To complain about the AA man

[TeaAndBrie]

So my car is having issues, I spilt a drink in the passenger footwell a week ago. The car was still working fine and I was advised it was safe to keep driving when I Took it to a garage yesterday, they couldn’t sort it but recommended someone else. He can look at it but not for a couple of weeks.
Today it wouldn’t start at all.
i contacted the AA and 6 hours later the AA arrived. Not an issue because I was at home but still a long time.
I felt like I was being told off by my dad. He kept asking if I understood that it was serious. It was an accident and he made me feel so stupid. He told me that cars can’t function if the electrics don’t work and that water conducts electricity 🙄
he told me that the garage only said it was fine to get rid of me and that no one will want to touch it.
I understand what I’ve done but it wasn’t on purpose and as a paying customer I don’t need to be told off.
currently researching RAC membership instead…

Surely if he couldn't get it going he would have towed it somewhere to be fixed?

Report the mansplaining arse hole. Because we are women doesn’t mean are short on IQ.

I find not very very unlikley that half a McDonalds drink would cause a car not to work, surprised an AA man wouldn't know this

This is my first French car - I had a Honda before this and miss it!

Under the seat there will be a small box hopefully with a connector plug. Undo the plug and clean with brake cleaner. Allow to dry and plug back in. Had a 10 year old Renault in that had air bag codes and it was because Coca Cola had been spilt and got the connectors on the air bag circuit plug all sticky. (Female mechanic).

not sure on the no start, immobilisers aren’t my thing!

Thank you, that’s a great help.
I will look tomorrow in the daylight

@TeaAndBrie if it was working fine then why did you take it to the garage???

Your car won't start, so it must be because of a drink spilled a week ago?

This is bonkers.

First you said that it was a spillage in the footwell, then that the cup was in the centre console and finally that some may have got on the gearstick. I do not believe we have the fully story and am not inclined to believe that the AA gave you a lecture for no reason

If he has cause for concern that the car is not safe to drive then he has a duty of care to strongly advise you not to drive it. Unfortunately this might have come across badly but better that than you drive it and have an accident due to a failure of the car.

Did he happen to offer to buy it? AA man told my DD that her engine was kaput and then said he would buy it! Got our own mechanic to look at it and he fixed it for a few quid!!!

I would see if you could find a local garage to take a look. It seems odd that one drink would do that much damage.

He told me he could take it to Citreon but that it would cost me £90 per fault to be diagnosed and not even fixed.
because I had a contact from the garage yesterday for an electrical specialist he said it’s best I contact him first.

So not the footwell then

Cheeky so and so!
no he didn’t offer

Most of it went in the footwell.
sorry for not explaining it well

Electrics do in fact run through footwells on pretty much all cars the looms typically run down the side under the doors but there can be wiring in many places under carpet especially if you have heated/electric seats under seat speakers most if not all of the lighting and electrics that run to the rear of the car run down these channels under the doors.

Hope you complained.

He really made me feel so small and stupid

Your complaint about waiting six hours (whilst suffering a breakdown at home) is laughable as you would not have been a priority job - you would have been the lowest priority possible - being safe and well at home

OP I know for a fact that the RAC leave people sitting on the side of the motorway for longer than that

I took it to the garage yesterday that I normally go to as it kept showing the airbag pretensioner fault. He said the he couldn’t look at it as he didn’t have the right equipment and recommended a different garage. I went there yesterday and he said he dealt with motor electrics only. He recommended an auto electrics specialist who I contacted but was waiting to hear back from.
this morning the car wouldn’t start at all which hadn’t happened before. That’s why I called the AA ad this was a new issue.

My Vauxhall has all sorts of spills in it. It's got a crappy cup holder right by the handbrake that spills the drink whrn you release or engage the handbrake. I'd bet its not related.

What did he want you to do? Apologise for having a accident? I have burnt a carpet with my iron before. I knew irons get hot. I don't need a lecture. It was accident. I'd have been sarcastic I'm afraid.

Absolutely no idea about electrics etc but if you feel he was patronising I would feed that back to the AA.

oh I wouldn’t complain about waiting at home, I was safe and warm and didn’t need to go anywhere.
I’ve waited on the side of the road for hours before and would always want those people to be attended to above my call.

Sorry you feel so bad. He doesn’t sound very pleasant.

if you ring AA again, would you get a different person? I’d ring and explain you didn’t feel comfortable and ask for a second person.

it just doesn’t sound right. Even if you spilled the drink into the gears, why would it take a week to break? I wouldn’t even tell the second person about the drink, doesn’t seem relevant.

Thank you, I feel a bit calmer now and will make a complaint about the way I was spoken to.