My only experience with the AA was when I skidded off the road at about 1
o'clock one wet morning into a tree. Had to spend ages going though my
details with some dope on the phone who then informed me that my cover
didn't insure me for recovery from a RTA (Road traffic accident). Fair
enough, I thought and proceeded to ask how much it would cost. He stated
that he didn't know, but he would find out and that there was a possibility
that the AA would incur the costs themselves, as I had been a customer for
some years. He was going to send out a regular AA patrol, as there was a
possibility that he could help me. In the mean time he was going to phone me
back regarding the cost of the flatbed. Oh, I also forgot to mention he was
struggling to know where I was even though I was fairly major road.
About an hour later, a flatbed turned up. I have to say the guy driving
this was top. Friendly and got me home with little fuss. He obviously knew
nothing of what the guy on the phone had told me and was just there to get
me home. Seeing as I had been expecting just an regular AA van and had had
no phone call regarding the cost of a flatbed, I assumed they were going to
recover me out of the kindness of they're hearts. What nice people I
thought.
About 2 weeks later I got a bill for around 80-90 quid for what is around a
2 mile recovery. I phoned up to complain and eventually got them to pay for
half of it. Sent off the cheque, thought no more of it and subsequently
received a letter threatening to forward my details to a debt collection
agency if I didn't pay up. After many phone calls and the ****yest letter
you've ever seen, I eventually got them to agree that the cheque had been
cashed and to leave me alone. To add insult to injury, at no point did I
ever get an apology and as my renewal was approaching in a few weeks, I made
sure I cancelled my direct debit. I later got a letter from the bank stating
that they had tried to collect the money very shortly after the incident,
which is several weeks before they normally would.
My brother had a worse experience with one of the insurance company's boys,
can't remember who though.
"Dave Plowman (News)" <dave@davenoise.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4cfdb0dad1dave@davenoise.co.uk...
> In article <tfkpm0dsbqggugkfhmbk8d1jmogro1gpnt@4ax.com>,
> hankjam <ajohns003@freeuk.com> wrote:
> > RAC, AA, Green Flag or anyone else.
>
> > I would be grateful for your thoughts on who gives the best road side
> > service in case something happens while away from home and motoring.
>
> I cancelled my membership of the RAC fairly recently after many years. A
> fan belt broke in central London around midnight. Took forever to get
> through on the phone, and then was kept on hold for longer.
>
> Then they claimed to have no knowledge of the car - despite its number
> being on my membership card which I had with me, and had owned for many
> years. So had to go through all the details.
>
> No sign of them some 1.5 hours later, so since the traffic was now light
> this early in the morning, I decided to take a chance and drive home -
> stopping every so often to let it cool down.
>
> After I'd been indoors a while (about 03.15), they phoned to say they
> couldn't find me. Roughly 3 hours after first trying to contact them.
>
> I wrote to them giving full and accurate details. I'd have been happy with
> an apology and more so with some compensation - perhaps extended or a
> years free membership for one car - I had two with them.
>
> But no. They disputed my times (and not by a few minutes either, but
> nearer 1 hour) saying their switchboard logged all calls and times.
> Although I'm also not quite sure just how it could log the time I'd spent
> getting engaged...
>
> My conclusion from this was some sort of fiddle to show their 'excellent'
> response times - whether a local or national fiddle I neither know nor
> care.
>
> They also said the driver couldn't find me on his first attempt. Despite
> being parked on a main road with the bonnet up. And I'd given them the
> name of the road and the side road I was opposite, off the road signs. But
> he or they didn't phone my mobile then as he did later when I was home.
>
> To add insult, the following year after cancelling my membership, they
> debited my credit card for a years membership stating a vehicle I'd sold
> some four years earlier...
>
> --
> *Laugh alone and the world thinks you're an idiot.
>
> Dave Plowman dave@davenoise.co.uk London SW
> To e-mail, change noise into sound.