3,734 reviews
AI reviews summary
The overall sentiment for RACV Emergency Home Assist is predominantly positive, with the majority of users praising the speed of response and the professionalism of the tradespeople. Many customers report successful, stress-free resolutions to urgent plumbing, electrical, and locksmith issues. However, a significant segment of feedback highlights a stark contrast in service quality, with several users reporting that contractors were either unequipped to perform repairs or focused solely on generating high-priced quotes rather than providing emergency fixes.
Pros
- Rapid Response Times: Many users reported tradespeople arriving within 30 to 60 minutes of the initial call, even during public holidays, late nights, or weekends.
- Professional and Informative Staff: Tradespeople are frequently described as polite, friendly, and thorough, often taking the time to explain the issue and providing maintenance advice.
- Effective Emergency Repairs: For standard issues like blocked toilets, leaking taps, and lockouts, the service often results in a quick and successful "on-the-spot" resolution.
- Clear Communication: Most users appreciated the proactive updates regarding estimated arrival times (ETA) via phone calls or text messages.
Cons
- "Quote-Only" Visits: A recurring complaint involves tradespeople arriving without tools or parts, performing a "nano-look" assessment, and then providing an expensive quote instead of a repair.
- Inflated Pricing: Multiple users noted that quotes provided by RACV-contracted trades were significantly higher (sometimes double or triple) than those from independent local tradespeople.
- Lack of Regional Coverage: Some customers expressed frustration after discovering the service does not cover specific regional Victorian areas despite their active membership.
- Misdiagnosis and Incompetence: There are reports of tradespeople being sent to jobs they are not qualified for (e.g., an electrician for a water leak) or failing to identify simple faults that were later fixed easily by others.
Verdict
RACV Emergency Home Assist is highly effective for straightforward emergencies like lockouts and minor leaks where a prompt response is critical. However, the service appears inconsistent for more complex issues, where users may encounter contractors who prioritise lead generation for expensive replacements over immediate repairs.
We called RACV Emergency Home Assist last night because our Gas Central Heater suddenly stopped working. Young Derick H arrived within the estimated time. The cause of the heater going off was found to be due to the pilot light having gone off due to unknown reasons. There was no draught that we could identify. He checked for any other faults and… Read more
relit the pilot light. The heater then started. Derick made sure that the heater was functioning alright , by checking several times before he left. H261630155
Technician arrived on time . But could not fix the system straight away as he did not have the equipment that was required in his van. He said he will put an urgent request for someone to come out to fix the heating system. Not happy with the outcome but have to as I don’t have any other alternative.
I recently had a visit from a tradesman through RACV, and I appreciated his punctuality and professionalism. He was a nice gentleman who performed a thorough inspection and provided valuable insights regarding my plumbing issues. However, I am quite frustrated that the workmanship from a previous plumber, who attempted to fix the same issue in… Read more
2024, has not been acknowledged by RACV. It’s evident that the leak was not addressed properly at that time, which has now resulted in significant damage to my timber floor and plaster. I feel that I paid for a service that did not resolve the issue and am disappointed that my concerns have not been recognized.
Overall, while the recent tradesman was commendable, the lack of accountability for past work has left me dissatisfied.
Reviews with attachments
Informed of arriving and arrived within the specified time stated. Checked fault and fixed issue. Very efficient and informative.
Very professional and helpful plumber solved the problem instantly (less than 3 hours after my request for assistance) with repair. New tap new washers no more leaks. Very pleased with the RACV program I have subscribed to.
Hakan D was very professional and did good job thanks. I highly recommend his trade fixing our laundry tap great. Show reply
Why a plumber cannot locate a sewer leak with 4 camera try's After each camera inspections they find NO LEAK It is not a stormwater leak as that has been eliminated After each camera inspection I can insert DRAIN DYE and have a sewer leak over night I have not been able to locate the source of the leak
Very concerning experience with **RACV Home Assist emergency plumbing service. I called RACV on Saturday morning for a burst pipe, expecting an emergency repair service. A plumber attended but immediately told me he didn’t have the tools or parts in his vehicle, so he could only “have a quick look.” This raises a serious question — why send a… Read more
plumber to an emergency job without the equipment required to fix it?
