunday. They sent out assist the next day (vw technician) no fault found but had the car booked in and taken to local dealer with me and picked up hire car from dealership. Had no issues atall, they came promptly and acted quickly on diagnosing the fault.

Edited 17 July, 2012 by Wilko251088

[Ootohere]

No, still dont understand why the car had to go to a garage with you before your daughter could be collected,

but does not really matter.

My point on stopping the RAC man was regarding removing your door seals bit.

Sounded purely like he was trying to get you going.

Your car was not Disabled or Undrivable for,The Recovery driver, he could and would have driven the car to the Recovery Truck and into the dealership, If he was prepared to take the Health & Safety risk..

& a RAC vehicle could have taken you to the Dealership or arranged transport or the return of your vehicle.

Your Dealership no doubt gets Car Transporters delivering cars and vans onto the Forecourt or yard from the Roadside weekly, cant imagine a Beavertail is an unusual vehicle arriving there.

I must be being a Bigot against the Disabled from the point of view of being Disabled myself and sometimes i get annoyed at people that use 'Disabled' as to get a point across on bad Customer service,

or maybe you mean i am a Bigot against women. (Gordon Brown like!)

Last time i filled a vehicle with the wrong fuel the RAC sent out a van out within 15 minutes and the driver then arranged the Hire car, An Automatic to be delivered within the hour,

The HGV transporter arrived with the Hire car onboard & took away my car to the dealer.

They did the reverse a week later when i got back from my weekend away.

Motability Car tho, and very helpful staff at the RAC.

Sorry your experience was not as good.

george

Edited 17 July, 2012 by sk4gw

[Stormchaser]

Poor RAC man :(

[Lew0-VRS]

From what I can gather the only inconvenience here was collecting your child ?

Sent from "Ain't nobody got time for this"

[Lew0-VRS]

Just read this on RAC forum LOL

Sent from "Ain't nobody got time for this"

[zach1301]

Just read on RAC website also.... Too funny!

[Lukeskywalker]

Feel sorry for the RAC man trying help as I see it. :think:

I agree with the above comments and why didn't leave the RAC to get your car to the dealers, that is their job surely?

My experiences of Roadside assist are all positive, the guys were very knowledgable and quickly sorted out the problems.

Ron