To think that the AA should be better than this..

[BobbinUp]

DH, myself and dc's went to London this morning had a great time but on returning to the car at half two discovered a problem and called the AA.

A patrol man was promised for 3.50, all good we thought! Time then amended to 4.20, ok still alright. I called at half four, was put on hold while central office called our man and told 2 miles away (we were in west end) and will be there shortly. 10 mins later the guy himself calls, says I am in Notting Hill and where are we again? Denies any call from central office. At 5 DH suggested I get kids (2 and 4) home on tube /train and he stays and waits.

The patrol man arrived about half five, denies any knowledge of promised time, takes a brief look apparently and says cant help. Back to central office who offer diagnostics and recovery both to arrive for 7.

Diagnostics arrived at half seven, can't help. Recovery truck has still not bloody arrived!!!! We are an hour north of London. Assume recovery truck will take nearer 1.5 hrs at least. He isn't going to be home pre midnight and we will all be up at 6 tomorrow for work!

I am fuming. Poor DH stuck outside a car park in central London on a Sunday night and its now 7 hours since we called them! . They just keep lying about times, putting him on hold and not picking up again and generally doing nothing that we pay them to!

YANBU that is really shite x

How odd, they have always got to me really quickly. But that has never been on a Sunday. Definitely put a complaint in, did they know you had children with you?

Email and write and tell them that you are going to list all their lies and poor service on a public website every week for the next year and that you deserve a full apology and financial compensation for your trouble.

I have used them once before and though it took a while to get to me the guy was great once there. They did know we had kids there but the initial response guy was really shitty on the phone and apparently not much better in the flesh. I just feel so helpless! DH doesn't want me to wade in until he actually gets home

Luckily dc's were angels on the journey home but underground and buggy with 4yr old needing holding hand was a little exciting. Lighter point though was 4 yr old dd saying she didn't want to go "on the 'tube' as you have to slide down and I don't like it" ! She hadn't travelled underground before!!

YANBU, it is usually better than that.

I had similar treatment from the RAC recently. It was a surprise as the previous times I've used them (years ago) they were great. I have decided not to bother having this sort of cover and to just call the garage that looks after my car, or get the train home and sort it out the next day instead -- which was what I had to do! Then when they came to my work the next day the first thing they tried to do was sell me a new battery (completely unnecessary).

I have a feeling all these organisations have now cut costs to the extent that they can't provide the service they advertise, in the SE at least.

Well he has just called to say lovely pick up man has arrived and will bring him and car home. Apparently new bloke is great and told DH he must complain as ridiculous to wait so long. Thank god I could get kids back on the train as would have been a blinking nightmare otherwise.

Thanks for responses!

PS Phineyj I think you may be right

I'm with JustineBsMum!

See you back here next week then!

Definitely complain, this isn't typical. The AA have only let me down once in 16 years (and that was the Friday of a Bank Holiday weekend so sort of understandable). They are usually very good - I still love the AA guy who came to sort out our car at midnight in the aftermath of the Icelandic volcano disaster - he told me, with a huge grin, that he had spent the past week starting up cars with dead batteries due to the ash cloud delays, told me exactly what to expect my car to do (diabolical noises as the settings sorted themselves out, don't turn off engine in the first hour). He was fab - and only took 20 minutes too.

Good luck on the complaints. They'll take weeks to answer you, might apologise but definitely no, and I mean no compensation.

They're a really different organisation since Saga bought them out five years ago. I just finally left them after the annual call to make tem match the RAC price. This year, they refused and at £90 cheaper.......well I was out of there (plus I was sick of having to call every year.)

. 9 months ago I complained about not being given priority as had my ds (2 yo) with me. I was left waiting for 2+ hrs, and like you fobbed off. Wrote a letter of complaint asking for full years refund, an got a 50% refund.

Hello BobbinUp, we're sorry to hear of the delay, this is certainly something that we would like to address. Please email the details to [email protected] including your full name, address and membership number with Reference FOR50585. Kind Regards, The AA

I had no problems when I used the AA as I was prioritised as a "lone woman".

With the RAC now and did have a several journal wait earlier this year, but it was after we'd had snow and they were prioritising people who were stuck in a drift/blocking roads whereas mine was a "Home Start" problems. I think that was right.

Is the AA post legit?? I would google and check before you send them anything OP!

Interesting to see post from AA! Agree that I might check it out before sending off!