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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AA taking 3 days to tow my car home.

33 replies

wheresmymillionaire · 04/07/2021 01:02

The AA collected my car at 10:30am Friday morning, to start a long recovery journey home. The journey is around 200 miles.
As I had 2 dogs, and an autistic child with me, I sent the car off by itself, and borrowed a family members car to get ourselves home. I didn't think my ASD dd would cope with a long journey with the AA, changing vehicles 2, maybe 3 times en route.

I found out today my car has been at a compound since 7pm Friday evening, waiting for the AA to pick it up.
In my car, are our luggage, my work stuff (was supposed to work this morning) and some medication I need to be taking. I had no idea it was going to take this long. I honestly expected it to be delivered home late on Friday sometime, otherwise I wouldn't have left our stuff in it.
AIBU to think this is bad service from the AA?

OP posts:
EveryoneIsThere · 04/07/2021 08:35

Yes! That seems like way too long. 200 miles is t that far.

TheQueef · 04/07/2021 08:37

What reason are they giving?
Did you have home tow or just nearest tow?

Geamhradh · 04/07/2021 08:38

The only time I called them out like that was a Friday afternoon and we got the car back on the Tuesday.
Obviously they got us and our stuff home the same evening though.

cantthinkofanythingwitty · 04/07/2021 08:51

I had the same, new car developed a fault in Newcastle and took a week to bring back down to Cornwall. It was being left in service stations as the AA drivers had areas that they had to stay within so could only drive to the edge of their area for it to be picked up by another crew.

Communication was rubbish, I had no idea where the car was and when I got it back, it had scratches over it from the straps they had used

Original poster
wheresmymillionaire · 04/07/2021 10:36

Latest ETA is 6pm this evening. I won't hold my breath.
I asked what compensation I would be getting, but they've refused so far. Apparently an operator told me it can take up to 48 hrs to deliver the car, but as I was sobbing from telling the operator I'd just watched my FIL pass away, I don't remember this. I fully expected the car to be at my house friday evening.
I have been a member for over 20yrs, so am a Gold member for what it's worth. I have recovery to destination.

OP posts:
thelastgoldeneagle · 04/07/2021 10:40

I'm sorry for your loss, op.

Did you ask about ETA when you left the car? I'd have taken all my stuff out of it, especially meds.

Yanbu. I think the AA and RAC are under a lot of pressure now with more cars being on the road. I had to call the RAC on Thursday afternoon - after 4 hours they couldn't give me an ETA so I called dh to come and pick me up. Absolutely shit service.

thelastgoldeneagle · 04/07/2021 10:41

Op, you could raise a formal complaint.

whatdoidonowffs · 04/07/2021 11:27

This is absolutely normal for an unaccompanied car
Drivers don’t always have the driving time to cover that sort of distance in one go bear in mind that it would be a 400 mile round trip as the drivers have to get back to where they are based
Doing runs like this can sometimes involve four or five transfers but you will get it home

TheQueef · 04/07/2021 11:47

Ah bugger, sorry to hear of FiL passing Flowers
Is it feasible to collect your stuff if it's going to be sat in compound for a bit?

warmfluffytowels · 04/07/2021 11:54

I am so sorry about your FIL.

But why didn't you take your stuff out of the car before sending it off - especially as your work items and medication were in there?

I think it's fairly standard for them to take longer to recover unaccompanied vehicles, especially over the weekend when many garages will be closed.

ArtAttackAck · 04/07/2021 12:26

Had issues with car on a Friday(car written off, nobody hurt)
They didn't give me a hire car until Tuesday
In the meantime, I had got tge train home at my own expense

whatdoidonowffs · 04/07/2021 17:59

Have you got it back yet ?

ForeverSausages · 04/07/2021 18:02

My car broke down over 200 miles from home. They wanted to give me some giant automatic to drive home and I refused. It took 22 hours to get home. They said it was because none of the driver's had enough hours to do the full journey so it was a lot of stopping at service stations waiting for another recovery truck. I think it also cost them a bomb as they had to hire private recovery companies. Not a fun experience.

