The AA

pandas66

On Friday night I went with 7 other volunteers to Wigan to do a Charity Casino.
Had a good night, raised some money for a local PTA and our own Charity. We set off home at around 11.15pm.
Travelling along the A49 towards the M6 a red battery light came on quickly by the oil light.
My Dad was driving the mini bus so he pulled over as a little smoke started to come through the bonnet. More followed, we pulled over and all got out.

Dad looked under the bonnet with the aid of a torch and thinks the fan belt had gone but wasn't sure, but was sure the mini bus was broke!
I rang the AA at 11.25pm told them our situation, the mini bus size was pulling a trailer and number of occupants.
I was told someone would be with us by 12.20am and we would recieve a confirmation text when they were on their way.
12.40am came and I rang again, I was told they had rebooked our slot for 1.00am, why etc, they had missed but they had problems.
So I rang again at 1.10am and was fobbed off badly, we had now waited 2 hours. I was also told they would only recover 7 people. They it changed to 6, I asked why I hadn't been told this at my 1st call.
So we waited again.
At 1.30am 2 of our party went off to get a taxi or help. They returned at 1.30am with amini bus taxi which took us home.
The road the mini bus was left on was very wide, very well lit. It was a cold night but no fog or visabilty problems.
Dad and I returned next day to start to sort this mess out.
As we turned up we saw a recovery vehicle and yippee'd something was happening. It had been involved in an accident over night, a car went into the rear of the trailer, car is a right off. Our mini bus is a right off too and the trailer poorly but repairable.
Now the AA have offered to refund the taxi fare and £40 as a goodwill gesture.
They reckon they turned up at 2.07am, 2 and a half hours after my 1st call.
The mini bus is impounded by the Police, the car was not insured. This is all 1 hour from us.
Helpppp

Edit to clarify what help we need or perhaps should or not expect.

As we broke down and started recovery at 11.25pm but had to abandon the vehicle at 1.30am, the accident that wrote off the mini bus happened around 2.30am/3.00am (the Police told us it was reported around 3am) had they gotten out to us our mini bus wouldn't have been there. Now the Charity faces the lose of the mini bus, the trailer is repairable. The AA left us stranded, no information for 2 hours and we all feel they should shoulder a portion of the blame now.
Where can we go with this? This Charity has run for 16 years mainly by pensioners.
I am not nameing our Charity here as I am not seeking publicity for them, just advice.

pandas66

any advice would be welcomed thanks

SaraSeahorse

your vehicle / the mini bus was not insured? Did I read that correctly.

Was the broken down vehicle left on lit or unlit road?

Was a warning triangle placed?


Did you inform the police you had left a broken down vehicle on the highway?


The AA are not responsible for where and how the vehicle was left.

Yes, they were bad at not coming - abysmal service but ultimately the driver of mini bus will be accountable for the minibus.

pandas66

Our Mini bus is insured. The other car isn't. Very well lit road, safely parked the Police agreed it was safely parked.

We didn't leave a warning triangle, I doubt you would have seen it before the huge trailer and mini bus.

uktim29

I don't think you can blame the AA.

Even if you try they'll just probably point out that the police have obviously said it was ok where you left it.

Sooler

See here ...

How to make a claim under the Uninsured Drivers' Agreement
http://www.mib.org.uk/MIB/en/Claims/UK/Uninsured/GFprocedure.htm

C_Ronaldo

the AA shouldnt have taken that long to get to you, id go with some other breakdown and recovery service

pandas66

I think Dad is going to cancel (or has) his policy, after over 40 years membership he is disappointed with the service. The tv advertising, the radio advertising and the web ad/site all state they 'try' to be with you within 40 mins, also state they send a confirmation text when they are responding. A letter is being drafted and we shall wait and see now.