The AA and why i will never use them again

klarzy · 2nd March 2018, 13:47

Yes, I know... this is not social media... but when you have been so badly let down by an organisation you feel that folks ought to know...
This is my personal experience... please draw your own conclusions from it.
In January 2018 I received my renewal notice from the AA... I called them, negotiated a package and price for the year to April 2019 and paid.... nothing unusual there...
During February myself and my partner received 4 new membership cards... cool... perhaps they think we need 4 between the 2 of us...
I updated the AA app on my android phone and put in the details (after a phone reset), and it came up "membership expired"...?? so member services were called and reassurances of "all is ok sir" were given...
Now on Wed 28 Feb as we all know the proverbial hit the pan with the weather and during a trip with a colleague the worse happened and my car ended up nose down in a water filled ditch outside of Peterborough at 09:05 in the morning.
It was in a rural area, with little or no shelter, blowing a howler and -6C in the blizzard. Thankfully there were no injuries apart from some bruising and a very dented pride...
The car looked ok apart from the front bumper and needed pulling out of the ditch..
The AA app was opened and yes, "membership expired" shone bright back at me...
So a call to the emergency line was answered after some wait (I do understand, they were inundated), the situation explained and the chap on the line said "you do not appear to have a membership sir", the situation with the membership being up to date and just not showing up on their computer was explained and I was told to wait while the situation was checked and they would "call me straight back"...
Now we could not sit in the car as it had rested at a steep angle and indeed the drivers side doors were not accessible at all, there was no immediate cover from the wind apart from a concrete wall, and we were "in the sticks" as it were....
3.5 hours later a kindly passing gas fitter (passing purely by chance as his nav had taken him down the same route as us), was kind enough to offer us a ride back to shelter (15 miles and he took us back to my home), (Brian... you are a gentleman!). No call back from the AA, no explanation, no one on the way (they had not taken our location)...
The AA's promise is "We will never leave you stranded"....
Well they bloomin well did this time!
So having to abandon my car before the cold did us some serious harm was not my first choice and my Insurance company were informed and very helpful, they agreed to collect my car asap ("may be a day or two" is completely understandable given the conditions and priorities for folks still stuck in their cars).
So Friday morning I was in a position to go back to the car and recover any possessions we could not squeeze into the fitters van with us (we were travelling with luggage for a 2 day business trip)... now the bit that really hurts....
My car was lovely, it was in good condition, a joy to drive etc. etc... I think a front bumper and a lick of paint would have it back on the road (it was a very low speed and gentle slide into the ditch), and I would gladly have restored it to use...
When I got back to the car this morning, the local... (I really do not know what to call them without the massive use of "$£"%$$^&&*)(*)(*&" has smashed the windows, smashed off the door mirror, ripped out the interior dash and nicked everything they could... they had thrown lumps of concrete at the doors...
The car is now a write off.... I am sick...

So a call to AA customer services this morning (on hold for an hour) about the lack of feedback to the initial call, the mess with the membership and not being given the opportunity to ask for help or even give a location, being left in the open without shelter (God forbid if my wife and child were in the same situation) was responded to with "in the terms and conditions it states we may not be able to get to you in good time, so your complaint is closed"... WHAT??? not in good time...??
You did not want to recognise me as a member and did not take a location! ??? How the hell were you ever going to get to me at all?@??
So, after using them on one form or another over the last 14 years, I have had enough... voting with my feet, I will never return....
If I treated one of my customers like that I would expect the sack on the spot...
Make up your own mind.... but I think we deserve better...

timspencer · 2nd March 2018, 14:06

I was with them years ago, had a cam-belt tensioner fail and jump some teeth, it was late, they sent a local recovery guy in rigger boots and hiviz, who didn't seem to have a clue.

he kept cranking and cranking whilst squirting easy start until it locked solid, then he left it, and they sent a flat bed. (2 hours later)

I complained to the AA, they sent me £50 voucher after leaving the car outside my house for 2 days (I had full cover and wanted it recovering to work).....

