AA Membership

smokeyhove

I was a member of the AA in 2001 - I phoned and cancelled the membership that December as I was selling my car and not replacing it. I remember it well 'cos I was pretty annoyed that they wouldn't refund the 6 months I had left on my membership!

On my bank statement today I noticed that they had charged me for membership again.

After a few phone calls it would appear that they think I only suspended my account in 2001 and re-activated it in 2006 and started charging me for membership again!

During that time I'd moved house so I never got any correspondence from them to say they were re-activation my membership - obviously I never told them I had moved (as the guy I spoke to pn the phone insisted I should have done) because as far as I was concerned I was no longer a member.

Apart from checking my bank statements more thoroughly (I've obviously missed the payments under various AA guises for the last 4 years!) and writing them a letter telling them I want a refund of the £411.75 they've taken from me without my permission over the last 4 years - is there anything else I can do?

And do they have the right to re-activate my membership and start taking money from my account again, 5 years later, without my permission?

Any help on this would be great - at the moment I feel like I'm embarking on yet another letter of complaint that will end in me getting nothing back from a large corporation.

Cheers

Mk14:37

for £400 it might be worth considering a Small Claims action if they refuse to refund. Presumably you don't have any firm proof (e.g. a letter from the AA confirming cancellation) but I would expect that the very fact that you ceased payments for FIVE YEARS would suggest, on the balance of probabilities, that you had cancelled the membership.

adam.mt

I think he's saying that he's actually been charged EVERY YEAR for the last five years, but has only now noticed it!

I'd suggest a good piece of evidence to show the membership was never required would be the vehicle it's tied to you not having owned for the last 9 years, and the fact it was suddenly re-activated in 2006 for no apparent reason PLUS has never been used. I presume this is vehicle and not personal membership?

Obviously, it would be easier if you'd noticed it far earlier. So, it could be tricky and involve the Small Claims Court if a phone call and letter to head office (then followed by letter before action) don't get far.

st999

and people think I'm mad for checking my bank accounts online every day. How do people not notice money coming out of their bank account without their knowledge for 5 years.

Wish I had your income where £100 a year went un-noticed.

Stan

smokeyhove

st999 wrote: »

and people think I'm mad for checking my bank accounts online every day. How do people not notice money coming out of their bank account without their knowledge for 5 years.

Wish I had your income where £100 a year went un-noticed.

Stan

I wish you did too Stan.

I do have a cursory check of my bank transactions but obviously not a thoroughly as I though and I've only gone online within the last year - it does make it easier to check in smaller bitsize chunks rather than a month at at ime though
It was only when it was clearly labelled 'AA Membership' this year that I noticed it - I'm not the best at remembering who I'm insured with etc as I shop around for these things every year so probably assumed it waas insurance or something else.

Anyway that's all excuses fro me not checking well enough. I (having been away for a week) have decided to write to my bank to find out why they have allowed the account to be reactivated (just to see where I stand from their point of view) and to write to the AA with all the details and attempt a full refund.

Thanks for suggestions so far.