Breakdown whinge

I've been with the AA for 6-7 years, and this is the first time I've had to use them.

Called around 1pm, told them I needed recovery, what was wrong, what had been done to troubleshoot and that it would need trailering to Silverstone Garage (specialist car). They agreed, asked if I would mind a third party agent as they may get here faster, no problem, request would be put through.

Waited about 1h30, nothing, called again.. advised it'll be anytime between now and 4:40pm! Then a chap turned up in his van 30mins later.. (not the sort of vehicle I was expecting). Surprise surprise, he can't do anything, it needs to go on a flatbed to the garage of my choice. He'll 'sort it'.

15mins later, get a call, 'we can't do anything, you need to call the AA to arrange a flatbed', argh!

I've called the AA, truck will be here anytime between now and 5:10pm, if I leave the car it would be up to 48hrs. Silverstone Garage will be closed if they arrive that late (45mins from here), and the AA could not advise whether their vehicle can give me a lift home due to insurance (I live ten minutes away).

Is this standard service? I'm finding it all a bit of a joke.

I've been with the AA for a while now and certainly had my money out of them last year and the year before.

I've got, as my card reads 'Roadside Relay Home-Start'

The car has had to be recovered and taken to garages on a flatbed a few times and never had a problem. I've broken down and immediately they've sent a flatbed out for recovery. Other times another company has come with a flatbed. Some times you have to wait, other times they've come very quick (perhaps it's the time of year that you've broken down that's been the problem).

Anyway, they've taken the the car on the flatbed, stored it over night in some instances as well, and delivered it to where ever..

Just had a call from another company, they received the request from the AA 5 minutes ago and they won't be able to get here for at least another 2h30. I've told them to forget it and I'll find another way of getting it home.

Absolute joke.

Sorry to hear this Alex, I've been with the AA for 8 years & have used them loads of times. Not really for myself but for a lot of family members. Every time I have used them they have been spot on! Brilliant service and very knowledge with a sense of humour.

I know this is not helping you in your situation but I can only presume they are extremely busy. A lot of people have been calling them getting caught out in the snow, I take it because you are at home they put you on a lower priority. Trust me a lot of friends have used a lot of other companies & have agreed AA being the better bunch. 3rd party places are like local garages which they can call upon if they can not get to you in a reasonable time.

Call them back, tell them you are 8 months pregnant and wearing a mini skirt in the cold,

the cold has made you get a sore throat hence why you sound like a man

Dont pay extra for homestart, just register at another house, free homestart;)

Dont pay extra for homestart, just register at another house, free homestart;)

Cheeky Cheeky

I've used the AA twice now i think. I get it free through my bank

Always been ok with me. Greenflag on the otherhand were an absolute waste of time

Peter

I know this is not helping you in your situation but I can only presume they are extremely busy. A lot of people have been calling them getting caught out in the snow, I take it because you are at home they put you on a lower priority. Trust me a lot of friends have used a lot of other companies & have agreed AA being the better bunch. 3rd party places are like local garages which they can call upon if they can not get to you in a reasonable time.

I realise they'll be very busy due to the road conditions, however if they tell me something on the phone I expect them to stick with it, or let me know they can't keep to their word and offer an alternative (slightly unrealistic in the current day I know).

I was at work, my car still is. I have called them back and spoke with another agent, who has arranged for my car to be collected between 9am-2pm tomorrow.. I just hope it's still there and untouched when I go back in the morning.

At least my refurbished headlights have returned from Dave (SUPRALOOPY), I can put the other car back together and still be mobile. They look very nice too!

Not good alex!

The last time I had to use breakdown was a last year in the snow (old car didn't like the wet or cold!). Used the AA and they turned up within 30 mins, must of been lucky!

alex if your having trouble getting home after someone picks the car up let me know. iif your only 10 mins from silverstong garrage your only 30-40 mins away from me at most

ah. your not. nevermind

alex if your having trouble getting home after someone picks the car up let me know. iif your only 10 mins from silverstong garrage your only 30-40 mins away from me at most

Haha, no unfortunately I'm 45mins from Silverstone Garage but only ten minutes from work. Thanks for the thought though.

Bad luck on the breakdown mate. I've had to use the AA a couple of times now and they've been OK each time. As long as you say technical sounding things to the phone operator and insist it needs a flat-bed recovery, they'll usually send a suitable vehicle first time. They only send the van if they're really busy and need to make it look like they're doing something, or it needs initial diagnostics.

The only time they used a third party was when I was stuck on the motorway (which makes you high priority). I was lucky I was 5 minutes away from a Ravenscroft depot

I know its no excuse but recovery firms are stupidly busy at the minute. I know someone that works for the RAC and over the last two weeks they have had call queue lengths of 2000 its never normally over 500 apparently.

As I said no excuse for them not doing what they have said they will. Ive used the RAC before and they were very good but not as good as my independent cover with redstar that I got with my insurance. They turned up in 30 mins, trailered the car some 150 miles to my house and even bought me a coke at the services

In my experience with the AA and RAC, if you know what is wrong with the car and you know they will not be able to fix it at the side of the road, you need to be very specific about it and demand that they send out a flatbed. Has worked for me. I usually say driveshaft failure, you are guaranteed a flatbed then!

Ollie

Last time I used the AA the main hose came off the back of the engine and had dumped all the water.

Called AA, told them what had happened, asked for a flatbed. Van turned up and chap came over. "It's split the main hose and dumped all the water and needs towing" says I.

Chap looks in the radiator "I can see your problem" her says "you've got no water. Have you been running it hot?". "No its split the hose and it needs trailering" says I.

Chap then goes to his van, gets some water and pours it in the radiator. Water starts peeing out the back of the engine. "Where's that water going?" says him. "It's peeing all over the floor" says me.

Chap mooches around and gets under the car. "Its peeing all over the floor!" says him - "you've got a split hose and it'll need trailering....."

I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm female... Switched to RAC and never been back.

Well, it's still sitting outside, no sign of the AA. I'll give it the remaining 5 minutes then call them up again.

Some of those stories are farce-like, although they must be having to manage a huge number of call-outs right now.

RAC FTW. I've been with the RAC for several years, and they've been ok-to-good when I needed them. They didn't diagnose a fault I had with my Fiesta but that was a very strange one.

Worst one I had with the AA was with a bike a good few years ago. It conked out in the pissing rain on the motorway one morning so the AA sent a chimp in a van to diagnose the fault. Coils damp, no chance of it running so another vehicle was sent for as the chimp didn't have a spectacle lift on his van.

Chimp buggered off leaving me in the rain on the hard shoulder until a truck arrived 40 minutes later, lowered the specs, strapped the bike on and went to raise the frame. Nothing. Hydraulics died. Cue a breakdown van for the broken down breakdown van and another hour wait. At least I could sit in the cab this time.

It's on its way to Silverstone Garage at last, no brownie points for sticking to their timeframes but at least the driver was very nice to talk to.

Just for comedy, the AA called me (first time) to tell me their driver would be along shortly to collect my car... just as the lorry was driving off with my car on the back.

Ive been with the AA for a long time and used them on several occaisons and my experiance has been 100% with them to date and the longest ive waited was just over an hour.

ive used them loads over the years only problem i ever had was when they sent a garage monkey out he didtnt have a clue.i always ask for a proper aa patrol even if it means waiting