If he has checked the timing I would have gotten away with a new belt/tensioner instead I had to have 8 new valves, a head skim and about £500 worth of labour, none of which they would admit too....and the car has never run properly since

Ive been with the RAC for 12 years and they have always been great.

Jim Jamieson · 2nd March 2018, 14:08

I think you need to contact AA customer services with all the info you have i.e. payment details etc. If they have taken money from your account and supplied you with membership cards, I would say you’re a paid up member.

Will be interesting to see how this turns out.

jonno12 · 2nd March 2018, 14:29

i have been with them for a number of years and not really had any problems, but after saying that if i had been in your position i would be exactly as miffed as your good self, but as with all big companies compensation will be a pipe dream.

klarzy · 2nd March 2018, 16:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Jamieson

I think you need to contact AA customer services with all the info you have i.e. payment details etc. If they have taken money from your account and supplied you with membership cards, I would say you’re a paid up member.

Will be interesting to see how this turns out.

Customer services said that they would be talking to the telephone operators supervisor.... whoop de dee...

marinabrian · 2nd March 2018, 16:49

What a sickener Pete

As a quick solution to your transport problems with the destruction of Clarabelle, how about THIS

I'd even 160 it for you for nowt

Brian

klarzy · 2nd March 2018, 16:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by marinabrian

What a sickener Pete

As a quick solution to your transport problems with the destruction of Clarabelle, how about THIS

I'd even 160 it for you for nowt

Brian

it was not Clarabelle Brian... it was my 53 lexus rx300

Clarabelle is for sale if anyone is interested i will get a new membership and advertise her properly...

marinabrian · 2nd March 2018, 17:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by klarzy

it was not Clarabelle Brian... it was my 53 lexus rx300

Clarabelle is for sale if anyone is interested i will get a new membership and advertise her properly...

Ah I see Pete, it's still more than annoying that some scrote smashed up your car, and especially as it would have been avoided if the service you paid for had been delivered.

I would be tempted to make a claim against the AA for their negligence, provided you can prove payment was made, not difficult with a simple bank statement.

Hopefully you will get sorted soon.

Brian

klarzy · 2nd March 2018, 17:21

to customer care team and the CEO.

Dear AA customer care team.

I do not hold this as closed at all.

The key facts are:

• When i called you or tried to use the app in an emergency in harsh conditions i was told i was not a member
• A promised return call to take my details and location never materialised and i would be still there now if i waited
• Despite your motto... your DID leave me stranded (even considering the weather and your workload)
• As a result my car was not recovered and a minor accident became the destruction of my car by thieves and vandals
• I still today do not show up on the rescue database or app
• You fobbed me off and dismissed me on the care line with the clause in the contract (the contract you breached in so many ways) with the “it may take a long time to reach you in bad weather”, well to reach me at all you need to have opened a file and taken my location and situation, which you never did until i called from home later that day having abandoned my car before hypothermia set in to my colleague and myself.

So no, i do not see this as case closed and in fact this is just the start of it.

Yours

Peter Chilton
Membership number 63560111 4068 0017.... when you choose to recognise it that is.!
You took my money and failed in your duty of care.

and to the CEO direct

Dear Mr Breakwell

May I suggest you read this linked in article...
It explains my utter revulsion at my treatment from the AA
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/aa-wh...-peter-chilton

I had a minor accident, was denied assistance, abandoned in a blizzard and fobbed off with excuses.

To say I am disgusted is an understatement.

I would appreciate your feedback at the service given, loss of my car and your views on how a response (if not an immediate one) from the AA could have saved it being vandalised, written off, my insurance being affected and my heart broken.

Then to be told by customer services... “nothing to answer for, case closed, bye bye”...

Sickening!

Yours

Peter Chilton

thanks for the address for the CEO

Artermis · 2nd March 2018, 14:12

I agree with what others have said; I'd be taking it further with AA and at least seeking a refund nevermind compensation for resulting losses.

It sounds horrendous what's happened to you and very sad that your car has been vandalised just to add insult to injury.