The plumber dug about 2 feet into my front garden, located the leak, and asked me to sign on his phone saying it was for “my concern” so he could make urgent calls and arrange parts. He assured me someone would come shortly to complete the repair.
After waiting more than 4 hours, no one arrived. When I contacted RACV, I was told the job had already been closed in the system because it was recorded as a quote job, and the plumber would send a quote on Monday.
So essentially the RACV contractor attended, dug a hole in my front yard, left the area unsafe, and closed the job without fixing anything. I have a young child at home, and leaving an open excavation in the front garden is extremely unsafe and irresponsible.
When I contacted RACV again, I was told they had spoken with the plumber and he was too busy to return, and I was advised to fill the hole myself to make the area safe.
In the end, I had to call my own plumber, who arrived quickly and fixed the leak in under 5 minutes and charged $180.
Then on Monday I received a quote from the RACV plumber for $750, including unnecessary work such as replacing the tap, removing the water meter, reconnecting it, and additional excavation. Considering how quickly the issue was actually fixed, this quote seems highly questionable.
This experience raises serious concerns about whether RACV Home Assist is being used as an emergency repair service or simply as a lead generation system for quotes.
Based on my experience:
If you want a quote, call RACV. If you want your emergency fixed, call your own plumber.
I hope RACV reviews how this service is being delivered, because the current process is misleading, unsafe, and extremely frustrating for customers dealing with real emergencies.
Latest follow-ups
I found the plumber polite and very helpful with the work to be attended
Follow-up · The plumber successfully unblocked our kitchen sink with a plunger, which took around 10mins.
Mark was wonderful. He fixed our problem quickly and perfectly.
Follow-up · We have lived in this house for 50 years, so the pipes outside were often root bound. (There are several very large trees in the garden) This time our shower and basins were blocked... Mark came several times (at no cost) and cleared them temporarily. We then needed further investigation,and at a very reasonable cost, he cleared them with a… Read more
Chris came and fixed the electrical board. Moved in a new house and the power kept tripping. Plugged in a kettle. All lights turned off. This is my first time using RACV home assist. Will definitely join as a member till I die. Show reply
Follow-up · Tripping was caused by some faulty appliances. I plugged and unplugged each one and tested all appliances but couldn't find which one caused the tripping. So i threw them all out and bought all new appliances. The cost for Chris to give me a new RCCB switch was $100. Took him about 30 mins to check at 2:00 am in the morning.
In-depth reviews
The plumber and the RACV office both disputed that I had an emergency for them to deal with. The ballc*ck mechanism failed to stop the water from… Read more
rising in the cistern a d wTerwaspouring xown tbe wallonto the wall. I temporarily. disabled the ballc*ck and visited RACV in Sale who stated what I was experiencing was not an emergency. Tbe lady at the counter called RACV Trades on my behalf (I am sverely hearing impaired) and told .me that I would need to provide a new cistern at my cost.so I purheased one from Bunnings on my way home. After the Tradesman arrived he stated that I did not have an emergency and made some phone calls. He did the installation of the new cistern, and told me that through RACV I would have to pay for his ti.e and I agreed to that, and I offered .y point of view that tbe problem came from two differeskille skills toeepairs to repairskills nt understandings of the definition of emergency. I bad water running in my house tbat I to did not have the skills to repair. Linda Starke
Follow-up · The 3 photos, the new cistern was at a lower height. (A) I have let the wall dry before completing cleaning that and sealing where the screw holes were. (B) The toilet doorway and the external doorway fron the laundry, the area that feels as if the plywoon below the vynel is holding water. (C) My crutches from p t o get back to walking phaving… Read more
Follow-up · A the wall still requires further cleaning by me and the screw holes need to be filled B the floor in the toilet and out into thr laubsry feels as if the plywood below the vynel is holding water. C. I had two total knee replacements in the second… Read more
Find out how RACV Emergency Home Assist compares to other Home Improvement
Know better, choose better.
