Page 3 | AA lied! WWYD?

HoofWankingSpangleCunt · 09/05/2023 18:39

i think you’re being unnecessarily harsh to @rumbusiness which is interesting because you laughed off everyone else but took exception here.. why do you think that is?

I’m sorry your DD had a crappy time, they should prioritise lone females and this would be one of the points I’d make in an email.
id be asking for the report, and asking and asking. If there isn’t a report then they will need to explain that. This is what I would focus on.

I think a proper diagnostic investigation would have been a better intervention than the AA, and if garages are shut then you have to wait unfortunately. But you know for next time!

How is your DD now? She must be feelin* pretty miserable with her much loved (I’m guessing) mode of transport gone on top of everything else. Could you send her a surprise little package? Doesn’t have to be a fancy hamper, a pack of biscuits and some good quality hot chocolate or something? If her anxiety increases can she access support through university?

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 09/05/2023 18:38

misstrot · 09/05/2023 18:31

My car appeared perfectly drivable too….

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You said that the mechanic wasn't sure it was safe to drive - which is why he took it to the garage.

But in your DD's scenario, he thought it was safe to drive - which is why he didn't take it to the garage.

A car that overheats needs to be taken straight to the garage - you don't drive it home then call the AA to come and fix it because all the garages are shut. That's not what the AA are for.

Original poster

misstrot · 09/05/2023 18:36

YaWeeFurryBastard · 09/05/2023 17:51

Enter DH who asks him is he sure ok-doesn't need to be checked at the garage as his DD is very precious and he wants her to be safe

He was probably eyerolling so hard at this he gave the wrong info 😂😂

Seriously though sorry to hear this OP, probably worth seeing if you can take it any further as I agree it doesn’t sound right.

Lol yes he probably was eye rolling! DH is chronically ill so he’d prised himself off the bed to go check all was ok- he feels guilty he can’t ‘help’ so it probably made him feel like he’d done something!!

OP posts:

Spookysnake · 09/05/2023 18:36

misstrot · 09/05/2023 12:48

I am FUMING! Lies! OMG-please read-sorry it's long-I need advice!
DD (20) hit a small piece of debris on motorway on the way home from uni on the motorway. Car seemed ok but next time she took it out it overheated so we called AA. Patrolman said everything was fine-it just needed oil and water (he filled water but we had to go get the oil) Now DD is a bit nervy driving so she asked was he sure it was ok to drive back to uni (2 hr drive) and he assured her-yes. Then I asked him and he said he 'wouldn't send a young girl onto the motorway in the car if he didn't believe the car was perfectly safe and roadworthy' Enter DH who asks him is he sure ok-doesn't need to be checked at the garage as his DD is very precious and he wants her to be safe etc-again AA reiterates 'all safe-all roadworthy-doesn't need anything doing"- I follow him to the van to input my email/sign attendance from and he tells me no need.
You guessed it-she goes back to uni and breaks down on the M4 in bad weather (it takes 5+ hours for them to send a recovery truck and she is traumatised!)
We get the car delivered back here and ask a local garage to come and look. The garage owner states the car had a severe water leak (the AA didn't pressure test the system) which has caused car to overheat and blown the head gasket-so dead. Bearing in mind DD worked and saved up all summer and only bought the car in August- from a reputable National chain and paid £4000 (it's a little mini) she is devastated.
Ok, so we send report to AA and ask for compensation/new (2nd hand) engine for car. They send an 'Independant Assessor' (paid for by AA and does most of his work for AA so not really independent!?) who literally spends 4 mins taking photos -opens the bonnet and says the head gasket has gone and leaves. His report states that it was our fault for driving it as the head gasket had gone (for clarity it was fine before-no smoke from exhaust and only had a full service and 120 point check in August etc)
The AA then state the patrolman informed us that the car was not roadworthy and should be taken to a garage so they don't hold liability!!!!!! WTF! A complete LIE and 360 on what he said to us. Sadly too late to download Ring doorbell footage to support us -as its gone and he never sent us an emailed report stating what he did or advised-normal protocol. Help! What can I do?

"Very precious" 😅. Can you prove he lied? Do you have any evidence or is it your word against his? If so, his employers will most likely back him. Lesson learned - get the paperwork next time.

Willmafrockfit · 09/05/2023 18:36

is she going to replace the head gasket?

Tratjymp · 09/05/2023 18:35

TheShellBeach · 09/05/2023 14:42

I'm really enjoying this thread.
Great badinage.

Do cars have big ends these days? Because I always think that sounds like such a silly name for a car part.

(misses point of thread)

Yes and small ends.

anunlikelyseahorse · 09/05/2023 18:35

Male101 · 09/05/2023 13:12

Why didn't she pull over when she saw the temp rising?

