Aston Martin Assist (or Not!)

[callevascm]

Last Saturday, on our start of a week's holiday to Devon, our six month old Vantage S started to drip fluid initially I thought it was fuel but then diagnosed hydraulic fluid. We limped into Exeter Grange - they were fantastic, Aston Martin Assist less so - no replacement car available so Grange loaned us a Jaguar demonstrator, the bad news they needed it back at 8.00am on Monday and we were on holiday! We returned at 8am prompt, confirmed that the clutch actuator was leaking, parts ordered, should be about three days for a repair, Grange loaned us a DB9 demonstrator - we went away happy. Now Friday and we are due back Home tomorrow. Grange still have not received the spares for the clutch and they need the DB9 back. So we return to Exeter (45 mins drive away) to collect the Aston Martin "enterprise" hire car, a rather depressing Hyundai Santa Fe is rolled out, no sat nav and drives more like a bus than a race proven thoroughbred. Conversation with customer services at Gaydon is initiated. Outcome - four hours wasted, eventually "upgraded" to a Lexus i200 (I think) then it transpires there was a Mercedes at Enterprise Exeter all the time allocated for us but "someone within AML" refused to authorise it. By this time Gaydon Customer Services have closed for the weekend. So our PJ is to be left in Grange's competent hands awaiting spares, we face a 150 mile journey in a tired Lexus and having had our holiday severely disrupted. Morale of the story, "if in the unlikely event you do break down" don't rely upon Aston Martin Assist. My wife is looking for the person at Gaydon who is going to come and give her a personal apology. As they say Grange 10, Aston Martin 0 for customer service. Thoughts welcome!

Edited by callevascm on Friday 19th April 20:57

[jeremydb9]

50/50 from me. Should they give you a car. Absolutely. However my expectation would probably be a mid range hire car - to get a DB9 on loan would exceed my expectation.

Had a Merc that broke down and they gave me an Enterprise loaner ( a Merc E Class by accident or design).

However ... not to be able to get a simple part to their dealer the next working day is pretty poor, which seems to be the root cause of the issue. Had the part arrived on Tuesday, all one assumes would have been well. So the score is the same - Grange 10, Aston 0

[IanV12VR]

I hate to admit it but my V12VR needed to be recovered when the handbrake was binding. LBS put a nice picture on the AMOC website for me We were at an AMOC events and everyone found it extremely amusing that the newest car had broken down.

Anyway - the real reason I am writing this - is I have to say Aston Recovery were outstanding. They kept us informed of what was happening and timescales. They guy from Enterprise picked us up from the hotel and took us to Plymouth to pick up a car and we probably got home an hour later or so than we would normally have done. The car wasn't anything great (Vauxhall Insignia) but it got us home. Grange Exeter sorted it (and a few other things) out and car home within a couple of days. Couldn't have asked for it to have been handled better.

[mikey k]

callevascm said:

As they say Grange 10, Aston Martin 0 for customer service. Thought welcome!

That's my experience of the the two times I've used Assist and support from Exeter (my supplying dealer)
Bummer it happened whilst on holiday
Luckily (and bizarrely) both mine were just after a trip

[PiloteAM]

Touch wood, never had to use them.

I gues it's part of the warranty though (doesn't say on the little plastic card, but can't see what else it would've linked to), and I let that expire, so don't think I'll ever have the pleasure

AA have always been good for me, and used them even when I had a clutch go (while I was under warranty) mostly because I wanted the car taken to BR, and couldn't ask for that with a straight face from Aston Assist

- Steve