Aoutomobile Association ?????

JimmyTheWig

OP, the number you had to call is a regular UK landline number. It will be charged at the same rate as any other UK landline number.
Which means for many people it will be within their inclusive minutes. For others it will be reasonably cheap. For those like yourself it will be expensive.

Calls to the AA are going to make up such a tiny fraction of calls made in general on mobile phones these days that it just wouldn't be worthwhile for the AA to do this.

The last time I phoned the AA (just over a week ago) I was given the option of listening to the safety message or not.

I think you need to...
1. Be more careful the next time you fill up your car (sorry, I couldn't resist that)
2. Consider the cost of your mobile phone tariff - it seems like calls are very expensive
3. Consider the model of your mobile phone and your network as to whether they give adequate coverage on country roads if that is an issue for you
4. Work out a strategy for getting help if you are stuck on a country road again - the earlier suggestion of contacting a friend and getting them to phone the AA is a good one.

corbyboy

If you dial an 0800 number from a mobile you shouldn't get charged if it can't connect you. You said you had £7.45 balance after this. But how much did you have before?

You spent about £3 on the 0121 call. This should get you about 10 minutes for this as it's a normal landline call. Were you on the phone that long?

The AA don't decide how much a cost calls. If you call an 0800 number from a landline it will be free. Most people say this is a good thing. It's not AA's fault how much you are charged by your network. They offer a free number for landlines and a landline number for mobiles.

And you are also complaining because AA wanted to make sure you and your passengers were safe before they arrived?

I am pretty confused by your whole rant to be honest.

mima

Thanks to you all for taking trouble to respond and I'll bear in mind all the helpful suggestions, if I ever do need a more reliable mobile. Although a pal of mine, with the latest, can not get a usable signal between his and my house (about 10 M) while with my Nokia 1200, we have no problem doing so???

However, this little rant was not about mobile phone!


Before, on the few occasions I had to call AA, one of the first questions asked by them was the location of the breakdown.
The point is:
Had I been similarly able to speak to someone from the start I might have been able to convince them that my car is in the safest place possible on this stretch of road, before I lost the signal.
And it wasn't my phone that was the problem. My pal who came to the rescue tried his 'all singing' model -- could not get any signal at all!!!



poppasmurf_bewdley and vaio
Thanks, I didn't know. That certainly explains a lot!

scotsman4th
I'll try the RAC, see if they have a more user friendly attitude.

harveybobbles
"And asked for the Police - I don't even think you have to press option 1 for a murder, option 2 for car theft, option 3 for an injury or option 4 for the time..." :T
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: I wouldn't be surprised

corbyboy
"And you are also complaining because AA wanted to make sure you and your passengers were safe before they arrived?"

It is a sad state of affairs when we have to be advised on how to look after the safety of ourselves and our passengers?
But even so, surely they can do this after taking one's breakdown details and thus minimizing any delay in the rescue. This few minutes extra delay, may be just as critical.

DCFC79

zeeshan_ali2525 wrote: »

just bought a car and it doesn't have the sticker for 2009 or even for 2008, it has the 2007 sticker.

Yes and, with zeeshan post anything thats relevant

geoffken

Not sure if AA was sold off by tory government as it was owned by its members.
Just like TSB bank.
You can blame Tories for a lot but Baby killing and selling the AA are not 2 of them!!!

poppasmurf_bewdley

geoffken wrote: »

Not sure if AA was sold off by tory government as it was owned by its members.
Just like TSB bank.
You can blame Tories for a lot but Baby killing and selling the AA are not 2 of them!!!

Sorry, I didn't mean the AA was sold by the Tory Government, but it was the Tories who passed the enabling legislation which meant it could be sold off - similar thing to the Halifax, etc, - all mutual companies owned by their members who got a rake off from the sale but not as much as the Directors who made millions!

opinions4u

So the problem here is that the OP had to use a PAYG mobile in an iffy reception area?

And is a little paranoid.

Oh for a return of the halcyon days of car breakdowns, walking for 2 miles through the pouring rain to the nearest payphone, and then realising you don't have any 2p pieces in your pocket and then discovering there's a werewolf out on the moors.

mima

opinions4u wrote: »

So the problem here is that the OP had to use a PAYG mobile in an iffy reception area?

No, that is not the problem!

opinions4u wrote: »

And is a little paranoid.

I could not think of any other reason why they keep repeating the same things over and over?

opinions4u wrote: »

Oh for a return of the halcyon days of car breakdowns, walking for 2 miles through the pouring rain to the nearest payphone, and then realising you don't have any 2p pieces in your pocket and then discovering there's a werewolf out on the moors.

At least you got some helpful result at the end of it, now you can be waiting ? hours in the pouring rain, even if you do get through to them.





PS
You don't by any chance live near the moors, do you?

:eek:

grizzly1911

opinions4u wrote: »

Oh for a return of the halcyon days of car breakdowns, walking for 2 miles through the pouring rain to the nearest payphone, and then realising you don't have any 2p pieces in your pocket and then discovering there's a werewolf out on the moors.

Or even a key to open a yellow tardis.....