Discussion
I have roadside recovery with the AA, returning from family yesterday myself and the family broke down about 4ish in a VW campervan ('72) roughly 200 miles from my family home (Essex) and 200 miles from home (Cornwall).
I called the AA out to discover problems with my cover long story short over £150 later I'm covered (again) under a breakdown condition, I know the bus is terminal (seized engine) but they come out and diagnose the same.
They offer to take to us to a service station (myself, wife 2 children 5 and 6 and two dogs) or 3 miles down the road a local unknown back street garage, neither option are suitable really I need to get the camper to a suitable garage or home, the third option was to upgrade the policy an additional £89 and then £2.50 per mile so a total of approx £600+.
My point all along with them was they were always quoting taking the vehicle to an appropriate repairer so I asked them to do that... in my opinion the nearest back street garage (however nice they are) is not ideal and I presume will not be able to replace the engine in a suitable time, and staying in a hotel waiting for parts isn't appropriate, and going to a service station is pointless as we need to get home, we paid the £600.00 and are disputing the terminology but the result was waiting / arguing the toss for 7 hours followed by a 'few' tows by various low loaders some AA some not we got home 13 hours later over £600 skinter!
I called the AA out to discover problems with my cover long story short over £150 later I'm covered (again) under a breakdown condition, I know the bus is terminal (seized engine) but they come out and diagnose the same.
They offer to take to us to a service station (myself, wife 2 children 5 and 6 and two dogs) or 3 miles down the road a local unknown back street garage, neither option are suitable really I need to get the camper to a suitable garage or home, the third option was to upgrade the policy an additional £89 and then £2.50 per mile so a total of approx £600+.
My point all along with them was they were always quoting taking the vehicle to an appropriate repairer so I asked them to do that... in my opinion the nearest back street garage (however nice they are) is not ideal and I presume will not be able to replace the engine in a suitable time, and staying in a hotel waiting for parts isn't appropriate, and going to a service station is pointless as we need to get home, we paid the £600.00 and are disputing the terminology but the result was waiting / arguing the toss for 7 hours followed by a 'few' tows by various low loaders some AA some not we got home 13 hours later over £600 skinter!
does the cover not say they will take you home? Say for example you broke down and didnt want to go to a agarge but get your car home so you could repair it?
Im also with autoaid and when i rang them last time they said where do you want to be taken, at the time i said London (home) and i was in Oxford at the time, luckely they repaired it at the road side and was on my way!
Im also with autoaid and when i rang them last time they said where do you want to be taken, at the time i said London (home) and i was in Oxford at the time, luckely they repaired it at the road side and was on my way!
I'm a bit confused - did you actually have cover in place or not initially, what level of cover did the £150 you pay buy you - if it was still only the basic level without relay then they've done what they claim they will do under that. If it included relay then yes they should have taken you wherever you wanted to go.
I had roadside recovery in place or so I thought, this does not cover recovery to a destination, my point was that I wanted to be taken to an appropriate repairer as stated by the aa themselves.
The additional payment was for the upgrade to recovery home as I had no way of finding someone suitable standing by the roadside and the aa had no advice as to a suitable repairer on their system for a 42 year old campervan.
If they want to cover any vehicle they need to be able to cater for any vehicle imho!
The additional payment was for the upgrade to recovery home as I had no way of finding someone suitable standing by the roadside and the aa had no advice as to a suitable repairer on their system for a 42 year old campervan.
If they want to cover any vehicle they need to be able to cater for any vehicle imho!
Problem is. It's luck of he draw I had clutch failure on two cars in two years. First was recovered to my chosen garage some 20 or so miles further than they should foc. Next time I was in the middle of the north Devon link and they did not offer to recover to any garage but insisted the aa only pay them 10 miles and the trip to Exeter was something like 30 including them returning to the spot the free 10 miles ended. So I paid £56. I then wrote a formal complaint stating they breached their terms not offering to tow me to nearest local garage which was 20 miles. They caved in and refunded the £56.
The conditions of my cover is nearest local garage that the aa recognise.
The conditions of my cover is nearest local garage that the aa recognise.
if it was still only the basic level without relay then they've done what they claim they will do under that.
I'm not sure taking me to the nearest backstreet garage is classed as 'appropriate' considering they will not be likely to install a new air cooled engine within a day or two if they are prepared to touch the vehicle at all, and we would have had to sit on the garage forecourt from 8ish that night till when they open in the morning to be told this!
I'm not sure taking me to the nearest backstreet garage is classed as 'appropriate' considering they will not be likely to install a new air cooled engine within a day or two if they are prepared to touch the vehicle at all, and we would have had to sit on the garage forecourt from 8ish that night till when they open in the morning to be told this!