On the plus side at least you are both safe and well; it could have been much worse for you!

Good luck getting it all sorted.

2nd March 2018, 13:47	#1
klarzy This is my second home none but not gone Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: March, Cambs Posts: 16,437 Thanks: 894 Thanked 4,247 Times in 3,025 Posts	The AA and why i will never use them again Yes, I know... this is not social media... but when you have been so badly let down by an organisation you feel that folks ought to know... This is my personal experience... please draw your own conclusions from it. In January 2018 I received my renewal notice from the AA... I called them, negotiated a package and price for the year to April 2019 and paid.... nothing unusual there... During February myself and my partner received 4 new membership cards... cool... perhaps they think we need 4 between the 2 of us... I updated the AA app on my android phone and put in the details (after a phone reset), and it came up "membership expired"...?? so member services were called and reassurances of "all is ok sir" were given... Now on Wed 28 Feb as we all know the proverbial hit the pan with the weather and during a trip with a colleague the worse happened and my car ended up nose down in a water filled ditch outside of Peterborough at 09:05 in the morning. It was in a rural area, with little or no shelter, blowing a howler and -6C in the blizzard. Thankfully there were no injuries apart from some bruising and a very dented pride... The car looked ok apart from the front bumper and needed pulling out of the ditch.. The AA app was opened and yes, "membership expired" shone bright back at me... So a call to the emergency line was answered after some wait (I do understand, they were inundated), the situation explained and the chap on the line said "you do not appear to have a membership sir", the situation with the membership being up to date and just not showing up on their computer was explained and I was told to wait while the situation was checked and they would "call me straight back"... Now we could not sit in the car as it had rested at a steep angle and indeed the drivers side doors were not accessible at all, there was no immediate cover from the wind apart from a concrete wall, and we were "in the sticks" as it were.... 3.5 hours later a kindly passing gas fitter (passing purely by chance as his nav had taken him down the same route as us), was kind enough to offer us a ride back to shelter (15 miles and he took us back to my home), (Brian... you are a gentleman!). No call back from the AA, no explanation, no one on the way (they had not taken our location)... The AA's promise is "We will never leave you stranded".... Well they bloomin well did this time! So having to abandon my car before the cold did us some serious harm was not my first choice and my Insurance company were informed and very helpful, they agreed to collect my car asap ("may be a day or two" is completely understandable given the conditions and priorities for folks still stuck in their cars). So Friday morning I was in a position to go back to the car and recover any possessions we could not squeeze into the fitters van with us (we were travelling with luggage for a 2 day business trip)... now the bit that really hurts.... My car was lovely, it was in good condition, a joy to drive etc. etc... I think a front bumper and a lick of paint would have it back on the road (it was a very low speed and gentle slide into the ditch), and I would gladly have restored it to use... When I got back to the car this morning, the local... (I really do not know what to call them without the massive use of "$£"%$$^&&)()(*&" has smashed the windows, smashed off the door mirror, ripped out the interior dash and nicked everything they could... they had thrown lumps of concrete at the doors... The car is now a write off.... I am sick... So a call to AA customer services this morning (on hold for an hour) about the lack of feedback to the initial call, the mess with the membership and not being given the opportunity to ask for help or even give a location, being left in the open without shelter (God forbid if my wife and child were in the same situation) was responded to with "in the terms and conditions it states we may not be able to get to you in good time, so your complaint is closed"... WHAT??? not in good time...?? You did not want to recognise me as a member and did not take a location! ??? How the hell were you ever going to get to me at all?@?? So, after using them on one form or another over the last 14 years, I have had enough... voting with my feet, I will never return.... If I treated one of my customers like that I would expect the sack on the spot... Make up your own mind.... but I think we deserve better... __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]….All praise Bananaswan….

