AA Rip off

motorguy

tight_scotsman wrote: »

I understood my membership fees paid for all of the above.

You mis-understood then.

motorguy

tight_scotsman wrote: »

a garage would never charge 100 quid for what was a 10 minute job

A garage would have charged a very significant call out charge to do the work at your front door - OR, more likely, charged you a stiff recovery fee to get the car back to their workshop and would then have looked at it during working hours.

motorguy

tight_scotsman wrote: »

You are sick to death of people complaining on a consumer forum ???
yes companies need to make some profit I agree but this is a rip off.
my membership pays foe everything except parts all labour and diagnostics are included in my membership.
its the fact they marked up 100 quid on the parts that's whats wrong.
The AA overheads are paid by the membership fees so no matter what the fuel costs or any other cost is irrelevant

You paid a retail price for the part that was available immediately, NOT a heavily discounted part sent to you a week later from some warehouse that imports the parts from the far east.

Your local garage wont supply parts at internet prices, why should the AA?

Realistically, if they guaranteed internet prices for parts, they'd have to put their prices up, and people would complain then too?

motorguy

Iceweasel wrote: »

The AA is a business just like any other with the sole purpose of maximizing profit for it's shareholders.

The owners are Acromas Holdings who are listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Why are you surprised?

I could give similar details for the RAC.

When your membership comes up for renewal you should consider joining the biggest Motor Club left in Europe which is a non-profit organization which operates solely for the benefit of the members.

I pay €109 for annual membership for Mrs Iceweasel and myself - any car - any country - worldwide travel - even without car.

Hugely more cover than any business or Uk 'motor club' can offer - even fly me home from the US or Canada if I fall ill.

Which club? - the ADAC.

I pay £128 for the four cars in our household.

It covers homestart, breakdown and recovery to a place of the drivers choice and onward travel / home.

For us that would mean in the case of a breakdown we'd get the car recovered to my mechanics and onward travel to home.

That effectively covers the four cars of me, my wife, my father in law / mother in law (in their 70s) and my son.

Thats with Start Rescue. :beer:

Money_maker

Sounds cheap to repair a problem with your car. Done outside your home, straight away. How else could you find, collect and fit this part yourself immediately.

Sooler

OP was only able to look up the part once the AA had diagnosed the fault for them. Sounds like the OP want's the benefit of the AA's expertise but not have to pay for it.

tight_scotsman

Sooler wrote: »

OP was only able to look up the part once the AA had diagnosed the fault for them. Sounds like the OP want's the benefit of the AA's expertise but not have to pay for it.

I have already paid for the call out and to diagnose the fault. That's included in my membership. its the massive mark up on the actual part fitted I am not happy with.

marvin

Engine management light on and running rough, so it ran, why not arrange to take it too the garage yourself?

The AA does include diagnostics and where possible fixing, if you have the parts to hand then they will fit them for you free.

I used to have a Renault which needed coils on a fairly regular basis I bought cheap ones online kept one in the car and the AA fitted them free of charge, same with the bulbs in my fog lights, which were done when I called them out for something else.

They charge garage prices for parts, all parts fitted by a garage can be found cheaper elsewhere but you are buying without the garage mark-up. When they say garage they mean main dealers and not the chap in a small garage round the corner.

The AA have to buy and carry the parts this has a great cost to them it requires quite a mark-up.

motorguy

tight_scotsman wrote: »

I have already paid for the call out and to diagnose the fault. That's included in my membership. its the massive mark up on the actual part fitted I am not happy with.

Compared to what? Some internet seller who buys these things a container load at a time and will get it to you next week?

You're not comparing like with like btw. Find an online seller who will commit to having the part with you within the hour and see how much they charge.

Your real problem here is you didnt ask first. I you'd asked the price before it was fitted you could have made a judgement call on whether you wanted to pay the "fix it right now" price or wait a week for the part to come off of the internet.

BTW, i need a HDMI lead TODAY. Argos will sell me one right now that i can go and pick up for £2.99 OR i can order one off of ebay for £1.49 delivered and get it maybe thursday or friday. Does that make Argos a rip off?

motorguy

marvin wrote: »

Engine management light on and running rough, so it ran, why not arrange to take it too the garage yourself?

Thats quite key here. The AA provide a breakdown recovery service.

The car hadnt broken down so why not get a local garage to diagnose it (or buy a £10 code reader) and buy the part online?

You cant have your cake and eat it.