TCS - Touring Club Schweiz - cancelling membership

Daily Life, Swiss News and General Topics
1
A word of advice to anyone who is a member of TCS. Similar to AA RAC in the UK

My old insurance policy for my motorbike used to include membership for TCS, which luckily I never had any reason to use their services.

After having a few epileptic attacks, I was told by my doctors not to drive again, so I sold my bike and cancelled my insurance.

A few months later I received a bill from TCS for a years membership, so I telephoned them explaining the circumstances and said that from my side it seemed pretty pointless being a member with no vehicle. They put me onto a pushy salesman who spoke perfect english who spent 10 minutes trying to persuade me to just be a "non driving member" for 30 CHF a year.

I needed to get out of the house so I agreed and later got my bill which I paid.

After nearly a year of magazines and other TCS junk coming to my house I got a bill for the 2017 membership in early October.

This time I wrote a Kündigung letter to TCS saying I no longer wanted be a member and returned the card for 2017 - this was sent registered post.

Today (one month after sending the letter) I have received a stroppy official letter saying that I am not allowed to leave TCS unless I give 3 months notice and that I must pay the 2017 membership. (Art. 7 in their rules)

I am not too bothered about the 30 CHF - bit I did some googling and found quite a lot of complaints in german about this 3 months hidden clause. Also quite a lot of sample TCS kündigung templates - so it must be an issue.

This could easily end up a problem if you leave Switzerland or move home. You could possibly end up with a betreibung. Other car clubs just delete you from their membership if you do not pay, but TCS aggressively hunt you down.

If they sent their renewal 2 weeks earlier, then you would have time to cancel - but this seems all part of the ploy.

I am tempted to fight this on principle - I never signed anything and did not really want to be a pedestrian member in the first place.

I am just wondering if REGA works in a similar way?

2
3 month notice period seems pretty standard to me, almost any contract I have asks for a 3 month notice period

3
Yes it's pretty standard in Switzerland.

4
Then why did you pay last year? That can be considered an acceptance of their contract.

Contracts, besides some exceptions, don't necessarily have to be in writing to be valid and binding. You agree to it on the phone and now they have your payment to back that fact up.

5
a "non driving member" for 30 CHF a year.

Sounds like a teetotaller joining Alcoholics Anonymous...

6
I think that it is the word "club" which threw me. I presumed that it was an institution which i volunteered to contribute to - not a slick money grabbing entity.

7
If that were the case you'd be getting bills for 300 or so

They're non profit, but it seems like there's also your fault here for not informing them properly and in due time of what you wanted. You agreed on the phone to continue subscription, paid the bill and then they never heard anything from you until too late

8
This is is true. The only reason that I opened this thread is that there are many other people who have been caught out by this relatively new clause. It has been reported to the consumer watchdog and is highlighted as unfair by many other groups - but not in english.

Just thought it would be useful to have a record for the future here on ef.

9
Not a chance, you're virtually guaranteed to lose. You don't need to sign anything to have a valid contract, and you paid for 2016 already, which is more than enough confirmation.

Why would they send their invoice earlier when it's not even clear whether you're about to cancel? That would simply be useless overhead. And of course it's against their own interests to give you a headsup, so it's a bit silly to have high expectations.

It's quite simple, you know. In order to avoid this kind of issues simply strike the respective clause upon signing the contract or cancel simultaneously.

10
There was never any contract - just a phone call. Otherwise I may have known about this and cancelled much earlier. This is why all the other people have been complaining. You have to go digging to find the article 7.

11
Which is a verbal contract. it's as binding as a written contract, as long as one of the parties is able to prove that the contract existed. The fact that you paid can be interpreted as a proof that you agreed to it. They probably had sent you some details about the contract together with the bill too, so you could have known what you were getting into before you paid.

12
There was an oral contract, but not a written contract - so saying there was no contract isn't quite right.

Just let it go - cancel for next year and consider your lesson learned. Not worth the stress.

13
Paid the bill an hour ago.

Maybe someone else on the full membership can save a lot more money if they stumble across this information - probably just wishful thinking on my side.

Anyway - I achieved my aim. This information now appears on google in english. It didn't this morning.

Just off on the train for a few beers in germany using my GA - no car worries! No need to call TCS.

14
Did you also send the cancellation again. So that next year you will not be in the same situation as today?

15
No.

In their letter, they said that they have registered my cancellation for the end of next year.

I think that it should be ok, but I am hoping to move apartment next year, which was one of my little worries. The post re-direct and my list of firms to inform, missed out on TCS last time I moved, as it was a free element of my insurance then.

I managed to keep betreibung free for 18 years, but it just takes little things like this to blot your record and cause hassle.

Thanks for the reminder though.

As I mentioned in my first post - I am going to cancel Rega, so I will have to see if this is a similar scenario.

16
https://www.rega.ch/en/support-rega/...ga-patron.aspx

Click on Conditions of Patronage.

"Patronage is valid for the current calendar year and starts with your payment. If patronage is not renewed it will expire on 15 May of the following year."

Couldn't be more easier.

17
You beat me to it.

Hope I don't need a helicopter next year.

Will become a patron again if I ever find a new job. May even pay for driving lessons for my wife and rejoin TCS if she passes .

18
Having been a TCS member now for 12 years, both for CH and Europe, and never once had reason to call them, I'm going to cancel.

It seems my full casco covers me, as well as some roadside assistance from the manufacturer, so the TCS is superfluous. I've probably been paying needlessly for years.

Has anyone used their breakdown services? Or abroad?

19
A friend of mine was towed by TCS... however this was contracted via Audi / amag (they have a mobility guarantee even for cars after warranty if you service them regularly).

Guy was helpful but didn't manage to fix an issue, and then when towing he damaged the car... fixes of this damage were 100% covered by TCS - no questions asked.

20
Seems with the reliability of modern cars, the cover is for punctures ( once in 100k/km ), flat batteries, and accidents.

Would like to know if there is more to it though.