I don't know about minis, but my car goes blue (cold engine) no light (running temp.) straight to (red...boiling!). I hate it and would much rather have a proper gauge so I can keep an eye on the temperature.

Original poster

misstrot · 09/05/2023 18:34

Jonei · 09/05/2023 18:30

I wouldn't give the ridiculous responses oxygen op.

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Seriously think I will delete the whole thread- I wasn’t looking for sympathy or outrage-I simply wondered if people had any ideas on how to proceed! Like I said I’m angry at the lie more than anything!

OP posts:

bd67thSaysReinstateLangCleg · 09/05/2023 18:32

Outerlimit · 09/05/2023 18:27

A good tip, uncomfortable in hot weather, but one that can save the day.

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Only works if there's still some water in the cooling system.

Original poster

misstrot · 09/05/2023 18:31

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 09/05/2023 17:55

But that's the point PP are trying to make.

In your scenario, the AA weren't sure that your car was safe to drive, therefore they towed it to the garage to be safe. That's their job.

In your DD's case, they saw that the car was driveable so they were under no obligation to take it to the garage. That's your DD's job.

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My car appeared perfectly drivable too….

OP posts:

Jonei · 09/05/2023 18:30

misstrot · 09/05/2023 18:28

A. He was a mechanic- that was the point of calling the AA to establish if safe to drive
b. Every dad thinks his daughter is precious surely?
c. The car had not repeatedly fucked up- it had started to overheat once

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I wouldn't give the ridiculous responses oxygen op.

littleripper · 09/05/2023 18:29

misstrot · 09/05/2023 16:59

Thanks for your care and support-do you have young adult children?!

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Yes 2 DD18 and DS 19. I work with young people aged 14-22. Lack of resilience is a very serious problem for this group at the moment and you need to look at her ability to cope with life events. A break down is inevitable if you drive. As is a crash. It happens to almost every driver at some point and you have to cope with it, and move on.

Original poster

misstrot · 09/05/2023 18:28

rumbusiness · 09/05/2023 17:28

I don't understand why you took his word for it. I don't drive (fucking hate cars) but even I would have taken it to a garage to get it checked over, rather than taking the word of an AA man whose job is simply to get it started and/or tow you and your car to somewhere you can get it fixed.

Particularly with you and your husband going on about how precious your daughter is and how scary it would be for her to breakdown alone, etc etc.

Surely it's really basic that you would get an actual mechanic/garage to give it a once-over before sending your nervous 18-year-old daughter out on a long motorway drive in a car that had repeatedly fucked up?

A. He was a mechanic- that was the point of calling the AA to establish if safe to drive
b. Every dad thinks his daughter is precious surely?
c. The car had not repeatedly fucked up- it had started to overheat once

OP posts:

Willmafrockfit · 09/05/2023 18:28

i understood if the head gasket is going the oil looks gungy, surely they would have checked that

Outerlimit · 09/05/2023 18:27

Willmafrockfit · 09/05/2023 18:08

i put the heater on when the temperature goes up, it cools it down.
until i can get water in or something

A good tip, uncomfortable in hot weather, but one that can save the day.

Original poster

misstrot · 09/05/2023 18:26

bd67thSaysReinstateLangCleg · 09/05/2023 17:39

You are not unreasonable to be angry. I don't think a complaint to AA will get you any money, but make it anyway. I doubt your DD is the first victim of this technician's bullshitting.

The PPs criticising your DD for being frightened by the experience can fuck off. If a van had pulled up, men had got out and forced your DD into the back, and driven off, the drivers of the vehicles passing at 60-80mph would have done what exactly? There's a reason why recovery services are supposed to prioritise lone women: we are at risk of abduction from the hard shoulder. Five hours without a toilet won't have been pleasant either.

The lesson to learn here is for you and your DD to be more mechanically savvy. Get the Haynes book for your vehicle, read online at Honest John and similar places about common faults for that model of car, and be more willing to challenge mechanics. It's hard when you're female because they often talk to you like you're stupid, but it's worth persisting.

Thanks for having some empathy!
I also think you’re right about the Haynes manual- I used to get one for every car when I was a youngster- good idea

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JusthereforXmas · 09/05/2023 18:24

SargentSagittarius · 09/05/2023 14:11

She was stuck on the side of a motorway alone for five hours. Anything could have happened to her.

FML this reminds me why I never start threads on here.

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By anything could happen you mean feeling cold, wet, possibly a bit hungry, maybe needing the loo and of course very bored?

Its not a disaster movie as long as she is following standard procedure the chances she is going to be kidnapped or wiped out by a flying semi leaving the road is exceptionally unlikely.

