+2, absolute crap luck!
I think you have done the right thing. Buy at the lower end of your budget from i would say the best member on this forum to buy a RR from, & use the rest to fix up the outstanding jobs saint has clearly detailed. Whilst being realistic about what you can / can't do.
Hoping you can get it sorted there & hope you can enjoy the rest of your holiday & be able to drive it back to blighty.
 
Wazzajnr said:
Just out of interest, who was your insurance with? (so others can avoid them!)
I always have AA European breakdown for all zones with the added parts and labour cover. Yes, it's expensive at about 250 quid a year but on the one occasion I've had to use it, it was fabulous. The valve block on the merc failed late one afternoon in Czech republic.
They immediately found us a local hotel for the night then the following morning, the same breakdown truck arrived. He took us to a couple of merc independent garages locally but they both refused the job so he then took us to the main agents in Prague (1.5hr journey) there, we were met by a guy from the Czech version of the AA who gave us a skoda superb estate and waited with us to translate until we were satisfied that the main agents could fix it quickly. The main agents worked all day Saturday and Sunday to fix the gearbox and on Sunday afternoon, they delivered the merc back to us and collected their skoda. Total bill from main dealer was 650 quid and when I got home, they sent me a cheque for 500 quid for parts and labour.
The job in UK would have cost me well over 1k.
I can't speak highly enough of the service I received. Sometimes it's better to pay a bit more to get full piece of mind.
Again I know this doesn't help you but hopefully it might help someone else in the future.
Good luck and hope they can fix it in time.
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My breakdown cover is with the RAC. I've got full euro cover, but they don't do parts and labour. I'll happily switch to the AA as soon as I renew as the service has been appalling. Paid extra to ensure a larger vehicle of the same type, given a fiat 500. Lied to in every single phone call. Never call back when they say, broken promises every time. Was told they finally got me a larger car but I had to pick it up immediately as the agency was closing soon. The agency was in Lyon, I was in Normandy. When I tried to complain they told me it was because I confirmed twice I was in Lyon. That didn't happen. I even spelled out where I was like the police do, alpha, bravo, Charlie etc.

Got a text message this morning saying the recovery truck will be with me in 30 mins, despite them picking up the car days ago. When I called to ask why and find out why the hadn't sent the report from the mechanic who looked at it yesterday, they said they had to find another garage to look today as I didn't inform them it was lpg (yes I bloody did) and French garages don't work o lpg systems - virtually every petrol station here is lpg so yes they do.

I now have to wait another day for a new garage to look at it, which is one less day it can be fixed while I'm still here. And I doubt that will happen anyway as everything else they have told me was bull****...

Definitely never going RAC again.
 
Pluribus said:
My breakdown cover is with the RAC. I've got full euro cover, but they don't do parts and labour. I'll happily switch to the AA as soon as I renew as the service has been appalling. Paid extra to ensure a larger vehicle of the same type, given a fiat 500. Lied to in every single phone call. Never call back when they say, broken promises every time. Was told they finally got me a larger car but I had to pick it up immediately as the agency was closing soon. The agency was in Lyon, I was in Normandy. When I tried to complain they told me it was because I confirmed twice I was in Lyon. That didn't happen. I even spelled out where I was like the police do, alpha, bravo, Charlie etc.

Got a text message this morning saying the recovery truck will be with me in 30 mins, despite them picking up the car days ago. When I called to ask why and find out why the hadn't sent the report from the mechanic who looked at it yesterday, they said they had to find another garage to look today as I didn't inform them it was lpg (yes I bloody did) and French garages don't work o lpg systems - virtually every petrol station here is lpg so yes they do.

I now have to wait another day for a new garage to look at it, which is one less day it can be fixed while I'm still here. And I doubt that will happen anyway as everything else they have told me was bull****...

Definitely never going RAC again.
Click to expand...

Keep a diary of the timeline and events. Record the calls on your phone and take photos. Go to Watchdog etc when you get back. Your car insurance probably has legal advice so use it against the RAC for where they are out of contract.
 
