the AA rip off

[stu1888]

I am amember of the Aa have been for years thot they were ok been let down in past but on the whole they are ok


well not tonight i dont....

my dad has put diesel in my car again...... went up got him and called the AA told them what happened and was told WAIt for it.... if i am closer than 10 mile from my home which i am, they will take me home... if not its to the nearest garage.... i pay for relay and relay plus.... to be took anywhere in the UK,,, or i thought... but this is the good bit.....................

If the fault is ur own doing IE diesel in petrol car... then they only take u to the nearest garage regardless off your cover..................... WHAT A ****IN RIP OFF.....................

NOW I DONT KNOW ABOUT ANYONE LESE ON HERE BUT WHEN I PAY TO BE RECOVERED I WANT MY CAR GOING WHERE I WANT IT TO GO... IS THAT UNFAIR............................

ANYONE LESE BEEN TEATED LIKE THIS BY THEM......

[HMG1K]

Years ago - back in 1991 - I broke just at the slip road about to join the M4... I was on a three month trial to see if I liked the AA service that they signed me up to at the Ideal Home exhibition...

Anyway, one day my radiator went so I was over hearting - the AA man turned up, couldn't do anything, so left me there!

From that experience I went straight to RAC - problem free ever since. Ever so friendly and willing to help on any calls I've had since for them.

[stu1888]

i am thinking of doing the same just now,,, i pay them monthly so i can see me cancelling it now tho can see tat being a fight too......

[ianturbo]

I had a good experiance with them few years ago , went p to newcastle in my mates van to pick up an engine for my capri got about a mile from chaps house and battery light came on and then van stopped , so the bloke selling me engine towed me to his put engine in back of van and rung my mate whos van it were got him to ring his AA up they rung me and i had to blag them that i was van owner i.e date of birth postcode ond stuff and they took me home (well owners home ) :scholar:
turned out belt had snapped and got behind cambelt cover and through it off smashing all the rockers !!
ian
AA was good that day to say i wernt a member !!:scholar:

[Spirit]

Can understand your frustration Stu.......it's one of their small print items of what's not covered:

"any costs of draining or removing fuel, lubricants or other fluids as a result of the introduction of an inappropriate substance. The AA will arrange for Your vehicle to be taken to a local garage or another appropriate location but You will have to pay for any work carried out"

[Subaru ETA]

ian - was it a transit van by chance you were driving? thats a comon thing to happen with them!

different aa being in nz but my mrs had my car and locked the keys in it. i couldnt come out to break into it obviousaly coz i had no car, she had it!

she called aa and they said that there was someone in mt eden (5 mins away) and would be there shortly.

an hour later nothing. she rings back, will be there soon. this went on for a couple of hours. i rang my uncle who is a tow truck driver and he was coming back from hamilton (1 hour and abit away?) but would stop off when he got back to auckland. he turned up and still no aa. this happened a couple of years ago. still waiting for them to turn up.................

[unclepete]

AA always been good to me, although I did have a Renault that kept breaking down so they did tell me that I could only call them out a couple more times that year (fair enough I suppose). RAC have been truly useless in the past. Check with the RAC - they have new equipment for removing contaminated fuel from your car at the side of the road but I think it costs just short of £200. Nothing is free when this happens - they're cracking down on it as it is happening more and more often according to an article in Auto Express a few months ago.

[Robotnik123]

Have always had prompt service from the NZ AA for breakdowns, but now that my insurance co is offering a breakdown service, I probably won't renew my subscription this year.

Also used to get decent premiums from AA Insurance for my car, but when I got the VR-4 they wouldn't cover it, so I am no longer with them for insurance. I don't think they are very boy racer car insurance friendly, unfortunately.


ian - was it a transit van by chance you were driving? thats a comon thing to happen with them!

different aa being in nz but my mrs had my car and locked the keys in it. i couldnt come out to break into it obviousaly coz i had no car, she had it!

she called aa and they said that there was someone in mt eden (5 mins away) and would be there shortly.

an hour later nothing. she rings back, will be there soon. this went on for a couple of hours. i rang my uncle who is a tow truck driver and he was coming back from hamilton (1 hour and abit away?) but would stop off when he got back to auckland. he turned up and still no aa. this happened a couple of years ago. still waiting for them to turn up.................

[pitslayer]

i have been let down twice by the AA
first, when i melted my engine litterally in my old vw,they farmed it out to overbrook garage(3 years later i still remember there names)
first they wouldnt send a low loader, as it was expensive. i told them its to low to go on a spec, and rigid bar....4 hours later, me and my mate had run out of sticks to fight each other with on the hard shoulder, my car started up, and we went off to the m50 m5 services, with no oil in the engine, 3 cylinders and a plume of mile long blue smoke behind us, and inthe car....the carfinally gave up and i rolled into a spot in the services....rang the aa back up, who were reluctant to come out. told them, send a low loader, its fubared....so a van turns up, nice guy...looks under neath at the massive puddle ofoil, and goes....ye thats ******* mate, ill get a low loader its to low for rigid bar or spec...great, nice one thankyou.....low loader turns up, makes the damage on my car as "everywhere" then proceeds drag it up his lorry, scraping everything on the underside of my car to bits...not amused, then went the longest way back to my unit ever, down the M4, in a non smoking vehicle".....then had the cheek to complain about the oil, on his truck.....which i pollitely told him, about the damage sheet marked everywhere, and half my chassis still on the m50 m5 services.

second time, my toledo wouldnt start, at home. they wanted me to pay 60 quid for 3 months home start....apparently, i was within 1/4mile of my home and they wouldnt pick me up......so i pushed my car backwards, pointed it down my 1 mile long downhill drive, rolled all the way down to the bottom of my drive, into the village, then rang them up and told them i was now 1 mile away from my house, come pick me up.....they werent very happy, about it, but i did explain my drive is 1mile long and down hill, and you said i had to be this far away from my house....so i got a free ride to work aswell

[stu1888]

yes i know spirt they are lower than low,,, didnt want them to empty my tank just wanted taken back to my house dont think i was being unreasonable to them just wanted recovered........

called them the other day and told them am writing to top gear 5th gear and watchdog,,, i am not having it from them i pay for a full service and not a half arsed we will only take u home when i suits us service..... 4th emergancy service my arse...... lmao

cheers for listen to my rant everyone tho made me feel a bit better lol

[Alex]

TBH I've heard good and bad reports about most of these sorts of companies. A friend of mine broke down a few weeks ago. She had been a member of the AA previously, but let it lapse. She rang up and explained her situation, and they let her renew then and there and sent someone out to her. They could have easily left her stranded.

Sorry that your experience hasn't been good though.

[stu1888]

yes but i bet she paid well over the usa;l price for joining there and then.... as u say good and bad but they are still ripping us off if everyone refused to be taken for a ride pardon the pun we would get a far better deal from them.....

[wirdy]

RAC have been excellent for me throughout 20 odd years.

I don't think the AA are being unreasonable in their policy on recovery after your own-goal of putting diesel in your tank.

It's ominous that you use the word 'again' - don't let your Dad fill the tank!

[miller]

AA have been fine for me, i even sent them (on my policy) to a mate who had locked his keys in the car, they never even questioned why i wasnt there!!!!


Mike