She might be pissed off but traumatized from sitting bored for 5 hours is ridiculous hyperbole.

Jonei · 09/05/2023 18:23

Do you have legal cover with your insurance op? I had a similar thing where the AA basically destroyed my car. It took a long while but I did finally manage to get the money out of them to replace it.

Thereislightattheendofthetunnel · 09/05/2023 18:22

I am not sure if this has been mentioned yet. I think you should put a formal complaint through the motor ombudsman, perhaps you might have a bit of hope there but you will have to submit some evidence of some sort.
Good luck OP

Original poster

misstrot · 09/05/2023 18:20

Wheresthebeach · 09/05/2023 17:24

I would have thought the lack of a report signed by the customer should raise alarm bells.

I'd write, calmly, stating the events. Highlighting that you were told no report was necessary, and surely if the care wasn't fit to drive that they would have had you sign a report saying so.
They have been negligent and incompetent. Start with customer services, then ask for their legal department.

Thankyou for you helpful response!

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Original poster

misstrot · 09/05/2023 18:19

rumbusiness · 09/05/2023 18:08

Lol -you sound like a barrel of laughs!

What a bizarre and unfounded personal attack. Sorry you didn't like me pointing out the reality of the situation.

we don’t feel guilty- we also weren’t irresponsible…

You should - you were.

My eldest daughter is a few years younger than yours. If she starts driving at 17/18, no way would I be sending her off alone on a long motorway journey in a car that had been involved in an incident and was overheating without getting it properly checked out.

(garages all shut btw as it was a weekend)

Then you wait until they reopen.

so we responsibly asked the AA for assistance. They are supposed to be professional qualified mechanics- had he had any doubts she’d have had to get the train and it would have gone to a garage-but he assured us it was fine. Yes I’m angry- angry he is now lying that’s it!

You should be angry at yourself and your husband for putting your daughter in that situation.

And without written proof of what he said, why should anyone believe your story?

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Hardly unfounded…you have aggressively told me that my DH and I are irresponsible and that we are ‘guilty’ of being so- how else do I take that but as a personal attack?
you weren’t there so don’t know what happened, so unless you have something constructive please don’t respond further- this site is supposed to be supportive and to give helpful feedback- yours is neither

OP posts:

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 09/05/2023 18:15

Boujee11 · 09/05/2023 17:59

@coffeecupsandwaxmelts but they said it was fine and it wasn’t? If the AA guy had said my car didn’t have a problem and it appeared to be fixed by topping up the coolant, I wouldn’t then take it to another garage, why would I? It sounds like the next time the problem occurred it was basically too late?

But it was fine when they looked at it - they even got the DD to drive it round the block to make sure. There was nothing (visibly) wrong with it.

It's not the job of the AA to take a driveable car to the garage. That's for the owner to do.

The fact that it broke down again several hours later is annoying but it's not the AA's fault.

electriclight · 09/05/2023 18:13

Well you are furious and pushing for compensation so I'm not surprised he's lying tbh.

But even if he admitted it, they wouldn't have to compensate you. He gave you his best advice at the time. He didn't intend for your dd to break down dangerously on a motorway. It is awful for her, and annoying, but you won't get anything out of AA.

A34 · 09/05/2023 18:13

Explainitplease · 09/05/2023 18:10

I’ve not rtft as I got cross with the unhelpful comments at the start.

But please do email AA and ask them for a copy of the report - they will not be able to provide it as you didn’t sign it. Then ask them what their process it when called out. Likely that their process is that they require signature after call out. Referring back to the fact they can’t provide your signed report I would then complain. Do it all in writing, do nothing by phone. They are regulated by FCA so assume there will be Ombudsman rights for you/your daughter (whoever holds the policy) if they don’t respond adequately/you don’t agree with the response.

(Have to say, clearly all those who don’t consider a hard shoulder wait in the rain to be horrible, must be robots.)

Being OK (if not absolutely relishing) with being stuck on the hard shoulder of a busy motorway is becoming another 'cool Mumsnet' thing, like the chicken feeding a family of 6 for a month.

Explainitplease · 09/05/2023 18:10

I’ve not rtft as I got cross with the unhelpful comments at the start.

But please do email AA and ask them for a copy of the report - they will not be able to provide it as you didn’t sign it. Then ask them what their process it when called out. Likely that their process is that they require signature after call out. Referring back to the fact they can’t provide your signed report I would then complain. Do it all in writing, do nothing by phone. They are regulated by FCA so assume there will be Ombudsman rights for you/your daughter (whoever holds the policy) if they don’t respond adequately/you don’t agree with the response.

(Have to say, clearly all those who don’t consider a hard shoulder wait in the rain to be horrible, must be robots.)