Grrrrrr said:
Keep a diary of the timeline and events. Record the calls on your phone and take photos. Go to Watchdog etc when you get back. Your car insurance probably has legal advice so use it against the RAC for where they are out of contract.
Click to expand...
I will be doing exactly that. +Infinity.
 
Pluribus said:
My breakdown cover is with the RAC. I've got full euro cover, but they don't do parts and labour. I'll happily switch to the AA as soon as I renew as the service has been appalling. Paid extra to ensure a larger vehicle of the same type, given a fiat 500. Lied to in every single phone call. Never call back when they say, broken promises every time. Was told they finally got me a larger car but I had to pick it up immediately as the agency was closing soon. The agency was in Lyon, I was in Normandy. When I tried to complain they told me it was because I confirmed twice I was in Lyon. That didn't happen. I even spelled out where I was like the police do, alpha, bravo, Charlie etc.

Got a text message this morning saying the recovery truck will be with me in 30 mins, despite them picking up the car days ago. When I called to ask why and find out why the hadn't sent the report from the mechanic who looked at it yesterday, they said they had to find another garage to look today as I didn't inform them it was lpg (yes I bloody did) and French garages don't work o lpg systems - virtually every petrol station here is lpg so yes they do.

I now have to wait another day for a new garage to look at it, which is one less day it can be fixed while I'm still here. And I doubt that will happen anyway as everything else they have told me was bull****...

Definitely never going RAC again.
Click to expand...
Jeepers mate, I feel for you! I did have UK rac cover for a year but they abandoned me at the side of the motorway with a blown out caravan tyre because they said it was too dangerous to change it on the hard shoulder. It was empty and I could see 3 miles up the motorway. I told him to lend me his jack and watch the traffic and I'd do it myself but he refused and drove off. Never again.
AA are more expensive but in my experience worth every cent. I've only used the European breakdown once but UK service probably 5 times in last 10 years and never had a bad word for them. (no affiliation by the way)
Other good thing with AA is you're covered even as a passenger in someone else's car. Even my 4yo has an aa card so if he's somewhere with friends and they break down they can call AA.
 
I genuinely don't care about cost. I'm definitely switching, especially as they cover parts and labour too. I only chose RAC this time as they looked better on paper at the time.

I was with green flag euro breakdown in my freelancer and when I broke down in France a few years ago the car was collected by a local company and I was in a decent non-budget hotel within 30mins of making the call. As I was near the end of that holiday they paid the admin fee for changing my return journey to foot passenger, paid for a hire car at Dover for as long as I needed it, then paid my return travel to France to collect it when it was done and the journey back to the UK. I still had to pay for parts but it was only a few hundred quid so I didn't care. I couldn't fault them at all. If they said something was going to happen, it did pretty much immediately. RAC have been completely useless...
 
I'm with RAC & must say i havent much to grumble about. I've used them twice with the RR. 1st time the starter motor packed in with no warning, 2nd time mine dumped it's coolant on the M1 back from london. Both times they arranged a flat bed pretty quickly to get me home & kept me updated on progress throughout. Never had experience of using them in Europe though.
 
Pluribus said:
I genuinely don't care about cost. I'm definitely switching, especially as they cover parts and labour too. I only chose RAC this time as they looked better on paper at the time.

I was with green flag euro breakdown in my freelancer and when I broke down in France a few years ago the car was collected by a local company and I was in a decent non-budget hotel within 30mins of making the call. As I was near the end of that holiday they paid the admin fee for changing my return journey to foot passenger, paid for a hire car at Dover for as long as I needed it, then paid my return travel to France to collect it when it was done and the journey back to the UK. I still had to pay for parts but it was only a few hundred quid so I didn't care. I couldn't fault them at all. If they said something was going to happen, it did pretty much immediately. RAC have been completely useless...
Click to expand...
The parts and labour is to a maximum of 500 quid and you still have to pay the garage then claim it back once home but there was no quibble and they paid within 5 days.
There are some restrictions. For example, if you have a car worth 200 quid, they won't repatriate the car etc.
Best to read what's covered and what's not before you commit. They allow you to change car up to 5 times per year without charge too which is good for me because we have 3 cars and depending on the purpose of the trip can use any of them.
My price of around 260/yr is for all zones and includes towing.
Should be much less for western Europe without towing cover.
 
