Do the AA break down have guidelines ?

xxdeebeexx

Hi my husband has broken down. He is with my 2 young sons on the way home from a day out. He has been waiting for the AA for over 3 hours now and, as you can imagin, is quite frustrated.

A local garage came out to him after about 90mins and tried to fix the car, and couldn't. He has now been waiting for someone to relay the car home. It seems such a ridiculous amount of time of time to have been waiting.

Is there anything I can do from home to help speed things up? They're about 90 minutes away

TIA

Dx

Nilrem

IIRC the AA (and most break down services) tend to give priority to women on their own, the disabled and youngsters (children), has your hubby let the AA know he's got young children in the car?

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

Well its a busy warm weekend I would imagine they are overrun by people in poorly maintained cars breaking down.

They did well to send someone out in 90 minutes but I would imagine you now simply wait until the next banger carrier is ready.

sane01

There are a vast array of cars that break down everyday they do not need to be poorly maintained to break down.

I think if you phone them and tell them about the children being in the car they should come quicker or arrange for your husband and children to get home and they can pick it up later, if you arrange with them where to get the keys. It would depend on the type of cover you have what they would be willing to do but if you try at least you might get someone who is willing to help.

Sirbendy

Nilrem wrote: »

IIRC the AA (and most break down services) tend to give priority to women on their own, the disabled and youngsters (children), has your hubby let the AA know he's got young children in the car?

Don't make me laugh, please. It hurts.

My partner and I had a major vehicle failure last year in the middle of nowhere..I AM disabled, I WAS an AA member..we called, they said "2 hours". 3 later, I ended up walking (staggering by the time I got there) to a friends house, and called the AA again, to rip them a new hole. "we should be with you in 6 hours tops sir. We're a bit busy. Can you remain with the car?". I told them where to get off and explained that I would be cancelling my membership with immediate effect, and I wouldn't be coming back.

We ended up going back to the car with a big toolkit, using a lumphammer to disengage the brakes (which had locked and twisted, hence the coming to a dead halt), and driving it in a convoy very slowly to a local garage who were horrified.

AA - bloody useless in an emergency. :mad:

And as for cover, I was a member in good standing for 30 years. I'm 32 - good investment by my mother..heh. I had the full monty package.

naijapower

Call them and tell them you have children in the vehicle getting distress.
In my opinion, 90 mins wait is kind of standard. i have waited that long before on several occasions, though i had no kids with me.

Pssst

The AA road patrols are currently labouring under an onslaught of asset stripping by the people who own the company. Best switch to the RAC or similar.
http://www.gmb.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=91798

xxdeebeexx

Well, they're home now. Got in just after 9pm - 5hrs after they first broke down. Luckily they broke down in a village and not on a motor way. Lots of local people were really kind and one elderly gentleman gave them a lovely picnic of yoghurts, biscuits, fresh raspberries cake and sparkling water!! How very,very kind.

My younger boy ate his dinner and went straight to bed with raspberry stains still on his face .

Is the RAC better than the AA?
I might need to change.

Thanks for your comments

Dx

goldspanners

if they broke down on the motorway then they might have been attended to quicker than breaking down in a small village.

in the defense of the AA i broke down this week,i stopped to fill up with petrol came back out and the car wouldnt start,pushed the car away from the petrol pumps,checked everything i could without tools,then i called out the AA, the after eventually getting through to a real person i was told to expect an 80 minute wait,after about 40 minutes the AA arrived,he couldnt fix the car as the fuel pump in the tank had broken,so he towed me home.

he was a very nice man, a very very nice man,a very very very nice man.

Poppy9

I was with the AA for years (until I discovered this site and Auto Aid). I called them out just once and OH about 3 times. Each time we waited no more than 1 hour.

Look into Auto Aid. You arrange your own recovery and they will reimburse you the cost.

The_AA_Company_Representative

Hi there, I saw this blog and thought, as I work for the AA, it may be helpful to invite you to call our Member Relations team to discuss this incident. They can be contacted on 0845 604 6727, or emailed at customersupport@theaa.com.