Rip-off on vacation
ADAC warns of fake roadside assistance in Eastern and Southeastern Europe
Help with language barriers
ADAC international emergency number 00 49 89 22 22 22
ADAC Versicherung AG is once again warning against fake roadside helpers who pose as Yellow Angels and charge travelers a lot of money for towing and sometimes unnecessary repair services. In addition to Hungary and Serbia, fraudsters are now increasingly active in Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia. Slovakia, Lithuania and Poland are also affected.
In order to lure holidaymakers into a trap, the fraudsters use vehicles in the same color as the breakdown assistance cars, with the club's logo or the inscription “On behalf of the ADAC”. The staff also appears in the guise of ADAC road patrol drivers. But: The ADAC does not operate its own road patrol fleet abroad and the contractual partners there are not allowed to use ADAC logos on their vehicles or in workshops.
However, there is one exception: in northern Italy, a Yellow Angel works as a breakdown assistant for the ADAC emergency call station all year round.
ADAC Plus or Premium members should therefore note the following information: In the event of a breakdown outside Germany, you should always contact international emergency on 00 49 89 22 22 22 A breakdown helper or a towing service will then be arranged on site. The “real” breakdown assistant knows the member data of the stranded person or, in case of doubt, can access the data in order to provide proof that he is actually acting on behalf of the ADAC.
The tactic of many fraudsters is particularly obvious: they wait on the highway and show up immediately after a breakdown to offer their services to those seeking help. Attempts by members to call the international emergency number can fail because the criminals have installed jammers in their vehicles, which interrupt the telephone network and make a mobile connection impossible. In such a situation, drivers should lock their vehicle, move a few meters away and contact ADAC international emergency number
If ADAC Versicherung AG can identify the fraudsters, for example by taking photos of license plates, a cease-and-desist report will always be filed with the support of the partner club. Only the injured parties can file fraud reports.
Important to know: If the partner club cannot provide breakdown assistance on site, the vehicle will be towed to the nearest suitable workshop (costs cover a maximum of 300 euros). Here the ADAC supports its members with language barriers. Members have to be prepared for spare parts to be more expensive than in Germany, as they often have to be flown in separately.
If the repair takes longer than a day, ADAC will help arrange a hotel and rental car if desired. The costs for the hotel (maximum 3 days at 85 euros per person per night) and rental car (maximum 500 euros) can be submitted to the ADAC for reimbursement. If the repair takes longer than three days, the ADAC will return the vehicle to its place of residence in Germany.
Product offering
The insurance cover of the ADAC Plus and Premium membership applies to all travel by means of transport - regardless of whether travelers are traveling by car, motorhome, train, plane, bicycle, rental car or cruise ship.
All information about this can be found https://www.adac.de/genossenschaft/
The ADAC set up the first foreign emergency call station in Athens in 1974. Of the current eight help centers abroad, the largest are now in Barcelona, Lyon and Monza. There are also four help centers in Germany that provide assistance in the event of vehicle damage and medical emergencies.
In addition to German, the employees also speak the local language. All stations are staffed all year round. The ADAC international emergency call stations can be reached centrally from the respective holiday countries by calling +49 89 22 22 22 .
