AA left me stranded for 3 hours - Any advice?

kandi_2

Hi, I'm just writing a letter of complaint to the AA for leaving me (a little lady) stranded on my own in a hot car with no access to water (or services!) on a rural road for 3 hours.

I've got full AA membership and my car overheated this afternoon.
I called them and they said someone would be with me in 1hr and 20 mins.
After 1.5 hours they called to say no-one was on their way and it would take another 1.5 hours for their nearest technician to get to me!

I couldn't wait that long (TMI but apart from being hot, tired and grumpy - AF was with me and I couldn't risk it!)

I eventually made it to the service center - stopping every 5 minutes to let the engine cool down.

This is on their website: "FAST repairs – we arrive within 40 minutes and fix your car within 30 minutes, on average"
PAH !

3 HOURS - what am I paying membership for?!

There's nothing in their terms to say what happens if they don't attend a breakdown.

Just wondered if anyone else has been left stranded by the AA?
or if anyone has any advice before I send my letter to them?

Much appreciated xx

hewhoisnotintheknow

its not their fault it was hot or you had no water

the website says on average

i dont think its worth bothering

you need to ask why your car over heated? poorly maintained?

ozvaldinho

Consider yourself lucky, they normally prioritise "little ladies" like yourself at the expense of fat hairy blokes like myself. I'd probably have been there all day...

The AA are top guys, but like all services, they can get very busy. A lot depends on just where you break down. I've had responses in less than 5 minutes before.

That said, I've heard of worse delays. A skint student pal didn't have petrol money to get home from uni...he 'broke' his motorbike so he could get a towtruck home and the RAC left him all day by the roadside in the rain. A passer-by noticed him on her way to work in the morning. When she saw him still there on the way home from work in the evening, she took pity on him and went to buy him some fish and chips.

We mainly use the RAC at work, and they have occasional glitches too. That's life, I'm afraid.

anewman

Guess there's nothing stopping you writing a letter of complaint, but I wouldn't expect anything more than an apology and maybe a good will gesture out of them. I guess the key issues really are that you are a woman, they estimated 1 hour 20 minutes and didn't make an attempt to call you to notify it would be much longer.

As said above, I wonder if there's a chance the car has not been well maintained or properly serviced causing it to break down. Many people think if it isn't broke, don't fix it, then wonder why something has gone wrong later.

Being impatient and driving the car in that manner is more likely to cause damage than anything else. The water is there to circulate heat for a reason.

Conor_3

I guess there were people who were a higher priority than you such as a woman with her kids....

As olsvaldhino said, be grateful you're not a bloke - you end up at the bottom of the list.

hewhoisnotintheknow

always makes me laugh when women bang on about equal rights....

vikingaero

Conor wrote: »

I guess there were people who were a higher priority than you such as a woman with her kids....

As olsvaldhino said, be grateful you're not a bloke - you end up at the bottom of the list.

The point is that if the "woman" getting priority is your mum, sister, grandmother etc then you are happy for that the happen. The worst cases are the women who pretend they are at risk when in reality they have broken down outside whilst visiting their mates.

banger9365

i agree with you put there has to be a order ,females will allways get priority over a man (so they should)put when you start adding kids,oaps that need medication,diabled drivers and things like that they no longer become priority in the day time put in the night things may change again

jhp

anewman wrote: »

they estimated 1 hour 20 minutes and didn't make an attempt to call you to notify it would be much longer.

But the Op said they did call her.


"After 1.5 hours they called to say no-one was on their way and it would take another 1.5 hours for their nearest technician to get to me!"

reduceditem

If I was you I'd be kicking up a right old fuss about it....and I'm a bloke.

3 hours for a single woman in a remote rural location is outrageous.

Phone them up and go ballistic...I'd be expecting free annual renewal or AT THE VERY LEAST an upgraded membership and apology.

hewhoisnotintheknow

by your own admission it was a rural location