2nd March 2018, 17:21	#9
klarzy This is my second home none but not gone Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: March, Cambs Posts: 16,437 Thanks: 894 Thanked 4,247 Times in 3,025 Posts	Just mailed these to customer care team and the CEO. Dear AA customer care team. I do not hold this as closed at all. The key facts are: • When i called you or tried to use the app in an emergency in harsh conditions i was told i was not a member • A promised return call to take my details and location never materialised and i would be still there now if i waited • Despite your motto... your DID leave me stranded (even considering the weather and your workload) • As a result my car was not recovered and a minor accident became the destruction of my car by thieves and vandals • I still today do not show up on the rescue database or app • You fobbed me off and dismissed me on the care line with the clause in the contract (the contract you breached in so many ways) with the “it may take a long time to reach you in bad weather”, well to reach me at all you need to have opened a file and taken my location and situation, which you never did until i called from home later that day having abandoned my car before hypothermia set in to my colleague and myself. So no, i do not see this as case closed and in fact this is just the start of it. Yours Peter Chilton Membership number 63560111 4068 0017.... when you choose to recognise it that is.! You took my money and failed in your duty of care. and to the CEO direct Dear Mr Breakwell May I suggest you read this linked in article... It explains my utter revulsion at my treatment from the AA https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/aa-wh...-peter-chilton I had a minor accident, was denied assistance, abandoned in a blizzard and fobbed off with excuses. To say I am disgusted is an understatement. I would appreciate your feedback at the service given, loss of my car and your views on how a response (if not an immediate one) from the AA could have saved it being vandalised, written off, my insurance being affected and my heart broken. Then to be told by customer services... “nothing to answer for, case closed, bye bye”... Sickening! Yours Peter Chilton thanks for the address for the CEO __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]….All praise Bananaswan….

2nd March 2018, 14:12	#10
Artermis Regular poster MG ZT Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Grimsby Posts: 90 Thanks: 9 Thanked 21 Times in 11 Posts	I agree with what others have said; I'd be taking it further with AA and at least seeking a refund nevermind compensation for resulting losses. It sounds horrendous what's happened to you and very sad that your car has been vandalised just to add insult to injury. On the plus side at least you are both safe and well; it could have been much worse for you! Good luck getting it all sorted. __________________ Ben BD02 FFE - MG ZT+ 190 in Monogram Gulfstream, No 2 of 5 190 saloons made and ex-press garage vehicle.

2nd March 2018, 14:06	#2
timspencer Gets stuck in MG ZTT Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: BURTON ON TRENT Posts: 854 Thanks: 125 Thanked 283 Times in 153 Posts	I was with them years ago, had a cam-belt tensioner fail and jump some teeth, it was late, they sent a local recovery guy in rigger boots and hiviz, who didn't seem to have a clue. he kept cranking and cranking whilst squirting easy start until it locked solid, then he left it, and they sent a flat bed. (2 hours later) I complained to the AA, they sent me £50 voucher after leaving the car outside my house for 2 days (I had full cover and wanted it recovering to work)..... If he has checked the timing I would have gotten away with a new belt/tensioner instead I had to have 8 new valves, a head skim and about £500 worth of labour, none of which they would admit too....and the car has never run properly since Ive been with the RAC for 12 years and they have always been great.

2nd March 2018, 14:08	#3
Jim Jamieson This is my second home Rover less ! Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Tarbolton Posts: 3,442 Thanks: 393 Thanked 888 Times in 542 Posts	I think you need to contact AA customer services with all the info you have i.e. payment details etc. If they have taken money from your account and supplied you with membership cards, I would say you’re a paid up member. Will be interesting to see how this turns out.

2nd March 2018, 14:29	#4
jonno12 Posted a thing or two rover75 saloon connie Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Solihull Posts: 1,003 Thanks: 78 Thanked 74 Times in 66 Posts	i have been with them for a number of years and not really had any problems, but after saying that if i had been in your position i would be exactly as miffed as your good self, but as with all big companies compensation will be a pipe dream.

2nd March 2018, 16:49	#6
marinabrian MG ZT Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne Posts: 20,151 Thanks: 3,565 Thanked 10,837 Times in 5,718 Posts	What a sickener Pete As a quick solution to your transport problems with the destruction of Clarabelle, how about THIS I'd even 160 it for you for nowt Brian