Ruby Range said:
Pluribus, I'm in Sandwich 10 miles from Dover so if you have to come over as a foot passenger or need help to get you home let me know. I may bring my old frontera though as I don't want you kicking the s*** out of my P38.:p:p
Click to expand...
now that's an offer you can't refuse ....not too sure about the frontera :p;)
 
Doint know if yours has a rubber damper bottom pulley on the crank ,Because it sound like its ...When they break up;) or its loose.....:(
 
listen jumbo this is the 3rd frontera iv had in 12 years and as an everyday car to use and abuse you can not beat em. Apart from that there bloody cheap :p
 
Ruby Range said:
Pluribus, I'm in Sandwich 10 miles from Dover so if you have to come over as a foot passenger or need help to get you home let me know. I may bring my old frontera though as I don't want you kicking the s*** out of my P38.:p:p
Click to expand...
I grew up in Deal, so know Sandwich very well. That's extremely kind of you, but my next post will continue the saga...
 
Ruby Range said:
listen jumbo this is the 3rd frontera iv had in 12 years and as an everyday car to use and abuse you can not beat em. Apart from that there bloody cheap :p
Click to expand...
steady on Ruby ;), I just thought Pluribus had been through enough and along with your kind offer he deserved a drive back in your p38 to keep him on track before he left us totally and built himself a big bonfire when he got back....November 5th isn't far away:eek::p
 
So I got a call from the breakdown companies work experience guys junior assistant this afternoon. The engine is completely fecked and cannot be repaired. The crank has sheared, lots of metal where it shouldn't be and no oil where it should as it's also incapable of holding any oil pressure.

He said a new engine (according to the garage) would be €10k. I laughed at him down the phone. He also said as the value of the repair was more than the car value it would not be repatriated to the UK. I asked him if the breakdown company was washing its hands of the vehicle and he told me "yes absolutely". He then hung up.

Naturally this activated the Welsh part of me. Never annoy a Welshman, he will go above and beyond to make your life hell.

I called back and demanded a manager, not a floor supervisor or team leader. I then said the magic words "Formal Complaint". I made it clear I was lied to every step of the way, promised things that never happened, and mis-sold a policy that didn't cover the repatriation I was informed it did.

I clearly told him I intend to sue RAC for the distress and inconvenience they have caused me and my wife.

All of a sudden, I am told the cover I have does include bringing it back to a location of my choice in the UK, that my hire car is extended until the end of my holiday and whilst I still have to come over as a foot passenger, a taxi will be waiting at the port to take us and our luggage to the hire car place nearby where a decent sized vehicle is at my disposal. So thanks for the offer @Ruby Range, but luckily it's not needed!

The engine in it was fairly new - I think Saint said it only had 20k miles on it, either when he bought it, or when I did (I've forgotten which). Does anyone know what the warranty is on a new engine? I'm hoping I can get a new engine out of Land Rover on warranty, if not, it will be a fully recon engine instead.
 
sorry to hear this mate it would appear that the RR gods have not smiled on you. My offer still stands if you and the better half need a lift anywhere in Kent. I hope that you can still manage some sort of holiday.
 
Ruby Range said:
sorry to hear this mate it would appear that the RR gods have not smiled on you. My offer still stands if you and the better half need a lift anywhere in Kent. I hope that you can still manage some sort of holiday.
Click to expand...
Thanks very much, I do appreciate it. Ive got it all in writing from the RAC now so we know what's happening. Now the stress is over, we have already started enjoying ourselves. Shame half the week is already gone though...
 
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