AA Rip off

straighttalker

OP, you're lucky that they came out at all given that you hadn't broken down and the car was still running and drivable. A four cylinder engine with one of the cylinders out can still be driven a reasonable distance.

If you want to pay Euro Car Parts prices, next time diagnose the problem yourself, order the parts and either drive to your local branch or wait for delivery. You're paying for the convenience of someone coming to you and
diagnosing the problem and fitting a part which they are carrying and is available to you immediately.

If you thought the price was too expensive, why didn't you refuse to pay and ask the patrolman to refit your old coil pack and be on his way?

The more convenient things are, the more they cost. That's the way life is.

arcon5

So you'll defend energy companies exploiting elderly persons on their own door steps?
Amongst many other examples I can list off of business' trying to maximise their profits.

AA aren't doing out the bloody goodness of their hearts, they already charge a fee for membership with a view of retaining as much of it as profit.

Then use their position to squeeze trusting customers out of silly amounts of money.
This isn't about maximising profits, it's blatantly an abuse of their position. Simple as that

arcon5

Still be driven reasonably on 3 cylinders? Ye then he'd potentially be looking at a new cat at the very least.
Plus with most cars having wasted spark system what makes you think it was running on 3? More like two if it was that bad!

Lucky they came out to him? Get real. His car was clearly not in a fit condition to be driving and he's obviously paid for a home assist service.

They was not doing him a favor, they was merely providing the service he was paying for!

straighttalker

What are you ranting about and how is this similar to door to door electricity salesmen using sharp practice to sign up elderly customers?

An example, you break down, don't have breakdown cover and need recovery off the motorway back to your home address or to a garage. Second scenario, you've got a car that isn't driveable and you need it transporting on a trailer to a set destination.

In the first scenario, you're going to be charged a higher rate than in the second scenario where you've got the benefit of time and can use sites like shipley.com where people bid for the work.

Richard53

The OP needs to look up 'distress purchase'.


As others have said above, it would have been easy to get the car fixed much cheaper if you had done the legwork yourself and been prepared to wait for the parts and fitting. As it was, you got the car fixed there and then with minimal inconvenience to yourself. I am no fan of the AA, but I can't see much wrong with this.

motorguy

arcon5 wrote: »

So you'll defend energy companies exploiting elderly persons on their own door steps?
Amongst many other examples I can list off of business' trying to maximise their profits.

Oh get over yourself. The O/P got the service they signed up to and they biggest beef is they didnt get in to the detail of how much the part was going to cost to fit beforehand and didnt have the opportunity to price one off of ebay that would have been here in a weeks time.

arcon5 wrote: »

AA aren't doing out the bloody goodness of their hearts, they already charge a fee for membership with a view of retaining as much of it as profit.

Yay! Correct. Its a service they charge for, and an added service is they can often get the car going again through the fitment of parts at additional cost.

No old ladies got mugged. No one was forced.

arcon5 wrote: »

Then use their position to squeeze trusting customers out of silly amounts of money.
This isn't about maximising profits, it's blatantly an abuse of their position. Simple as that

A franchised garage would have charged as much for the part, only they wouldnt have come out out of hours and done it on your doorstep.

Comparing the part price to something that may or may not turn up a week after you really need it from an unknown source with no provenance is not comparing like with like.

I can go tomorrow morning to Argos and buy a 32GB Samsung memory stick, guaranteed and warranted OR i can "save" a tenner and get a Smasnug one off of ebay from some chinese source. Hardly comparing like with like and hardly likely to me to bleat on about Argos being "rip off merchants".

mchale

OP. if it was 7.00pm xmas eve/new years eve and you where about to leave to visit relatives with all their presents on board and the AA/RAC came out and fixed yr car would you be moaning about the cost then, I bet not.

bearcat16

Personally I don't think it's an unreasonable fee.

However, I would have liked to be asked beforehand if I was happy t to proceed. But still, a minor annoyance at worst.

As a general point, I hate the AA and may a plague of a thousand locusts invade their collective underpants.

That is all.

Richard53

bearcat16 wrote: »

As a general point, I hate the AA and may a plague of a thousand locusts invade their collective underpants.

That is all.

LOL! I followed my Dad's advice and joined the AA as soon as I got a my own transport. They refused to come out to me in North Wales because it was snowing and they 'weren't going into the mountains' (I was in a town on the A bloody 5, for goodness' sake). And I spent 8 hours by the side of a very wet A1 while they sent several vehicles one after the other, only the last of which was suitable (I had a bust back axle and needed a flatbed, not a tow-truck, and I told them that in the first call, but they kept sending tow-trucks). After those two embarrassing episodes, I vowed I would never have anything to do with the AA ever again.

poppasmurf_bewdley

The AA is no longer a 'Club' or mutual organisation. It's a profit making operation, and your name and address, along with millions of others, have been sold on by current to future owners without you or any others on that list getting a penny.

It's called capitalism.

Try Green Flag at your next renewal if you want to save a load of dosh.

That's called shopping around!