Air con leaking water through the hall ceiling. RACV said I needed an electrician. Electrician came out in 30 minutes, said I needed a plumber. Electrician came, said I needed a plumber, what a surprise. Called RACV again as told by the… Read more
electrician, sometimes the call for rearranging appointments does not go through. Was told they did get the call, my issue was reallocated & someone would be out this afternoon. I asked why I did not recieve a text about this & was told it does not work like that. So, how did I get the message keeping me informed the first time? If you are supposed to be an emergency service why was I told someone would attend sometime this afternoon. What do you consider is an emergency if water leaking through the roof is not? Most importantly, why when I told the operator it was a leak, she insisted an electrician was required. I know the difference between water & electricity plus, being in the place where the issue is & not being blind, it stands to reason that I would be more aware of what the problem is, not her. The images I have attached reflect a 60cm crack in the ceiling & shows water dripping through. Maybe use them as a single point lesson to educate the difference between water & electricity! To clarify, the images reflect water, I'll leave it with you to decide how to show them what electricity is. I would suggest a cattle prod!
Follow-up · You pay a monthly fee to RACV & call out is free including any labour cost for fixing the problem, but you do need to pay for parts. Yes, it was fixed but I asked the system manufacturer if they could help & they fixed it even though it was the installer's fault, long before RACV came out, as it was a genuine emergency. The installer did not… Read more
I had a leakage in my hallway (Sept 2025) when there was a heavy rainstorm. A plumber came within the hour but could not go onto the roof for it was wet. However, he climbed up into the ceiling and noted that there was a leakage into the valley gutter in the ceiling but could not find the source of the leakage. Then I called RACV Emergency Home… Read more · 2
Assist again a week later (roof was dry then) and tradie/plumber Dean W came to my rescue again for previously Derek helped fix a leakage I had in 2024 in my lounge room for one of the roof tiles cracked and he replaced it with a good tile I had. Problem/leakage solved! Getting back to this second leakage, Derek climbed up onto my roof and found the source of the leakage again! There was a slip of one of the roof tiles. Derek then placed it back into the correct position showing me the pics he took of the pre and post of the moved roof tile. Problem/leakage solved again by Derek W!
Thank you for RACV Emergency Home Assist and more importantly for having good tradies/plumbers like the first call out and Derek W!
Positive reviews
My tenants had problems which I couldn't attend to. The job was ordered by the real estate agent and within hour RACV attended. This service makes life easier for my husband and myself as we get older.
Mark, our RACV TRADES plumber did an excellent job fixing our main bathroom toilet, including having to remove the toilet itself and then put it back after clearing the blockage. He has been most careful, courteous and understanding and is obviously an expert plumber. Please pass on our great thanks to him for a job well done.
There was an issue with main entrance lock which was attended to. Right from the phone call to RACV Home Assist to completion of the job, everything went smoothly and I am happy with RACV Home Assist customer service and the tradesman. It was quite a pleasant experience.
Negative reviews
I was given an ETA of 13:00 (2 hours after the initial call), actual arrival was 14:50 with no excuse or apology (office had advised that his phone was out of action)! Strike 1 The problem with my hot water system was that the water to the shower was constantly heating and leaking 80 degrees hot water which had caused the shower head to break… Read more
away, after a nano look by the 'plumber' I was told he had to send a report to the office - no discussion as to a diagnosis or attempt to rectify, not even replacing a washer! Strike 2 RACV Trades sent a quote for $3700 for the installment of a new hot water system based on the 'plumber's' nano look. Strike 3 The call out was accepted by RACV Emergency Assist, but nothing was done about it. Strike 4 Consequently, I did not accept this quote and used my own Plumber who diagnosed and fixed the problem with new parts (no need for a new system) for a fraction of the quote. I would not recommend signing up to RACV Emergency Assist based on this.