Royalbloo · 04/07/2021 18:04

I used to work there - it's not a priority as you're not stranded. But ask if you can make a complaint. They're pretty good if you point out they're being unreasonable.

Original poster
wheresmymillionaire · 04/07/2021 21:44

It arrived here at 7:30 this evening. With a completely flat tyre with a nail in it. Then I had to wait for them to send someone out to put the spare on.
So all in all, it's taken 56 hours to get the car back, and I need to buy a new tyre.
It was left in a garage for 45 hours en route, even though the AA repeatedly told me it was being picked up during that time.

I have written a complaint e mail.

OP posts:
GenderApostatemk2 · 04/07/2021 21:58

You might get a free year out of them, that’s all DH was offered a few years back after they towed him to a (closed) service area 30 miles in the wrong direction and dumped him. We ended up paying £150 for a recovery firm to go and get him at midnight.

SeaGreenUser · 04/07/2021 22:16

To be fair - did you actually ask them about how long it would take? This was a weekend, and there would be other people higher priorities with no alternative means of returning home. You borrowed a family members car - why didn't you remove your luggage from your car and transfer it. Quite apart from anything else, my workplace would have had seven shades of a fit if I left "work stuff" in someone else's keeping, and I would never leave my medication anywhere!

VeniVidiWeeWee · 04/07/2021 22:36

You haven't mentioned a disability so why can't you change a wheel?

LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow · 04/07/2021 22:42

@VeniVidiWeeWee

You haven't mentioned a disability so why can't you change a wheel?
Do give over!

I can change a wheel, as can dh, but when we lost a tyre on the motorway with 3 children and a dog in the car we felt that the Recovery Guy with his big flashing lights, massive vehicle and pro equipment might make a better job of it under extremely dangerous circumstances

Maybe the OP felt likewise?

Pinkroseuk · 04/07/2021 22:48

I had to leave the AA as we had a collision with a curb on Christmas Eve a couple of years back. We were about 1mile from home but they refused to take us home even though I had full cover. They took the car away to my requested garage but left us on the side of the A road to walk home at 11pm. Apparently as we were not hurt this is normal protocol if another car is not involved. I complained several times but was told I had not read the small print in my policy

VeniVidiWeeWee · 04/07/2021 22:48

@LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow

I believe from what the OP wrote that the car was at their home. Possibly they live on a dangerous motorway but I suspect not.

LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow · 04/07/2021 22:52

I assumed she was en route!
Maybe the car doesn't have a spare?

We shall have to wait and see.

Lonecatwithkitten · 04/07/2021 22:53

BMW recovery was supposed to bring my car home from France within 7 days, it eventually arrived home 18days later and only after my husband who at the time worked for a major customer of BMW's emailing the UK CEO from his work email address.
The car was fixed within 30mins of being at the garage.

LookItsMeAgain · 04/07/2021 22:53

@SeaGreenUser

To be fair - did you actually ask them about how long it would take? This was a weekend, and there would be other people higher priorities with no alternative means of returning home. You borrowed a family members car - why didn't you remove your luggage from your car and transfer it. Quite apart from anything else, my workplace would have had seven shades of a fit if I left "work stuff" in someone else's keeping, and I would never leave my medication anywhere!
Have a smidge of sympathy for the OP would you? She had 2 dogs and an autistic child with her. She had just lost her FiL Her car had conked it and she phoned her car recovery service, expecting it to be towed to her home (or at least a garage near by her home later the same day). That might explain why she didn't transfer the luggage from her car to the one she borrowed from a family member. Also we don't know if both cars were of similar size so able to take the two dogs and autistic child and luggage and work related stuff.

Good for you if you could manage to get all of the above sorted if it ever happened to you!

I'm glad you wrote that letter of complaint @wheresmymillionaire. I hope they respond favourably for you.

VeniVidiWeeWee · 04/07/2021 22:59

@LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow

"It arrived here at 7:30 this evening. With a completely flat tyre with a nail in it. Then I had to wait for them to send someone out to put the spare on."

Sorry, but what are we waiting to see?