Sorry OP but you took your family 200 miles away from home in a 40 odd year old vehicle with nothing but the most basic breakdown cover and you blame the breakdown company?
Just looked and it would have cost you in the region of £50 to top up your cover before setting out and would have saved you 600 odd.
Just looked and it would have cost you in the region of £50 to top up your cover before setting out and would have saved you 600 odd.
whoami said:
Don't you have to claim it back from them?
Yes you do but it's only a brief form downloaded from their website. I used them about a month ago. A coilpack went in the back of beyond in rural Lincolnshire on a friday evening about 5pm. A recovery vehicle arrived in about half an hour and took me where I wanted to go. I paid by card over the phone, posted the form with the receipt from the recovery guy the next guy and received the cheque in under a week. Faultless. I gave them some good feedback online and they wrote thanking me and forwarded my praise to the recovery operator. For under £40 a year I think it's a bargain.Was with AA 1 year then never renewed and just used the cover I get included with insurance. Saves a lot of hassle and I can just got low loaded to home or to a garage if (when) I break down. Can also get towed home then have them come back the next day if their are no garages I go to open when I get towed. AA seem over priced and not very helpful or knowledgeable by comparison.
When I was with the AA I broke down and needed recovering. They sent a inadequate fold out Transit tow thing and the guy failed to diagnose the problem- the fact my inlet manifold had some how become detached.
Now breaking down isn't so much hassle, I just phone up, say where I need to go and it gets sorted. None of this "well you see sir on this package it's going to cost.." b
ks.
When I was with the AA I broke down and needed recovering. They sent a inadequate fold out Transit tow thing and the guy failed to diagnose the problem- the fact my inlet manifold had some how become detached.
Now breaking down isn't so much hassle, I just phone up, say where I need to go and it gets sorted. None of this "well you see sir on this package it's going to cost.." b
ks. 
The AA,the same as any club,will charge you more if you require assistance there and then rather than being an existing member.
As said previously an appropiate garage is one that the AA deem so,not one that you think will be able to fix your car.
Any club are duty bound to remove a broken down vehicle and its occupants to the nearest safe place which is usually a service station of some sort.This is for your saftey.
As said previously an appropiate garage is one that the AA deem so,not one that you think will be able to fix your car.
Any club are duty bound to remove a broken down vehicle and its occupants to the nearest safe place which is usually a service station of some sort.This is for your saftey.
As your probably aware but I thought I would take time to add this
You must not of had any AA cover originally. The £150 you paid was for basic roadside cover which includes only a local recovery if a repair is not possible (yes roadside cover is only £36 but you had to pay a surcharge as already in a breakdown) Then you had to pay a extra £89 to upgrade to relay but unfortunately as your already in a breakdown situation again your only entitled to the first 50mls of recovery then £2.50 a mile after that. I understand your unhappiness with the company but its in the terms and conditions. We also only first send out a patrol to diagnose faults before sending out a truck (as a patrol myself I've repaired numerous vehicles that members insisted needed recovery) anyway I'm sorry to hear about your misfortune and get the camper sorted.
Regards Nathan
You must not of had any AA cover originally. The £150 you paid was for basic roadside cover which includes only a local recovery if a repair is not possible (yes roadside cover is only £36 but you had to pay a surcharge as already in a breakdown) Then you had to pay a extra £89 to upgrade to relay but unfortunately as your already in a breakdown situation again your only entitled to the first 50mls of recovery then £2.50 a mile after that. I understand your unhappiness with the company but its in the terms and conditions. We also only first send out a patrol to diagnose faults before sending out a truck (as a patrol myself I've repaired numerous vehicles that members insisted needed recovery) anyway I'm sorry to hear about your misfortune and get the camper sorted.
Regards Nathan
Edited by evo97 on Tuesday 8th January 19:56
They were great for me, sent a low loader when I asked for one and took me from the M25 all the way to Bridgend in South Wales. Didn't actually see an AA vehicle though, all contraced out. And I didn't speak to them myself at all, the lovely (very helpful) operator on the roadside emergency phone spoke to them. No complaints!
I've just googled auto-aid......what a bargain. Amazing the likes of AA and RAC have members with those prices. Problem is and I will probably get flamed for saying this but they just send a local garage out to you and half the time they have very little mechanical experience but I guess that's good for us car enthusiasts and just require the vehicle lifted and taken home or your own garage. Then there's people who pay a premium for a service who have there own patrols who are on targets to get the car repaired and you moving again.
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