Keep giving false information or misleading information on arrival time of plumber I called at 5:30 pm and till 9 pm no one showed up call again to check told sorry the plumber will come at 11 pm . Are we devoting clients keeps calling to get misleading information does RACV has only one plumber in the whole of Australia to take clients call sorry will share in the media too this post unnecessary stress and tension given to clients
Your plumber just "had a look" and gave me a quote for almost $600.00 to unblock the drain. I could have obtained my own quote; a waste of money and time. Your "spill" states "unblock drains" but your plumber arrived with a plunger!! I could have… Read more
done that myself! Ironically, I received a brochure, in the mail, from a plumbing company (service Experts) claiming to clear the drain for $149.00 using high pressure water jetter and CCTV drain camera. A LOT better than RACV.
Follow-up · *Communication was fine but the plumber that came kept looking for a "trap" that we kept saying "did not exist". (We have lived here more that 40 years; I think by now we know our house). *No options; just the quote for clearing the drainpipe. *The plumber did arrive about two to three hours after the time we were told he would come. We have… Read more
Recent reviews
Considering I was locked out of my house at peak hour on a Friday, it only took 45 mins for the locksmith to get is and get us in the house. I also appreciated the communication on estimated arrival time. Locksmith used a tool to get us inside and luckily didn't need to replace our locks, so there was no additional coat
Find out how RACV Emergency Home Assist compares to other Home Improvement
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The 2 men who came to help us arrived when they said they would and were able to remove the end of the globe from the socket and ensure the power supply was safe.
I noticed a small water leak after rain. Waited until after it had stopped raining to call RACV and ask for the callout. The plumber arrived 3 hours after I called (and several hours after it had stopped raining) and then said he couldn't get on the roof because the roof was wet. Wasted a whole day and back where I started.
Follow-up · Follow-up: after this very poor experience, I arranged my own tradesperson to look at the issue and did not bother with RACV or the plumber they sent out.
No hot water issue. Matt came out and fixed the problem on my very old hot water system very quickly. Very happy RACV Customer for 20 years - would not be without RACV Home Assist ever.
Thank you. Your electrician was prompt arriving He solved the problem in a professional manner and gave me important information as well . I am grateful and I’m glad I am with such a reputable org as RACV
I had just moved into my new home and didn’t know any local trades, so this service came in so handy for me when my automatic garage door lock stopped working and there was no lock on the internal door to the house. Even tho it was after 10pm, the locksmith came within 30 minutes and fixed both issues (I would have been happy just with a lock on… Read more
the internal door, for my families safety). I’m so pleased I signed up for this service before moving in, it’s already paid for itself.
Plumber was given incorrect info - toilet isn’t blocked but is leaking water he did not have wax seal available so therefore my toilet is still leaking Disappointed that this simple task could not be completed
I contacted RACV for a plumber and explained the fact that it was related to a water pump. The plumber that was sent to sight was: a) late b) not interested in fixing the problem and basically just wanted to book it on for a hourly rate consult c) did not know what he was looking at and expected me to tell him how to depressurise the system.… Read more
Which in the end I worked it out not him. d) when my wife asked the next steps he was quite sacastic verging on rude.
Plumbers on the Mornington Peninsula would come across water pumps all the time as probably 30% of properties down here either have water tanks or bore pumps. I would have expected RACV would have sent someone who would have some knowledge in this space.
This is the third occassion I have used home assist and the first two experiences were great. I had recommended the service to a number of people however if this is the quality of plumber that is sent I am not sure I would continue to recommend.
The electrician was professional and worked out what was wrong in no time he then advised how we could fix the issue and reset everything. I couldn’t rate him higher. He arrived within 30 minutes of the call to RACV. This is the second time I’ve had to use this service and it was fabulous both times. Would highly recommend this type of coverage.
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